Neverland

Chapter Nineteen

"Jack!" He turns to me, his face wreathed in darkness for a moment.

"Good to see you, brother," Jack says calmly, as if seeing your brother for the first time in two hundred years isn't strange at all. "But this has to be done." He collapses and writhes as if in pain. I lunge toward him, but his followers hold me back.

My heels brush the ground. Every time my foot hits a root or stone, it starts to throb painfully. Wendy walks in silence; head bowed, hands clasped. She turns to me and gives me a small smile. Her eyes ask me to tell her what is going on. I shake my head slightly to indicate that now is not the time.

Stone steps lead into a fog of darkness. It is cold and wet in this portion of the forest. Two boys push aside a cover. A hand slaps my back, thrusting me to the prison. A wooden ladder leads down. I carefully step in the darkness, making sure not to fall. After I land on the ground, I hear the sound of slippery hands that brings Wendy taking a quicker descent down. Stumbling, I catch her before she hits the ground.

Fire blooms on torches set up around our prison. The cell is dirt-packed on every side.

"Go ahead," a voice rasps. "Kill me now." A body is propped up against an earthen wall. I take a fiery club and shine the light. Wendy lets out a small whimper.

Hook has dark circles under his eyes, his black clothes tattered. His hook is missing, but I have a feeling he has it stashed somewhere. Hook laughs dryly.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure of being here with Peter Pan?" Hook mocks. His dark eyes drift over to Wendy. "And I see you have brought Wendy. Well done."

"Why is it that we always meet in prisons?" I sigh. "We're prisoners too."

Hook looks up at me.

"Nice to know you've joined the party." He stretches out along the wall. "Though I didn't know your brother was here."

"Your brother?" Wendy whispers. "What is he talking about, Peter?"

"Not now." I face Hook. "All right what's going on?"

"Aye, I would like to know the same, believe me," Hook says sorrowfully. He begins to laugh again. I reach for my sword, and find it missing. Hook is lucky that I don't have my weapon.

Pulling me down to the earth, Wendy makes sure that I stay put. She stands towering above me, looking so... so... I have to stop these thoughts.

"Peter Pan." She sounds close to hysteria. "I am not going to become insane, but I need some answers right now!" Her breathing quickens. Standing, I hold her arms in place to calm her.

"Wendy, it is okay," I assure her. "I suppose you do deserve some answers." Turning to Hook, I say, "But she deserves it from me.

"I can't explain this to you, Wendy," I say. She folds her arms, determination set on her face. I rush on, "But I can show you." Her arms drop to her sides.

"How?" she asks.

"There's too much to tell," I say. "It'll be easier this way." I extend my hand to her. I don't think this magic will be very difficult, as I am not going into the past, but into my memory. "Do you trust me?" I can tell she wants too, but is conflicted inside. Instead of answering, she takes my hand. Hook groans from somewhere behind me.

"Go on," Hook says. "Leave so I don't have to watch you two anymore." My hand drops.

"We can't," I say. "I don't have any magic."

"What?" Wendy cries. I shrug helplessly.

"Something about this place is blocking my magic," I say. "It's been stolen." Hook steps closer to me, pushing past Wendy.

"There's something you need to know, mate," Hook says softly. He prods me with his finger. "You may not know it, but you hold the most magic there has been in quite some time. If it was just your power that was stolen, then yes, you would be empty. But you also hold Neverland's magic. There is a sliver inside of you, waiting to be found."

"Is that right?" I say. "Then how come I haven't found it?" How come I'm still stuck here in this prison?"

"Because," says Hook. "You're not believing." I breathe a small laugh. Then I stare at Hook's unmoving, serious expression.

"Oh, you are serious," I say. His face doesn't twitch. "All right, then." I dig deep within myself. Believe in escape. Believe in hope. Believe in magic. When I search for the strayed magic, the lower right of my stomach burns. It is literally inside of me. I grip my abdomen and try to think through the pain.

"It burns, doesn't it?" Hook asks. Bent at the waist, I turn to face Hook.

"What's happening?" I ask. I am on fire. I am burning. I am melting.

"Looks like you do believe after all," he says. "That little bit of magic is just dying to get out. So come on then, let it go." The blue magic electrifies through my veins. It seems to multiply, but I don't have any faith that it will be very strong. Hook pulls a small knife from his black coat. The tip cuts through the blue vein on my arm, near the wrist. I attempt to lash out at him for cutting me, but in my weakened state, he swats me away easily.

"There," he says, crouching down to my eye level. "The magic can taste air." I suck in oxygen. "And because I want to get out of this miserable place as well, I'll give you so advice."

"Yes?" I say, resisting the temptation to destroy him.

"An advantage to defeating your brother," Hook says. "Is back in your memory." Which is exactly the place that I am taking Wendy. Back into my memory. To show her what went on in my life. Especially the horrible things.

After all that pain, there is only a little magic to show for it, but just enough to enter the memories. My fingertips tingle.

"This isn't going to last long," I say. Wendy takes my hand again.

"I'm ready," she says confidently.

"Prepare yourself," I say. "This will hurt." I turn to Hook as the magic starts to swirl around us. "You're staying, I suppose."

"That I am." Hook nods. The darkness engulfs the two of us. Every part of my body feels as if it is being ripped apart. My focus wavers, causing the magic to almost collapse. And then, I am floating in the dark nothingness.