I fly above the green ocean of tree tops. Every tree seems to wave with its highest branch and thank me for providing the power that comes with being the king of Neverland. I smile to myself with happiness. I'm free and powerful, no one can hold down Peter Pan.
"Robbie!"
My eyes slowly open and I'm suddenly pulled back to the reality that has claimed me, even though it is not the real reality for which I was born into.
"There you are." The doctor licks his lips and slums back in his chair, a bit hunched. "I'd thought I lost you for the rest of our session." He chuckles, but it was dry and heavy.
I do wish he would let me be. I'm almost sure that if he would take me off my meds for a day or two, I would return to Neverland and never return, and then they would be the crazy ones. But they insist for me to take them religiously, like I need them. But I beg to differ.
"Now Robbie, we've finally got your results on your...condition." He cautiously tiptoed around the subject I hated so much. If only I could show them how wrong they are, but I'm unable to use my ability's in this realm.
"Nothings wrong with me Doctor, it's everyone else who are the fouls." I said with a clenched jaw. He pursed his lips together. "Yes well, you see, that's your problem. Other than your previous diagnosis of narcissism, you have a rare condition. It's called 'The Peter Pan Effect', which is a bit ironic in your case." He chuckled. I rolled my eyes at his bad humor.
He cleared his throat. "Its when a person thinks they are actually a character from their childhood they are familiar with, in hopes of staying young and not having to grow up. In your case, you think you are Peter Pan, the boy who never grows up." I clench my fist.
"There's no need to talk to me like I'm crazy. If anything I'm the most sane of all the lunatics here. And Doctor, I don't think I'm Peter Pan, I know that I'm Peter Pan, Robbie in this world. You see, this realm is just many in hundreds, and I've somehow be sucked into this awful one. You sir are just as insignificant as everyone else here." He started writing in his notepad and nodded.
He looked up at me through his thick glasses. "And what about you Robbie? Are you insignificant?" He asked with his mouth in a firm line.
I chuckled and ran my fingers through my hair. "Of course not, in other realms the smallest mention of me cast a fear upon villages. I had an army of fearless lost boys who fell to my every whim. I was unstoppable and powerful."
He set down his notepad and looked at me, one hand resting on his ankle which was crossed over his knee. "I see." I smirked. He stood up. "Where done here Mr. Kay."
I stood up and walked out the door back into the white hallways that seemed brighter than the doctor's office. Two big bulky men stood at each end of the hallways, waiting to hold down or tackle any out of line patient.
"Robbie Kay, please report to the lunge." A preppy high pitched voice squealed form the speakers.
Daily meds. Always daily meds. The two men look over at me, waiting for me to move. I slowly walked down the left hallway.
I'm not sure how I got here, I just remember always being here. I woke up and remembered who I really was. I don't know where I am, all I know is it's a mental hospital in the land without magic, and people think I'm crazy. But know I'm not.
My mind in a persona hell, and some days I contemplate whether or not I really am crazy, but then I remember who I am. Peter Pan the great, and this world will not break me no matter what pills they feed me.
I enter the lunge and see one hell of a scene. A girl with black knots bobbing around her face was standing on a table with a knife up to her neck, she seemed calm and zoned out, staring through the security guards trying to talk to her. Suddenly she's snapped out of what ever she was in and she quickly looked over to me, her blue eyes looking into my green ones.
She craned her neck and squinted at me, dropping the knife to the ground. And then her legs seemed to no longer hold her up, fainting she feel off the table to the floor. I stood wide eyed and speechless at the doorway of the lunge.
And as they passed by me, dragging her by the arms, her fingers grazed mine. I looked over my shoulder. She smirked and winked at me. I turned back at the room and for some reason a smirk also made its way to my face, but I quickly wiped it off.
"Okay everyone settle down. Robbie Kay?" I cleared my throat and raised my hand. A lady nodded and handed my a small plastic cup with three white pills and a water. I took them and she moved on, checking her clipboard as she goes on.
That girl. There was something about her. I couldn't put my finger on it. She was...different.
'''''''''''
The next day was the same. I talked to the doctor, I took meds, ate breakfast, and now I was just sitting on the couch pretending to watch television when I was really just waiting for something interesting to happen. Maybe Larry the Pathological Liar will tell another one of his 'true story's'.
That's when I feel a dip in the couch. I a bit aggravated at first because other patients know I don't like talking to them, or them talking to me. Last time that happened I ended up having to be tranquilized. But when I was getting ready to yell at the dim wit who forgot my warning, I realized it was the girl who had bee swimming in my head.
She put her bare feet on the coffee table and sighed. "I hate this damn place. The doctors are too happy and the walls are to white." She said without looking at me.
How is she even out of her room, after what I did I stayed locked up in my room for a week?
"How'd you get out of your room, if it was anyone else they wouldn't be seen for a week?" She looked over at me. "You can do anything when your a girl with long lashes and tears in her big eyes." She smirked.
I glared at her. "Oh, where are my manners, I'm Alex." She extended her hand. I looked at her hand. "Not a hand shaker I see." She lowers her hand and looks back at the TV.
"Robbie." I mumble. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her smirk.
"What's a girl like you doing here?" I asked lowly. She turned towards me while looking up and biting her lip. "Mm, lets just say I uncovered the truth nobody wanted to know, and it somehow made me crazy." She widened her eyes on 'crazy'. "You?" She asked.
