Between Sleep And Wake

Tinkerbell

It was a lie.

The fairies did not fall ill and perish; Peter had been responsible for their demise.

Wendy, however, wouldn't understand his reasoning, which through his eyes were perfectly sound. If he hadn't done what he did, she could escape like she did the first time. Dorothy could have  fled as well. Peter had to find a way to ensure that would not happen. Dorothy was a bit dim, but she was good company. Much more pleasant to be around than Alice had been.

It was simple. Just verbalizing that there was no such thing as fairies, and their bodies would stiffen; their glowing skin turned pallid blue. Their eyes lost all traces of life and colour.

Only one remained alive.

Every time he greeted her in her little cage she flapped her wings fast, as she was doing now. Sprinkles of glitter as luminous as her platinum hair fluttered all around her.

After he'd walked Wendy back to his hut, he retied her to the wooden chair. This time he made it clear to Dorothy not to release Wendy under any circumstance unless he instructed her to do so directly. Wendy did not say a word throughout this exchange and her countenance was impossible to discern. He felt terrible for putting her into this situation; alas, he had no other options.

"You can't keep me in here!" she yelled, her voice loud in contrast to her tiny body. Those massive blue eyes of hers shone in resentment.

Peter found it highly amusing seeing her this outraged. What could she possibly do? That one small sentence spoken from his lips and she would be killed, her kind reaching full extinction in Neverland. She had no power against him whatsoever.

"Oh, can't I?" he asked, a satisfied smirk on his freckled face.

"I can't believe I was once fond of you. You're nothing but an ass!"

This was true. Years ago, she had been fond of him. Loved him. Her admiration once so formidable that she envied anyone else who ever had his temporary attention. She never liked the Lost Boys. In fact, she used to warn Peter, "They aren't true friends! I am your friend!"

That affection faded when Peter killed one of the Lost Boys, telling Tinkerbell that the boy had overstayed his welcome in the hut and despite being advised to leave, refused to abide by Peter's request, pleading and crying that he could not hunt or build shelter for himself.

"I thought we were friends," he cried. "Where will I go?"

"That's not my concern," Peter said to him.

"But you are the one who brought me here!"

"And now I am bored of you." Peter found over time that the boy was useless to him. Seldom did he leave the hut, and he ate much more than his rightful portion of food. Peter was tired of being called a friend, then being taken advantage of! Was he seen as a fool? He was no fool.

Tinkerbell did not see this as a valid excuse to strike an arrow through the chest, and she had hated him since.

During her final effort to escape the hut, Alice had wanted to take the spitfire of a fairy with her. Fortunately, she hadn't been successful. As punishment, Tinkerbell was stuffed into a cage significantly smaller than the one she originally lived in. Peter decided this would make Tinkerball think twice before doing it again.

Alice returned for Tinkerbell on numerous occasions afterward, though they were met with constant failure. Peter had knicked her with scars across her face, torso and arms every time. Her unwanted appearances ceased once Dorothy arrived, her resilience obviously depleted. This thankfully meant Peter never had to worry about Dorothy and Alice ever meeting each other.

Being reminded of her made Peter irate. He hated Alice and her mouthiness and the nasty smiles she used give him that were full of thinly veiled contempt. She was the one who started to call him an ass; it was where Tinkerbell had inherited the insult from. Peter did not miss her. It was why he didn't care enough to capture her again. Knowing she could never get back home was satisfying enough for him. Eventually, she'd grate the nerves of a pirate  or mermaid and they rip her into pieces; he'd leave that responsibility to them. 

"Is that any way to speak to the person who is taking care of you?" he inquired, leaning down close to her.

"You're delusional," Tinkerbell muttered.

"That is hurtful," he said to her. He personally thought she was the delusional one, but he was nowhere as cruel as she could be with her words.

"I don't care!" Tinkerbell yelled. Given her little stature, her attempts at raising her voice were hardly threatening. Dorothy had been here for months and was still oblivious to Tinkerbell's existence. Peter was, however, a bit concerned that Wendy might find out. Perhaps he needed to seek a more discreet environment were Tinkerbell could not be seen.

"Are you hungry, Tink?" Peter asked, disregarding her last comment.

"No!" She crossed her arms over her chest, swivelling around so her back was facing him. More sparkly glitter flew about as she turned. She was like a child!

"Suit yourself," he said, before opening the door of his bedroom so he could step out to where Dorothy and Wendy were. If Tinkerbell wished to dismiss him, he would reciprocate her actions. Leave her alone so she could stomp her feet for hours before she got tired and forfeited.

"Who were you speaking to just now?" Wendy asked, her body shifting in Peter's direction as much as being tied would allow her.

"No one," he lied.

He knew she wasn't going to believe it for long.