LIL'S POV:
I'm looking out at the beach in front of where Peter had taken me earlier. Except now, the beach isn't dark. It's illuminated with the brilliantly vivid colors I imagined the beach would posses during the day. The sun shines down onto the ocean, and the waves calmly bask in it's warmth. I smile when I see a tail flip out of the water.
Then suddenly, the sky goes dark with clouds that seem so full they could burst at any moment and shower the beach in a violent storm. The waves in the ocean begin growing larger, and within a matter of seconds they are foaming ferociously, like some type of rabid animal.
I take a step back when I feel the cold, bitterness of the waves roll against my feet. Even the sand itself looks darker, almost sick. The wind around me picks up at a speed that nearly knocks me over, and I struggle to stay upright. I shield my eyes with my hand, and brush the hair our of my mouth. A second burst of wind finally does the job of knocking me down, onto the hard sand. Once I'm down I realize that I'm in different clothing. A white flowing shirt with some type of brown corset laced around my midriff. My pants are tight black things, they seem like a type of legging. I reach a hand down and feel the material of my pants, confused as to what's going on, and that's when I hear it.
Only for a moment, but it makes me whip my head up, against the wind, and look to the sky. For that's where the sound had surely came from. As I stare up, the clouds swirl and morph into a spiral, looking angrier by the moment. The wind picks up, and I hear it again.
A scream.
A deep, elongated scream that seems so full of pain, it causes me to cover my ears from the sickening noise.
Yet another strong gust of wind pushes me down on my back, pinned into the sand as it conforms to my shape. The scream comes once more, carried by the wind and through the clouds. Those dark clouds above my head open and release a down pour of rain. The droplets are just hitting my face when I feel a nudge on my arm, and the scene around me begins to dissipate.
"Lilith. Lilith wake up." A voice urges.
My surroundings are dark, but the voice seems close.
"Lilith!"
I forcefully lift my head from the damp pillow and open my eyes. I'm panting, and my clothes are moist with a sweat that sticks my hair to my neck. My thoughts come into focus and as I look to my left, I see Peter standing over me, looking worried. I roll onto my bum and wipe my face rid of the sweat.
"Are you alright?" He asks.
"Um, yeah." I say, still trying to calm my heart rate, "Just a bad dream, I suppose."
Peter bends down and reaches a hand towards my face. My breath catches in my throat. I feel him brush a finger next to my lips, and take it away.
He catches my staring and laughs, "You had some hair stuck to your face."
"Oh, I ... um... thanks." I manage to stammer, trying to hide my embarrassment.
He takes a step back and places both his hands on his hips, "You ready for another day of searching?"
I swing my feet out of bed and stand, stretching my back slightly, "When do we start? The sooner we find them, the sooner I can apologize for being such an awful friend."
Peter crosses his arms over his chest, "You're so concerned about this 'friends' thing. You've got me, you know. I'm much more fun than anyone will ever be."
Here's the side of him I never get tired of seeing in person. The child. The jealous, naive, imaginative child who most people leave behind once they reach adulthood, but luckily for Peter, and for me, that part has not left him yet.
I smile and toy with my fingers in front of me, "It's not about fun. It's about their safety. I brought them here, intentionally or not. They were trying to save me, and now I've put them in danger. It's my responsibility to get them home in one piece."
Arms still crossed, he scrunched his nose, "That's such a big word. 'Responsibility'. Promise me that as long as you're here, you'll never use that word again."
I roll my eyes and giggle, "Fine, I promise."
"No," he insists as he holds a hand out, "Promise."
I bring my hand out to meet his, but before we touch he pulls his hand back and abruptly spits into it, then offers it back to me.
I immediately recoil my arm, "What was that?"
"That's how we make a promise here."
"There's no way I'm doing that. Absolutely not." I say as I sit down on the bed again.
I see a vein in his neck twitch, "But then you didn't promise!"
I hold my hands up, "I'm promising to you that I will never use that word again, but I'm not sealing it in saliva. Not now. Not ever."
