Second Star to the Right

Chapter Seventeen: The Caged Wendy-Bird

"Never is an awfully long time."

~Wendy Darling, "Peter Pan", 2003

Chapter Seventeen: The Caged Wendy-Bird

Wendy wasn't sure how long she had been stuck in her cage. Time passed by much differently in Neverland. It could have been hours, days, weeks, or even years since she had left London and returned to Neverland. She wondered what had happened to Baelfire. She hadn't  even thought of Pan, until she heard someone walking beneath her. 

"Apple?" A voice said next to her cage. She turned and saw Pan sitting on a nearby branch, holding out an apple. Wendy's heart leaped, he stomach churned, and her head told her to back away as far as she could. She was experiencing the worst kind of inner battle.

"I-I-" Wendy tried to speak. "I don't like apples." Was what came out. Pan raised his eyebrow and smirked. 

"Who doesn't like apples?" Pan said, then took a large bite out of it. He looked at Wendy like he knew something she didn't, and she hated it. Wendy mustered up as much confidence as she could. She didn't know how much longer she would be cooped up in there, so she wouldn't let Pan think she was weak.

"Why are you here, Pan?" She asked, and it came out in a voice full of strength that she did not know she was capable of. Neither did Pan.

"You've got fire. I like fire." Pan said. Wendy didn't say anything back, and Pan rolled his eyes. "Well, since you asked so kindly I guess I'll tell you. Your little brothers dedicated years of their lives to finding you, and it looks like they have." Wendy sat up as straight as she could in her small cage. She grabbed on to the bars. 

"They're here?" She asked excitedly. Pan laughed.

"Not exactly. You see, they found Neverland and unluckily for them, they ran into me first. Now, they do my every bidding to keep you alive. Like little minions. Isn't it great?" Pan laughed again. 

"You monster." Wendy glared. 

"It's the game, Wendy-bird." Pan replied. Wendy stopped glaring and looked shocked. 

"What did you call me?" She asked. Pan had called her a name that he had used in a kind way, when she thought he loved her. Pan looked shocked for a moment, then a Lost Boy called for him. 

"Gotta go, Wendy Darling. Have fun playing convict." He said, then floated back down to the ground.

*********

Wendy awoke from her sleep by someone shaking her cage. She rubbed her eyes, and saw a plate filled with food beside her. 

"Have to keep the bait fed and alive. The boys won't want you back if you are dead. They won't work for me either so eat up." Pan said. Wendy looked at her plate. There was one banana and two cookies of some sort. 

"What, no apples?" She asked. 

"You said you didn't like them." Pan replied. Wendy stared at her plate. "Well if you're not going to eat it then I will." Pan said, and a cookie disappeared from her plate and reappeared in his hand. 

"You haven't fed me before." Wendy said, suspicious of his intentions. 

"Time passes differently in Neverland blah, blah, blah. Magic nonsense. Still, you must be hungry." Pan said. Wendy didn't say anything back. "Well, I better go." Pan flew down, but Wendy continued staring at the banana. 

"Oh! Almost forgot." Pan said, suddenly at the side of the cage. "I stole that cookie from Slight so you might want to hurry up and eat that before he literally kills you. Again, you're no good to me dead." Pan left again, and after a while, Wendy stuffed the cookie in her mouth and reluctantly ate the food on her plate.