Free(PanxOC)

Chapter 3 New Home

"I can't help but notice how nervous you seem. Funny, you were fine around me last night." Peter Pan circled me once more, as he had in my dream, eyeing me up and down. "Different attire, I see. Much better suited for where we're going, for a day maybe. You'll need to change when we arrive, though i'm not sure I have anything for a girl. I only have lost boys, you see."

"L-lost boys? What are lost boys?" I stuttered, wrapping my arms around myself in an attempt to seem like I was awaiting his response, but in reality it just seemed as though I was hugging myself.

He smiled at my gesture, easily seeing straight through me. "The boys that I helped escape to the place you so eagerly begged me to take you to."

"I didn't beg!" I gasped out. "You brought up me staying. You asked if I wanted to." Just as I could feel the simmering anger bubbling under my skin at the thought of begging someone for something one of the dancing boys slammed into my back roughly, sending me straight into Pans chest, and just like that all of the anger melted away.

"Having second thoughts are we?"

His breath fanned out against my cheek and I shivered, pushing him away and straightening my clothes, clearing my throat. "I heard from some concerned people in town that a boy, whom I can only assume is you, is luring children away by a magical flute and kidnapping them."

He laughed a spiteful laugh that came out as more of a scoff as he kicked the dirt and then met my eyes forcefully. "I didn't kidnap them. They had horrible lives. So horrible that I could feel their pain, hear their cries for help, all the way in another world, a better world might I add. I helped them. They believed and I helped them. Just like you want, remember?"

"But I thought you said Neverland was only a place for dreams."

"It was, but I have been known to push the limits of things. I was lonely. The people who visited were sleeping children, and they cant stay. I need companionship and I get it from the lost ones who need the same thing I do, the same thing you do." He leaned closer to me, but still far enough away that I could see the light from the fire lapping at his face in uneven lines, giving his green eyes an almost neon feel.

"A-and what exactly do I need?" I met his eyes sheepishly, trying to hold his gaze, but failing seconds later.

"Something that will make the loneliness go away. Me."

Before I could say another word the wind picked up, violently throwing things astray and causing me to stagger backwards into a few of the boys who were struggling to keep their balance as well. Pan laughed harshly over the wind as a massive blue and green swirling hole opened in the ground a few feet away from us, expanding until I was sure it would swallow the whole clearing.

"Perfect timing!" Pan shouted over the whistle that was being emitted, snagging me into his chest and pulling me towards the hole.

"What is that!?" I shouted back, using both of my hands to hold my hair still and somewhat shield my eyes, while at the same time doing my best to keep a firm grip on the pied piper.

"Our way home. Come on Boys!"

All of the boys that had been dancing heaved themselves towards the opening at his command and slung themselves into it, some of them crying out, and some of them not making a sound, only falling.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed myself into Pan as he smiled darkly at me before jumping and taking me with him.

*****

I hit the sand with a harsh thud, immediately groaning and shooting up into a sitting position as a few more thuds rang out. I looked around at the darkened beach, the same one from my dream, at all of the boys who littered the sugary sand. Seven of them rose to their feet quickly, brushing themselves off and smirking at the five of us that were left still trying to recover from what had just happened.

"Hey! Where are we?" The boy furthest from me shouted, only to be shoved back in the sand with the heel of one of the standing boys foot.

"Quiet!" He hissed.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" A low voice called out as a blonde boy dressed in an outfit that closely resembled Peter Pans walked out of the trees with a large club resting on his shoulder and a group of boys following closely behind him, each with weapons of their own ranging from makeshift swords to crossbows and mallets.

I looked around frantically for the boy who'd brought me here, but surprisingly he was no where to be seen. I glanced up at the boys, who I assume to be the infamous Lost Boys, as they approached us wielding their weapons. "Pan wishes for us to take you back to camp. You can follow us and there will be no problems, but if you fight or run...well," He trailed off, coming closer to us, so close that we could properly see the two scars that crossed on his right cheek, forming an 'x'. "That won't end well for you."

A few of the boys beside me gulped loudly, while two of them stood slowly and began to follow the intimidating group of boys. Eventually, after having broken under the blonde boys harsh gaze, the other three stood and followed as well, leaving me alone in the sand.

"What about you, princess? Gonna' make this easy on yourself or do we need to get a little rough?"

I sucked in a breath as he pulled his club off of his shoulder only to have it yanked away and thrown a few feet behind him by an unseen force. "Her name is Anna, not princess, and you will do well to remember it."

"Of course Pan." The boy immediately stepped away from me, revealing the boy from my dream. "I was only following your orders to bring the boys-"

"She looks like a boy to you? Honestly Felix, have all those years being here really made you that brain dead?" The boy called Felix opened his mouth for a moment, but quickly closed it and nodded, swiping his weapon off of the ground as he hurriedly made his way back through the trees.

"Are you okay?"

I tore my gaze away from the trees, realizing then how close he was to me, kneeling in front of me with his hand resting on my leg. I nodded numbly, staring down at his hand that was now moving a piece of hair that had gotten loose behind my ear and brushing some sand off of my cheek. "Is-is this another dream?"

He smiled lightly, the least intimidating one I'd seen him give so far as he shook his head lightly, rising to his feet and offering me his outstretched hand. I accepted it and nearly gasped at the difference I felt from my dream. This was not the hand that had helped me up in my dream, this hand was rough and horribly calloused, but still just as firm and surprisingly gentle.

"Come with me."

"Where?" The words slipped carelessly from my mouth even though I was already in the process of following him down the beach.

"I told you, you need to change." He replied, glancing over his shoulder at my face and then down at our still intertwined hands.

"You also said you didn't have any girl clothes."

He chuckled easily. "True, but I might know someone who does."

"Who? I though there were only lost boys here?"

"Oh no. There are others that we run into from time to time, and a few mermaids that you will never encounter on your own. One of the others though, a girl, has proven to be somewhat loyal. I wouldn't trust her with the tiniest of secrets, but I don't think she'd ever try anything. She might give you some clothes."

"Mermaids wear clothes?" I stumbled a bit over a fallen log and pouted as he smirked, tugging my hand tighter.

"I never said shes a mermaid." He glanced back at me once more, rolling his eyes at my impatient facial expression and sighing. "Shes an ex fairy."

"Really?" I exclaimed. "Does she have fairy dust?"

"Its called pixie dust and no. Have you even been listening? I said shes an ex fairy, no magic whatsoever. Don't mention the lack of wings, by the way. It puts her in an awful mood."

"Whats her name?" I peered at him, leaning forward enough so that I could see his face.

He grimaced, moving his shoulders slightly as he took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. "Tinkerbell."