The Shadow's Keeper ~OUAT Peter Panfiction (Book 2)

"Did you miss me?"

Anne's P.O.V.

Bursting through the front door, I fell as the hinges broke off. The old wood crashed onto the floor. I anxiously turned and sat up. The top of my boot was catching fire and I panicked. Rolling over, I simultaneously kicked the floor. The fire was snuffed out and I shot up, eyes bulging at the smoking orange that spread from the kitchen, into the direction of the cabin's sitting room. Fire caught the rug I was standing on and I was throttled into alarm.

Jumping back, I began to hear the roof creak and moan. Then abruptly, part of the attic floor collapsed into a cloud of smoke and a scream tore through my throat. I stumbled over something beginning to violently cough, before I fell backwards. "Pan!" I cried weakly, hoarsely. I had no idea what I was doing and grasped by terror, smoke burned my eyes. I anxiously climbed to my feet and hastened down the hall.

The first place I planned to check was my room. Though as I was making my way through, a small boy cried out from what sounded like Felix's room. Had it been a sign? I busted through his door and became engulfed by smoke. The cries were overcome with coughing. Having clamped a hand over my nose and mouth, I was gagging and my lungs were burning. I had dropped down and crawled toward what I remembered to be the direction of Felix's bed. Somehow, I knew and a small, darkened hand smacked onto the floor in front of me.

"Anna!" It was Felix's voice, his childlike voice.

"Felix!" I panicked some more, overwhelmed with more rapid coughing and my entire chest was burning. Without wasting time, I reached out and groped for some shoulders. Though when I did, they were small. I hardly questioned it, pulling onto the shoulders and when I pulled a body into my lap, I discovered that it was, indeed, Felix. He was a younger boy again, eleven. I remembered his face distinctly when he had been eleven, when he gave me a flower for my eighth birthday.

I observed that his skin, hair, and clothing had blackened from the smoke. Simultaneously startled by more of the attic floor crashing beside us, a giant wave of hotness collided against the entire side of my body, my hair flying and I anxiously grabbed Felix up. Heading blindly for what I remembered to be the window, I rammed through and came tumbling atop the grass. I gasped for air, pulling myself onto my hips and discovered that Felix was on his back alongside of me, seemingly unconscious.

Panic took hold of me and I pulled him into my lap, securing an arm around his shoulders. "Felix," I cried hoarsely, patting his cheek with my free hand, "Felix, wake up."

Just before I could panic further, his clear blue eyes shot open and he sharply inhaled for air. Relieved tears pricked in my eyes and I hugged him tight.

"Anne?" He mumbled weakly.

"Yes, brother," I breathed, peering back down at him with a grateful smile on my lips.

"It's true...then," Pan's voice came faltering from close by, drenched in pain. When I glanced up at him, tears of defeat were welling in his emerald hues. He wasn't looking at me, but I could see them through his lashes. It was bizarre, foreign to see him cry. I witnessed it once, when he had locked me in that cage and kept trying to get me to fess up to loving him, but it was still new.

I then anxiously, painstakingly helped Felix to a stand. He had been tall when I was younger, but this time, his height stretched just up to my ear. He was still tall--however, that was the last thing on my mind. I met Pan's eyes. "What do you mean?" I questioned, a faint ache of remorse rousing in my chest.