Happy Thoughts || Peter Pan

Chapter 9

Peter Pan

The sharp blade of Peter's knife slid across the scaly fish skin. Avery had just disappeared between the trees. She would be gone for a while, so he had plenty of time to carefully prepare the trout. Scale by scale swirled on the ground. He chuckled again as he recalled her facial expression. Those brilliant green eyes staring at him disturbingly as she had raised her eyebrow so high he almost expected it to detach itself from her forehead. Even then, she was still very beautiful.

'Blubber fish!' Peter dropped the knife and trout from his hands when he had slid the knife past his thumb. The fish fell at his feet, into the sand. A trickle of blood slid down his hand. 'That's what you get for not keeping your head in the game, Pan.' He could not allow himself to be distracted, not now that she was here.

He snatched the trout and knife from the ground and walked to the river to wash off the dust. He neatly sliced off the rest of the scales, removed the organs and strung the fish back on his stick. Carefully, he placed the fish over the fire. He looked around. Peter was still proud of himself for having chosen this location as his refuge; untraceable by pirates, water and food in abundance and the peace and beauty of nature as he liked it. Here he was not reminded of the state of the rest of the island.

Peter did not allow himself to think much about the old days, when there were more children on the island and he was still fearless and almost immortal. When Peter was still young. He frowned at that last thought. He had done this to himself, he knew that. He himself had chosen to leave Neverland so many times and this was the consequence, an adult body.

Peter turned the wooden stake so that the other side of the trout would also fry. He looked over his shoulder. It has been some time now, or maybe it only seemed that way. The fish was not yet cooked so he wanted to give her some more time. He stood up for a moment and stretched his back. For a split second, he had the urge to grin once over his shoulder, but he corrected himself, well aware that Tinkerbell was not with him. He missed her company immensely.

'So negative again, Pan, stop that,' he addressed himself sternly and shot high into the air. The burning sun on his shoulders and the wind in his hair blew the thoughts right out of his head. He could not fly for too long, as he could not let Avery's fish burn, but he had to get rid of these thoughts. He flew through the air at lightning speed, zigzagging between the mountains until he could see the Deadman's Cave in the distance and then turned back. He flew above the water and stared at his reflection, in which he bared his teeth and then flew back to the campfire. He was just in time, as the fish began to burn on one side. 

Avery still wasn't back, but he couldn't go looking. He had given her his word and it would be indecent to disturb her bathing. An image flashed through his upper chamber and he hit himself on the head. Avery was a lady and he a gentleman, a proper gentleman. He would have no grown-up thoughts about her. His place was here, at her breakfast and nowhere else.

Still, he looked back again. But what if she was in danger? What if that was why she did not return? No, she would have called him, he told himself. Maybe she should learn to defend herself, he then thought, that way she wouldn't depend on him. Maybe he had to teach her swordsmanship!

Cheering, he jumped up once and just as he landed back on the ground after his leap of joy, he saw a figure appear by the river. He did not need to grab his sword, as he already knew who it was. The flaming locks of red hair, which still hung wet over her shoulder, could belong to none other than Avery. She smiled oh-so sweetly and called to him in a voice as soft as Neverland's summer rain. He was delighted, because even this short time alone was taking him far too long.