Free(PanxOC)

Chapter 2 Pied Piper

I felt my body roll over to one side of its own sleep clouded accord, my eyelids fluttering open slowly only to slam shut as the harsh rays of sunlight seeped in through the wooden shutters. I sat up suddenly, glancing around at my plain, nearly empty room, the biggest out of the two bedroom shack. I pulled myself to my feet and changed quickly into a pair of beige riding pants and a fitted, light brown, long sleeve shirt covered by a fastened dark brown vest and a pair of back boots that reached the middle of my shins.

I tugged my light brown hair up into a high pony tail and smiled as the light coming in hit it just right, making a few strands appear to be red. I checked over myself in the mirror a few times before swinging open my bedroom door and peering out into the empty kitchen that doubled as the other bedroom and living room as well. "Hello? Anybody home?"

When no one replied I sighed and snagged an apple off the counter that had most likely been stolen from someones stand in the village, biting into it and grinning internally as the crunch sound filled the silence and the sweet juice poured into my mouth. Wiping my lips with the back of my hand, I grabbed my off white cloak from the hanger near the door and pulled it on, fastening the button in the front and skipping out of the front door.

I looked around at all the people talking, farming, and selling, making sure that no one was paying me any attention before dashing across the road and straight up to the largest hovel in the village, rapping on it twice before leaning back as it swung open.

"Hey!" The brunette boy grinned as he tugged me inside and closed the door behind me. "Come, sit." He pulled me over the kitchen table cheerfully and pushed me down on one of the benches. "Why are you so late?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, laughing at his still smiling face. "Is it not morning?"

"No!" The boy laughed, his brown eyes twinkling. "Its mid afternoon. Have you been asleep the entire time?" Once I nodded he shook his head, taking a long sip of the drink in front of him. "Long night?"

"No." I replied, declining his offer for my own drink with a wave of my hand. "Just an odd dream, is all." We sat in comfortable silence for a while, simply enjoying each others company while staring out of the nearby window at a flock of birds that were taking off into the distance before I finally spoke once more. "Bae?" I waited for him to hum before I continued. "Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real its as if it really happened?"

He frowned for a moment, pondering the thought before shaking his head. "I don't think I have, no. Why? Have you?"

I hummed. "Maybe. I really hope it did."

"Was it the one from last, the one that nearly made you sleep the whole day away?" I nodded slowly. "Will you tell me what its about?"

I sighed, rising to my feet, using Baelfires shoulder as leverage to push myself into a standing position, ruffling his hair as I headed towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" He called just as I reached the door.

"I didn't realize how late in the day it was. Your papa will be home soon and I for one would rather not face the wrath of the Dark One for being in his house uninvited."

"He wont be home any time soon. I swear it. He's making deals today and you know how long that takes." He spat out the last part, dropping his head to toy with his fingers.

"If you hear or see something tonight that's... unusual, meet me outside okay?" I peered at him closely, waiting for his answer.

"Oh, so you don't want to risk papa coming home and finding you here, but sneaking his son out late in the night is perfectly acceptable?" He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "I cant."

"Live a little, Bae."

"Haven't you heard about the boy that's been taking children?" I shook my head. "Their calling him the pied piper, but papa says he also goes by Pan. He plays a flute and the music hypnotizes children and draws them to him. It happened to me one night not too long ago." By the time he finished his tale he was standing in front of me. "Didn't you hear it too? The music?"

I shook my head. "But I was gone recently with my aunt. Was it during that time?"

He thought for a moment. "Could have been. Yeah, now that I think about it. You weren't even here."

I smiled, tapping his shoulder lightly before pushing open the door and stepping outside. "See you tonight."

***

The day had gone by uneventfully and the night even more so. I sat on the floor underneath my open window, staring up at the brightest star in the sky, praying that my dream would actually come true. A slight breeze rushed by, ruffling my hair just enough to make me close my eyes and readjust it. When I opened them again, the star i'd been staring at seemed to wink at me, and seconds later a sweet music drifted through the window, filling my ears instantly.

The tune was unlike anything i'd ever heard before, filling my entire body with a feeling of unfiltered euphoria. I almost couldn't stop myself from containing my excitement as the conversation with the boy in my dream clouded my thoughts, and suddenly I was running out of my house and straight down the road, following the noise as I'd been told to.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that i'd asked Bae to meet me, but I was far the happy to think straight. I passed by all the shacks and hovels and reached the clearing just before the thick forest within minutes, freezing in place as I took in the sight in front of me.

Ten to eleven boys seemingly around my age danced and frolicked around a raging fire pit to the music that had led me here. All of the boys wore animal masks and cloaks that hid their faces from view, and some of them even banged large sticks together, laughing as they bumped into one another.

I looked around for the boy from my dream and paused my search once my eyes landed the boy who was playing the odd looking flute. He was the only boy wearing a light colored cloak, and even though I couldn't quite see his face something in my gut told me it was him. Before I could even register what I was doing, I was pushing my way through the boys and pulling his cloak off.

Green eyes met mine so suddenly that I stumbled back a bit, shuttering lightly as he clutched my arms to prevent me from falling into the circle the boys had created. He smiled at me, the same smile from my dream, only this time there was a hint of mischief laying underneath it. "So glad you could make it." He drawled in his thick accent, the music somehow still seeming to play without him giving any effort.

"You- you're the pied piper?"

He smirked at me and shook his head as though that was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard. "Is that what their calling me?"

"Well if their like me they don't have anything else to call you." I fired back, feeling the urge to release a prideful smirk of my own as his turned into a full on grin of amusement.

"Oh," He released my arms, stepping back only a few inches. "Did I forget to introduce myself?" He faked an innocent expression, smiling somewhat sheepishly before smirking darkly once more. "I'm Peter, Peter Pan."