Peter's Lily (Sequel to Pan's Tiger)

Chapter 14: Capricious behaviour

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Thanks for reading. Sorry about the wait.
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Annabelle_the_reader
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I woke up to a dry mouth, and an aching body. My eyelids flickered open, my hands curling around the covers of the bed as shifted my heavy limbs. The light blinded me for a moment, as I winced rolling over onto my stomach.

Shakily, I pushed myself up onto my elbows. There was a pounding sensation in my head as I remembered what Pan had done, still surprised that he had stopped when I had requested. I felt like it wasn't just me, something else had changed. Was it realisation or external changes in our environment.

Gingerly, I swung my legs off the bed and rose steadily to my feet. I felt queasy, barely able to remember why I had fallen asleep. The finale of the night was a blur, as if I had been willing to kiss Pan once he had respected me. If anything, I was surprised that he hadn't woken up beside me.

Slowly, I made my way towards the door. Each footstep brought my closer, but I still felt a million miles away. I felt like everything had shattered around me now that Pan was so keen to remove something so precious from my life.

The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow.

It wasn't until my fingers were curled around the door knob that Peter's sinister voice sounded from the other side.

'Come out to play, Tiger Lily,' He hissed. His voice was muffled from the door, but it's effect on me was immediate and astounding.

Frantic, I no longer felt wary and I felt a twinge of fear and hatred shoot through me when I heard his voice from behind the door.

No.

I felt absolute horror.

'You know me, I like action...' He reminded me gleefully, causing me to leap away from the door as if I had been struck by lightning, when he playfully jiggled the doorknob.

I scurried to the bed, my heart pounding, before scurrying beneath the mattress. I lay with bated breath as the door creaked slowly, torturously open.

Slow footsteps made the floor vibrate, tantalisingly slowly, like Pan was mocking me as he slowly approached the bed. He moved with the grace and lethality of a hunter stalking the prey he could defeat. He was the predator. I was his prey.

My eyes were wide as I curled myself into a ball, my palms pressed against the dusty wood, prepared to take flight. My muscles trembled with anticipation as two pairs of dark boots appeared to the side of the bed.

I struggled to muffle my breathing, heavy and frightened.

The boots shifted slightly as the bed above me creaked.

Please no...

I held my breath, my pupils dilated and fingers trembling.

Slowly, the boots turned away from the bed and began to walk away. My eyes followed them fervently, mouth parted slightly as I took silent gasps of air.

The door opened again and then closed with a calming click.

I breathed out, my muscles relaxing slightly as I shifted, before sucking in another deep breath of air.

'Seriously, Tig?' He chortled, 'Under the bed?'

I screamed, banging my head on the mattress frame on top of me, my confused limbs flailing about me. Peter's laughed loudly at me, gleefully leering at me from his crouched position from just behind me.