Peter Pan & The Shadow

Chapter 2.

You felt the stream bring you with it and you tried to swim up towards the surface, breaking through it with a loud gasp for air. The water was a clear blue and you swam towards one of the shores and got up on your feet; looking around for Peter Pan but he was gone. What was the meaning of dumping you here?

You hugged your freezing body, the sky above you were darkening and it was getting colder. You didn't know where to go. Maybe the ship in the lagoon or the camp on the mountain? It would get dark soon... you couldn't be outside and drenched in the middle of the night.

You felt someone's presence and spun around only to see a tall dark being. No... you could see through it and it was floating in the air. Its eyes glowed brightly and had the form of a boy. It was a shadow?

"W-who are you?" You asked but immediately shook your head. "What are you?" You couldn't exactly call a shadow a person could you?

The shadow just floated in the air silently, and then you suddenly heard a voice in the back of your head; telling you to run. As if suddenly recalling a childhood memory of a nightmare, you felt your stomach grow cold. Your eyes widened, the shadow seemed to slowly near you. You glanced around and then balled your hands into fists. "Fuck it all." You said and turned around and ran into the jungle. Your feet were bare and the ground covered in soft earth but here and then you accidently stepped on a branch or stone and you winced in pain. The forest was darkening, what could you possibly do?

You were running down a path when a hand grabbed your right arm and pulled you behind a tree. Your lips were covered by a palm and you watched the shadow keep flying down the path, looking for you.

You spun around prepared to face Peter Pan, but it wasn't him. The boy had semi-long red hair, grey eyes and a light touch of freckles. He looked around your age, maybe younger and he was dressed in clothes that resembled a time long, long ago; brown pants that were rolled up at the ankles, brown boots and a grey button-up shirt and a red jacket.

The boy smiled. "So you're the girl Pan talked about."

You eyed the path and then looked back at him. "What do you mean?"

"He said a girl had come and that we had to look for you." He said. "I'm Fox by the way."

You eyed him, you could understand that nickname, he looked like a fox. He had a pointy nose as well and a slim face. "I'm y/n." You said. "Actually... He was the one who took me here, I didn't come here of free will."

Fox began to walk down the path. "It's the shadow's fault. He won't let anyone get close to Peter."

"What?" You asked with wide eyes and Fox grimaced.

"It's forbidden to tell you more. For now, don't try to get close to Peter, okay?"

You frowned. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do here? Walk around for eternity?"

Fox eyed you. "You have a special purpose, because the shadow can't touch you."

"Why?" You asked. "It just chased me."

"You're a girl. Tiger Lily has made it so the shadow can't touch any girl on this island. She hates it."

"Wh-who? T-Tiger Lily?" You repeated. No way. Not the princess of the Indian tribe?

"Yup, but she stays at her part of Neverland, the tribe has a camp somewhere hidden in the mountain." Fox explained and then ducked beneath a branch and you followed. "She's not one to mess with. I'm not sure if the lost boys fear the shadow most or her." He said smiling playfully.

You stared at him in disbelief. Wait... If this was Neverland, where were Wendy and her brothers? And... was the ship the pirates ship where Hook lived?

You both walked in silence for a few minutes until a question that had nagged you had to be asked. "Why did Tiger Lily make it so the shadow couldn't touch girls?"

Fox turned gloomy and you wished you wouldn't have asked. Why did the first two people you met here have such gloomy expressions on their faces? What had happened here?

"There's a clearing with a small wooden house." He began. "I request you do not go there." He said and eyed you before closing his eyes. "Tiger Lily got so mad she and her tribe conjured a spell that made it so that the shadow couldn't touch any girl anymore. That is all I can say."

"But the shadow still came after me?"

"It still wants to try, so don't tempt it. Stay away from Peter."