His Precious Bird (Peter Pan/Robbie Kay)

The Challenge

"PETER NO, PETER STAY WITH ME!!!" I scream franticly, shaking his shoulders and grabbing at his cheeks.

"Honey, there's no hope for the boy" my father tells me, placing a hand on my shoulder to try and calm me. "Come with me and your mother, we'll help you forget all about him."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. My dad would never encourage me to just give up. Suddenly, it all comes flooding back to me. Everything Peter warned me about, the realistic hallucinations, the mind games, everything. These people are not my real parents and this isn't the real Peter lying before me. I can't help but feel hot with anger, so hot, that I can burst into flames any second. I can't believe I almost fell for all these stupid tricks. I know damn well my parents are dead. I don't know what made me think even for a second that they were alive.

"Don't. Touch. Me" I growl at my fake father through gritted teeth. I take the fake Peter's head off my lap and stand back up.

"What's gotten into you, Alaina?" my fake mom asked as she walked over to me.

I turn around a look at there concerned faces, I just laugh.

"Don't look at me like that" I harshly say to both of them, feeling disgusted that the shadow would mock my parents memory like this. "I know you guys aren't my real mom and dad."

"Don't be silly, pumpkin, of course we're your real mom and dad" my dad replied, denying my claim. I slowly reached into my pocket and gipped my hunting knife in my hand.

"Okay, if you're my real mom and dad, then how do you explain this?" I utter calmly. I quickly draw the knife from my pocket and throw it at my dad. It hit him in the chest and he falls to the ground with a thud then lets out a struggled choking sound. His body then tuned into a shadow and flew away while growling. My fake mom starts to run away and I quickly throw my knife into her back, not letting her get away. She falls forward and just like my dad, her body transforms into a shadow and flees. Now there's only one more hallucination to take care of.

I pick up my knife and slowly saunter over to the fake Peter who was still lying on the ground and gasping for air. I get down on my knees and stare down at his scared expression, knowing what I'm about to do to him. I hold the knife with both hands and raise it over my head. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and he's not even the real Peter. I tightly shut my eyes and quickly bring my knife down to impale his heart. I slowly open my eyes and look down at him as he chokes and whines under my knife, then finally, exhales his last breath. My hands tremble as I pull the knife from his chest. Tears stream down my cheeks at a rapid pace. I know this Peter was just an illusion, but I can't help but feel like I murdered the real Peter. I watch as his body transforms into a shadow and growls in my face before fleeing.

"Congratulations, Alaina" said the voice of Peter's shadow as it echoed all around me. "You have successfully completed the challenge."

"This was the challenge?" I whisper to myself.

"Yes, it was" the shadow suddenly responds, causing me to jump from surprise. "You were able to see past my little tricks. I was hoping to get your shadow out of all this, but you did win the challenge fair and square."

"Okay, so now will you tell me how to save Peter?" I ask, standing up from my kneeling position.

"Well, don't you want to wake up first?" he responds, sounding impatient.

"Wake up?" I whisper. I suddenly feel light headed and start to fall backwards. I can hear Peter's voice calling me faintly and my eyes randomly shut. I then feel as though I can't breath, almost like my body is being submerged under water. Suddenly all the oxygen my body lost comes back to me and I gasp as my eyes spring open. I look around and see I'm back in Dark Hallow. I look up and see Peter smiling warmly at me as he holds me in his arms.

"Alaina, you did it" he whispered to me. I was so ecstatic to see him, I swiftly sat up and engulfed him in a big bear hug that caused him to fall on his back.

"Oh Peter, its really you" I utter, feeling overwhelmed with how happy I am to see him. He sits up and I sit on his lap and stare into his eyes as I hold his face with both hands.

"There was a hallucination of me, wasn't there?" he quietly asks, I nod in response.

"I'm sorry you had to do that, Alaina" he utters, already knowing what I did to the unreal version of him.

"Don't be sorry" I say to him, swiping my thumbs over his cheeks whilst admiring him. "As long as I don't have to do it to the real you, ill be just fine."

He giggles and sets his hands at my waist. I bring his face to mine for a much needed kiss. This kiss is so full of love and need for each other, that my lips don't know how to stop.

"Are you two going to stop?" the shadow interrupts rudely. "Because unless I tell you how to save Pan's life, he'll be needing to cherish every breath he takes."

We pull apart suddenly and rise to our feet, remembering what we came for.

"Alright" I say to the shadow sternly. "We're ready."