What if...? Book One, Part 2: The Game Begins...(A Peter Pan rewrite, by Jae)

13- Chance...

My eyes widen once he is gone, and I curse at myself.
"Fuck!"

He got exactly what he wanted. He got me to hesitate long enough to slink away and I have no choice but to give this stupid island the stupid chance he wants so bad. I curse again and bite my cheek in anger when I realize I didn't ask the most important question; how did I even get here?

However, my anger ceases when I see the door now in clear view. Without caring if it'll let me pass or not, I jump through it with my arms covering my head. I land on on the other side, finally. On my feet in the hallway, I stand tall, jumping again in triumph with my balled fists thrown out, silently screaming 'yeah' to myself. When I'm done celebrating I look both ways to see just a very dim hallway lined with doors. As far as I can see there is no sign of windows or stairs.

I start down the left way of my door, grabbing every door handle and jiggling each and every one to find that they're all locked. Turning the corner I find only more hallways, more doors with more locked handles. I end up wandering the halls aimlessly for hours. I even lost direction of my room and couldn't retreat back. The dim lit walls, make me feel upset and foggy. In a sickly frustration I kick the wall and groan angrily.

"Is this whole damn place just one big trap?" I complain to myself.

I begin to wonder if this was Pan's plan after all. To sentence me to a hell of forever wandering dark halls. Never finding a way out or another soul. And soon I'm only sitting on the floor, between two doors. My knees up and my head on my knees, half the day gone. I feel like crying, but I know its a demeaning waste of time.

Out of nowhere, I hear footsteps. I lift my head looking down the hall to my right, listening. A head pops out from around a corner that I didn't even notice was there in the dark light. He looks around, finding my eyes. I stand as he comes around, preparing my fists. He's a shaggy, older brunette with brown eyes. He wears dark baggy pants, black vest and cloak, accented with deep greens. His shirt looks likes he made it himself. Just like Pans. He looks overall dirty, wild and worn down.

"New girl. Finally." he says, jogging over to me.
I eye him, getting a clearer look at him.
"How long have you been roaming the halls?"
"What?"
"How long have you been lost?"
How'd he know we're lost?
Hearing her voice makes me jump ever so slightly.
I knit my eyebrows looking away from his eyes, "I-I'm, I don't know,"
"I'm K. I'm one of the Boys, so you can relax," he says eyeing my fists I didn't realize where balled so tightly.
He puts a hand out for me to shake but I just look at it.
"Ok," he says putting his hand down, "I get it, new place, new friends..." he exhales and adverts his eyes like he's preparing to do something he knows he is not supposed to, then he asks, "Where is your brother?"
My whole heart stops beating and becomes one big ache, "What?" I barely breathe out.
"Is he...in your room, or, or is he in the cells?"

Now I'm confused to realize he isn't talking about Danny but thinks I'm with someone else. I blink and stutter. y6Unsure of what to say I bite my lip and feed him a sad sort of lie.

"I don't have a, one," I nearly choke.
He clears his throat and recovers back to that friendly face, extending a hand down the hall, "I see, well how about I show you outta here and we take it from there?"

I'm hesitant to follow his direction as I can't believe I am actually to spend my day with boys I've never met before. I feel stupid for falling for Pan's mislead, yet again, when he said I had a choice. I should've taken the trip home, or stayed in the room alone. I have to search again for the reason I wanted to find out more about this place and Pan. To know about the magic, and with the magic could come sweet, well deserved revenge.

This boy called 'K' gives me a look when I don't let him lead me and then I realize the silence has gone on too long and is about to become awkward.

I try not to sound irritated but my arms cross anyway when I ask, "Is 'K' short for something?"
"Not to you, and you are?"
I feel attacked and lonely, "Jane." I say letting my low mood show. "What makes you think I'm lost?" my defensiveness comes to surface.
He laughs at me the same way Pan does, "You can't leave through the hallways. No one can. You have to use Hideout's magic," he says, grazing a hand on the wooden wall.
"The tree's...magic..." I act skeptical, though the curiosity is quickly becoming instinct for my plans.
"Envision the exit. Use the magic to your advantage and let it guide you. Listen to it. Otherwise, you'll be stuck wondering these halls till your dead,"
"The tree's got magic..."
"Why, everything's got magic, Miss Jane," he gives a smirk I recognize and realize it's a joke.