Neverland Rebel

Chapter Four

    Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I am such an idiot. I mean, anyone with half a brain would know not to- Wait. Rewind to when I planned to survey the island.

I just need to wait until nightfall to see the island, and then I'll plan my escape.

Before I knew what I was doing, my eyes opened. Idiot. Don't I know better than to sleep on the job? However, I can hardly blame myself. I can't remember the last time I slept for longer than a couple of minutes. My parents didn't feel that I had done enough for the family to deserve to sleep, so they made me stay awake for a week. They had a camera set up that watched me every night. They would review the footage every morning, and if they caught me trying to sleep, it meant I would spend more time wearing long sleeves and applying makeup to hide the bruises.

But there I was, just waking up. Luckily, there was still a little light out, so I carefully climbed up to the very top branch and looked out over the island. I stretched out on the branch, letting my legs sway a little. A small breeze blew a piece of my hair away from my face, and I allowed a small smile to creep over my face. This was one of the first moments of peace I had, watching the trees sway and the moonlight glisten on the waves and the way the light shone on the large object flying towards me....

Wait. What? What's coming? I quickly crawl towards the safety of the trunk of the tree and try to hide again, but I know it's too late this time. The object lands on the branch I was just sitting on, and I realize it's the boy from before. He can fly? However, that's the least of my worries. I try to climb down, but he calls out to me.

"I know you're there. Don't try to hide." Well, of course I want to hide. There's a flying lunatic sitting on the branch a few feet away from me, and there's nothing I'd rather do than hide. I try to pretend I'm not scared of him, hoping it will help me if I have to talk to him. People shouldn't fly. Especially lunatics who reckon that they're leaders and host games of mystery.

"Come on out. I know you're there." He looks at me again, and I see the moonlight reflect in his eyes. He seems triumphant; almost as if I'm a star student that aced the test he threw at me. Oh well. It wouldn't hurt to get on his good side, so coming out is probably the best option. There is a branch not too far down, so if things go south I can jump down and hopefully swing my way to safety. I'm a fairly good runner, so I could get away if I needed to. I edge out onto the branch, as closely as I can while still keeping my distance.

"Oh, come on. You don't have to sit that far away. I don't bite." He flashes me a grin and his teeth shine in the darkness. If it weren't for the fact that he's completely insane, he might be attractive. However, I don't have time for that. I move an inch closer, still not making a sound. He laughs suddenly, almost startling me.

"Oh no! Have I scared you?" He smirks at me, speaking in a teasing tone that I instantly dislike. "It's okay to be scared! I hear little girls always scared, especially at night! I can get you a nightlight if it makes you feel better!" Okay, that does it. Suddenly, my arms move in a blur. I break off a small branch from the tree and throw it at him, launching myself from the branch and aiming for the lower tree branches. I land nicely as I hear a muffled grunt, smiling as I keep climbing down. I hear a thump above me. He must be chasing me! I knew I wouldn't get away that easily. I increase my speed, but he's still pretty far above me. Then, I get an idea. If I try to run away, he can easily catch me because he knows the island and he can fly. Instead, I step back further towards the tree's trunk. I find a bough that's about to fall off, then drop it down where I was climbing. I hide behind the trunk as I hear a thump as the bough hits the ground. I hear him land on the branch I'm on, but luckily, he falls for it and keeps climbing down. As silently as I can, I climb back up the tree to where I originally was. I sit down again, swearing to myself that I won't fall asleep again. However, it appears I am safe at last. Until a hand slaps down on my shoulder, startling me, along with the words, "Did you really think you could escape me?"