He crossed his arms and I thought for sure he was angry with me, but instead I saw a cunning smile dash across his face, "Alright, Lilith. But one day, I'll get you to do it."
I bounced on the bed, the anticipation of searching beginning to itch at my skin, "So when can we leave?"
"In a minute. There's someone I think it's time you've met."
"Someone else? But who?" I wonder, my mind searching for possible matches.
Peter gets that same cunning look in his eye. The one that means he knows something I don't, and that I'm going to have to deal with whatever it is either way. He puts his thumb and index finger to his lips, whistles loudly, and grins at me.
I raise an eyebrow, "Showing off your whistling skills?"
He shakes his head and extends his hand, palm up. I'm about to argue that I'm still not going to swear in spit, when a fast moving light speeds into his hand.
The ball of light takes a moment to dim before I can see what, or who, it is.
"Lilith, I'm pleased to introduce you to my fairy. Tinkerbell." He announces with a cheeky smile that shows off his dimples, and a bounce on his toes.
There, sitting in his palm, is the very fairy every little girl dresses up as for Halloween. The fairy that people name their pets after. The fairy that is basically a legend.
I jump from the bed and lean forward, trying to finally see the famous fairy.
She's bright. Brighter than Alina, at least. She's leaning lazily on Peter's thumb, munching on... something red. Her white blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun on the top of her head, and a green ribbon is tied around it. Her small, pointed ears are perfectly exposed, even with a few stray pieces of her hair hanging down. Her dress is like the female version of Peter's clothes. Made entirely of green and brown leaves, also with no shoes.
My lips can't help but whisper her name, out of pure awe.
Upon hearing her name, she looked up at me. Her ears perking and eyes staring straight into mine.
She moved from Peter's thumb to the edge of his palm, seemingly examining me as well. Then she rolls her eyes, and I see her lips begin to move, but I only hear a jingle.
Confused, I look up at Peter, "Why can't I hear her?"
"Most people don't understand fairies. That's why it was so unusual that you understood Alina. The Lost Boys and I are the only ones who understand fairies, including Tink."
Tinkerbell kept jingling, moving her arms in large motions and jumping up and down.
I squint my eyes, "What is she saying?"
Peter's eyes dart between Tink and I, "Um, I'm not so sure you want to hear."
"Is she saying something rude? Come on Peter. Just tell me."
Tink finally finishes her outbreak and turns back around to me, arms crossed over her chest.
"She says you're uglier than Wendy was. And taller."
I feel an invisible hand smack me across the face as he says this.
"Anything else?" I ask, flabbergasted.
Tink jingles again, with her back to Peter.
"She also hopes you don't mess things up as badly as Wendy did."
"Well that's just lovely!" I say with sarcasm dripping from my voice.
Tinkerbell blows me a kiss before flying off in a hurry out the door. I look up at Peter, who shrugs upon my expression, and stomp into the hallway.
Peter chases after me, "Lilith wait."
I keep going, "How could she hate me so quickly? I only just got here."
"Lilith stop." Peter calls.
I continue stomping into the living room, which is empty, and I run my hands through my hair, "I can't stay here. I don't belong here. I think it's time I-"
"Lilith!" Peter forcefully says as he grabs my arm, making me turn around.
I point a finger in his face, "You wanted me to come here, Peter. You were the one who told me how to get here. And now it seems that nobody else wants me here. So why don't you just take me back to the portal and send me home. Because I will not stay in a place where I obviously don't fit in."
"Lilith. I don't want you to leave. And neither do ninety-nine percent of the Lost Boys. Tinkerbell's always been a little... forward. Fairies are so small they only have room for one emotion at a time. I think she's just jealous that now I won't be able to devote all my time to her. Don't listen to what she says. She needs to warm up to you, that's all."
"She's jealous of me?" I reply.
