2

It's morning again, and this time, I am so very ready for the day. There's no way I'm not getting off this island in two days. I'll finally be safe.

No one else is in my tent, so I doubt Johnny even came back last night.

I head out, quickly grabbing some food off the table. I sit down and eat it, looking around. The clearing is empty. It's so very odd to see an empty camp. Not only does it feel wrong, but it feels creepy. Even at night, you can hear the soft whispers of boys in their tents, pretending to sleep.

Neverland is not a place that's meant to be empty. It's supposed to be buzzling with activity, excitement, and freedom. I can hear the soft rustling of the leaves, as the wind kisses them, and the sweet chirps of a bird far away.

Neverland isn't supposed to be beautiful; it's supposed to be alive.

If it's empty here, I might as well rinse off in the clothing tent. Once all my clothes are off, I scrub and scrub and scrub away at my skin with the soap and water, until I finally feel clean. Smelling slightly of detergent is better than smelling of dirt.

When I enter the med tent only Thomas and Max remain inside. It seems as though they are the only ones left sick. Even Keaton's bed is empty, but perhaps he died during the night. I doubt the others would've forced the cure inside his body. Maybe he took it, but Alex killed him during the night.

That's always a possibility.

"Where is everyone?" I ask.

Max doesn't look up at me, but continues to stare up at the ceiling. "They left."

Thomas doesn't answer either, but that's due to the fact that he still sleeps. They may have been able to pour liquid down his throat, but they couldn't wake him. At least, not yet.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

Max turns and his sad eyes meet mine. "I couldn't get up and go with them."

"Go where?" I demand.

"The funeral." He answers.

Shit. That's today. Was I expected to attend? I hardly knew anyone who's being buried today, and the only one I did know I had a direct role in his death. That is, if Sam and Eric's bodies are going to be there?

Is Eric even dead? I'd imagine so. I don't think it's my fault, but the nagging voice is the back of my head tells me otherwise. Even if I didn't curse him, I didn't take him back to the camp for medical treatment. That isn't today I feel guilty or sorry. He had it coming, and so did Sam.

"Do you want to go?" I ask.

For a second I forgot how upset Max looks.

"I can't." He tells me. "Still can't move my legs."

He must be feeling awful. I can't imagine what it must be like to stripped of the ability to move. Being born paralysed would be hindering, but not awful. However, in a place like Neverland, the ability to move is everything.

"The medicine might help." I offer.

He turns away, not daring to look at me. "Yeah, the good it's done Thomas. He still hasn't woken up."

"Maybe it'll take a bit to set in," I attempt to reassure him. "I could bring you to the funeral for now."

"How?" He demands. "You got a wheelchair?"

"I've got a wheelbarrow." I offer.

He scoffs. "Yeah. Put me where you put the dirt. We're basically the same anyway."

"Max-"

"Just go to the funeral." He orders. "I'd like to be alone."

I take one last look at him, as he curls the blanket over his brown hair. I wish I could put his pieces back together, fix him. Otherwise, he'll spend the rest of his life sitting around moping.

Unless I can get Pan to heal him.

Plan in mind, I set off for the graveyard. After spending hours walking, the distance between the camp and the graves feels a lot smaller than it used to feel. The entire island feels small, even if it would take days to cross the whole place.

No wonder so many people manage to get lost in the trees.

I arrive at the funeral, watching them push the final flaming barge out on to the water. It's unfortunate, this is the part I never stay for. The smell of burning corpses is not one I enjoy all that much. Especially since Pan's already offed and disappeared.

This wasn't worth the walk.

I watch Felix leave, so I follow him. He has a limp, but manages to move quickly none the less.

"Hey," I begin, catching up to him.

He has an eerie grin on his face. "What do you want?"

Do I want anything?

"I don't know." I admit.

"If you're going to ask me about how I managed to get captured-"

"No, that's not why I'm here." I tell him.

He smirks. "Then what do you want?"

"I guess to say I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner."

He chuckles, turning to face me. "If I couldn't get out, it'd be a wonder if you could get me out."

Ouch. "Do you know where Pan is? He wasn't at the funeral."

"Do I look like his lapdog?" Felix asks.

I roll my eyes, turning and walking away. "Thanks. Great help you've been."

Now I'm back to square one. Peter Pan is many things, elusive being somewhere near the top of the list. No matter where I go, or what I do, he always manages to find me. Me finding him however, that's the challenge.

I need to find a sure-fire way of always getting a hold of him.

My hands reach out to my dagger, quickly slicing my left hand again.

Suddenly Pan is in front of me.

"Is that how you're going to get my attention from now on?" He asks.

"It's efficient." I remark.

"It's a little bit dangerous, isn't it?" He mocks me.

"A little danger never hurt anyone."

He cocks his eyebrow at me, before laughing.

I believe that's possibly the dumbest thing I've ever said. A little danger hurt just about everyone.

"There was a time when you'd just show up when I called." I tell him.

He laughs. "I have more important things to do."

"Right, right, the war," I chuckle, "I'm beginning to think you made it all up you know? Just a ruse to get me to stay. Tomorrow at midnight you have to guess."

"I don't guess," he grins.

