Peter's Lily (Sequel to Pan's Tiger)

Chapter 21: Sounds of Neverland

Hey,
Thanks for reading. I'm so pleased "Pan's Tiger" has over 6k reads and this has over 1k reads!
I'm really sorry about the wait.
I'm aware this chapter is pretty shitty, so I've written two (the second of which I'll update immediately) so you'll feel better.
Please vote and comment.
Enjoy,
Annabel_the_reader
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My right leg was dangling from the top of the treehouse, gently swaying in the wind. The Lost Boys were all in bed and there were sings of sleep as snoring could be heard from some of the cabins. They sounded serene and peaceful.

I was perched in the tree, one leg hanging over the edge, the other bent so that my knee was tucked under my chin. My left hand rested on my stomach, while my right hand was clinging onto the edge of the tree, feeling my mortality, but not being afraid of falling. I was half-way up or half-way down, depending on your personal philosophy, enjoying the freedom of this limbo state.

But I couldn't sleep. I had been having terrible nightmares and there were too many possibilities to prevent myself from slipping into sleep. I didn't think about these things, though. I took the opportunity, while Pan was not present to stop me, to think about nothing and just listen to the sounds of Neverland.

The trees around me gently sighed. The silence was sublime. All the leaves seemed to speak. It was like therapy, sending me to a sense of tranquility. An owl hooted and I inhaled heavily, enjoying the heavenly cacophony of the sounds.

The stars burst through the night sky, their light swirling in and out of the plum-purple sky, as the sun had not quite gone enough to be black. The clouds hung in wisps, breezing in and out of each other eerily. The moon cast rays of light down onto the ground, flooding the clearing of the Lost Boys' camp, from which I was set apart from.

The moon slowly hid behind the white cotton clouds. Instantaneously, the temperature seemed to drop to minus 3 degrees.

Leaves gently blew in the wind, their light, brittle texture allowing the wind to pick them up and throw them lazily across the forest floor. I decided that if leaves were love, then I was a gentle breeze and Pan was a hurricane.

A light by the camp suddenly came on, illuminating the owner's cabin. As the forest was so silent, I was able to hear their heavy breathing, that sounded turned to sobs. A Lost Boy was crying, either afraid or sad.

I jumped down from my branch, bending my knees as I landed and began to make my way towards the boy's cabin, wondering if he would want my comfort.

The gnarled and twisted trees groan as an icy wind tore away my of their leaves mercilessly. As I made my way towards his tent, I began to realise the likelihood of his tears to be fear, because of the ominous forest. The mist hovered around my ankles like a creepy ghost. Inky black eyes were glistening in the shadows.

The night air was heavy, dank with the odour of decomposing leaves. I stumbled through razor sharp brambles, snagging on the vicious thorns, fighting my way towards the glow of a small, flickering light.

I held up my hand and knocked on the door three times, calling out, 'Hello? Are you ok? It's Tiger Lily.'

Waiting for a few moments, I shifted anxiously from foot to foot, until I heard the squeak of a petrified Lost Boy. The door flung open and I was hit by an enormous force, almost knocking me off my feet. I stumbled backwards, trying to regain my balance as two arms wrapped around my waist and a head rested against my chest.

The little boy's head retracted to look up at me apologetically. I noticed immediately that it was Tootles, one of the youngest Lost Boys at only eight or nine. He had joined the Lost Boys before I arrived in Neverland, but Pan had once mentioned he was relatively recently. Despite this, it wasn't his family he was crying about. It was fear.