Monster

Chapter 5 - stories

Liliana huffed and puffed as she battled her way though the trees and thick fog. How long has she been walking? It felt like hours but she wasn't sure if it was even that. Sweat crept down her face. She heard the rustling of leaves behind her, she hardly panicked though, she had heard it time and time again. Panicking for no reason was useless. Still she kept an arrow on her bow at all times, just in case.

Skull Island, was what she kept whispering to herself. Was that definitely what the captain had said? His voice seemed so distant now and his memory was faded. She had to be near it now and there was no where else to try. All those people counting on her, stopped her wanting to rest, though she felt a huge pressure weighing her down, it made her drag herself further, no matter the pain she felt.

Her throat was so dry it felt like sand paper. Perhaps it was time to have a sip from her canteen, she wanted to ration it but she was no use to the prisoners dead.
'Just one sip.'
She kept whispering to herself as she took a gulp from the canteen. It was soothing, so crisp, so perfect. Another gulp, three more. She couldn't stop, but she needed to, quickly she pulled it away from her dry lips.

The canteen was now half full. She put it back in her bag carefully. It wasn't even sundown and she had drunk a quarter of her water supply.
'Idiot! Weakling! Ugh!'
She couldn't stop muttering to herself.

Her eyes were beginning to stick together, she was tired. So tired. Her mind began to drift off.
'No!'
'Yes!'
'No!'
Darkness. She fell asleep, leant against a large tree.

_________

"So then, she came to visit you. Is that right?" Pan asked, very close to Wendy.
He was so close that she could feel his breath against her satin skin. She could smell his aroma, wet grass and firewood.
"No she didn't come visit us." Wendy lied, the ability to lie had always come surprising easy to her. It was much like story telling, you just needed a plot, a theme and an imagination.
"Wendy, there is no use lying to me. I know about everything that happens on this island." He pushed his knife to her neck.
She closed her eyes and imagined herself to be back at home, this was all a story and she was the hero of the tale. What would her hero say? They would be sassy, they wouldn't fear anything. They would need to help his sister to therefor save everyone else.
"If you know everything that's going on, on this island, then how come you don't know where your sister is?" She opened her eyes again, the fear came rushing back. His face showed anger.
Wendy couldn't afford to be afraid, her hero was not going to die. That wasn't how she planned the story.

"Very funny Wendy, very funny. But this isn't one of your little stories, this is my game and just because I've lost a piece doesn't mean I'm not winning." How did he know what she was thinking? It didn't matter. Wendy thought of what her character would say next.
"Okay so this is a game of chess. I am the Queen, you are the King..." Her eyes were closed once again but she had a plan, a bad one at that but her hero never lost. "The game can be one without the King but not without the Queen."
She punched him in face and ran for her life. As if in slow motion she noticed him step back and grab his bleeding nose. Her shouted out but then started to laugh. It was terrifying, blood pouring down into his mouth as he cackled. This story was at the beginning were hope seemed lost. But she had seen stories play out so many times, she knew how this worked. Just as things got to their worst peak hope gets seen again.

Running, two lost boys grabbed her and pulled her to her knees. Pan wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve and stood in front of Wendy, who was breathless. She hoped that if she kept looking to the ground and didn't look at him that she'd feel nothing.
"You don't look like you are capable of such a hit." He smirked, then he knelt in front of Wendy. "Here's how this is going to work. For everyday that you don't do as I tell you, you spend the night in the cage and one crew member dies. And if we run out of crew members then we get to your brothers. Do you understand?"
Wendy gulped down hard and then looked up into Pans eyes. She bit down hard on the inside of her left cheek. Pan placed his hand on her face. Her arms were held behind her so she couldn't bat him away, she only shook herself.
"Do we have a deal?" He asked.
Wendy knew she had no other choice so she nodded her head.

"So where is she headed? Is she trying to escape?" He shouted.
"No, no she is headed... She was going to talk to the shadow, to try and bargain her way out." Wendy lied again.
Pan nodded and looked to the lost boys.
"We must go to the pixie dust tree he should be there, if not he'll be at skull island." He then shouted to the lost boys nearby. "And if she is lying, then bring me a crew member to kill."
The lost boys nodded and headed for the pixie trust tree. This should bargain Liliana more time, hopefully enough for her to get the key.

"Why don't you just kill me? Why am I so valuable?" She asked Pan, once they were both alone again.
Pan stared at her in silence for a few moments before opening his mouth to respond. "You will become useful to me. The shadow told me, he sees the future and he knows. He won't tell me in what way you will become valuable but he told me to keep you alive."
"Valuable?" Wendy asked. "I don't know if I can take that in a good way."
"Be thankful it's keeping you alive." Pan said, coldly.
Wendy felt as though she had been drenched in ice cold water.
"So if he hadn't of told you this prophecy you would have just killed me? Without a thought?"
"Well I did hope that you could keep Liliana company." He admitted.
"When I first came you said that you'd had your eye on me for a long time? Is this why?"
"I suppose that it is." Pan said.

He couldn't seem to move, he was transfixed by this girl, her wild hair, her pale skin, her emerald green eyes that added to the wild forest look and her bravery. The way she spoke back to him and questioned him. He certainly wasn't used to it. It was clear to see that she was a Lost Girl, perhaps that was her use. She could perhaps become the new Felix, a trustworthy and loyal Lost Girl. Or maybe something more. She certainly looked capable of God like things. Something else struck him, though she wasn't tied down by anything, he felt some kind of trust towards her. Was this her trick? Maybe she was like a siren, there to grab his affection and then take his power. That could be her destiny, maybe the shadow wanted a new rule! It couldn't be! But it could.

"Are you alright Peter?" She looked at him with what seemed to be worry in her eyes, but could it be?
She was the person he'd known to call her Peter and it made him feel so human, so normal. No it wasn't real! It was an illusion! Who could ever feel concern or care for him? She was too good to be true so certainly she was.
"Fine! I'm absolutely fine." He snapped. "You should go back to your cage."
Wendy's reaction almost broke him, her cheeks and nose began to go roses as though she would cry. It was such a contrast to the paleness to her usual satin skin. But he didn't break, he kept his back up straight. He stayed strong.
"You said, that if I gave you information that I could stay out of the cage and be a Lost Girl." She said, quietly.
"Well I lied."

How could he? She trusted him. It was her that was stupid, why did she always have to be so gullible?
"I refuse to believe that you are this evil Peter. I like to imagine that you play fair." She said, refusing to move.
"Well I don't do I? Why should you change that? Just because you a beautiful and..."
Did he just admit that she was beautiful? How did she make him so weak. It angered him more, yet no matter how much he knew it was a trick (or thought he knew) something about her made her seem as though she wasn't lying. He had to seek the advice of the shadow, he'd know if she was a Siren. And he couldn't lie, so with the right question Pan could get the right answer.