The Lost Realm (Once Upon a Time/Peter Pan)

Chapter 21

Seeing his face causes all my emotions to come back. This time in the form of frustration. How could my sisters, my own sisters, think him to be the devil when he's my angel?

The people I loved most in this world were suddenly in opposite corners. I should've known my equilibrium was temporary. Even a place of immortality can't have peace, and I was stupid for believing it could.

"You okay?" Peter asks, concern highlighting his face. He comes closer to me and soon I am wrapped in his arms. Tears begin forming in my eyes, casualties of the war inside my head.

"You were on Hook's ship weren't you? I was so freaking worried." He says, holding me tighter.

"I'm okay," I answer, "but I need to talk to you."

"Okay, but where are your sisters?"

"They are fine, can we just go to the waterfall?" I beg. He nods, taking my hand and starting toward the inland.

We travel in silence until we slip into the same beautiful cave. A sad reminder of what was, and what still could be.

"What happened?" He eagerly asks, worry brushing through his voice.

I tell him all about the mermaids and getting into Hook's ship, then finally about Drew, and all the lies he'd tried to feed to me, and had injected my sisters with.

"That's ridiculous, just because we have an old rivalry doesn't mean- ugh that codfish." He cringes.

I laugh at his adjective, maybe he wasn't so different from the movie after all. As cheesy as it sounds I guess he is my Disney Prince, and in some strange way I'm a Disney Princess.

"I'm so happy it was all lies," I say smiling, "I don't know what to do about my sisters though."

"Don't worry," he replies,"they'll come around."

It was dark by now, the only light being the moon and the deep blue reflection of the gems.

"Do you think we can get them off Hook's ship I mean if I can just talk to them-"

"It'll be okay," he interjects, "like I said they'll come around. Honestly it's best if I, and you, didn't go near Hook."

I sigh and continue to stare at the ceiling, admiring the beauty of the formations, and the serenity held within the stones themselves.

Suddenly I hear commotion erupt through the island. Battle cries roar through the wind, and cannons penetrate the air. My stomach churns.

"What's going on?" I half shout.

Peter's face is full of panic, his eyes focused on the cave entrance and the outlying landscape.

"No," he says, "she can't- we decided- I changed my mind-"

"What do you mean she?" I yell at him. I was beginning to break out into cold sweats. Something, or someone, was here. Peter turns to me, grabbing both my hands.

"Listen Arabella, whatever happens just know what I feel for you is real. Why I met you isn't important. No matter what anyone says I-"

That's when he arrives, spotlighted by the moonlight, bow and arrow in hand, standing directly in front of the cave entrance. The stranger from all those years ago, the mysterious man. Miss Jo's killer.

I freeze as he makes his way toward us. I dare not even to move toward Peter for safety. The man stares us down. Suddenly torches light throughout the whole cave, allowing me to clearly see the man's features.

He is young, about early twenties, with strong masculine features. His face is devilishly handsome, proof he could have been an actor had not he been a crazy killer.

"Well well what have we hear," A women's voice purrs from outside the cave. My body turns to ice. I'd heard that voice before.

Her body slips through the entrance. She looks to be in her mid thirties with dark hair and olive skin. She's dressed in a long, black, ornate dress and is wearing a crown with blood red jewels embellishing it.

"Did Pan find himself a girlfriend? The same girl I hired him to retrieve?" Her laughter echoes though the cave.

My stomach completely gives in, that was the laughter. The laughter from my dreams.

"Hmmm let's just get this over with. Graham, would you please?" The stranger draws his bow, pointed directly at me.

I try to move, but my body is frozen in some invisible force field. This was it, for real this time.

I look at Peter one last time, pain controlling his features.

"I'm sorry, I love you." I mumble to my sisters. They were right, but it's too late for right when you've gone left and can't turn around.

I hear the arrow release, and everything goes black.