Pan: The Untold Adventure

Chapter9: A Little Unsteady

"Pan?"

He sat before her, with incandescent skin. Slowly, he nodded his head. Wendy felt light, yet her chest was heavy. She could not find her breath. Rough hands still gripped her wrists, delicate & fragile. She felt like ice under his touch, he was as warm as the sun. A grin still lingered on his lips, but soon faded as his brows furrowed. Again, a hand found it's way onto her cheek. Wendy still felt the sting of an angry outburst, & Pan knew that. Suddenly, his skin grew cold & the light emitting from his skin slowly darkened. His features followed suit.

How is that humanly possible, to change from summer to winter so quickly? Wendy thought. She couldn't pinpoint where his distress came from, but his chiseled face was drenched with troubled pain. Wendy wanted to give this stranger comfort, so, with the hand Pan still held, she squeezed his wrist softly. He did not move, but his eyes shifted back to hers, & she grinned softly. His lips did not return the smile, but his heat returned & the strange light within him began to return.

And the more she thought about how utterly illogical that was, almost supernatural, the word magic entered into the mix, & she remembered Michael being brought into the equation. Her distraction fizzled into curiosity.

"I.. I need you to explain," she paused. "About Michael." She felt so silly, talking to nothing less than a dirty young man who could fly through the air as creatures swim through the sea. It was then that Pan let go of her hand & crossed his arms. An eyebrow shifted up wards with an obvious challenge behind the movement.

"What about him, Wendy bird?"

"You're the one that brought him up?" Wendy retorted.

"I suppose I did, didn't I?"

"Why are you acting so childish?"

The young man chuckled and leaned his head back. "Why do you assume I'm childish? Is that even a word to identify someone with? Isn't almost rude?" Wendy could see the strength in his neck as he rolled his head to the side, an arrogant grin standing clear.

"What, is this the question game, now?" Wendy was becoming vexed, irate, yet still being drawn into the mystery he was. No, I mustn't let him distract me.

"We could play that," he smiled. "Let's start small." With a deep breath, Wendy willed herself to focus. This was a strange situation she was finding herself in, & she needed to know what Pan had to say about her baby brother.

"Or, we could start with Michael," Wendy spoke in slow irritation. Pan picked up on this quickly & the grin faded.

"Oh, come on, Wendy Bird. Where's the sense of fun?"

"Why are you playing coy?"

"Because you make it too easy."

That's where the question game came to a pause. Wendy was growing more & more agitated with every word that passed his lips, but her heart was beating out of her chest with a burning ache. When she sighed, she closed her eyes so she could form words without being blocked by his unnatural beauty & the piercing lush of his green eyes.

"Please," she breathed. A few seconds of nothing but the sound of rain passed. The thunder had subsided, now the drum of her heartbeat took it's place. She felt fingertips touch the skin on her collarbone for only a moment. With a shock, she jumped back with eyes wide open. She realized Pan was reaching for the necklace, & that the acorn was still in his hand. He was pained once more, but it was without anger. This pain was drenched with a terrible ache, Wendy could see it. Their eyes met once more, & he spoke.