Unshadowing Pan

Leaving Neverland

"What is this place?" I asked circling the huge tree.

It had not been long but  Pan had already made himself comfortable and sat on a log carving a bamboo stick. He seemed deep in thought as he stared into the ground. Every now and then his jaw would clench and his hold would tighten. He had been that way for a few minutes, leaving me to calm down and find my composure.

"It's my thinking tree. I come here to clear my mind and get away from the others." He remained silent after that. I watched as he continued to carve. "What you said before, about being alone. I hated it." he admitted taking me by surprise.

"What?" I stared down at him as he did his best to avoid my gaze. "Why did you bring me here? I have disobeyed you at every step and you haven't killed me..."

"I know you didn't mean it when you said you hated me," he said suddenly. I watched him stand up and at his movement I took one step back.

I wasn't sure why it mattered now but I was sure about thing. "I did mean it."

"You can not pretend with me, Aria. We are similar whether you like it or not. I knew it from the second I saw you, don't you remember? You have that fire in your eye and it only grows larger. You choose to fight and yet you have no one to truly fight for, just the idea of them."

Listening to him made my head spin. "You're talking nonsense. I don't understand you or anything you do. We are not similar."

"Then prove it," he dared mockingly.

I didn't know what games he was trying to play, but I wasn't afraid of him anymore. His mind games were not going to work with me. "How?" I asked for the sake of it.

"Admit that you regret meeting me, " he dared, "Come on, say it. As if arriving Neverland in the end was not beneficial to you. No matter how much you may say you hate me, I let you into the Lost Boys. You found a purpose with Henry and I allowed it. I offered you everything and by the way that offer still stands. I said you intrigue me because everything you do even if it is against my orders, I can not help but entertain."

I wanted nothing but to run away at that instant, but I was not going to let him have the upper hand. I was not going run away like a coward. I balled up my fist and breathed out. What Pan wanted was control. I was not going to give him that power over me. Never.

"I regret it," I said through clenched teeth. As soon as I had said it I felt vines wrap around me and bring me to the tree where it held me back. Pan who stood in front of me looked saddened, not angry. He looked at me with some sort of look that I could not tell what he meant by, but to say it didn't affect me would be a lie. It bothered me more than anything that he was now displaying emotion, because I wanted to hurt him, but if I tried now I fear I may hesitate.

A devilish look appeared back on his face, replacing his somber one. "Your punishment will be the death of your only friends and his family, then maybe you will learn to obey." It was like the flip of a switch that wiped my momentary second thought away. He was still the same. He flew up.  "See you later, Aria" he spoke harshly and disappeared.

It took a moment for what had happened to properly adjust in my brain. I felt like finally giving up as I opened my mouth to call out for help, but I knew it would be useless. I looked around for any signs of him but he was completely gone. I was exhausted. I did everything I could do stop Henry, but I couldn't even reach him in time. I remained there, attached to the damn tree, waiting. Waiting...with only my heartbeat to listen to. A twig snapped.

"Hello?" I called out. All I heard were the distant sounds of a waterfall and more sticks breaking.

I was alert and slightly terrified. I had begun to think of all the ways I could be eaten at the moment. Pan did say there were monsters in the forest. The vines had begun to tighten up making it less and less easy to breath. The ways that I could be eaten were disrupted by the thought that I was going to be crushed to death by vines. I struggled against them but it was no use. I felt my eyes close and leaned my head back, taking in to realization that I was to die.