Memories of a Lost Soul

Her Fault

It's my home.

'Peter,' Tinkerbell whispers in my ear. 'Do you want to see your parents again?'

'Why would I?'

'Don't you miss them?'

'Of course not.' After what happens, I have never thought about going back home. Besides, Neverland is a great place, why would I want to go back.

'Your mother must have been worried about you.'

Mother. The word reminds me of a gentle smiling face, which had comforted me countless times. My mother is...kind. She always helped me whenever I'm troubled, supports me, and believes in me. Her words are soft, but strong. I remember how people would always listen to her, even though she almost never raise her voice. The same voice had also sing the most beautiful lullaby that used to carry me to sleep. I miss it so much.

'I heard from the other fairies that she always leave the window open.'

'Why?'

'Because she's waiting for you!' She flew in a loop before continuing. 'She doesn't want to miss anything. She keeps sitting near the window, listening to every footsteps and knocks, hoping it was yours!'

I look up at the first floor window. Sure enough, I can see a slightly open window. The window leads to my parent's bedroom, which is still lit up. It hasn't been long since dinner time, so they are probably still awake. Seeing the fluttering curtain and the soft, yellow glow of the room, thaws my heart.

'They are....waiting for me...?' I mumble softly.

Tinkerbell fly in front of me and nods. She points at the window and makes several hand gestures. I know what she means.

Let's visit them! They will be happy to see you!

My chest is getting warm. Maybe it's the exhaustion or the heat of the streetlights above me, but I feel like the bitter taste in tongue is slowly fading. I feel my it easier to breath and smile. I take a step forward. It's light. I wonder what this feeling is called. Happiness? Eagerness? Relief? All I know is that I want to see Mother again. I know that after I see her again, everything will be alright. I just can't wait for it to happen.

'Honey?' Could you please close the window?' Mother's voice rings out.

I stop mid-air. 

'It's getting colder, huh?' A pair of arms appear and pull the window shut.

I feel my stomach drops. Steeling myself, I float in front of the window. The curtains are only partly shut. I peek inside. The room is still brightly lit, making it easy for me to see. On the bed, I can see my parents sitting up, talking. They are smiling and laughing happily. Once again, those warm feeling appear in my chest. Until, a cry breaks out.

A baby's cry.

I look closely as MY mother picks up a bundle of cloths that I haven't seen before. She rocks it on her arms. I finally see it. A little red face is looking up from the bundle of cloth. The warmth in my chest turns hot. As if it flows in my blood, the burning feeling traveled throughout my body. My brain is melting. My bone is turning to lead. I can't move. I don't think I want to move. I'm afraid that I will lose it when I move. 

'I've....been replaced....'

My parents are cooing, while playing with the baby. The baby itself, is smiling as it reach out in glee. The light inside seems so bright as the streetlight barely light up my frozen face. I don't know what to think or do. I'm just there, floating outside the window. My vision is getting blurry.  Not caring about my primary purpose, I turn around and start flying away. Tinkerbell joins me without a word.

We fly in silence. Before I know it, we're already back in Neverland. The Lost Boys greet me, but I walk past them. They are calling me, asking me about what had happened, but I can't hear them at all. My head is full. Full of the event that happened a few hours ago. Even now, I feel like my head might explode from anger. My knuckles are white, I hadn't realize how hard I have clenched it.  I shouldn't have gone there. They don't want me anymore. They don't need me anymore. I.shouldn't.have.gone.there.

It's her fault.

If she didn't tell me those nonsense about me being dead, then I wouldn't have gone there. My footsteps get faster as I headed to the Lagoon. If I didn't go there, then I wouldn't have seen those people. What kind of parent replaced their son? I was stupid for hoping that they were waiting for me. I was stupid to go back to that place.

'PEARL!' I scream the second I step foot on the cliff. 'PEARL! Where are you?! How dare you make me go back there!' 

Silence. The only thing I can hear is my echoing words, but I keep screaming. 'If you hadn't spout those nonsense, I wouldn't have gone there! Do you know what happen?! They replace me! They already have another baby! They don't need me anymore!'

Another silence. It's irritating. 'PEARL!' I scream once more.

Pearl never shows up, instead, a gust of wind blows. The wind is followed by fairy dust. The fairy dust sways and swirls before taking the shape of a golden fairy. The Queen of Fairies, TItania, appears. She smiles kindly, but instead of kindness or gentleness, all I can feel was mockery. It was as if she was looking down on me for being angry.

'You look troubled, Peter. Is there anything I can help you with?'

Her tone annoys me. 'I'm looking for Pearl, the mermaid that lives here.' Through gritted teeth, I manage to squeeze the words out.

'I believe I have told you that there are no Mermaids in Neverland.'

'DON'T LIE!' I snap. 'I know she's here! I don't have any business with you!' I start to walk away when a gust of wind blew me off the cliff into the lagoon. I'm shocked, but I manage to stay afloat in the water. I was about scream some more when I see the Queen floating above me.

'I am not a fan your tone, young man.' Despite her words, she still have the same kind smile, plastered on her face. 'I am afraid that your stay ends here.'

Before I can process my thoughts, something happens. I don't quite understand it, but a ball seems to fly towards the Queen before exploding into a massive golden sparks. Then, something pulls me towards the land. As I land, a hand yanks me. I don't have any time to react, as the person who saves me, starts sprinting.

We don't stop sprinting until we reach a certain tree. It looks like a regular tree, except for the tree bark. There's a hole in the tree bark. I have noticed several trees with a hole in the middle of their bark, but something is a little different with this one. The person pushes me towards the tree.

'Get inside!'

'What?' I starts to protest as she is forcing me into the tree hole. 'Wait!' 

My pleas is unheard. The moment I get into the tree, I fall. I panic, but as I can still feel the ground below me, I realize that this is more like a slide. My panic turns into fun. The slide leads to an underground room. It's bright and warm. There are a lot of furniture, like the dining table, chairs, bookshelves, there is even a fireplace. Everything, beside the fireplace, is made of woods. I can see that several things still have leaves on them. The room looks more like a home than some underground shelter.

'Quit staring!'

'This place is great!' I comment excitedly. 

'I'm not talking to you.'

'Huh? Why not?'

I turn around and face my saviour. I just realized that I haven't seen who has saved me. It's a girl. She has short hair, unkempt and messy. Her dress is roughly in the same spot. She is a bit taller than me, but she doesn't have much meat on her bones. I am staring at her, when something clicks in my head.

'You are Elizabeth...the Fourth Lost Girl!'

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A/N:  New part is here! Thank you for reading!

The next one is going to be published on the 28th! Please look forward to it!