Neverland

3

The jungle was lush and the different shades of dark greens were beautiful and in any other situation it would have looked inviting but under the empty night sky and the glow of the full moon it only looked ominous and sinister

The trees cast long shadows and it would be all too easy for a person's shadows to blend in

I finally came to the decision that siting here would do no good for me and so I took steady steps towards the jungle, as soon as I stepped into the trees I could feel that something was off, there was no noise, it was absolutely silent, and I know it was night and the animals might be asleep or something but surly there should be some kind of noise, right?

It was like I had gone deaf, I could still faintly here the ocean but it seemed so far away, the soft grass snuffed out the sound of my feet hitting the ground and it was truly unnerving

All I could do was stalk deeper and deeper towards the heart of the jungle, the tall trees blocked out any light the full moon had to offer so I was walking blind, 2 of my senses had been rendered useless and I was feeling as vulnerable as ever

I'd stopped to dig through my bag until I found my Swiss army knife and tucked it into my bra

Though every bone in my body begged me to turn back, I had to think rationally, I just fell out of the sky and nearly died, I'm on a strange island, out there is no better than in here, maybe I can find help, that is assuming there's anybody on this island.

I'm not sure which was worst, being all alone on this island or having other people lurking around in the dark.

As I walked deeper and deeper into the jungle, the terrain got harder and harder to walk through, the bushes grew bigger and closer to each other and the trees got thicker and darker, I had to remind myself to breath, even the quietest sound of my air leaving my lungs was enough to make me jump

I was growing tiered and my adrenaline high had run out long ago, my feet were dragging and my muscles protested against each and every step I took, my eye lids fluttered shut a little too long every time I blinked and I eventually found a tree that would shelter me from the rest of the jungle,

I laid down in its crook and although it was uncomfortable my body thanked me, my eyes closed and I drifted away

I was startled awake, it was still dark outside and there wasn't much I could see or hear, but I trusted my instincts that something was wrong and just in time to prove me right, leaves rustled, alerting me I was no longer alone, my hands drifted up to my neck, where the large scar ran around it.

I couldn't explain it but the things words 'this is your only advantage' gave me comfort, I couldn't even begin to know what it meant or how a scar could be an advantage but I was happy I had an advantage especially in a place like this

A soft gold glow moved closer, dimly lighting up the trees around me, there were too many shrubs in the way for me to see what the source was so I slowly stood, ready to run at the first sight of danger

But the sight I saw didn't look dangerous at all, it was a person, a small person, far shorter than me, they held a lantern and they muttered quietly to themselves, looking through the thick shrubs

The person seemed to be a girl, she had long straight white hair that was in a pony tale and had a round face with red cheeks

Even though I was standing, and the glow illuminated how much I did not blend into the jungle around me she still hadn't notices me

"hello?" I said quietly, the girl jumped back, and her head shot up to my direction, she seemed defensive but once she looked over me with her bright blue eye's she dismissed me as a threat,

A sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head, taking large steps over shrubs towards me, I made small steps back but she got to me first, her eyebrows creased and her hand stretched out to my neck, her fingers glided over my scar.

"shit" she muttered and looked me in the, "how'd you get that?"

"i- where am I?"

"well I'm not going to tell you because you won't believe me" she said

Now that she was closer her bright blue eyes held a crazed glint to them, and I was no longer comforted by her presence

"my names tink" she said sticking her hand out and shaking mine, without a warning she tugged me forward and flipped my arm over, running her fingers over my skin, "you haven't bumped into anyone else except the mer have you?"

"i- um mer?"

"the mermaids, they gave you this didn't they" she poked at my neck

"yes" I muttered, "um no, you're the first person I've met" I answered

"lucky duck" she started, "it looks like I've got a friend, what's your name?"

I opened my mouth to answer but my head was empty, what was my name?

Tink sensed my hesitation, "it's alright, its normal, no one remember their name forever, some loose it in a few days, some can go a week or so and some loose it within hours, you'll get a name that sticks eventually, believe it or not but my parents didn't name me tink" she mused, "anyway lets get you back to the tree house and I'll try to explain this madness"

***********************************************************************************************

We walked for quite some time and I was starting to relax around tink, the walk was quiet, but my thoughts were loud

Why couldn't I remember my name?

Why am I here?

What is this place?

Tink slowed and turned to me slowly, her eyes were void of any emotion and she beckoned me closer, hesitantly I stepped forward and she leaned towards me, "just know they if you're lying to me I'll kill you"

I didn't know what to say, what would I be lying about? My mouth opened and closed like a fish and I was acutely aware of the knife strapped to her belt

She gave me a soft smile and turned back around

I was starting to regret how blindly I had trusted her