The Monster Under My Bed • Peter Pan, Once Upon A Time •

Chapter 9

Slowly, I opened my eyes. Those two words still fresh in my brain.

"Goodbye Peter,"

My head was still a little dizzy from the dream I just had.

Wait, was it a dream?

I lifted my head only to be met by a pair of green eyes.

"Do you remember me now Adelaide?" He asked me. I stared at him with wide eyes, my brain fumbling around to find the best way to answer that.

So it wasn't a dream, it was a memory.

Before I spoke, I took in a deep breath.

"For all I know, you could have made that whole thing up and put it in my head,"

He sighed, staring at me with something in his eyes, that I couldn't quite grasp.

For a moment, everything went white, but it was like a camera flash. It was suddenly there, and then it was gone.

Now, I was on a double bed, on top of the blankets. I glanced around and noticed that there were white curtains almost everywhere, obviously in front of windows.

A small table with a white table cloth held a stack of bowls and a pitcher, probably of water, on its surface. I saw a dark brown panel screen to my right, and to my left looked like a giant cushion or a very low couch. I couldn't quite tell. The walls looked like they were made of wood, but not sleek panelling. More like it was a literal tree.

When I looked straight up ahead, Pan was kneeling down at something. He slowly stood up and turned to me, holding something.

He sat down on the bed and leaned forwards, playing with whatever was in his hands.

"Adelaide you think I would lie to you about something like this?" He whispered hoarsly, not even looking at me.

I looked at him with an 'are you kidding me?' Face, but then realized he was being serious when he turned to look me in the eyes with a saddened expression on his face.

"You told me earlier you were going to lie to me, how do I know you aren't now?" I asked.

"Was any of that unfamiliar to you?" He raised his eyebrow. Oh that devilish little eyebrow.

Now that I think about it, everything that happened did seem like déjà vu. Corey was my brother, but that's not how I remember him disappearing. Corey died in a car crash with his friends.

At least that's what my parents told me.

I did have a teddy bear named Willow, but she disappeared when I was five. I always thought I lost her at daycare-or my mom donated her without telling me.

"Adelaide," he said softly. I was looking down at my fingers at this point, so I slowly lifted my gaze to meet his.

His face was full of so many emotions. Annoyance was hidden, covered by everything else. He had a gentle feeling to the way he spoke, the way he moved.

In his eyes hid a slight trace of worry.

Worry? Is he worried he'll mess this up?

I looked at his hands as he slowly revealed what was in them as he sat up and turned to face me more.

Immediately I gasped.

Willow.

He continued to stare at me as he slowly handed me the beat up teddy bear.