VOLATILE (I) : peter pan ouat

When a Test of Skills Happened

10 more days. After today, I only have to be here for 10 more days. I almost don't want to go; I can't imagine living back at my house. However, I can't imagine surviving here either. I can't live forever without being discovered. It's impossible.

I grin, quickly getting out of bed. Marcus is the only one who is still sleeping in my tent. I haven't seen that boy in a while, I almost managed to forget he existed. He could even still be acting as Keaton's lackey for all I know.

Grabbing a bunch of grapes off the table, as well as a few other things that are still left, I turn to head to the beach. I haven't been there in a while, and though I still worry about the mermaids, I've missed the water. It's like looking out into hope. One day I won't be here anymore. One day soon.

I walk for about half an hour, until I reach the shores. Devin is not here yet; perhaps since I left him he has found a more efficient method to cleaning than karting down the clothing. It takes longer to move the fabrics than it does to actually clean them.

Lying down on the beach, my hands find their way into the warm sand. It's more dirt than sand, and the rough texture is probably doing my clothing more harm than good, but it's calming. I stare up at the sky and notice a bird fly overhead. A flash of black, dark as the night, fly by.

It could be ten minutes, or an hour that I lie on the ground. It feels like an eternity, and one that is peaceful. That is, until I hear rustling through the trees. I scramble off the ground, moving into the trees, so that I can watch the path and the beach at the same time. Waiting.

Alex and Harry walk out to the beach, sitting down. Now I feel stupid. Why is it that whenever I hear a sound I assume the worst? Going from reckless to cautious may be safer, but it's awfully more annoying. I miss the days of attacking tigers, and starting fights.

It hasn't been the same since the hunt.

I walk over to them.

"Put that thing down," Alex mutters, "you look like an idiot."

Oh bite me.

I lower my arm, noticing my dagger. I don't even remember drawing it out to begin with. "Sorry, old habit."

"Heard you're on call." Harry says, patting the sand next to him, grinning. "Indians are causing quite a bit of trouble aren't they?"

That's not why I'm on call though. As much as the Indians are a pain, I'm on call because of the bet. Did I tell them about that? Should I?

"What's the deal with the Natives anyway?" I ask.

I decide not to. It's not like I love keeping secrets or anything, but there are things I'd rather not put out in the world. Alex might sabotage the bet just to spite me. Then again, he might just help me win so he can be rid of my face.

Alex shrugs. "All the questions. You never give up do you?"

"If I don't get answers, I could die." I furrow my brow, frustrated. "They attacked me during the Game, no shit I have questions."

He rolls his eyes. Typical. "Way back in the day, our biggest threats were the mermaids, the pirates, and the Indians. The mermaids agreed to a settlement, who knows what Pan did to win them over. The pirates are long gone, but they traded free passage off of here for basically obeying every command that came out of Pan's mouth. More like servants than pirates honestly. The Indians didn't come as easy. In fact, they didn't really come at all."

"How'd he make them take a deal?" I ask.

"Threat of violence." Alex says. "The Indians aren't afraid to fight us boys, but they are afraid of Pan. Then some idiot during the Game killed one of the Indian kids-"