The Games - A PP OUAT Fanfiction

Twenty-One.

Dreams.

Nightmares.

Memories that weren't mine.

All of those things played in my mind while I slumbered.

All of those things haunted me when I woke.

I woke with a start and sat straight up, earning a pounding migraine. My hand instantly went to my forehead and I flinched.

"Hey, don't sit up yet," a female voice chided. "You don't have the strength to."

Wait, is that-

"M-Mikah?" I asked, my eyes squinted. I couldn't make out the shape of the person in front of me, but I could tell it was female.

A chuckle. "Yes, now drink this." She handed me a wooden cup and I drank it without question. She handed me another and I drank that one, too.

I groaned when I had to lay back down. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours," she said, bored. "I was wondering when you would wake up. Edith was here, but I sent her to bed because she had been here since Pan brought you."

"Pan?" I couldn't stop my voice from shaking a bit.

She sounded confused. "Yes. He's been looking for you the whole time."

"'The whole time'?" I repeated. I turned to look at her, her silhouette finally taking shape in from of me. "H-How long have I been gone?"

She squinted. She was still confused. "Five days."

My breath caught. "What're you t-talking about?"

"Just when you were beginning to mend you... disappeared. Not in your bed, not in anyone else's tent, Pan couldn't find you - You were just gone."

I tried to remember being gone for five days. I couldn't. "I don't remember being gone for five days," I mumbled, and then got a splitting headache. My hand went to my forehead again and I flinched.

"You need to rest," Mikah said gently. "You shouldn't think too hard. It was probably nothing. Just go back to sleep, yeah?"

I nodded and closed my eyes, instantly slipping from reality.

****

Pan came in a few moments after Kasey had fallen asleep. He told Mikah to go to her tent and sleep. He was going to stay with Kasey that night. She was reluctant to leave, but did as she was told.

Pan watched her sleep. Before his home was destroyed, he would watch her to calm himself down. Seeing her peaceful face helped him take his mind off of things for a while.

Suddenly her face contorted. Her expression turned to one of fear as she gripped the sheets. She tossed a bit and whimpered, and then she was awake and out of breath.

"Nightmare?" he asked quietly. She jumped and turned to look at him, still panting. She nodded slowly and settled back down.

"It's probably nothing," she whispered as she calmed her breathing and closed her eyes again.

She was up again in ten minutes. "Here," he said gently, and crawled under the furs next to her. He knew she wasn't comfortable with being so close to him, but he paid no attention to it and wrapped his arms around her waist, snuggling into her. She waited a second before relenting and wrapping her arms around his neck. It was silent for a moment. "I missed you," he whispered into her skin. "So much."

"I know," she whispered back, her voice pained. "I don't remember being gone for five days. I remember waking up on the beach and then Sanchez was taking me to the cave. Then...."

"What?" he asked gently.

"And then you were there. That's all."

He tightened his grip around her. "And now I'll never let you go."

He felt her smile a small smile and soon she was asleep in his arms. He kissed her skin gently before falling asleep as well.

****

No nightmares. No cryptic dreams without meaning. Not darkness. Just nothing. I didn't dream of anything while Pan was holding me. When I woke up, the sun had just come up, and Pan was staring at me. It made me blush slightly.

"Good morning," he chirped in a rough voice. "How are you feeling?"

I covered my mouth and yawned. "Never better."

"I'm sorry if I startled you," he said, closing his eyes. "You're so beautiful when you sleep."

I blushed again, this time much deeper. He luckily didn't notice as he pulled me into him and sighed in happily. I wished we could have stayed there for a while, but unfortunately, I could hear everyone outside my tent about to come in. I glanced over Pan just as it came open and Edith and Mikah stepped in. I let my head plop down onto the pillow as I noticed Mikah carrying a tray of food.

I sighed and Pan opened his eyes. "Yeah, you should eat." He climbed out of my bed, trying not to throw the furs off me, and then left in a slight hurry. Mikah and Edith glanced at each other and started giggling wildly.

I blushed and sat up. "What? What's so funny?"

Edith rushed over and jumped onto my bed, startling me. Mikah followed, set the tray on the small chair by my bed, and then did the same.

"So..." Edith started. "What were you and Pan doing?"

I blushed wildly and scoffed. "We weren't doing anything," I said casually.

Mikah laughed. "Sure. I know what you two were doing - Naughty, Kasey. Very naughty."

I gasped and covered my face with the furs. "We were not!"

They just giggled again and I shoved the furs off my face. Mikah got the tray off the chair and set it on the bed next to me. "Eat," she commanded, getting off the bed. I grumbled but did as I was told. There was venison, pork, and a bunch of fruit. Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and grapes. I ate some meat and then all of the fruit, washing it down with the cool water.

"Now stay," Edith commanded, taking the tray. "I'll be back in an hour to switch with Mikah."

I grumbled again and lay down again. Mikah sat in the chair beside my bed and started fiddling with her knife.

When I was about to drift off I heard Mikah's voice. "Kasey?"

My eyes slid back open and I hummed.

"Did you... hear everything I said? When I talked about... my dad?"

I thought back. "Yes. And I'm... sorry."

She smirked a smirk without humor and shrugged it off. "There's nothing you could have done. Besides, it's the past. You can't change it."

"I know, I just...." I wanted so badly to tell her what I saw. I wanted her to know that it was because of me that she would never have to go back to that again. But the words wouldn't come out.

"What?"

And then suddenly I was hugging her. My arms were around her neck and I was trying not to squeeze too hard. She was taken aback, I could tell, but after a moment she returned the gesture. After another minute or two she patted my shoulder and released me. I did the same and she smiled, tears in her eyes. "Now lay down," she commanded. I nodded and did so.

As soon as I lost consciousness I was swallowed in darkness. Darkness, pain, and fear.