Checkmate

8. The Ones Who Love

I didn't dream; I didn't not dream. I was in a blank white space. Fog covered the floor, as if standing on a cloud. A voice called my name. It seemed worried.

"Father?" I felt myself say, my breath producing more fog, as if the air was cold, but I couldn't feel the cold, I couldn't feel anything. "Pan? Is this supposed to be a game? It isn't funny!"

A figure appeared in the mist in front of me. She wore all white, and her hair was brunette, just like mine. "You smell like strawberries." I told her, matching her smile with mine.

"You have to go back." She said, her smile fading.

"Go back where?"

"I will see you again, but not for a long time. Go back." Suddenly I shot backwards away from the woman, as if something had wrapped a string around my middle and pulled sharply. I felt myself landing, the pain in my side returning and fuzzy shapes in my vision. I felt myself groan, inviting hands to rest on my shoulders.

"Lay back down lass, yer in no fit shape to move." One fuzzy shape told me.

"I'll wring his scrawny little neck one week without seeing her and then I get her dropped at my feet like a cat bringing dead mice to its owner." Came the other fuzzed shape as it moved in and out of my view.

"Father?" I groaned, recognising the voice. He came to my side immediately, replacing what I realised later to have been the captain.

His face came into view and I was grateful to see him, despite his red-rimmed eyes. "Don't move, my dear. The dagger didn't get anything major. You're lucky I've had medical training."

"Where's Pan?" My father froze at my words, unsure of why I asked for the demon. "I gotta save the lost boys. He'll kill them." I felt the tear fall down my face towards my ear, but father stopped it.

"My dear, it's been a week. If he was to kill the boys, he would have done it by now." More tears fell, but father caught them in a clean handkerchief.

"I wanted to save them." I started to move, my anger overcoming the pain. "I have to save them. Pan cheated."

"Pan always cheats."

I felt myself laugh at my father's truth, stopping at the new spike of pain arriving with nausea. My head dropped to the pillow a little too quickly, making my vision of the fuzzy room spin even more. "He'll kill them if I don't eat with the group."

"Then it's his loss."

"But he'll kill Felix." I felt myself say as a wave of exhaustion washed over me. Not noticing the extra person in the room until it was too late.

Once again, I didn't dream, and neither did I see the woman. Instead, I awoke to the swift rocking of a ship on a stormy sea. Alone.

I stood slowly, making sure to use my hands to pull myself up on anything I could find, giving myself time to adjust to the nausea that was threatening. Even in my groggy state, I knew the ship wasn't supposed to rock so violently unless something was wrong. So, convincing myself it was the right thing to do, I made my way to the door, using everything but the floor to hold myself upright. The rocking of the ship was not at all helpful with the already spinning room. Once I got to the door of the cabin, I noticed that the noise beyond it sounded like that of fighting and a storm. Opening the door, I found much worse.

Scattered over the deck were both lost boys and pirates, having lost their own battles, fighting over something I wasn't aware of. Lightning danced in the dark sky, with thunder following close behind it. The sea was vicious and the mermaids swimming inside it glistened with excitement at the possibility of dinner. In my fuzzy haze, I could just about make out their tails glistening in the violent waters.

Making my way over the deck, I picked up a dropped sword from one of the lost boys, apologising as I stepped over him, his glassed eyes unable to respond. Using the sword as more of a walking aid, I made my way up to the helm, finding Pan and my father locked in a fierce battle, Hook and Felix the same. All of them fighting for what I assumed to be fun.

"You cannot take her, Pan!" yelled my father, swiping skilfully at the smirking boy.

"That isn't your choice to make. You've had your time with her."

"You nearly killed her, you monster."

I turned, seeing Felix and Hook locked in a similar argument and I realised, as the sky increasingly darkened, a sign of Pan's anger, that they were fighting over me.

"Stop!" I called meekly, unable to be heard over the din. "Stop!" I repeated, but it was no use. I was too quiet. I watched as the four battled, each drawing small amounts of blood from the other, but only Pan healing himself. Using everything I had, I took a deep agonising breath and felt myself almost black out for the effort.

"STOP!"

And as if the wind had carried my voice across all of Neverland, the fighting ceased instantly, the sea calming but the sky remaining dark. Faces turned to me as I felt my knees buckle, my hand just managing to grip onto the side of the ship, dropping the sword I had acquired.

"Please." I gasped meekly; my eyes could not stay open long enough to see what was happening.

All eyes dropped to the freshly stained bandage, bleeding through my shirt, just above my hip. All of them knowing it was bad with just a single glance. Felix was the first to run over, catching me in his arms and holding me tightly to his chest, my head tucked under his chin.

"Pan. I think her father was right. She still needs to rest." I heard him plead, his chest rumbling against my ear.

"The water will cure her."

"No!" interjected my father and Hook at the same time.

"It will heal her!" Pan defended, realising they outnumbered him.

"Pan." Felix began to stroke my hair, pushing it from my face to no doubt get a better look and the pink skin and sweat from my brief excursion. "She's strong enough to fight this. Give her time."

"She wouldn't be like this if the cur hadn't stabbed her in the first place." Added Hook. The clink of swords making me jump slightly. Until another voice stopped them.

"We all love her." My father stated. "But I am her father, and I say she needs to rest."

"You love her? You gave her to me, she's mine and I say- "

"Enough." I squeaked out, stopping Pan before he could demand anything else. "I don't feel so good." I shuddered before my vision went black, hearing only Felix calling my name as my head dropped into his chest.