The Bounty Hunter

Chapter 2: You Must Be Peter Pan

     A flash of light and there it was, Neverland, in all its glory. The water shimmered with the sun's rays, that shone down upon it. I looked out towards the island, and a sense of adventure overcame me. I understood why so many boys were so easily drawn to this place. I, too, was drawn towards the island. The urge surprised me; this island was made for boys, so I could not understand why it affected me.  Looking back over my shoulder, I shouted, "You can leave it to me now, boys." Then, looking back at the crystal-like sea, I smiled to myself saying, "I can handle it from here."
     I climbed up onto the side of the ship and dove into the water, that had been summoning me from the moment I saw it. I heard the crisp water splash against the ship above me. I open my eyes, so that I could see the oceanic flora and fauna that encircled me. The salty water stung my eyes but only for a moment. I swam back up to the surface of the water and began to tread the water.
"You can swim?" A member of the crew asked in astonishment.
I rolled my eyes. Why does that surprise everyone? I wondered to myself. "Yes, I can swim," I answered in an exasperated tone. "It's not that hard and almost every one can."
A new member of the crew with shining eyes spoke up, " Girls ain't supposed to be able to swim real good."
Still treading the water, I looked up at him and shouted, "No, girls aren't supposed to be able to swim well." I turned and without another word swam towards Neverland. The rippling waves sounded around me and crashed against the white sanded shores. The ship of my travels sailed away leaving me to fend for myself against Neverland in peace. Eventually, I reached the shore of the island. The island, which was covered in an evergreen forest, greeted me with a warm sun and gentle breeze. The warm sand heated my now bare feet but not so much as to burn them. I felt an inclination to lay on the beach, but I realized that the last thing I wanted was sand stuck to my wet clothes. I, instead of lying down, looked to the sky to find the time. Because most realms tell time differently, I had learned to tell time by reading the sun and stars. I figured it must have been around two in the afternoon. That meant, I had at least three hours of daylight to get working.
I began to walk slowly and peacefully along the white beaches; I was looking for stone or sharp lost things to defend myself. Stones of many sizes, shapes, and colors littered the shore, but one odd stone in particular stood out to me among the others. It was shaped like a crescent moon and was colored with a deep purple a mixture of lighter purples and whites swirled in intricate patterns and decorated the moon. I took the stone for myself and decided that my search was over. It felt warm in my hands and almost seemed to vibrate softly in the hands. I assured myself that I imagined it and that the stones unusual warmth was due to the sun. Still, I wondered in the back of my mind if it had chosen me as well. I tucked the stone carefully into the waist of my pants, because I was afraid the sharp edge may cut me. Strangely, despite all that happened as I walked and adventured along the sandy shores it never seemed to come close. Of course, I dismissed this as well. I needed the stone for a weapon instead of my magic. My abilities needed to be a surprise for the boy in green.
I found a clear path into the woods and decided I would set my camp up in front of it. I would need a fire to keep myself warm as I slept and too cook anything I found to eat. I pulled out my stone and a map of Neverland an ex-lost boy had given me. His name had been Baelfire, but he had changed it to Neal after leaving. He warned me not to come and told me many stories about the horror of Peter Pan. Finally, he realized that I was going despite his many warnings and gave me this map. The evergreen wood was labeled by Neal as the dark forest and I thought to myself sarcastically Wonderful, a dark forest. Then, remembering my past struggles in dangerous realms I reasoned with myself. It cannot be anything I won't be able to handle. And so, with confidence I strode into the forest with no fear daunting me. I tucked the map away and clutched my stone which would now be tested as a knife for the first time.
A few yards away I heard a rustle in the trees. Pan probably knows I'm here and has sent the lost boys to find me. I turned as quietly as possible to face the noise that had silences itself. The sunlight shone through the trees onto the paths around me. Looking down at my weapon, I realized the stone seemed to be illuminated as well. It emitted a soft glow that I knew would soon come in handy.
If the lost boys had come to kidnap me, it would be best if they thought me to be weak, so they would not attack full force. I threw the stone like a knife towards a rabbit that moved away from my attempted hunt. I purposefully miss the rabbit, but not by much. I wanted whoever was near me to see that while my skills may not appear to be perfect I had an idea of what I was doing. I walked over and pulled my stone out of the wet ground. A twig snapped behind me and I snapped up and threw my knife directly at the intruder. I gazed at the boy who leaned against the tree holding my stone. He bleed a little onto the sharp edge of the stone, but looked only at me with an amused look dancing across his face. He raised and eyebrow at me as me smirked.
"You must be Peter Pan," I said knowingly.

Dedicated to vintagecaniff who loves the beach