"I think so. Fairies are difficult creatures to decipher. Especially Tink. But my point is, I don't want you to go so soon. There's much more fun to be had, alright?" With the last words of his sentence he held my arm a little tighter, almost in a sincere way.
I feel his pulse through the small space that our skin meets. It beats softly against mine and his warm touch makes my whole arm feel like it's on fire. I look down at the place where he held me and note the dirt coating his hand. I couldn't hold back the smile that grew on my face at the idea of all the possible ways it got there.
"Fine," I sighed as my face lifted to him, "I guess I could stay for a while longer."
Peter grinned as if he had just accomplished something spectacular, "Good!"
He released my arm and walked towards the door, "You hungry?"
As soon as the words left his mouth I felt my stomach growl and I raised a hand to it.
"Actually, yes. Starving."
He opened the door and nodded outside, "Come on."
I followed him out onto the deck of the tree house. The light from the sun already in it's mid position shone through the crevices of the tree tops, creating unique shadows that covered the floor.
Peter stood at the edge with his arm extended, for me to take. I wrapped my arm through his, not quite sure of what he was planning, and he pulled me slightly closer to him.
"Going down." He smiled as we took a step off the deck.
There was no feeling of instant falling. No rush of wind in my face.
Slowly and steadily we declined to the forest floor, all the while my arm in Peter's and my eyes cast down as I watched the floor approach us. When my feet touched the ground they were greeted by a new sensation of texture. The damp grass was coated in a layer of leaves and pine needles from the trees above. They bent underneath my wait, but did not crunch. The green wisps of grass struggled to break free from beneath the layer of compost and get a taste of the sweet sunlight that somehow made it's way this low.
Peter stepped forward and when I looked up, I was bombarded by the beautiful aroma of food that traveled through the crisp forest air. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, picturing the food in my mouth and nearly salivating.
"What is that?" I asked.
"You'll see." He smiled.
He lead me forward through a small cluster of bushes, closer to the intoxicating smell of food. My dress dragged some of the pine needles with it and I had to catch myself before I tripped trying to get them off.
Peter parted the bushes for me to pass, and when I did I saw a small arrangement of rocks around a bustling fire. Surrounding the fire were the Lost Boys. Some eating the delicious smelling meat in their hands, and others simply relaxing against the tree trunks. I carefully climbed through the bushes and all heads snapped my way. The Boys shot up and nearly tackled me in a hug.
"Lil!"
"Lil you're awake!"
"Hi Lilith!" They all shouted as I felt their hands around me.
I did my best to rub each of their heads in reply, "Morning boys."
"Morning?" Duke laughed, "It's lunch time."
I turned to look at Peter who stood behind me with his hands on his hips, "Is it really afternoon?"
"You were tired so I let you sleep." He answered.
"But-"
"Time passes differently in Neverland. You really weren't asleep for very long." He interrupted.
I turned back to the fire as a stomach rumbling smell entered my nose. Over the fire I saw something being roasted on a rotating line.
Bubs, the chef of the group, caught me staring, "You hungry, Lil?"
I nodded, "Absolutely. Is there any left for me?"
"Of course!" He said as he went over to the fire and tore a piece of the meat off. He handed it to me and I realized that it looked like a leg. I couldn't distinguish what animal it was, even by a quick lick, so I spoke up, "It smells great but I have to ask. What, exactly, is it?"
"We don't really have a name for it," Bubs replied, "It's a bird, we know that much, but what we also know is that it tastes amazing. Try it."
The Boys had gone back to their positions but they watched me in amusement. Even Peter had taken a chunk and was happily munching on it beside me. I brought the meat up to my mouth a took a large bite. At first I worried about what disease the bird might have, or what the bird could have possibly eaten before it was cooked, but my doubts were soon replaced by a rush of tangy goodness that spread across my taste buds.
I moaned in enjoyment of the food. "You weren't kidding," I said as I took another bite, "This is amazing."
Peter laughed and I also giggled as I ate another chunk of the meat. It felt wonderful to have actual food in my stomach, and not just plants and berries.
