I'll Take You to Neverland

Chapter 9: Prove It

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I wake up slowly, my eyes squinted at the moon in the sky.

I'm not sure if it's morning or night, but one thing is for sure, I've been passed out for a while. I can tell just from the aching in my muscles.

My stomach growls when I look down, but when I go to move my arms I feel that they have been tied to the tree that I lean against. I can hear laughing behind me and glance to the side to try and get a better look, but the vines or ropes wrapped around my wrists won't allow even that.

"She's awake!" I'm startled as a voice calls out. I whip my head around to see a muscular looking thirteen or fourteen year old telling the others that I've woken up.

A group of boys ranging from their early to late teens all gather around me, waiting for one last person to join them. I can already tell that he is highly respected the second he steps in front of me.

It's the boy that was playing the flute earlier. He looks down at everyone, and I start to think that maybe they don't respect him as much as they fear him. And I don't understand it, sure, he is intimidating as he crouches down to look at me at eye level. But any of the boys teamed up look like they could take him down easily.

"What are you doing here?" His eyebrows scrunch together as he examines my face.

"What am I doing here?!" My voice is croaky when I talk but I'm tired and angry and I can't hold my temper long enough. "I was taken here! What are you doing tying me to a tree and then questioning me on my motives?"

I'm surprised when he pulls back his hand and slaps me across the face. I would cover the area but when I try to my hands tug at the vines. None of the boys surrounding him and I react, by now I can't tell if it's because they're used to it or if it's just because scares them.

"You don't talk to me like that." He spits at me.

"Who do you think you are?!" I throw my head forward, yelling back at him. A smirk spreads across his face.

"I'm glad that you decided to ask that." The boy gives a sadistic chuckle. "I'm Peter, Peter Pan."

"Are you serious?!" My eyes go wide and he looks proud of himself. "You're insane! Really, you're Peter Pan?" I laugh to myself, not finding the situation funny at all, but I can't help it. I'm going insane, surrounded by dozens of other insane people, because no one except for me finds this crazy.

"Yes, I'm being serious. What are you laughing for." 'Pan' looks at me angrily.

"Oh really? Where's Wendy, Peter?!" I ask.

"Andy, did you hear that?!" The group of boys bursts out laughing while the boy who shouted this out looks around the crowd for this Andy. "Even this girl knows about your stupid nickname."

"Be quiet Tommy!" A blonde boy off to the side shoves Tommy, the first boy, his face bright red as he looks at Peter. "That's not my name, you all know Peter misheard me!"

"Sure..." Two other almost identical looking boys say in unision, laughing at Andy, or Wendy, or whoever the third blonde boy claims to be.

"John! Michael!" Pan snaps, "Shut up." His voice is sharp and he glares around the group silencing everyone immediatly.

"Prove it." I speak up, everyone stares back at me eyes wide at my challenge.

"What?" Pan takes a step forward, his face only inches from mine.

"Prove. It." I say slowly, my lips curling around the words, suddenly feeling more confident than ever.

"Okay." He steps back with a grin plastered on his face. I tilt my head to the side, doubting myself just because of his cockiness. And I was right to doubt. With the simple wave of his hand, a sword appears out of nowhere. Within moments, before I can even comprehend what's going on, he has the blade millimeters away from my throat, the point and his hand not swaying in the slightest.

"What are you doing here?" His voice is just as sharp as the sword he holds as he continues to whisper, each word as crisp as the last. I'm sure even the boys in the back of the group can hear exactly what he's saying to me. "And this time, without sass."

I take a deep breath, shuddering slightly. "I don't know how I got here, I don't know why I was brought here, but I was brought here by a smokey figure."

"He brought you here because you obviously belong to me." He smirks.

"What?"

"Your dress." He moves the sword down to the print on my dress. "That does look like it spells my name, doesn't it? Or are you so dumb that you can't read?"

"I'm..." I start, but he cuts me off before I can object.

"What is this." He drops the sword to his side, moving closer to me and pushing my chin up, looking at the bruises on my neck. I'm uncomfortable because of how close to me he is, but my personal space doesn't seem like one of his biggest concerns.

"They're bruises Peter." A tall, muscular boy steps forward. He must be at least two times the size of Pan, but he still flinches when he whips around to face the boy.

"I know August." His voice is full of venom. "Just because I made you the medic of this island, it doesn't mean that you are somehow superior to me."

The boy, August, takes a step backwards. "I'm sorry, it's strange." He holds his hands up in defeat.

"What's so strange about it?" Pan raises his eyebrows and mocks the boy. "I would strangle the girl too if I had the chance, as a matter of fact, it takes everything in me not to right now."

"That's the thing Peter." August speaks up, defending his point. "These aren't bruises from being strangled by someone."

"What do you mean?" Peter glances back at me, his eyes still full of hate.

"No one tried to kill her except for herself."

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Picture: Cameron tied up and angry at Pan

***I've been editing these photos (Adding Olivia Hussey's face into them and putting in the 'Peter Pan' dress) especially for this book so that they relate to the story. This also helps me learn how to use photoshop. I hope you like them!***