Second Star to the Right

Chapter Ten: Mermaid Lagoon

"Wendy: What? Are mermaids not sweet?

Peter: They'll sweetly drown you if you get too close."

~"Peter Pan", 2003

Chapter Ten: Mermaid Lagoon

"Felix!" 

Felix heard a voice yell his name. He snapped out of his daydream. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Pan yelled. Felix looked at Pan, who was standing suspiciously close to Wendy. Felix's mind returned to the current situation.

"What?" Felix began, "You don't like your surprise?" 

"You left the island without my permission?" Pan asked, then lifted his eyebrows. "I'm impressed. How did you manage that?" He asked with an amused grin on his face. Felix shrugged. 

"I made a deal with Shadow." 

"Well done, Felix." Pan said, then patted Felix on the shoulder. Pan's expression changed when he was sure that Wendy couldn't see his face. His grip tightened on Felix's shoulder. He leaned in and whispered, "Don't think about doing it again. Understood?" 

Felix rolled his eyes. "You got it Pan." He spat, then shrugged Pan off and walked away. Pan watched Felix walk away for a moment. Something was wrong with Felix. Pan couldn't pin point what is was. 

"Peter?" Wendy's voice suddenly chimed. Pan spun around. He clapped his hands together. 

"Yes. Wendy." He addressed her. "To be honest, I wasn't expecting you today." He said and wandered back over to her. 

"If you would like me to leave," Wendy began.

"No!" Pan interjected. "I mean, no. It's fine. " Pan thought of something to do. He liked showing off to Wendy. Seeing her smile made him feel happy again. He thought about all of the wonders of the island. He had an idea. 

"How would you like to see the mermaid lagoon?" He asked. Wendy stepped back and shook her head. 

"I haven't had such wonderful experiences with mermaids." Wendy uttered. She remembered her first encounter, and wasn't looking forward to a second. Pan laughed.

"It's just because they don't know you." Pan said. "Come on. We'll fly there." Wendy perked up at that. She loved flying. Especially when Peter was by her side. Pan pulled out the pixie dust, sprinkled a small amount on the both of them, and grabbed Wendy's hand. 

They floated off of the ground and above the trees. Wendy looked in wonder at the island below her. The sight of the world from up in the sky never got old. Pan decided to have some fun. He nosedived downward, with Wendy screaming beside him. 

Wendy let go of his hand and fell in terror. Pan dove down and grabbed her by the waist right above the top of a tree. 

"Whoa there, Wendy-Bird." Pan laughed. "Be careful."

"Don't drop me again." Wendy angrily said.

"As I remember it, you were the one that let go." Pan continued to laugh. Wendy looked furious, and he could tell that he upset her. "Hey," he said, "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise." Pan said. Wendy smiled at him. They stayed like that for a moment, just smiling at each other. The awkward silence was disturbed by a bird that stormed out of the tree right next to Wendy. Wendy yelped, then laughed along with Pan.

"Here we go!" Pan yelled, and pulled Wendy back up into the air and through the clouds. Eventually, they approached a small lagoon that seemed to be shielded from the rest of the island. Wendy heard a haunting voice come from the water as Pan lowered them to shore.