The serenity of the scene was short lived though, because something large rustled the bushes behind us. Peter's body tensed and he grabbed the dagger from his belt. I instinctively moved behind him and he put an arm around me, keeping me there. The other Boys had gotten there weapons out as well.
"What is it?" I whispered.
"Don't know." He finished, an edge of worry in his pouted lip.
The bushes moved again, but this time there were voices.
"I demand to know where we're being taken!" A girl's voice shouted.
"Just keep moving." A different voice answered.
"This is ridiculous! If you don't tell us where we are right this instant I'll-"
Wendi was shoved through the bushes in front of us, followed by Jonathan, Mike, and finally Trevor and Gil.
The Darling's looked upon us with both fear and confusion in their eyes. Trevor and Gil looked exhausted, and frustrated, as they stepped in front of them towards Peter and I.
"We found them." Trevor sighed.
"Why didn't you come back to camp last night?" Peter asked, concern in his voice.
"We were too far away. We found them all the way out by the boarders of the Indian camps. We spent the night in the forest before we headed back this morning."
"It's a miracle we weren't found by the pirates. What with this one's loud voice." Gil said as he nodded at Wendi.
Her face twisted in a knot, "Well if you barbaric children would have just told me where you were taking us there would have been less of a need for these!" She held up her hands. They were tied together, and so were Mike's and Jonathan's.
Gil rolled his eyes and clapped Peter on the shoulder, "She won't shut up. I should have bloody gagged her."
Peter chuckled and rubbed Gil's head, "Nice work boys."
In the chaos of the moment, I had forgotten to move. Forgotten to say anything or step forward, but I knew Wendi saw me because her jaw almost dropped to the floor,
"Lil?"
I could hardly find my voice, "Wendi!"
I ran towards her as fast as I could and enveloped her in a hug. Though her hands were tied, I could feel the relief in her body muscles. I pulled away and held her at arm's length. Her clothes were a bit tattered but other than that she looked fine.
"I'm so relieved to see you! We've been searching for you all for two days! I feared something awful had happened!" I said as I untied her wrists.
"Us?" Wendi questioned, "What about you? You fell into the water and we nearly thought you were drowning! After Jonathan yanked us all in to save you, things went dark and we turn up on this... this... place. And for a day we see no sign of any other human beings, and wander through some forest. Where in the world are we?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I breathed.
I heard a soft cough from my left and saw Jonathan standing next to Wendi. I moved in front of him and looked into his eyes. They lit up at the sight of me.
"Lil." He said in a voice so hoarse it scared me. He leaned into my arms and for a moment I felt his balance go off. He looked pale. Much too pale. There were dark, black circles under his eyes and he was sweating immensely. It beaded down his face and soaked his shirt. The veins in his neck were a deep bluish-purple and they twitched as he moved. I could see pain behind his eyes as he struggled to keep them open.
"Jonathan," I said as I looked him up and down, "What happened to you?"
"Nothing." He quickly replied, "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine to me."
"Just tired, that's all." He said before he coughed violently into his arm.
"Are you sure? We could have someone look you over and-"
"I'm not sick." He insisted.
The green hue to his face and exposure of blood vessels said otherwise, but he looked too fragile to argue with. I gently undid his binds and he rubbed his wrists. I noticed that his hands were deprived of muscle, looking skeletal.
Mike was patiently waiting beside Jonathan. When I walked in front of him, a smile emerged behind his freckled cheeks.
"We thought something happened to you." He said.
I bent down to undo his hands and let the rope fall to the ground.
"To me?" I asked, "I'm a big girl, Mike. I can take care of myself. But as for you three, I think the story is a little different."
"What did you expect?" Wendi shouted as she moved next to me.
"Lil, you need to tell us what's going on. We jumped into the water in a cave and found ourselves on a beach. We travel inland for hours, expecting to see some sign of anyone, and all we see is miles and miles of trees. At night we heard noises." I saw her lip tremble, "Noises so terrifying I can't explain them."
