Pan's Tiger

Chapter 30: The Very Hard Way

As his fingers dug deep into my heart and his fingers tightened around my most valuable organ, my eyes watered in the intense pain that followed. I screamed out, listening to the birds flying away from us, disturbed by my shouts.

My chest was on fire, each action he made caused so much unendurable pain.

When he squeezed my heart, it felt like a heavy weight was being applied to my chest. When he jabbed his nails into my heart and then turned them, it like a million knives were stabbing into me over and over again, then twisting the blade menacingly.

He let go and looked at me expectantly. I shook my head at him, unable to articulate words. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't hurt Henry like that. I didn't even know him and he would save Pan, but I wouldn't let Pan be immortal in this way.

Pan sighed and thrust my heart back into my chest. I gasped, like a burst of hydration and life was being added to my soul and body. I sucked in a deep breath, seeing stars.

I smiled at Pan until he stepped backwards, but it was fake and weak.

It was the kind of person Peter Pan was, right down to his core: the tormentor.

And I was the tormented.

What made me angry and disgusted the most wasn't that my former husband was sadistic enough to enjoy tormenting people, especially me, but that his Lost Boys did nothing about it.

~

The third day in the cage, given no food and beaten repeatedly, had drained me of my energy. Also, I had begun to lose weight as all of my pre-existing energy was used to cure and heal myself from Pan's punishments. I couldn't sleep and my mind had gone into overdrive.

Pan stalked forwards, his hand flicking so that the cage hovered downwards towards the ground. He peered in curiously, looking at me with delight.

'Now listen, Tiger Lily, because I don't have much patience and I don't like to repeat myself,' Pan ordered sharply, pulling the door to the cage open. 'I'm getting tired of your insolence. I want you to do exactly as I say, understood? You will tell me where Henry is and if you don't, then you will remain in this cage forever, ok?'

With a surge of confidence, I replied, 'Pity you don't have forever, Pan.'

He chuckled, as if the ticking time-bomb inside of him that was the hour glass meant nothing to him. 'Yes, but in that case, neither do you.'

There are some people in this world, although very few, that no matter how much they hurt you, threaten to kill you, you will just love them and love them and love them forever, no matter what. It sickened me that I still loved me.

It sickened me. His cruel device that my pain was his thrill. Whenever I looked at him, kissed him, his lips tasted like a venomous poison, that then ran through my veins, burning me from the inside out.

With that said, Pan dropped the knife and stuck it into my arm. The pain was blinding and it hurt more than any other cuts I had ever felt. I screamed out in complete agony, looking up at him in confusion and shuffling backwards into the narrow cage. My fear just made Pan more sadistically delighted.

My eyes widened as they found the knife and I realised it had Dreamshade on it.

Peter Pan had poisoned me...

With Dreamshade.

'You poisoned me, you little-!' My shouting was interrupted as Pan put his hand over my mouth, stopping me mid-sentence. I gasped in horror as he dragged it down my arm, slashing my forearm painfully. My mind was swimming, engulfed in sending impulses of horrid pain throughout my brain, shadowing me of any other thoughts.