Pandora's Box

Chapter 12

Camp

When Melody awoke, she heard boyish shouting and the rhythmic beatings of drums. The sounds were accompanied by the crackling of a fire. As soothing as it could be, all Melody wanted was to sleep. Her head pounded with pain as she groaned loudly. Despite her eyes being too heavy for her to even function, Melody forced them to open.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to her new environment, but as soon as she could make put the shapes, she regretted falling asleep on the beach.

The scene before her was one she had seen before. Lost boys danced around the fire pit without a care in the world. The darkness of the island made the fire burn brighter than the stars themselves.

Melody hissed as she suddenly moved her neck. Her fingers touched the dirt beneath her and she frowned.

"Well! Looks like the pirate is awake!" Pan's voice rang out. In a moment, everything went silent. No more hollow music. It had all stopped.

A hand tightened over her arm and yanked her up to her feet. The pain she was already feeling intensified and she groaned. She snarled up at Felix as he held her. In a rage of anger, Melody suddenly swung her fist and punched the blond's jaw. He fell to the ground and the pirate was ready to pounce him until he couldn't walk, but another lost boy suddenly grabbed her back.

"Wonderful performance, love. You have defiantly gotten stronger since the last time you were here," Pan's said as he neared her. Melody's hissed at him as the boys tied her up with rope to prevent her from fighting anymore.

"Take me home," Melody growled. Pan only smirked. He got closer to the girl and placed her old pirate hat on top of her head.

"Love, you are home. And you aren't leaving for a long time."

"Prepare a cage! Melody is going to need a place to sleep!" He called out. The pirate sighed and crossed her arms. It didn't surprise her at all.

As she was dragged away, Melody took the chance to flip Peter off one last time. She made herself go limp so it was harder for the lost boys to lock her away.

And Melody knew she was going to be in there for a while.

~

"Wake up pirate!"

Melody groggily peeked through the bars of her cage. Her eyes took a moment to adjust but once they did, she saw two lost boys that she recognized.

In an instant, the cage door unlatched and Melody was given a chance to stretch.

"Welcome back, Melody. Long time no see," one of the twins said with a boyish grin.

"Cody, Zack... I could have gone my entire life without ever seeing the two of you again and I would've been thriving," she insulted. The twins took no offense and instead they laughed.

"Up and going, Melody! Pan sent us to give you your breakfast," Cody said as he handed her a bowl. Melody peered down and scrunched her face.

"What... is it?" She questioned as she dipped her spoon into the slob. Cody blushed and rubbed his neck.

"It's supposed to be oatmeal," he responded quietly. The pirate frowned but nonetheless tried the food.

"Eh, it's not that bad," she muttered.

The twin looked proud and also handed her a coconut shell with some milk. She ate as slowly as she could. Once she handed back her empty bowl, Zack held up some rope. He tilted his head in embarrassment and sighed.

"Sorry, we have to do this, Melody. Pan's orders. You know what happens if we don't follow them," he muttered.

Melody knew quite well about what happened to the boys who refused to obey. As much as she disliked all the lost boys, she wasn't about to be the cause of their deaths.

She held her wrists together and watched silently as Zack tied them up. With one soft yank, the three began to make their way through the jungle. She could see a light cloud of smoke rising from between the trees and the smell of burning wood getting stronger. Once they entered the clearing of the camp, Melody could see all the lost boys having their own breakfast around the fire.

Their eyes turned to her the moment she entered the camp. All Melody could do was scowl at them. Pan stood from his log and smirked at her.

"Hope you had a nice sleep, Melody! Tie her to the tree, boys," he commanded and the twins nodded as they pulled her towards a dried-up tree on the edge of the camp. They tied her to the trunk and left her there as they went to join the others for their own breakfast.

Melody was stuck there for what felt like hours. With nothing but her thoughts to entertain herself, she felt herself going crazy. Eventually, she ran out of things to think of and she grew bored with herself.

She was thinking about eating her own arm off when a whistle suddenly caught her attention. The pirate looked up to see Pan standing before his followers. Melody rolled her eyes and tightened her lips.

"How about we play a game, boys? I say we let the guest of honor free, and hunt her down!"

All the boys cheered loudly. Melody gritted her teeth as Pan pointed a sword to her.

"Who's up for a little man-hunt?"

*unedited*

This chapter is overdue. And it's so short 😖

But I have been very stressed lately.

Anyway, thank you all for being so patient with me and sticking through. I'll try to write more often but it's just been a little difficult these last couple of weeks

Stay safe ✌️