PeterPan

Chapter 3

Pan took refuge beneath a tree as rain poured down without mercy. Small droplets dropped down onto his dirtied face as the leaves above him filled with rain. He stared at the ground helplessly waiting for it to stop so he could get a move on towards the mountain. Finally after what seemed like forever, the rain stopped. Pan stood up numbly, he stumbled a bit. His legs had trouble adjusting to the sudden weight after being under a tree for so long.
He walked through the damp forest and continued his adventure towards the mountain.
After several hours and hours of seeing nothing but trees, he finally made it to the base of the mountain. Pan was overjoyed and began climbing the mountain despite the burning pain in his legs. He was just about to reach the top, he swung his arm over the edge and gripped the top when his fingers slipped and his arm fell off the mountain. The only thing keeping him up was his other arm and legs.
His chest rose unevenly as he reached again digging his fingers deep into the earthy ground. Taking a breath, he took the risk and raised his other arm and gripped the mountain. He hoisted his numb, dead-like legs over it and rested staring at the burnt orange sky. He noticed how the nights seemed much longer here than in London.

He sighed deeply his body refusing to move as he lay numb against the ground. His eyelids soon began to grow heavy as sleep overtook him once more.

When Pan finally woke from his slumber, he noticed many things different from when he fell asleep. One his back was stiff and sore from sleeping on rock and another, when he slept the sky was early morning. It must have been hours judging by his stiffness but he wondered why the sky was still dark.

He sat up groaning along the way. He gently rubbed his stiff shoulders and stared incredulously at the sky.

"I couldn't have slept that long, could I?" He thought.

He shook his head. "This place is defiantly strange" he gazed up at the top of the mountain and glanced at his position.

He decided that instead of journeying to the top of the mountain immediately, he should instead scour the area for any resources to use and hopefully find a place to rest for the night.

The rain had seemingly stopped his relentless pounding and calmed to small droplets.

He began walking carefully around the base he was currently situated on, the platform seemed stable enough to the point where it won't be a rock shower when he walked on it. Walking further in towards the mountain Pan found a place with jagged rocks and little space in between. He frowned slightly and glanced back where he came from to see no other way up. Sucking in his stomach, he squeezed through the rocks careful not to go near the sharp ends.

For once he was thankful for the limited food he received over the years. If he were any bigger, he would have been stabbed.

Pan let out a deep breath after squeezing through and spun around to continue. Right he turned, he was greeted by a sharp pointed rock pressing gently on his chest causing him to hold his breath. Staggering slightly back, Pan moved around the edge slowly his eyes never leaving the rock. After he was a safe distance and was no longer in harms way, he was finally able to breath. Though he came across many points of death, Pan thought the thrill of it was exciting. His heart beat faster and the adrenaline coursing through his veins made it a thrilling ride.

The oddly flat rock wall laid on the side of a small platform after the maze of rocks. He looked at it strangely searching for a reasoning to the rocks. A curtain of vines layered the walls as he stood in the middle.

"Something was here...." He thought his eyes searching the indent lying in the stone.

Crouching down, he wiped his fingers across the ground and lifted them to his face.

Light brown dirt coated his fingers. Wiping them on his pants, he stood and surveyed the ground. All the rest was covered in thick mud, courtesy of the rain earlier.

"This means nothing...it's just rocks" His mind said.

"It means something...I know it" he mumbled looking around the small area surrounded by jagged rocks.

It scoffed, "Yeah and my name is The queen."

"Maybe you are, My Queen." he mumbled walking towards the vine covered wall.

That silenced his mind giving him time to think over what could have been here.

He backed away slowly from the vines seeing nothing but annoying pesky plants.

Suddenly, something scratched him across his back causing him to arch in pain.

He groaned and stepped forward a few feet and turning to see what had scratched him.

Right beside the vines were brushy plants with dark thorns.

"What the-" he said closing in carefully to observe it.

He reached back and felt the nasty scratch left behind by it and pulled back when he felt something ooze from the scratch. "Am I...bleeding?"
Checking it, it was indeed what he had thought. Blood.
He growled, frustrated already with his current situation and now he has a wonderful add on of being injured.
Behind him, a familiar voice boomed.
"Nightshade."
He turned to see the entity that had brought him there, his bright eyes searing through him.
"Excuse me?"
"That plant you were scratched by. It's nightshade. The deadliest plant here on this island" the figure said tilted it's head as it neared Pan.
"Why? What does it do to you?" Pan asked curious to this plants power.
The entity let out a bark of laughter and harder it's glare on Pan. "Just one scratch kills you instantly"
And with that said, it flew off and disappeared among the thick forest of trees.
Just one scratch kills you
Those words echoed through Pans head back and forth, emphasizing each word.
Kills you.
"So why aren't I dead?" He asked himself, touching his scratch one more.
"Perhaps he lied" his mind stated.
"Or it takes time to kick in" he mumbled.
"All the time to be even more careful on this deadly island" it sang.
Pan growled at his annoying mind and glared at the plant.
"Now how do I find a cave? He wondered aloud glancing up at the towering mountain.
The ground beneath him rumbled and shook sending Pan to his knees and continued its awakening.
The sound of rocks grinding against rock filled his ears making an ear splitting noise. He covered his ears in pain until the noise subsided and the rumbling stopped. Standing, he glanced around the platform, his eyes stopping at a dark opening in the center of the covered vines.
"That wasn't there before" he thought pushing past the vines and entering the small cave.
In it, was nothing but a musky smell and damp earth. The sky had already begun to darken meaning this was the place Pan would have to crash in until he finds another place better suited for his needs.
He rested his head against the rock and stared forward at the dark rock, counting how many times the drips of water drops down to the floor. He did this until his eyes finally felt heavy and he drifted off into sleep.
With the constant nagging thought of the fact he may not wake up again.