Neverland

4

Tink stopped in front of a thick tree and pointed up, "that's where we're going"

I gulped, "how do we-"

"climb"

"I don't think I can climb that" I said refusing to take my eyes off the tree

She kept her eyes on me, "don't worry, the longer you stay here the easier it gets, maybe it's due to the fact dying doesn't seem so bad anymore or maybe it's your survival skills kicking in, you decide"

I gulped once more as Tink started to climb the tree, bending in impossible ways to get from branch to branch. "you coming?" she called out.

I grabbed onto the first branch and hosted myself up, I continued this, my tall height making it easier for me, I looked down and was slightly comforted by the fact that it was too dark to see the ground, I continued to climb until I reached a wooden platform, Tink helped me up and I was greeted by a rather large tree house.

"I don't usually get up that way, it's easier to travel by tree top and just arrive here but I thought that that was for another time"

Tink moved into the house and set the lantern down on a makeshift desk, she sat down on an animal skin and lit another lantern beside her, she patted the spot next to her, signaling for me to sit down.

I sat down on the skin and she looked at me in such a way it made me squirm

"you'll be safe here, you don't tell anyone about this tree house or where it is no matter how nice they seem okay?

I nodded

"you are a very lucky girl; do you know why?"

I shook my head no

"you are lucky because of this scar on your neck, it blocks magic"

Okay Tink is crazy

"I have a magic block as well but mine isn't as permanent" she said showing me an anklet, "mine can be taken off or broken but yours can't be, you're safe"

"but magic isn't real" I said as gently as possible

"yeah it is and it's a pain, in your old world of course there's no magic but here, everything's different"

"here? Where is here?"

She sighed, "you're in Neverland"

"what" I said raising an eyebrow

"I know, Neverland, like the one in the book but hey I don't make the rules, it's a real place and you're on it, it's not happy and full of dreams though and nearly everything on this stupid island will try to kill you and peter pan the king himself will be the most dangerous person you'll ever have the pleasure of meeting"

"right" I said, there wasn't one once of me that believed her, but I thought I should just play along

After all, she did have knives

"I know you don't believe me now, but you will, I'll show you but right after we lay some things down" she said seriously," peter is dangerous not because he's revolting or because he's the scariest person you'll ever see, he's dangerous because he's a demon that looks like an angel, he is the center of magic and his powers are limitless, the only reason he hasn't come for you it because he thinks you've died"

I cocked my head to the side

"he sensed you appear on the island, he sensed you fall into the waters, then you were gone, the blocker took you off his magic little map, but the more common way to be taken off the map is to die, you're safe because he thinks you're dead"

"but why am I here?"

Tink sighed, "only lost children are taken to Neverland and there are two types of lost children, the strong and the weak, the strong survive die and the weak also die"

"but-"

"peter pan will take the strong boys, but lost boys come and go all the time"

"what about the girls?"

"peter pan doesn't take girls"

"why?"

Tink shrugged, "how am I supposed to know, he'll give them a false sense of hope and then lure them in, toy with them, manipulate them, play one of his cruel games, whatever he feels like! And then he gets rid of them"

"then how do you not die here?"

"you survive by not playing peter pan's games, that's all you can do, there's no way back, you'll never see your family again and you'll slowly start to forget everything about your past self, a name will come to you eventually, the island choses a name for you, you have to just go through names until one sticks, its annoying and my name is Tink so you can only imagine how long it would have taken me to guess that" she smiled

Tink must have seen the panicked look in my eyes because she immediately tried to backpaddle

"but hey! There are still things to do here, heaps of fun things! Mess with the lost boys and the pirates, learn to defend yourself and fight! All you need to know is peter pan is dangerous, and his games are always traps"

I nodded

Tink stood up, "come on, let's go look"

"I thought you just said-"

"don't worry, if we stay in the trees we'll be fine, they dance and play all night around a bon fire and then retreat back to their 'secret' hide out, I'm one of the only people who knows where it is, that's what you get from practically being invisible to peter pan, I mean he knows im here but I don't cause too much trouble, as least not enough for him to be bothered to find me"

Tink walked over to the door, slinging her bag over her shoulders, I stood and followed her out the door.