Neverland

Chapter Twenty-Six

A boot cracks a twig, and I slip back into the woods. Slow clapping makes an echoing sound.

"Well done, Miss Wendy," Jack says. Judging from Wendy's expression, I don't think she knows who he is either. "Now come out to play, Peter Pan." Jack looks back and forth from the trees.

In the glow of the moon, I can see a cord hanging around Jack's neck. I follow the leather string down to where a crystal pendant hangs. The pendant is small and is shaped somewhat like a diamond.

The jewel shimmers purple, breathing specks of magic. Not just any magic, pixie dust. Some of Neverland's power which I am supposed to hold is in there. Self-consciously, Jack slips the necklace back under her shirt. His appearance has changed, now wearing a loose white shirt and brown trousers. He seems confident, but I can see circles under his eyes.

"Who are you?" Wendy asks.

"Since Peter is too afraid to show his cowardly face," says Jack. "I will oblige. My name is Jack. I am the leader of this land, which is counterpart to the place called Neverland."

I fade away from the scene and run off to the other side of the forest. After running for a few minutes, I stop to catch my breath. With Jack clearly far behind me, I decide to try flying again. This time, it works.

Success rippling through me, I take off in the sky. The flying is a bit wobbly, but I soon get the change of it. I swoop down to our rendezvous point, near the stone and earth prison. A few meters before I reach the ground, my magic falls. I try to roll, but instead, I land on my left foot. That foot never has recovered, so when all of my weight is pushed down on it, I hear a snap. I slap my hand over my mouth as I try to keep my screaming pain inside.

Luckily, Hook has survived to reach our meeting place. His hook gleams bright in the moonlight, shadowing the rest of him.

"If I recall correctly," Hook says. " I did tell you your magic wasn't quite stable yet."

Glaring at him, I say, "Can you fix this?" I gesture to my broken limb. Hook looks over it.

"Why don't you try healing it with your magic?"

I concentrate, pushing energy out of me. Nothing happens. Hook heaves a sigh.

"You are still so weak," Hook says. "After all this time. I know that face. Tell me what you saw." I take a deep breath before explaining. I tell Hook about what I saw and how Jack tortured Wendy.

"And?" he presses. He know there's something more. I feel like I am melting under his pressureful stare. I give in.

"He took her memories," I say. "The ones about Neverland, this place, me... all of it." Hook looks away. Saying those words makes me realize the reality of it. My heart is tearing, slowly and painfully.

"Oh, brilliant," Hook says. "Now we've got more on our hands.'

"What are you saying?" I ask. Hook arches an eyebrow.

"You don't already know?" he says. "Well, when you take someone's memories, they are well, gone. Nearly impossible to retrieve. With that matter, you could tell a person anything, turn a friend into an enemy."

"And you have firstand knowledge?" I ask suspiciously. His face reveals a wicked grin.

"With your help, actually," he answers. "Remember how you turned the girls into mermaids and took their memories?" I nod. That seems forever ago.

"I rallied them against you," Hook continues. "But I also influenced their deep anger into pure hatred. Those mermaids still remembered what you did to them, but I poured salt on the wound, so to speak."

"So Wendy won't remember me," I say. "Not ever." Hook recognizes that I am hurting, just like a gaping wound. With the salt on it, it renews my hatred and pure longing to give Jack a slow and agonizing death.