**A long time ago**
Wendy and Pan walked hand in hand, a gentle summer breeze ruffling Wendy's braided hair. Pan was in a good mood, which was rarer and rarer these days. The loss of the Neverland, his magic ship, had scuppered his trade links completely – severing Wendy's London forever from this realm and its islands. This meant that now, Pan was having to kidnap children from the islands and the local authorities were closing in. Unable to portal away, he was weaker than he'd ever been.
Last week had been the worst. The twins, two of Pan's Lost Boys, had been killed. Locals on the Isle of Pharaohs had cornered to the two immortals and lynched them. The twins had been dangling from the noose, on the brink of dying without dying, whilst the crowd beneath them brayed for blood. Realising that this wasn't enough, the mob had decapitated them – without much skill. They'd left the bodies for Pan to find. One of the twins' shoulders had been hacked to pieces from the executioner repeatedly missing his neck.
Wendy and the Lost Boys had suffered the brunt of Pan's frustration and anger. Today, however, he was all smiles. Wendy played along, not wanting to bring an end to the sunshine since she was still sporting the remnant of a black eye. Life these last few weeks had been like tiptoeing on glass and Wendy was near skeletal from being too on edge to eat.
"What do you think, darling?" Pan chatted animatedly. "I'm finally keeping the promise I made to you so many years ago." His feet kept floating up a little above the ground he was so excited. Wendy tried to guess what this promise could be. Flowery words and promises were Pan's speciality. He was always promising to 'do better' and to 'be less angry' but it never lasted.
They came to a lagoon and Wendy paused to admire the scenery. The lagoon's waters were a beautiful crystal clear turquoise and large flowers grew over the rocks, dripping fat petals into the pool. Pan left her side and flew over the water. Hovering over the smooth reflective surface, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a shell. Wendy watched him deliberately slice his finger on the shell's sharp edge.
A droplet of blood gleamed on the shell's snowy ridges. With the pad of his thumb, he smeared the blood in a streak across the shell – before bringing it to his lips and kissing it. Wendy frowned, perplexed, as Pan dropped the shell. It plopped into water and sank beneath the lagoon's clear surface.
"A sea offering," Pan explained to her. "Combined with blood and love – that's how you summon them."
"Summon who? What is this place?"
Ripples began to spread over the glassy waters.
"Mermaid Lagoon."
Wendy's lips parted in surprise. She'd always wanted to see a mermaid. She approached the pool's edge, her belly fluttering with anticipation.
Three mermaids broke through the lagoon's surface. Just as Wendy had always imagined, they had the torsos of young beautiful women but large fish tails in the place of legs. Wendy gazed, entranced, admiring how they swam through the water – so graceful and supple and yet fast. It seemed effortless. A small waterfall was splashing down from the rocks above and one mermaid purposefully swam beneath it, smiling contentedly as the rushing water massaged her shoulders and back.
"Peter!" One the creatures exclaimed happily, seeing him flying above. The two others, craning their necks also, called up at him – their tones alluring. Pan flew a loop the loop, earning adoring praise, before settling down on a rock. The mermaids gathered around him, vying for his attention.
"Hello girls," he greeted them.
"I'm so glad to see you-"
"I missed you." The maids cooed.
Pan sat cross-legged, clearing enjoying himself as the ethereal creatures pawed and fussed over him. They wanted him to play the pipes for them, to tell them stories and to confess who he had missed the most. Wendy's face hardened and she had to grit her teeth to stop herself from correcting them. It seemed that the mermaids, like many others, were fooled by Pan's charming ways.
"Who's she?" One demanded, spotting Wendy and jabbing a dripping finger in her direction. This mermaid had long inky black hair and large dark eyes. She seemed to be the youngest and smallest of the trio – her cheeks rounder and rosier than her sisters' were.
"Oh, that's Wendy – my wife." Pan introduced, grinning broadly.
"She's yours!" The dark-haired beauty exclaimed, clearly offended
.
The three mermaids dived under water and surfaced, with breath taking speed, in front of Wendy. They eyed her, their expressions far from friendly.
"Hello," Wendy greeted, feeling wary. The three exchanged a look, evil smiles spreading over their pretty faces.
"Come on Wendy," chimed the youngest, "join us for a swim!"
Grabbing her, they dragged her over the edge - Wendy tried to pull back but her footing became unsteady and she tumbled down. The water was warm and Wendy gasped from the shock of it, swallowing water. She thrashed about, struggling, as the three pinned her down beneath her surface – drowning her. Wendy's mind was in a panic. The water heated around her, steam rising from the now bubbling waters. Too hot, its was getting too hot.
Pan's arms, scooping her out of the water, were a safety net and Wendy clung to him – coughing up water. Pan chuckled at her. Steam rose in a haze around them and Wendy's skin was flushed pink from the scolding plunge. He set her down on a rock and Wendy quickly pulled her legs out of the mermaids' reach.
"We were only having some fun," one of the creatures pouted. Wendy no longer thought that they looked quite so beautiful. Up close she saw the blueish veins, visible on their translucent pale skin. Swollen gills scarred their necks, currently closed, and as they smiled – ever so sweetly up at Pan – Wendy got a glimpse of their pointed back teeth.
"I know, I know," Pan concurred, still chuckling. Wendy glowered. She'd been fooled, once again – by fairy tales. Fantasy stories were more dangerous then she'd ever supposed, she'd seen a mermaid and assumed they'd be lovely. Just as, many years ago, she'd met a boy with no shadow and assumed he'd honestly teach her to fly. They were monsters – just like Pan.
In a cold rage, Wendy picked up a stone – it wouldn't do much damage but she only dearly wanted the dark-haired mermaid to lose that smug smirk. She hurled the sizeable stone at the maid's face. Pan was quick to react, he swooped in between them and took the blow. The stone dropped from Pan's shoulder and into the lagoon.
The mermaid's hissed angrily.
"She threw that at me!"
Pan landed in front of Wendy, shielding her from the mermaids' wrath.
"Ladies, beautiful ladies," he complimented smoothly before entreating them to ignore his wild, ignorant wife.
Gradually, the mermaids were mollified and Pan was able to turn to Wendy. "Never strike a mermaid," he whispered. "There's nothing more dangerous, nor prouder, under the sea." His expression was serious and Wendy saw the Goosebumps risen on his arms. He tapped her hand and she felt the clamminess of his touch. Even Peter Pan respected the power of mermaids.
**Present Day**
Wendy thought of Hook - who was still desperately trying to wrestle the Spirit of the Great Sea. Mermaids were cruel and violent, but they were enamoured by attractive males. They might save him. A wave crashed into Wendy's chest, knocking her from her perch. Buffeted about, Wendy struggled and kicked. Her head cracked against the rocks and Wendy sank to the bottom of the sea bed. The anchor rested on the sediment and, chained to it, Wendy was trapped – face down in the sand.
Grit and broken shells billowed about, curdling in a fizzing frenzy as the waves continued to smash against the rocks above. Wendy strained, trying to put her bloody forehead against the rusted anchor. She was running out of air, but this was about saving Hook -not herself. Her eyes fluttered shut – drowning for the rest of time, it must be her fate. Air bubbles rushed out from her mouth. She leant forward and pressed her lips against the anchor.
Blood and love.