Peter Pan The Killer

Chapter 30: Peter Pan Brings You Back To Life

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die.

Gwen saw nothing of her memories.

She was drifting in darkness with occasional flashes of light. Random images, a jumble of sounds. It was disorienting.

Then perhaps she drifted further into dark consciousness, or further into death. She never believed in souls, or god. Where would she go?

There was a tendril of warmth that curled around her. It spread and turned into light. She felt hands on her cheek. Warm and sure, the light bore features. They were blinding.

Then again, she was always blindingly bright.

Anna.

Her smile, the way her eyes tilted upward, the light speckle of freckles on her nose.

"Live."

She could hardly recall her sister's voice. But whatever fragments of its sound filled her empty consciousness.

"Be happy, Gwen. It's all I ask for." she pressed her forehead against hers.

"That's all you ever ask for..."

Gwen's voice sounded distant, yet hers all the same, as if it were an echo.

"But what's the point? What's the point of me being happy if everyone else isn't?!"

Anna was too selfless. She never cared for herself. Gwen was too selfish and never cared for her.

Gwen's arms were feather light, and she tried to reach for the light of her sister. "I'm done being helpless, being cared for. I was not there for you when you needed me the most. Anna I-"

Her fingers slipped through the light. Gwen could never hold on to her, even now.

"I'm sorry, Anna. I'm sorry. I know my apologies will never be enough! But... I know you wouldn't be happy if I kept wallowing in regret..." Gwen said, dropping her hands.

Anna smiled ruefully and caressed Gwen's cheeks. "So what will you do?" She asked.

It was the answer she had been searching for ever since Anna died. What would she do? At first, it felt natural to track down the killer, make him pay. But then, what would that have solved? Anna would not have risen from the dead. She would simply have another dead body weighing her down.

But now, after everything, she knew. If she wanted to atone for her sins, she had to make a difference. Anna was not the only person who needed help and care. There were millions of others. And Gwen wanted it to be her lifelong mission to bring joy to their lives.

A selfless act from a selfish person.

"Help them... Help all of them," Gwen said.

Anna's smile broadened. "Good. And don't forget to take care of him too."

Gwen blushed, even in subconsciousness. It was because of him did she realize her true purpose. Peter meant more to her than she could have imagined.

"Does he make you happy?" Anna asked, tilting her head.

Gwen snorted. "He irritates me a lot."

Anna's laughter sounded like bells. She laughed with her. It felt good, just like when they were children.

Gwen sighed. "But I love him..."

It felt embarrassing saying it out loud to her sister, whether or not she was a figment of her imagination. She felt engulfed in warmth and realized her sister had enveloped her in a hug.

"Keep loving, and move on, sweet sister. I'll be in your heart always. Don't forget that." She pulled back and pressed both hands to her cheeks.

"Now wake up."

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The pain returned. Air rushed into her lungs, her body burned with a flame. Gwen screamed. She still felt hands against her cheeks. Warm and sure.

They did not belong to Anna.

She opened her eyes. His expression crumbled with relief. Another tear dropped from his eyes onto her skin.

"Peter..." she whispered, her voice hoarse and weak.

Then as if she were jump-started, her body hummed with life. Blood coursed like fire through her veins, hot with adrenaline. Her nerves jolted to life, hyper-aware, hyper-sensitive. The colours in her vision saturated.

It was working.

PXDST was working.

She took in lungfuls of air and relished the feeling of being alive. Holding Peter's gaze, she smiled weakly. Then from the corner of her eye, she noticed a strange movement.

Amidst the havoc, the special forces who surrounded Skul had easily fallen into a trance as they held him down. He had taken advantage of the distraction to escape.

"He's getting away!"

Gwen felt as if someone were guiding her. A warm sensation. Anna, just like in her dreams.

Her hand shot out to grab a fallen gun beside her, and she released the trigger twice on the retreating figure. Bullets wedged into his legs with precision, dropping Skul to his knees. It took that much of a surprise to knock the ops out of their trance. They quickly handcuffed his legs and hands, planting him face down.

The gun dropped from her hand and she slumped back into Peter's arm. Peter was staring at her, wide-eyed.

"You just-"

Gwen shook her head and shut her eyes. "Anna helped."

It only confused him more, but he let it slide and planted a soft kiss on the top of her head. "I'm glad you're alive. I'm glad it worked... But now-".

She had never heard him so worried. His voice trembled. She wanted to reassure him; it was the right decision. However, she was encompassed with sudden lethargy. Maybe an immediate side effect of PXDST.

Her eyes fell shut once again. But this time, she knew she was simply falling asleep.

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