Chapter 13
There's a woman who stands in front of me. She has blonde hair and peach lips, and I feel like I should know her. She stands out against the pitch black that surrounds us, and she smiles. As she moves closer to me, the ground ripples under her feet. Are we standing on water, or some sort of fabric?
"Charlotte, it's been so long."
I think she's talking to me, but I don't know the name she says. She must think I'm this Charlotte girl.
"Charlotte, I know you don't recognise me," she tells me. "But you must listen."
I cock my head to the side, trying to decipher her face. I think I'm supposed to know her, but I don't. Every slight curve to her face feels like a distant memory. Blocked away by the fog in my mind, her image is one I can't place. Her voice is like silk, but through the muffled tunnel of my memory, it's indistinguishable.
"You must get back home." She tells me. "Your father has a message for you."
I don't answer. I don't know my father either, but that doesn't feel like it's part of the memory lapse. The more I stare at her, the more I begin to connect the words to thoughts. I feel like I know her, but the word father is not the same. I don't think I know my father. I definitely don't know Charlotte's father. Although I'm beginning to think we have the same father.
"Charlotte, please try." She asks.
I shrug, unsure of what to make of her. Something about her is very familiar. Her hair reminds me of happiness, and her rosy cheeks of hot cocoa, and her brown eyes of the fireplace at the home we used to live in.
"Mom?" I ask.
I feel a hand on mine, as the light begins to press against my eyes. The hand is warm and soft, and part of me wants to sit in silence as I feel it against mine. I can hear my own breath filling the air before I realise I'm even breathing.
I hear the buzzing of a voice above me. A few voices actually, that whisper about. Are they whispering? Or am I just having trouble hearing them?
My eyes flutter open, and I see Pan. His weight is pressed against my side, and he gets up off the bed as I open my eyes.
As I look around, I spot an angry Alex. As he makes eye contact with me, he storms out in a furry. Harry follows him out. I'm glad they've made up, or at least seem to be.
It feels like my head is a demolition site. My skull threatens to burst apart at the seams.
"What's going on?" I ask.
What's the last thing I remember? I walked into the tent, to sit with Jared. The med tent is now lit up by candles, so it must be night. How long is the gap in my memory?
"You were out." Jared's voice rings out.
He stands next to Robert, and the two have their arms crossed.
I tumble on to the ground, scrambling off into a corner. Pan has already up and disappeared, so I won't get any clarity from him. Jared's awake?
"Hey, how are you feeling?" I ask.
How long was I out? Everything has flipped upside-down, and now I'm not all that sure what's going on.
"I've got my memory back if that's what you're asking." He sits down next to me, a sad smile on his face.
That's when I notice Rufio lying on the floor next to my bed. Is he dead? I get up backing away, as I watch Robert peel him off the ground and drag him away, silently.
"It killed him?" I ask. "To give you his memory?"
Jared purses his lips together, trying to usher me back to the cot. "He didn't give me my memory. You did?"
"I what?" I demand. "I don't remember that. At all."
"Sit down Charlotte." He says politely.
I do as he says, trying to think clearly. How do I remember anything if I gave him my memories? I remember my home, Johnny, Pan, the mermaids, the Hunt, even Jared's death and return.
"Lay down what happened." I demand.
He sits down, and takes a deep breath in. "Well, I woke up, and started to remember things. Mostly memories when you were there, but then more and more. You were incoherent, didn't recognise me. Forgot things seconds after you said them, it wasn't good.
"We got Pan, who figured out what you had done, unintentionally albeit." He continues. "So he got Rufio to give you your memory back."
"And that killed him?" I ask.
I was hoping the next person I'd kill would be Johnny.
"Well, we aren't sure if he's dead yet." He answers. "Robert's going to deal with it."
I get up. "How long was I out?"
He shrugs. "A couple of days, I guess. The sun hasn't risen or anything since you were out. Everyone's been a little tense."
I nod.
"What happened since I was gone?" Jared asks, his soft accent piping up.
No one has told him?
