Checkmate

38. Pan

Pan POV

I knew something had changed when my dream shifted from one of my hair falling out, to finding myself in the forest, Joel at my side, and a band of boys around us. A few of the boys I recognised to be Annie's lost boys, their faces almost familiar to me after weeks of seeing them in school and around town.

The forest we were in wasn't Storybrooke, but it felt like home, the green of the trees being almost comforting as they blanketed us from the scorching sun. Around us were not only trees, but various stands holding weapons and dark-coloured tents. Somehow, I knew the biggest one to be mine.

"You seem to be lost in thought," Joel said, leaning closer towards me as he sat on the large fallen tree in the middle of the camp. I looked at him, seeing his blond curls hidden under a dark hooded cape, the item also covering the top half of his chest. His face devoid of the scar I remember him having since we were young.

"Yes Felix, I was." I heard myself admit, unsure of why I called him that. I had the overwhelming sense that something was coming, something big. I felt my cheeks pull up into a smirk as something in my head spoke.

"I have her."

"What is it?" Joel asked me, his voice low.

"The girl," I heard myself say almost proudly.

"The one we sent spies for?"

I nodded slowly. "The shadow has her."

"She is coming?" He asked, clearly excited, but I could not figure out for what. "She is finally seventeen?"

"Finally seventeen, finally ready to come here. Finally ready to die."

"Are you really going to kill her the moment she steps foot here?"

I scoffed a short laugh. "Of course not." I felt my face stretch up into a grin, matching that of Joel's. "I have some games in mind for her," I admitted, standing as the boys crowded around me. "We have a visitor coming, boys."

They cheered and hollered as Joel stood beside me, his arms crossed. "You think she will go down easily?"

"If she is anything like Wendy, we will frighten her to her death."

I awoke with a start, sweat on my brow as I gulped the guilt down, refusing to believe the dream to be anything more, despite it feeling ever so similar. As I finally calmed myself enough to stand and open the curtains, a strange feeling washed over me as I looked around the room. I felt as if something had been missing, something that had finally returned, but as I stared at the shadow my body cast on the wall before me, I just couldn't put my finger on what.

Shaking the feeling, I dressed into my school uniform and made my way down to breakfast with Joel, confused at his appearance and skittish behaviour, my usually calm and collected brother seeming unlike himself.

"You look awful," I stated, sitting at the table and reaching for some toast as he processed my words.

"I didn't get much sleep," he muttered, his eyes unable to meet mine. "You don't wanna be late for school," he added, his eyes flicking up to the clock. I frowned as I turned to look at the little hands pointing to their numbers. I had almost forty minutes until the morning bell.

"Joe," I started, using the nickname I gave him long ago and the soft tone mom always used for us. "You don't seem too good." He blinked a few times as his eyes remained on the plate in front of him, his face paling. "Joel," I said, a little firmer, causing his eyes to flit up to mine for half a second. Just long enough for me to see the red rims around his bloodshot eyes.