Red Rebellion

Chapter 4

"Play us a song, Peter," a young Lost Boy shouted from the other side of the fire. Elizabeth immediately felt the nervous twist in her gut, the unparalleled fear of what she had heard from her brother's story. The pipes. She had heard the story of Peter's enchanting music many times before. Henry's retelling of the powerful spell that had taken hold of his mind was enough to weigh even her down with paralyzing dread. Oblivious to Elizabeth's shift in countenance, Peter stood up with a wide grin and pulled out the pipes tucked under his leather belt.

"Very well lads," he chimed with excitement as all of the Lost Boys stood up in suite. Elizabeth watched the pipes slowly lifted to Peter's lips. She considered covering her ears, or better yet running away. When Peter began masterfully moving his lips over the different holes, not a single sound could be heard. She sat there and confusedly watched all of the other boys react with enthusiasm, picking up tribal sticks and beginning their ceremonial dance around the fire. Peter strolled around the fire, continuing to adeptly shift the instrument over his mouth, while the Lost Boys danced to the entrancing notes Elizabeth could not hear. His expression began to change the longer he played the inaudible melody. The shroud of darkness lined under his eyes seemed to darken. His narrowing eyes hinted towards his immense wicked pleasure of casting control over these boys.

After walking a full circle around the roaring fire, Peter was quick to sense Elizabeth's discomfort. "Don't you worry," he slowly lowered himself across from her onto a rotted log, "you're not going mad. The music that comes from these pipes can only be heard by..."

"Lost boys," she interrupted quietly. "Children that have been abandoned. Yeah I remember that part of the story pretty well."

"I imagine your brother gave you quite an account of his time spent here." Elizabeth nodded silently, unsure whether she wanted to take the bait and pitch an attack over what he did to Henry all those years ago.

Peter smiled and stood back up, offering his hand out to help her stand. She looked at him with confusion. "We going somewhere?"

"You think I brought you to Neverland just to sit around by a campfire?"

After a moment of hesitation, Elizabeth accepted his help to pull her on her tired feet. "We're just going to leave them all here?" She gestured over at the Lost Boys who were still dancing rowdily.

Peter smirked, "They're quite fond of dancing, if you couldn't tell." He nonchalantly pulled out the vial of pixy dust dangling under his shirt and jerked out the cork.

"When do they stop?" She asked worryingly, her attention still fixed over at the boys while Peter breathed in the aura from the dust. His feet agilely lifted off from the ground. Elizabeth felt the magic course through their grip and up her arm until her own feet rose off from where she stood. Peter wove his fingers tightly between hers as she took off from the ground with him. He smiled, "When I tell them to."

Elizabeth wobbled for a moment in the light breeze until she felt a reassuring squeeze from Peter's grip. "Do we have to fly?" She muttered unenthusiastically.

"Come now," he chided back at her with a mocking smile, "where's your sense of adventure?" He pulled her up over the trees where the air currents were free and strong. Elizabeth immediately missed the sanctuary of the forest coverage when a surge of air blew her back. Peter tightened his hold around her and slowed their pace.

"I must have left it back at camp," she yelped as a gust of wind blew her legs up over her body into a flip. Elizabeth unconsciously let go of his hand, allowing the gravity to immediately pull her back down to the earth. Unlike before, Peter didn't wait for an invitation to catch her. Scooping her up in his arms, the boy quickly pulled her firmly against his chest. His head snapped up at the sky, and suddenly, all air currents seized to blow. After a moment of stillness Elizabeth looked up at Peter, who was already staring intently down at her. Being so close to him, she felt the heat of his magic where her hand had fisted a handful of his shirt and where his bare arm latched around her leg. It was all of a sudden too much to be close to him, feeling the subtle surge of energy radiating from the boy's body and being reminded just how powerful he was. She broke loose from the intimate position back into the open air, now feeling the strength of the pixy dust at full effect. "Thanks," she muttered when he began to pull her ahead.