Angel (Peter Pan Fanfic)

Am I Losing My Mind?

*** Lyla frightfully opened her eyes. She panted loudly as she looked around her. Nothing abnormal, just her usual dark room. Lyla sighed. She placed her head between her knees, calming herself down.

"It's just another bad dream..." she comforted herself. She hurriedly exited her bed and then treehouse. She headed for the Cliff like she always does after a nightmare. As she crossed through camp. She heard it. That insane giggling. She could never forget that discomforting laugh. It rang through her ears whenever she remembered her dead mother. It sent chills shooting up her spine.

Lyla flipped around to face him. The Dark One. She froze instantly as her eyes met the snake's. 'No...its not possible...he can't be here...'

Lyla stood still as a statue as Rumplestilskin skipped toward her. "Lyla, Lyla, Lyla. You broke our little deal. Did you know that? Silly girl... you should know better," he let out a cackle at her terrified expression. He dragged a scaly talon across her cheek, leaving a bloody scratch. It stung.

"Oh Lyla. You of all people should know what happens to those who break deals with me. You remember what I did to your mother don't you?" he taunted her viscously.

Lyla's eyes began to leak salty liquid at the reminder of her mother. At the reminder of what this crocodile did to her. She was so young, only 7. Such a young age to be abandoned and scarred for life. Rumplestilskin knew just how to hit her where it hurts.

"Oh dearie. Why are you crying? It's not like mummy ever loved you." He began skipping in a circle around her. " Did you know, when Miranda found out she was pregnant with you, she actually threw herself down a few flights of stairs? She figured it would be enough to kill you, but not herself. How unfortunate that she failed."

Lyla felt white hot rage flood her systems. She gnashed her teeth at the chipper beast. "Shut up! You don't know a damn thing! My mother loved me!" Lyla  screamed indignantly.

Her extreme reaction only seemed to add to the Dark One's glee. "Isn't that just so...ironic?Even before you were born you were unwanted. Unloved. And now look at you. You're not even wanted among this lot: Pan and his Lost Boys. If you don't belong with the fellow unloved, could you ever belong anywhere?"

Lyla's chest ached at the truth of the words. Each statement was like a knife in the chest. She'd never belong anywhere. "Just...just... stop. Just kill me already. That's why you're here," she pleaded with the Crocodile.

"Oh Lyla, you remember the torture I put your mother through don't you? You really think I'm going to make this quick and painless? Oh no. By the time I'm done, you're going to be ready to kill yourself," he promised her. ***

Lyla gasped awake as she was jostled by her shoulder. She lashed out instinctively but her punch was caught.

"Whoahhhh! Easy there tiger," a certain dirty blonde teased her," with your strength, you could've knocked me out," Aaron teased, full well knowing how pathetic Lyla's punches were.

Lyla shakily covered her head with her hands, still stuck in her dream and scared. She felt wetness against her palm. To her horror, when she pulled away it was slick with her blood. The sight sent her into a panic.

Aaron sat down on her bed and turned her cheek toward him with a finger on her chin. He rubbed her back gently as Lyla breathed heavily and closed her eyes again. "Hey it's okay Princess. What'd you do? Scratch yourself in your sleep?" He asked her in concern. His muddy green eyes looked her over with worry.

Lyla stood suddenly and rushed out of her treehouse, leaving a stunned Aaron behind. She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know where she was going as she walked off into the forest. She touched the bloody scratch on her cheek again. Am I losing my mind...?