The Real Neverland // WATTYS 2015

3. Red Handed Jill

"We have our first Lost Girl!" The boys hooted and hollered. "Felix. You will show her around and tell her the rules. I will be in my hut." And with that Peter was gone. A boy came up to me. He was about as tall if not taller than Peter. He had blonde hair that was covered in dirt and bits of mud. His face was longer and on the right side he had a scar that went from his brow to the mid section of his left cheek. I wonder how that happened. He ushered me forward toward the first hut. The first hut was way bigger than all the others.

"This is Pan's hut." He pointed. He went to the next one. "This is mine." He went down the line and only said the name of the owner. Curly, Tootles, Nibs, Slightly, all the way down to a small hut that was mine. I started to clime the latter when Felix pulled me off.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"We're not done yet." I stayed silent waiting for him to finish. "The different paths lead to different places. The first is Pan's place. No one is allowed to go down that path unless you're Pan. Second is the Lake. It's where we bath. Third is the training grounds. You will report every morning to those grounds for archery and combat training. Fourth is the way you came up from the beach. Fifth is the path to the nightshade. Don't go down there unless you want to be killed. And Finally the sixth goes to skull rock on the other side of the island. You can only go down that path if Pan is accompanying you." This seemed very routine to him. He said every sentence without a studder. How many times have you done this? I thought. "Now for the rules." Oh great, more talking. "Rule one: Always obey Pan. Rule Two: Never disobey Pan. Rule three: You are no longer allowed to use your real name, there will be a name picking ceremony tonight. Rule Four:Any breaking of these rules results in punishment decided by Pan. And Rule Five: Never call Pan by his first name."

"Why not? What will he do if I accidentally said his name?"

"Pan does not give second chances. You will be forced to leave the island."

"Oh. OK. Can I go to my hut now?"

"Yes. The ceremony is at sundown." Felix turned around and left to go back to his hut. He seemed to do that speech a lot. I shrugged it off and started to ascend the latter. On my way up one of the steps broke. I started to fall backwards and I screamed, but a sound barely got out of my mouth before I had arms wrapped around me. I looked up and I saw the sun-kissed, brown-haired boy known has Pan.

"How? How are you doing this?" I asked while holding on to him.

"Once word. Magic."

"Magic? There's no such thing." He must be crazy.

"Then how do you explain this?" He pointed down and I looked. We were floating a good twenty to twenty five feet up in the air. My grip on Pan's shirt tightened. We rose higher and higher until he set me on the landing right outside my little hut. "Be more careful next time. I don't like saving people," he said in a nasty tone.

"Well can you fix the latter then? Because it's gonna happen again if it's not fixed."

"Well don't expect me to save you again." After that he flew away, back across the clearing to his palace.

"Rude much?" I whispered to myself. I turned around, annoyed with my neighbors, and unlocked the door. The hut was extremely small. There was only an inch or two from my head to the ceiling. I could walk from wall to wall in six steps and the only thing in the room was a bed, a dresser, and a tiny window that I could barely put my head through. The bed was a small twin sized bed made of wood. The dresser wasn't much of one either, it only had Three drawer to put stuff in. Not like I had much on me anyways. I opened the drawer to see if there was anything inside. In the first drawer there was a hood and a change of clothes. Nothing like what I would wear at home, but it was better than staying in these torn things. I put on my new outfit, it was a little big, but I didn't mind. These had obviously been worn before, they were stained, but at this point I didn't care.

I put my old clothes into the top drawer and proceeded to look in the bottom two drawers. Nothing. Well that's exciting, I thought to myself sarcasticly, What do I do until sun down? I looked out my tiny window at the sky. The sun had already started to descend. Wasn't sunrise only a few hours ago? I went out of hut and down the latter, careful not to fall on the broken step again. Everyone was already around the camp fire.

"You're late." Pan said in a hateful tone.

"Sorry. I thought it was still morning." I explained

"Felix did you not tell her that time moves faster here?"

"I did." Felix answered right back.

"No you didn't you lier!" I was starting to get ticked off.

"Maybe you just didn't hear me." Felix snapped back.

"Enough! This will end." Pan stood. "Now, we have gathered here today to choose the name of our newest Lost Boy, err...Girl," He corrected himself, "Let us see what the name shall be!" Pan started to walk toward me I took a step back. "Don't move!" He yelled. Pan did the same thing he did on the beach this morning, he examined me, but this time he got grabby. He lifted up my arms looking at them. I know he saw the scars that my adopted parents had made on me. I hated that he could see them. I was embarrassed. He dropped my arm and took my hand and look at my palm. Another scar was there too, but this one had never faded like the others. I don't know where I got it, the Darlings didn't inflict this marking on me. The mark was in the shape of an X and it was still red. The color never faded. "I have decided! You're name shall, from this moment on, be Red Handed Jill." The boys cheered and Pan sat back down on his throne. Thanks you butt head, name me after the one mark on my body I hate the most. "Now, go back to your huts." I turned around and started to walk back to my crummy house. "Except you Red Handed Jill." I stopped walking and turned to go back to Pan.

"What do you want with me, Pan?" I asked, mad. I wanted to push him so badly.

"I'd watch your tone when you talk to me, Jill," he started, "Where did you get those scars?"

"Like you care?" I snapped.

"I don't, but I always like a good story. One with blood and pain."

"Well you'll never hear my story. So good night." I walked away. I could tell Pan was annoyed, but I didn't care. Once back up in my hut, I got under the ripped sheets on my bed and fell asleep.

The next day was a little better. I woke up early to get to training early, but everyone was already there by the time I sent foot on the practice ground. I started with archery. That stuff is tricky. I was going to need more practice with it. Next was hand to hand combat. My opponent was the youngest of the lost boys, Nibs. He looked only eleven. I could take him, I thought and boy did I think wrong. He had me pinned in less than ten seconds. This is sad. You can do better! I was giving myself a little pep talk when Felix came over.

"What was that?" he asked, obviously amused by my lack in strength and skill.

"My best." I answered in an annoyed tone.

"Well, next time, Pan will be here and he doesn't take kindly to weaklings." He got up and left. Well he hasn't really been kind to me in the first place. I wanted to yell at him, but he was already gone. Practice was done for the day and Pan ordered everyone to be around the camp fire once training was done.

"You did well today lads...and lass. So tonight we party!" The boys started to dance to Pan's music that he made out of his little pan flute. All I wanted to do was go back to my hut and sleep. I started walking when a hand stopped me. "Where do you think you're going?" Without even turning around I knew it was Pan.

"Back to my hut. I'm tired."

"I said we were having a party so you're not allowed to leave until I do."

"Great," I said in the most sarcastic tone I could. I started to go back to the fire pit when Pan stopped me again.

"I thought I told you to watch you're tone around me, missy."

"You did. And don't call me missy, mister."I said pushing his hand off my shoulder.

"You wanna play that game? Fine, have it your way. Boys! She's going in the cage!" He put his hand back on my shoulder and brought his face close to mine. "Let's play!"

**please vote and comment! edited by @silentivy **