I quickly looked at her. "Same." I simply answered.
"Great." She smiled, her eyes unrealistically twinkled. "There the crazy ones. Blind to the truth."
"You forgot ignorant and stupid." I smirked. She chuckled lightly.
"Yeah. That sounds like the world I know." She said, her smile fading. She was type that when her smile faded, yours did to, and that's what happened. I didn't smile and neither did she. And then we just sat in silence, but somehow still talking and communicating.
And that's when I knew this was the start of something dangerous and destructive.
I liked it.
'''''''''''
As the days went on, we grew closer, and this hell became more bearable with her there saying all the right things. And there I sat, next to Alex in the lunch room staring down at the runny mashed potatoes.
One thing I came to learn about her was she had certain moods, so some days she won't even talk and I somehow understand. But other days she lights up the room with her laugh and smile. She told me she had night terrors and that she would wake up in the middle of the night screaming, and it killed me to have to listen and do nothing.
She also told me of why she's really in here. She tried to kill a girl at her school, and from what I heard of this girl, she deserved it, and Alex should have finished it.
God knows I would have, with no mercy.
Suddenly Alex's head hit the table. I poked her side. Nothing. "Alex?" That's when I realized she had fainted. I stood up.
"Help! Something's wrong with Alex!" I yell. The guards hurried over and checked her pulse and exchanged looks. "Is she okay?" I asked worried.
"Step back kid." One said pushing me back. I stood ,once again speechless as they pulled her away. But her fingers didn't touch mine.
'''''''''''
I stared up at the black ceiling and thought about Alex. Was she dead? How? What happened? She never did tell me why she fainted, and I never did question. It was all I could think of, and no matter how hard I tried to sleep I couldn't, I was waiting for her nightly ear piercing scream to fill the hospital night. But all I heard was the loud silence.
Ever since I met Alex I felt like she understood that I wasn't crazy, even though I never told her who I really was, somehow I think she knew that I wasn't really from here. Eve though that's what really sounded crazy, but I think she knew what I was thinking most of the time, even though she was like a puzzle I could only solve half of, I knew what the pictures was, but without the other half, could I really be sure?
My door opened and I shut my eyes, sometimes the guards checked to see if they needed to give us something to sleep.
"Robbie!" A familiar voice called out. I sat up quickly to see the silhouette of Alex. "Alex?" The door quietly shut behind her and I could still see her dark figure, her chest was heaving up and down and the only thing to be heard was our breathing.
"Why are you here? How? What happened to you?" I asked still in shock. She walked over to my bead and sat down on the end. Moon light now glowed on the side of her face as she looked down at her hands. She had dark circles around her eyes and pale skin.
"Ever since I was young, I would pass out when I got to sad or stressed ,its stupid and I tried to see if there was a pattern, but there is none. So when I woke up they told me that my brain had exceeded its limit and I only had a day or more to live. They told me to try and go back to sleep, but I didn't want to risk another night terror, since that's the main source of my stress. So I swiped a keycard off one of the guards before they put me in my room. And then I knew I had to find you. You make me feel safe."
This girl. She left me speechless again. I patted the spot next to me and she climbed up next to me and I slipped my arm under her head as she pressed her head against my chest, my chin on her head.
That's when it hit me. We had to leave. I could take her to Neverland and save her. Everything could be okay.
"Alex, do you still have the keycard?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Lets get out of here. I can help you."
"What?" She asked.
I stood up, pulling her up by her hand. "Give me the keycard." She nodded and handed my the thin white card. I slid it over the lock and my door popped open. Pulling her in the hallway, I ran, not bothering to look behind me.
I turned for what seemed like forever when suddenly red lights started to flash and the alarm screamed at us angrily.
As I looked at the front door, I realized the mob of guards behind us. I looked at her but back at the door and quickly slide the card over the lock, and the glass doors slide open. We pushed open the final doors an then we were outside, but we still had to run.
I pulled her along as we entered the forest. I looked back at her, she looked pale weak. I lifted her on my back and ran. Years in Neverland paid off when it came to running through thick woods.
And when I knew we weren't being chased anymore I carefully let Alex off my back. I feel down to the ground and Alex laid next to me. It was cold, and I jus in a thin gray t-shirt, she was in a night gown with a sweater.
"I don't feel good Robbie." She mumbled in my chest. I kissed her forehead. "I know. Just hold on, my shadow will arrive soon. You'll be okay."
"Okay." She whispered. "And Robbie."
"I love you."
"I love you too Alex."
My eyes closed and I was finally able to fall asleep, all I needed was Alex next to me.
'''''''''''
"Pan." A low voice called. My eyes opened and I was face to face with my shadow. I jolted up and laughed from joy.
"Alex! Wake up! A life of happiness awaits." I looked down at her pale still body. I crouched next to her. "Alex!" I repeated as I rocked her. I checked her pulse and there was nothing.
Fear filled me. "Alex! Please! Neverland can fix you!"
She had died and I was to late. My one and only love is dead, and I will never love again. Tears filled my eyes as I held her limp body. I brushed her hair out of her face to reveal her beautiful face. Big red lips, and smooth pale skin. I kissed her lifeless lips.
And just like that magic was formed in a land without it, and Alex's big blue eyes opened.
"Stop crying you dork." She said smiling. I chuckled and kissed, but this time she kissed back. I took her hand and we flew back to Neverland without words or sound.
That day marked the day I truly came alive.