The Monster Inside Peter Pan (ouat)//(Robbie Kay)

Chapter Thirty Three

My parents... She then seemed to realize that I could hear her thoughts and slammed a wall down preventing me from hearing them.

But her wall didn't matter, because at the mention of parents, I recoiled back. I didn't want to know about her parents, how they died tragically and how she missed them. I didn't want to hear a word of it.

She noticed my reaction and inhaled sharply. "Right," she muttered more to herself than to me, like if she thought I couldn't hear her, distracted as she was. "No compassion available on the monster's side," she spat out the word monster like the worst of insults, reserved specifically for me.

I wanted to say something, a word of comfort, even a small pat on the shoulder, but something held me back. I couldn't bring myself to do any of these things, and after all, centuries of habits of never getting involved with the emotions of other people weren't that easy to break. She then seemed to realize that I was still here. In one jerky and shaky movement she shot up on her feet and started sprinting away from the beach, away from me.

I didn't do anything, I just watched her go.

***

Alianna's point of view

I slammed the door of my room shut, throwing myself on my bed. The sobs racked through my body violently.

Why did Pan always have to appear in the worst of moments? And most importantly, why was he like that? In some moments he'd be so horrible to me, and in others like right before he'd been so gentle, so nice, I could almost believe that he was sincere. That he truly was concerned about my wellbeing. I still didn't understand what generated these sudden changes of heart and attitude.

After some time my sobs faded to whimpers, and it wasn't long before I faded to unconsciousness. I entered the dreamland once again.

***

It was nighttime and there were two horses waiting on the road, one was already prepared and packed for a journey, the other one was only half ready.

I recognized Katherine's house on the other side of the silent, paved street. Two figures were running across the front lawn, both carrying traveling bags. As they neared the horses I saw that it was Pan and Katherine. They hurriedly packed the second horse.

"Oh no, wait here." Katherine breathed.

"What?" Pan asked.

"I-I forgot something. I'll be right back." Pan grabbed her wrist before she could head off.

"What did you forget?"

"My necklace. The one my mum gave me for my eleventh birthday. I can't leave without it."

"No. Forget it. We can't go back to get it. It's too risky, they'll hear us," he said gently even though he evidently was stressed.

"But I can't leave without it!" There was a note of hysteria in her voice. "I need to take it with me!"

"Shh! Calm down, they'll hear us!" He whispered urgently, a finger on her lips. "Okay fine, I'll get your necklace, if you'll just keep it down."