Neverland Rebel

Chapter Thirteen

I've been walking aimlessly in the forest for a couple minutes. The drive to simply get away from Pan has been replaced for the want to find a secret place. I want a place that I can have to myself, somewhere nobody can find me. I know I can't use the secret area under Pan's tree because he knows I can access it and he'll probably yell at me for going there. Then again, he's yelling at me for everything. I'm thinking about seeing if there are any groves of trees or places in the forest that are usually ignored. If there's somewhere that I could sit down and plan an escape while being unnoticed by the Lost Boys or Pan, that would be great. I'm scanning the forest for anything when I notice a small creek winding through the forest floor. I decide to follow it to see where it goes.

The creek takes a couple twists and turns before heading into a secluded pathway. The trees here seem larger and more clustered together, which would be perfect for the hideaway I'm looking for. I follow the creek for a little longer before stumbling upon the perfect hiding place. It's sequestered in a small grove of trees, hidden from view of anyone passing by. In fact, if you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't even notice it was there. The creek ends in a small but clear pond, only a couple of feet wide. There is a flat stone ledge overlooking the pond, and the light filtering in through the leaves of the tree dances in patterns across the leaves of ferns and other low-growing plants near the rocks. I sit down on the stone ledge and look around me, finally content. This is the perfect place.

I look around some more, noting the dense soil underneath the rocks and plants. I almost feel like I could grow something there. I'll have to look around and see if I see any interesting plants that I could grow back here. The tall trees growing around my small pocket of land block out any traces of the rest of the island, and I feel myself coming to peace. I find myself forgetting about Pan and his troubles, and simply being happy exploring my copse of trees. I think I need a name for this small area. I think I'll call it the Safe Haven. It's simple enough, but it's just fine for me. I run my fingers over the bark of one of the trees, marveling at every detail of the Haven. However, my sleeves keep getting in the way. My Lost Girl outfit fits, but the sleeves are slightly too long. I'm used to tailoring my clothes, as my parents only gave me hand-me-downs, so I take a moment to analyze this outfit. It definitely needs a do-over. I make a short list of things I'll need to change it, such as a needle and thread. I think I can make do with a sharp thorn, but I might need to find some thread. I also might need to ask Felix for another outfit, just in case something goes wrong. Also, I could use the excess scraps from my outfit to make a bag of some sorts, which I could use to carry things that I find on the island to my Haven. Plan in motion, I leave the Haven regretfully, knowing I'll return soon.

Felix looks relieved when I arrive back at camp. "Where were you? All I saw was you leaving training after Pan cornered you. That was an hour ago." I grin. "I was just exploring the island. No worries." Felix sighs, although I can see a slight smile that he's trying to hide. "Of course. Get me worried over nothing." I pretend to protest. "I would never do that! Maybe you just need to be more careful. For the second in command, you must be losing Lost Boys all the time." He finally smiles, protesting that he never does that, I'm just a rare occurrence. We keep joking until it's time for dinner, and I find myself laughing harder than I have in years. I'm finally feeling like I belong. Once we start to go to bed, I ask Felix for an extra pair of clothes, and he gets me another one. My plan is falling into motion. I crawl into my hammock at the end of the night, feeling like I'm on top of the world. Nothing could be going better.