Lost Girl || Complete

Chapter 1: Pan

    Muffled shouts were all I could make out from the darkness. I had no idea where we were - let alone where we were going - and was completely helpless at the mercy of my captors.

    But what I did know:

    We were in the jungle. Deep in the jungle. I'd been captured on the beach. They were shoving me along in what felt like all sorts of directions, one moment trodding a dirt path, the next being slapped in the face by overgrowth. We were moving fast... towards something, not away from it.

    We went on for what seemed like hours - though I figure it was only about thirty minutes - progressing deeper in. I wasn't a girl who was easily afraid, but I admit, I was a bit rattled up to say the least. The yelps and laughs from outside the blindfold didn't help much.

    Finally we stopped. I could hear them moving around, speaking in hushed whispers to each other.

    "Where are you taking me?!" I piped up frantically.

    "Well, well," a gruff but surprisingly young voice replied, "she's awake. Hey, take a look boys, the prisoner's coming to."

    Silence fell, and I could no longer tell how far away they all were. I instantly stiffened. Suddenly, my blindfold was ripped off, and all I could make out was blinding sunlight. After just a second or two of squinting, I could finally distinguish the face in front of me; a grinning, tall, dirty-blonde boy, surely no older than 19. His attire matched his gruff voice.

    "This is good," he said stepping closer. "Pan's ready to see you anyway."

    All the boys busted into a laugh and a holler and instantly made me afraid of the name. They proceeded louder and more energetic than ever before, with me in the center of this primitive band.

    For the first time, however, I could look at who I was with. And to my surprise... they were all young boys, varying in height, build, and color, but none older than probably 20. The youngest must've been 11.

    What on earth is this place? I wondered.

    I soon had other things to focus on though. At some point, not five minutes away, the overgrown jungle broke away into a sort of man-cleared opening. And what we came upon took my breath away. Wooden huts, from the ground to some even built in the trees, swinging bridges, torches, smoke from meals cooking, and dozens of men, all young teenagers, walking here, training with sticks for weapons there, all in the middle of this dense forest. Had they made this civilization themselves? There was no way...

    I didn't have long to think about it though.

    We were still moving, now through the dead center of this village, and I had a feeling that we were getting close. To what exactly, I had no idea, at least until the gruff boy called us to a halt at the foot of a specific hut. Multicolored cloth hung around in shreds from the ceiling and framing the door - their version of "decoration," I suppose. This place must be important.

    One boy came out and greeted our leader with a cunning smile. "Pan's ready to see you," he said, stepping aside.

    Cold chills went shuddering down my spine.

    The band leader made a motion with his hand, and two boys grabbed me by the arms and lead me forward. We followed him into the den, the rest of them trailing behind. We brushed past some cloth that didn't quite divide the room but just managed to shield my view. I thought I caught the silhouette of someone standing...

    Someone shoved me from behind, and I stepped forward, aggravated. Our leader's voice, however, quickly towered over any distraction in the room.

    "I present to you, King of the Lost Boys."

    The silhouette at the front turned around and faced us. His stare nearly set off my cold chills anew. He had dark brown eyes that pierced through you, slightly lighter brown hair, and was dressed in the same "primitive" style that the other boys wore - greens and browns, flattering but in touch with the wilderness. His stance told of his authority before he ever had to, and every formerly-wild band member in the room stood a little straighter as he gazed over us all.

    "The stowaway, as promised."

    The boy took one step down, then another, his sinister smile growing from a hint up to a corner. "Well done, Felix, as always." His voice wasn't gruff like the others'; authoritative and certain, even reflective of a British accent, but not deep. Facing me again, he stepped closer. "I see you've met my captain."

    Something about his tone of voice mocked me. I replied in a harsh, irritated voice, "Yes, and I can't say I like him any better than I like you so far."

    "Ooohhh!" Boys gasped and laughed all around, and I even got quite the reaction from their leader who raised his eyebrows and stepped back dramatically. "Oh! Boys, we've got a feisty one here." They whooped and hollered. "Of course," he said again to me, "perhaps you'll like me better after I've introduced myself. Where are my manners?" Waving his arms flamboyantly, he stood upright. "The name's Pan. Peter Pan."

    He'd been sarcastic before, but something about the way he said his name told me it was more of a threat than a joke.

    "Why... why did you bring me here?"

    "Why, don't you remember?" he implored.

    I just stared at him, confused.

    He cocked an eyebrow. "You don't remember." That grin crept up on his face again, like he once again held all the cards. Raising his voice to where everyone could hear, he exclaimed, "Our stowaway has landed on the island and can't remember why."

    "I didn't mean to land on your stupid little island! It's not a matter of 'why,' it's 'how.' Please, just let me go!"

    "Oh, sweet girl," he said mockingly, kneeling in front of me, "... You're on Neverland now. And there's no escaping Neverland."

    The boys started shouting and cheering his name, "Pan! Pan!" as he walked back to the front with a devilish smirk, leaving me speechless, drowning in the noise.

    Neverland.

    This isn't happening, I thought, panicking. There's no way.

    But then there was Peter Pan standing right in front of me.

~~~

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