A New Generation of Pan

Chapter Eight

^The picture is of Lebsi (just read to find out who she is!)

The sun burned brightly as it made its slow descent towards the horizon.

Flies buzzed around our heads as Pan and I slowly picked our way through the thick Neverland forest. I had told him multiple times that we would move faster if we were to fly, but he insisted that we would lead the pirates straight to the hideout if we did.

So that left me trudging through the Never heat with a mysterious redheaded boy on a mission to find a fairy and my little sister. Could my life get anymore unreal?

I should have been paying more attention to the path that Pan was leading me down because one moment he was in front of me, and the next, Pan was gone from sight and the earth beneath my feet was no longer supporting me.

My hands scrambled to grab a hold of anything that would stop my fall, but all I found were scrubs of measly grass that broke off in my hand.

I fell.

I was airborne for a few precious seconds before I was fully submerged underwater. The water knocked the air straight from my lungs as it momentarily stunned me.

When I regained my bearings, I began swimming for the surface. My nightclothes became extremely heavy and weighted me down as I inched upward. A burning ache in my lungs drove me to swim harder. To push towards the surface.

Just before the burn became unbearable, my head broke the surface. I greedily gulped down large lungfuls of delicious air.

I sputtered a few times as my lungs drank in the lifesaving air.

I glanced around myself to get an idea of where I had landed. I was in a small cove that was slightly cut off from the vast ocean by a small strip of island. What wasn't bordered by the ocean, was surrounded by sheer rock walls that I would never be able to climb. That left the only way to get out was to either swim around, or fly out. And neither was an option.

Pan had trapped me in. For what reason, I had no idea.

There was a large rock sticking out of the water in the middle of the cove, so I swam to it.

As I pulled my exhausted body onto the warm rock, I scanned the air for Pan. His leafy attire and fiery hair were nowhere to be seen. Of course, I thought, it was just like him to disappear after he tricked me!

I did not have time to dwell on my endeavour, though because a large splash sounded behind me. As I whipped around to investigate, a large silvery tail slipped beneath the surface of the lagoon.

I was not alone in the cove.

Another splash resounded in front of me. This time, all I caught sight off was a sparkling green tail.

Both tails were too large to be any sort of creature that I could think of.

As I was pondering what animal that they could possibly be, something touched my shoulder. Something cold, wet, and that felt oddly human.

I slowly glanced over my shoulder and came face to face with a young woman. She was so close that her delicate nose was touching mine and her wet strawberry blonde hair hung in soaking strands in my face.

She was oddly beautiful in a delicate way that seemed to draw people in.

"Who are you?" She asked with open curiosity. Her voice was light and airy and matched her overall innocent appearance.

I turned around to fully face her and held my hand out. "I'm... I'm..." Before I could continue, I caught a glimpse of the rest of her.

My mouth fell open.

Where her legs should have been was a long tail covered in silver scales that reflected the sunlight.

I blinked.

My eyes became wide like a young fawn's. "You're a- a- a Mermaid!" I squeaked out.

"Yes," she said with a gentle smile. "And you're from the mainland, right?"

My eyes narrowed. Why was she being nice to me? "Yes," I said hesitantly.

Her light blue eyes sparkled like the sea as a radiant smile light up her face. "That's great!" She said. She glanced over her shoulder and called out. "Lebsi! You have to see this!"

There was another loud splash, and another mermaid popped up beside her.

This one had dark brown hair that was so dark it was almost a shade of inky black. It fell in glittering waves down to her small waist. Her face, like the other mermaid's, was delicate and small, and brought out an air of innocence.

The first mermaid turned to the newcomer. "Lebsi, this girl is from the mainland! Isn't that amazing?"

The newcomer's brown eyes lit up the same as the first's, but her's were filled with a mischievous light. A smile slithered over her pale lips.

"That is perfect." She said, "but how did you possibly come to be here?"

"And what is your name?" The first mermaid chimed in.

The second, Lebsi, hissed at her. "Hush Lenna! It is my turn to talk to the mainlander!" Lenna pouted, but remained silent.

Lebsi turned to me with a strange look in her eyes. "Now, mainlander, answer our questions."

I gulped. This mermaid made me nervous. She was what I had expected of the Never Mermaids. Mischievous and lethal. I could not dare to trust her.

"I'm Gwen. My little sister and I were kidnapped from our house in the middle of the night by Captain Hook. P-"

Lenna, the first mermaid, interrupted me with a gasp. "So there are more of you here? Where?"

I never got time to answer her question, though, because Lebsi shot her down with a fierce glare.

Lebsi nodded to me. "Continue...Gwen." She said in a soft voice with a glance in Lenna's direction. A warning to remain silent. 

And I told them. Of how I came to be here, abandoned on a rock in the middle of the Neverland sea. And of how I was going to get my little sister back. With or without Pan.

Author's Note-
Hello!! I am so sorry for the long wait! I have been extremely busy with school and have just not had much time to write. But, finally, the chapter is here! And, I do believe I promised Tinkerbell to a few people, but she shall be in the next chapter!
This chapter is dedicated to 486TheCat! Thank you so so much for reading!! And I feel like such a jerk for not getting the chapter up sooner!! Your messages and encouragement mean so much to me!! Thank you!
And thank all of you for reading! You guys are awesome!
-Anna