I roll my eyes. It feels weird to be getting away so soon. Tomorrow is the end of a tragic adventure.

Is it tragic because of its events? Or because it has to end?

Staying here is only asking for death to come back and take me next. Some days I feel everlasting, just like my stay here on the island. I don't think I'm all that vulnerable, and even if I've nearly been killed a couple times, I still somehow managed to survive through it all.

"Please, tomorrow it'll be a guess at best." I smile. "Then I'll be off home, and they'll be nothing you can do about it."

"Did you all me just to gloat?" He asks, leaning against a tree. "It's a little early for that."

Right, Max. "I was wonder if you could fix Max's paralysis, and Thomas's coma."

He purses his lips together, before smacking them into a smile. "What do I get in exchange?"

"Boys who are capable of fighting," I offer, "you know, in the war."

"Right," he grins, "I'll see what I can do."

He vanishes before me, and I roll my eyes. Sometimes I wonder if he only does it for dramatic effect.

The walk back to camp is a walk, and I wish Pan had given me a lift, no matter how uncomfortable teleporting is. I don't have enough time left to waste walking to and from places. I've got 24 hours here, and I may be resigned that Dominique will not be caught in that time, but I could be wrong.

I've been wrong before, and I'll be wrong again.

Silly ideas fill my head all the time, and I've come to accept I'm impulsive, which is why I turn away from the camp and head out into the forest, looking for Dominique.

He managed to stay hidden for so long, I doubt walking through the forest will help me find him, however, I might as well try. Pan won't let me get lost in the forest. If he does, then he'll have even less of a chance of winning our bet.

I down more water from my canteen, wishing I had packed myself a lunch. The sun peaks overhead, but the rays that normally pour through the island only seem to leak in. High noon is not normally as dark as it is today.

For a second, I consider that maybe today is overcast. The trees provide shade, but in doing this it's difficult to get a good look at the sky. I certainly know I can't seem to find one.

My feet are soaking. I was so distracted my feet wandered into a small stream. Nothing quite strikes me as shocking in Neverland, but the waterway does feel out of place. It seems too sweet, too crisp and clean.

Which is why I decide to follow it.

The stream twists and turns around bends, and I search for where it begins or ends. I follow the stream and the sun, which continues to get closer to the ground, until its sunset.

That's when I arrive in a clearing of the trees, where the stream fades away from existence. The light of the sun cast an almost faint blue light on the bushes that fill this area.

I slowly step in, walking carefully around the bushes. I let my hands dance on the top of the bushes, the soft leaves tickling my skin. None of that is what is amazing.

Glowing turquoise flowers decorate the bushes, as if this is what glow sticks are made of. Alongside the flowers grow small circular berries, like the ones you find on holly. The crimson colour, though it is not luminescent, stands out against the flowers as well.

When I take a flower in my hand, the glowing material seems to rub on to my hands; a sort of powder. Up close, there are intricate white lines covering the flower.

It's all like a beautiful dream. Why have I never seen this until today?

When I hear a rustling I bend down in the bushes.

"Dominique," a voice rings out, "it's good to see you."

The voice travels into my ears, poisoning them.

I wish I could say I was surprised.

As much as I had imagined Johnny had gone his separate ways from the conspiracy, I know that everything tends to be too good to be true. My feet are planted firmly on the ground, and I know I can't take both of them.

Johnny is much taller than me, and though I've beat him before, that was because he didn't want to kill me. If he is Dominique's lackey, who knows what he'll do?

"I can't say the same," Dominique spits out.

"It's not my fault the plan went south," Johnny musters. "Fred sold you out."

"Doesn't seem fair that you've managed to save yourself," Dominique argues. "Everyone else, dead or gone, except you and me. You're the only one who's safe."

"I did my part," Johnny says. "All of it."

"Yeah, you got the easy bit." Dominique spits. "What's a bit of murder?"

My back is to them, and I wish I could see the look on Johnny's face. It should surprise me more that Johnny is involved with a bit of murder, but the puzzle pieces seem to fit together.

Is that why he goes to the graveyard, to see his accomplishments? Or is it to mourn the loss of his innocence?

"You killed Natives, I had to kill our friends." Johnny mutters.

"They're your friends now, huh?" Dominique shouts. "What about me? What about all that I've done for you, and your little-"

"I've done the same for you," Johnny jumps in.

I wonder if Dominique will kill Johnny here. If he does, it'll make my job all the easier. I can't imagine killing Dominique on his own to be that much of a hassle, after all, I managed to take Samuel who is nearly twice his size.

"I see you don't want the second chance then?" Dominque demands.

Johnny pauses, before answer. "No, I do."

"Then get back to camp," Dominique instructs, "and wait. I've got everything under control. Apparently, I can't trust you to do anything for me."

I hear shuffling, and wait a few minutes before turning up and looking for the two of them.

They've both disappeared.

~~~~~~~~~~

What....? Johnny is involved in all of this, because of course he is. Because it can't get any worse for Charlie.

Can it? What do you think Johnny is doing? Let me know in the comments. I loved your song suggestions! I think I've found two that I really like.

As always, broaden your horizons and I'll see you Friday.