"A lot." I answer honestly. "Dominique and his friends started a war with us. They kidnapped Felix, started an illness that got a bunch of people killed. They also started a fire that got a bunch of people killed. James died in the fire, Lyle was killed by Gregory, Thomas died either in the fire or from the illness, and Max is paralysed. Alex killed Keaton, and I killed Samuel but no one knows that. Everyone knows I'm a girl though, also apparently Alex and Harry are dating? There's a few other things here and there too, like the war with the Natives-"
"There was an illness?" He asks.
"Poison." I correct. "Don't worry though, you couldn't have saved anyone."
He nods, but purses his lips together. "And that's why Robert's been so off? Because of James?"
My stomach does a flip. "Don't tell me they were dating too."
Jared chuckles. "They weren't. Trust me, if they had been dating, you'd know. James isn't exactly the best at keeping secrets."
Fair, although he didn't tell anyone I killed Samuel.
I stand up, stretching myself out tall. "Well, I've got to get going. I should talk to Pan."
He cocks an eyebrow at me, a sly grin on his face. Damn is the boy more observant than Alex.
"It's not like that." I say.
He rolls his eyes. "Sure."
I move towards the tent, but I feel his hand on my arm. "Hey."
I turn around to face him, and he looks at me softly. "Thanks for the memories. I barely know you, and you gave up your mind for me."
I shrug. "It wasn't my intention, believe me."
"People don't do magic by accident." He smiles. "And just a warning, I'd stay out of Alex's way for the next little bit."
Right, Alex has never been happy with me, never mind the fact that his voice of reason, Harry, is more than a little furious with him. Also, I may or may not have killed his ex, which can put a damper on any friendship.
"Thanks." I smile, before walking out of the tent.
Jared peeks his head out. "Pan's house is maybe a five minute walk that way." He points straight into the forest.
I smile, before jogging off towards the house. It's difficult to keep my path straight in the dark, but I'm getting used to the lack of light. Has it really been like this since I've been unconscious?
When I reach his house, I realise it's identical to the last one. Down to the rocks and the ladder. It's only the location that's different.
I make my way up the ladder, wrapping my hands around the wooden pegs. As I enter, I notice Pan already leaning on his bedframe.
"That was dangerous." His face is flat. "That was reckless."
"You're the one who told me to take more chances." I shrug.
He steps closer, until he's peering down over top of me. "That was many things, but it wasn't a chance."
"I'm just surprised I managed to do it." I tell him. "It wasn't on purpose. I can't do magic like that."
"You should be more careful." He tells me. "Much more careful."
"It worked out alright in the end, didn't it?" I demand.
"Not really," he says, backing up into the bedframe. "Rufio is as good as dead now."
I lean in closer to him. "He was already as good as dead. The boy couldn't function on his own. He thought I was Captain Hook."
Pan shrugs. "I don't know what you want me to tell you Charlotte."
"Well, Peter," I spit, "I want you to get over it. It's not a big deal."
"Not a big deal?" He looks at me puzzled, before glancing around. "The sun stopped rising Charlotte."
"That has nothing to do with me Peter," I begin. "You control when the sun rises and falls."
He chooses to bite his tongue, looking down.
Does it have anything to do with me? Does it have everything to do with me?
He stands up, and his lips are on mine. That's where this was going. A jolt of electricity passes through my hands, and I hear the shock zap into the air. I don't dare look though, and he doesn't pull back.
Peter is kissing me, and I can't believe I didn't see it coming.
I press into him, and he leans back, bumping up against the bedframe. I wrap one hand around his neck and the other over his back. Soft hands on my neck, sending shivers up my skin. The small sparks escape my lips, but he only pulls me closer.
I don't dare open my eyes. I mean, I knew I liked Peter. I'd even come to accept it. This however, I could never have predicted.
His hand is now buried in my hair, and I run my hand down to his shoulder. We fit so perfectly together.
He smells like pine needles, but tastes like mint. Everything about him is like a forest.
I lean back as he presses further into me. His hands trail along my skin, and our lips dance together.
There's a crack behind us and I essentially leap out of his grasp. He reaches forward, grabbing my hand, and I feel myself disappear.
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Well shit. Happy New Year. What do you think?
For now, celebrate 2017, and I'll see you Wednesday.