I grabbed her hand but looked over at Peter with a puzzled expression on my face.
He had one hand across his chest and the other under his chin.
"Remember what I told you, Lilith. Evil exists in places you don't expect it to."
I felt Wendi squeeze my hands. "And then we're kidnapped by some children and shoved through miles of forest, to emerge in a camp of more children." She gave Peter a cold look, "With a teenage leader."
I brushed a piece of my hair back, "It's going to be a lot to take in, and you're not going to believe me. I certainly didn't, at first. But I need you to trust me completely."
"Lilith I don't understand." She nearly cried with wet eyes, "Where are we?"
I held her gaze, "Do you trust me?"
She hesitated a minute, a stray tear sliding down her face as she looked at her surroundings, but eventually she nodded.
"Wendi, you're in Neverland."
Her mouth opened slightly to say something but her voice caught in her throat. She shut her mouth and shifted the weight between her feet. She removed her hands from mine and crossed them over her chest.
"We're where?" She asked again.
"Neverland." I stated.
Better to get the truth out sooner rather than later, I figured.
"Are you joking with me? Neverland? What the hell is that?"
I was about to ask her how she didn't know, but Peter cut in.
"She doesn't know the story."
I straightened out my dress, now finding the situation much more difficult than it was a moment ago. I had forgotten that Ireland didn't know the classic tale of Peter Pan.
"Oh, right. Well this is going to be harder than I thought." I scratched the back of my head.
"Lil, just tell me where we are! Have we been kidnapped? Are you being held hostage by this... boy-man?" She eyed Peter again.
"Boy-man?" I spit out in laughter, "Trust me. He is in no way a man."
"And I like to keep it that way!" Peted yelled from behind me.
"Then what the hell is going on!" Wendi cried.
I looked at the folds of my dress and imagined hiding in them, not having to face explaining everything about Peter to her before she fliped out on me.
I feel Mike pull on my sleeve and I look over at him. He looks so innocent. The sun must have bleached his hair more because the red had turned lighter. More freckles covered his face.
"Yes, Mike?"
"Are we... in danger here?" He sheepishly asks.
I bend down, "No, Mike. You're safe here with us. These boys, they're my friends. And actually, I think they could be yours too, if you ask."
He looks up from playing with his ripped shirt at the array of boys behind me.
"Is there a place to sleep? And food to eat?" He asks.
I nod my head, not sure of where this conversation is going, when suddenly Peter bends down next to me.
Mike takes a step back but I reach a hand out and hold his.
"There's no need to be afraid," Peter calmly says.
"My name's Peter, and these are the Lost Boys. We have lots of fun here. We hunt, and we play games, and we make all sorts of things like swords and bows and arrows. There are no rules here, and no bed times. We play from sunrise, to sunset. I can teach you to fight and maybe, if you're good enough, to fly."
Mike's eyes widen, "Fly?"
Peter nods, "As long as you're here I promise no one will harm you. Does that sound like a good place to stay?"
Mike looks at me, and I give him a small nod, "It does."
Peter stands up and pats Mike on the shoulder, "Well Mike, I'd like to welcome you, to Neverland."
The boys behind me shout and holler all sorts of encouragements as they surround Mike and begin introducing themselves. I discretely give Peter a questioning look and he shrugs, a grin in his eyes.
I turn back to Wendi who has calmed down, watching Mike make new friends.
"Like I said before Wendi. You can trust me. Nothing will happen to you here."
She takes a deep breath through her nose and bits her lip, "I trust you."
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jonathan wobbling back and forth. I turn my attention to him, "Jonathan?"
Suddenly his eyes roll back into his head and he collapses backwards onto the ground. His head hitting the floor with a muffled thump.
A/N: HI EVERYONE :) Sorry this update took a little longer!
BUT I HAVE GREAT NEWS!
I was lucky enough to meet the one and only Robbie Kay last Friday! IT WAS INCREDIBLE and he was a total hunk ♡
Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
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