VICIOUS (II) : peter pan ouat

How to Light a Lamp

    Out there, I don't get to have a soul.

    I wonder if Peter feels the same.

    The light brown wood of the hatch that leads out of the rock house creaks as I open it. It's still dark outside, but much nicer than in this room. It's still nighttime, but a bright nighttime. More like an overcast afternoon than true night.

    Charlotte needed to see the light, before she stays in the dark room. It's not fair that Charlie gets to breath in the world of the living. It's Charlie that is dead.

    The dirt is soft beneath my feet, crunching as I make my way back to camp. I don't think much on the way there; just listening to the sounds of my boots against the ground, and of my cloak brushing against the leaves.

    When I step in the camp, it seems as if nothing is happened. Obviously this isn't the case, given this is Neverland I'm on. The silence is odd, and unfitting, so I begin to cast my glances around the trees, peering for someone in sight.

    "You stupid kid." I recognise Gregory's heavy voice, spitting in anger.

    Winding myself through the maze of tents, I emerge on the other side of the small clearing. I watch as Gregory holds up Max by the collar of his shirt, the smaller boy's feet dangling just off the ground. Gregory's head is soaked with dirty water, or some other disgusting liquid.

    "Really Gregory?" I begin, more exhausted with his behaviour than angry. When this is the sort of thing that happens every weekend, it gets old, and it gets old quickly.

    "What?" He demands. "This little bugger rigged it so a bucket of crap would fall on my head.

    I shrug. "And he did that how? You jackass, he can't even stand on his own."

    Gregory drops Max, who silently glares at both Gregory and myself.

    "Dumb bitch, I don't need you to fight my battles for me." Max spits out.

    Oh great, now Max is moody. When my eyes catch his, I watch them harden. It's out of force more than anything else.

    Something is up.

    It's probably best to play along with whatever it is he's doing. He could be trying to get a secret out of someone else's hands, or he could be trying to keep me out of danger. Whatever it is, I doubt he'd take the beating he's about to get from Gregory unless he absolutely had too.

    "Fine, whatever cripple." I try not to wince at the words as they leave my mouth, but get a sour taste on my tongue from them none the less.

    Hurt flashes through his eyes, before they harden again. I turn my back to him, beginning to walk away.

    The sound of his bones crunching together makes my ears tingle, but I don't look back. It only sounded like Gregory hit him once before he stalked away, but not only do I not know, but I also don't want to look back.

    If this is some ruse, than I want to play along. If Max was serious with his words, I wouldn't want to look back anyway.

    I step into the forest, trying to clear my head. It's not much help at all, the events of my dream and the events with Max swirling around my thoughts, all encompassing. Is this still the nightmare?

    It might not be one from last night, but it's beginning to feel more and more like a nightmare.

    "Charlie," I hear a voice from behind me.

    I spin around to see Alex and Harry looking back at me. They stand near each other, but not together.

    "What are you doing out here?" Harry asks, more curious than concerned.