Metanoia - Peter Pan OUAT

Chapter Eight

WARNING: This chapter contains graphic violence. It's not exactly too graphic, but there are mentions of blood, so if that is sensitive for you, then please skip this description starting from the first [!] I put, to the last one I put.

It took Metanoia a great deal of time (considering Neverland was stagnant with time) for her to fall asleep that night. She tossed and turned in her bed restlessly; every time she tried to close her eyes, she'd remember Pan's vindictively cruel face up close and personal, and the way his calloused hands felt wrapped around her neck. She'd then immediately rip her eyes open and sigh morbidly. It was safe to admit that he traumatized her. Perhaps Metanoia just never expected Pan to actually hurt her; she'd just assumed his threats were empty and his irrational hatred harmless, but she was wrong on so many levels.

The following morning, Metanoia had to practically peel herself out of her bed and lazily drag herself downstairs for breakfast. She'd barely slept a wink, but she knew that being late for breakfast increased the likelihood of not having breakfast altogether, and she couldn't start her daily tasks on an empty stomach; today she'd be crafting weaponry with Jeremy and Jacob. She sighed heavily as she descended the rickety ladder leading to the ground from her treehouse, and she trudged forward towards Liam, Charlie and Idris as they gave out plates full of bacon, eggs and olives.

"Thanks Idris." Metanoia expressed her gratitude softly as Idris handed her a plate followed by greeting her with a significantly quiet, "mornin'."

Clutching her plate in her hands, she turned around and saw an empty space beside Elijah and Theodore on the log they were seated on, and so she propelled herself forward and joined them.

"Morning, guys." She greeted them, a sheepish smile on her face upon making eye contact with Theodore. She could still vividly picture the way he gazed at her face with minimal space left between them, and her stomach churned nervously the moment he glanced up from his plate and shot her a dazzling smile.

"Good morning, Em. Slept well?" He asked as she sat beside him, and Elijah reached out and gave her a high five in greeting.

"Hardly." Metanoia spoke truthfully, before picking up a strip of bacon from her plate and taking a bite.

Theodore furrowed his brows and lowered his voice, finding himself subconsciously shift closer to her, which did not go unnoticed by Metanoia. "How come?"

Metanoia shrugged, but had no response to it. She didn't want to explain to him what had happened after he left her with Pan yesterday, mainly because she didn't want to seem weak in front of Theodore. She was also partially terrified of Pan, and she wanted to heed his warning for the time being.

"Well, make sure you sleep early tonight so you'd catch up on some rest." Theodore advised her with a kind smile, which Metanoia couldn't help but return. She opened her mouth to thank him, but before she could, she saw Theodore's eyes shift behind her in the distance, and his smile fell. He clenched his jaw as his eyes darkened angrily, and she frowned in confusion.

Turning around to see what he's looking at, Metanoia felt her heart leap to her throat. Denzel had entered camp, looking absolutely battered. His hair was matted over his forehead, dust and grease coating it and his face was smudged with dirt. His clothes looked undeniably filthy, and everyone stared in a peculiar blend of pity and satisfaction. They could all see the evident stains of urine on his pants, and it only dawned on Metanoia that he was actually never let out of the cage to relieve himself.

Metanoia observed him guiltily despite the fact that he deserved what he got. She watched as he slowly made his way to his treehouse, and noticed James and David follow him. The moment Denzel's eyes fell on Metanoia, she quickly looked at the ground beneath her, and didn't manage to take note of how he was looking at her.