¥ - Lost and Found - Peter Pan (Robbie Kay) - ¥

¥ 8 - Taste of Freedom ¥

For the first time since her arrival in Neverland Aria woke up feeling contented and free. She felt the excitement of the magical land and looked forward to her days ahead. She knew that Pan would be furious at her, that his spies would be all over the island he claimed as his own, but the same island wanted her alive and would protect her.

She woke and went out to gather firewood and food. She asked the island for edible berries and it parted the way for her. When Aria returned from her scavenging there was a row of the berry bushes on the outskirts of her camp. Seeing them she smiled and thanked the island, "I don't know why you like me so much, but thank you anyway. I'm sorry to have to ask for your help all the time," Aria told it.

The food was stored in her rucksack leaving her hands available to carry the firewood. She placed the large stack by the fire and headed up the ladder towards her treehouse. She sat at her table eating the berries from her rucksack before storing the rest elsewhere. The small hut was now her new safety bubble, complete with the family photo she had tacked up against the wood of the walls and pen and paper she left on the small shelf on the wall. She had her phone and charge banks still on another shelf beside the last.

After eating she left her rucksack by her hammock and climbed back down to drink from the spring. She cupped her hands to drink the cool water and lowered herself to reach it. She heard something thud to the floor beside her and jumped up immediately, eyes on the knife on the floor. She turned around, heart racing at nearly dying again. There stood Peter Pan, dagger in hand and an empty holster on his waist which fit the knife on the floor. "Why can't I kill you!" Pan growled at her.

She shrugged her shoulders, "the island wants me alive. How am I supposed to know? I thought it was your island?" She stated, picking up his knife, mentally preparing to use it to defend herself. She couldn't take Pan in a one on one.

"I will kill you Aria. Just when you think you're safe in your hammock or gathering wood for the fire. Just when you think you are safe I will cut you down."

Pan was visibly mad and even though Aria had confidence in the ability of Neverland, the ferocity in his eyes made her paranoid now. She had made the monster angry and it wanted her blood.

"Look, I'm just as confused as you are. I don't know why it likes me either," Aria explained honestly. "If you hadn't treated me like Hell then maybe I would have stayed in camp," she argued.

"You deserved it. Heroes never win, I do."

"How's the shoulder by the way?" She asked smirking.

"A lucky shot, but you're not magic. You're a coward hiding behind it."

Aria wanted to quip back as she snapped in her head, but she held back. Antagonising him more would not help her situation. Telling Pan that it would make two of them would not help de-escalate this at all. Pan walked forwards towards Aria and her heart rate slowly rose, the threat in front of her getting too close for comfort. He raised his knife to her throat but its tip was kept away from her skin. He tried to lunge forwards and Aria closed her eyes and flinched, expecting him to break her invisible shield. She clenched her fists to stop her shaking and pushed back against Pan, stretching both arms outwards and shoving him away from her.

It was obvious Pan was angry, frustrated at his inability to kill her. For once Peter Pan was not winning. "I will find a way to kill you," he snarled, turning and disappearing from sight.

Aria let out a large sigh, glad he was finally gone. She thanked the island again and returned to the spring, hoping to get a drink without being attacked this time. Afterwards, she wondered what she would do with her time. Normally the day would be spent following Pan's orders, doing chores and playing games which were really humiliating challenges. Remembering her lack of knowledge of the island, she decided to walk around her surrounding area, straying not too far in case Pan or the Lost Boys would pounce on her again. Whilst walking she pondered over the idea of markers, symbols she could use to find her way around. She could leave stone stacks, mark the trees, but at the end of the day, she knew she'd make it home anyway. It was just like before, during her induction. She knew she had run further than it took to walk home, but the island must have guided her back via the quicker route without her knowing. Of course, she didn't know, because the island looked the same to her, just trees and jungle.