Neverland

3: Visions

Kristin nodded and leaned into Peter. It had only been an hour and she already enjoyed his presence more than anyone she had ever met before. They sat on a patch of moss as soft and cold as a cloud, and watched the sun set slowly. Kristin was not looking at Peter, but she could already tell that he was sobbing silently, his body shaking in a violent manner.

Kristin spoke, breaking the silence. "I thought you were too brave to cry."

Peter turned his head to look at Kristin, and she saw, in the orange light of the sky, that Peter had a smile on his face, but it looked pained. He whispered, looking back into the sky, "Tink would've loved it."

"Have you never seen a sunset before?" Kristin asked.

"Yes," Peter replied, "I have, but I'd never really paid much attention to them until now."

"They are quite beautiful," whispered Kristin while wrapping one arm around Peter. They sat in silence and Kristin thought for a second that she could hear music, but it faded too quickly. That, or it was just a dream.

She fell asleep just then, without that intent, but she was having pleasant dreams. Peter looked over at Kristin, who had her head on his shoulder, and knew at once that she was sleeping, and didn't want to wake her. He saw the smile on her face and knew that she was dreaming of great things: of flying and seeing mermaids and fighting pirates, all things every child dreams of doing.

Kristin felt herself being lifted off the ground by Peter, but she only stirred for a moment before falling back into a deep sleep. Peter cradled Kristin and Kristin's head fell against Peter's chest as she slept. Peter carried Kristin to a vacant bed in the Home Under the Ground, and laid her in it. He tucked a blanket around her and heard her start to sing while she slept, just like Wendy sometimes did.

Kristin sang like a bird. She moved gently in her sleep and sang beautifully all the while. After a minute or two, she rolled onto her back and slowly stopped singing. Peter willed her to continue, but he could tell she was dreaming now, and sleeping lightly.

Peter walked away and crawled into his own bed in a different room of the home, wrapping a tattered blanket around his body. He closed his eyes and he thought he heard the music, too, or Wendy singing to him. Maybe, though, it was just a dream.

•••

Peter walked through the forest with Tinkerbelle by his side. He looked at her and smiled, looking out into the sunset before them. Peter pointed at the sky, filled with brilliant colors, and said, "Isn't it beautiful?"

Tinkerbelle only nodded, but she seemed strangely distant.

"Tink, is something wrong?" Peter asked. Tink nodded again, then flew closer to Peter and perched herself on his shoulder.

"Peter, do you love me?" Tink asked hopefully. Peter blushed, but realized what was happening soon after.

"Tink," he began. "I'm quite flattered, but you know I like Wendy like that."

Tinkerbelle turned red with fury, then began darting around at the speed where all you could see of her was light. Peter grabbed her, and she calmed down almost immediately. They both stopped walking, and Tink flew in front of Peter.

"Peter," she said, in a tone that implied warning. "There is going to be something that comes between us, and between you and Wendy as well. You have to stop it, Peter. You have to kill it."

Then Tink dropped dead, just the way Peter had seen it happen before. It was all too familiar.

•••

Peter woke up screaming, tears streaking his face. The screaming interrupted Kristin's sleep, and she darted to Peter's bedside to comfort him. She arrived at his bed to see him rocking and chanting, as if it were some sort of mantra, "It's just a dream, it's just a dream..."

"Peter?" She whispered. Peter didn't even notice Kristin until she spoke to him.

"Kristin," Peter said, panting. "It was just a nightmare, that's all."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Well, I... it..." he trailed off. "I can't seem to remember!" Deep down inside, though, he did, and he just didn't want to talk about it. Kristin nodded in understanding, and asked if Peter would like her to stay or go. Peter said, "Whichever you please," and Kristin bid him goodnight and walked back to her bed in the other room. Peter laid back down in his bed and closed his eyes, then a million thoughts flooded his mind, but one stood out to him.

That thing in the dream that Tink warned him about?

It was Kristin.