Day: 1

All of a sudden I stop feeling nothing and instantly feel pain. I peel my eyes open and brush the dirt off of my face, groaning. I landed face first into the ground. I slowly stand up, aching everywhere. I begin tucking my stray hairs inside my hood as I look around I am in a clearing of a forest.

Which makes no sense. I'm in a clearing of my mind. I hit the ground so hard my mind has been relieved of all logic and reason. I'm hallucinating.

I hear groaning and look down to my right at a boy in pajamas, who looks frightened out of his damn mind. I reach a hand down to help him up off the ground.

"Well Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore," I say to the boy, mustering out a small chuckle, trying to ease the awkward tension in the air.

When Dorothy returned from Oz in the story, didn't everyone think she was insane? I'm starting to feel insane.

He stands next to me shaking. Not saying a word.

"You ok there bud?" Choppy breath leaves my mouth, slicing the silence.

"Where are we?" His voice tiptoes on the line between calm and panic.

"I don't know." They say honesty is the best policy, but who are they and what are their motives? Maybe I should lie to him, tell him he's safe. "I'm Charlie."

"I'm Max," he stutters. "Max Campbell."

"Max?" I ask him. "How old are you."

"14."

Max looks young. He is shorter than I am, probably around five foot six. Brown hair hangs over his freckled face like a visor, protecting his eyes from the harsh sunlight.

It's sunny. At 4 AM. I'm losing my mind.

Suddenly loud chanting erupts from behind us. I quickly spin around. In front of me is a massive circle of boys. They are all shouting and whooping at something, presumably what's in the center of the circle. I walk over towards the circle and manage to fight my way through, Max in tow.

In the center of the circle are two boys, one of whom I recognise. Johnny, my neighbour, wipes his blonde hair out of his eyes as he charges another boy. He tackles the other boy, grunting as they land on the ground. The boy clocks Johnny in the face, before shoving him off. He sort of shrugs away the idea, wiping the dirt off his face as he moves towards a brown boy.

What is Johnny doing here? He lies on the ground, wiping the blood that crusts off the corner of his lips. Did Alison call him too? Did he, like me, find his way to this party, thinking she was here?

"Alright, fun times over boys," a voice says behind me.

I look up into the trees and spot the boy with the pan flute. He jumps down and walks into the circle, everyone parting around him.

"Now Alex, was the new boy giving you trouble?" He asks, a wicked grin on his face.

"Not at all," the other boy, Alex, frowns, his eyes averting from the Pan Flute Boy. "I was just saying hello, that's all."

Pan Flute turns to my neighbour. "What's your name?"

The boy spits, blood on the ground "I'm Johnny."

"Well Johnny, bright start then?" Pan Flute asks. I don't think he's being sarcastic.

"First impression are everything." Johnny smirks back.

Pan Flute smiles. "I like you," He turns to the crowd. "It's dinner time."

The boys cheer and run towards the long wooden table, still whooping. They dance and laugh as they run towards the long table, their weapons still in tow.

"Except for you new ones," Pan Flute smiles at us. "It's time we get acquainted."

He struts closer to the six of us who are left. "Close your mouths before you catch flies. We're just here to have a little fun, that's all."

He points to the boy closest to his left, "What's your name, boy?"

"Marcus," the boy answers. He has a thick Scottish accent unlike many of the boys here, who seem to mostly have British accents, Pan Flute included. Only a few I've noticed are American.

He points to the next boy and the next, getting them all to say their names. He points to Max who shouts out his name to Pan Flute, the stutter he had earlier gone.

Pan Flute points at me. "Now there, what would your name be?"

"My name is Charlie," I tell him, looking at him straight in the eye.

"Well Charlie, it's nice to meet you chap." He smirks.

I don't think he knows I'm not a boy, and I get the feeling this information is best kept a secret. Whether it be because everyone else here seems to be a boy or because of the incredibly creepy look he always has on his face. Pan Flute seems to be a force I'd rather not mess with.

"There is some spare clothing in the tent over there," Pan Flute says pointing towards the tent in the back. "I do believe you all will be able to find something in your size."

No one moves in the circle, we all just sort of look at each other. "Well off you go now, hurry up before all the food is gone."

All the boys around run towards the tent but I don't budge. Pan Flute cocks his head to the side and walks over to me.

"Now Charlie," he begins. "Disobeying me already? Why, we've only just met."

"I'd like to leave." I tell him.

The words are immediately followed by silence. He looks up at me, puzzled. Rubbing his hand along his mouth and chin, he looks from the ground to me.

"Oh isn't this lovely? Here's one who isn't afraid of me. You don't see one of those every day, now do you?" He grins. "It would do you good to listen to me and to hold your tongue during your stay here."

"Where exactly is here?" I demand.

"Why lad, you're in Neverland."

"I suppose that would make you Peter Pan, now wouldn't it?" I ask him sarcastically.

"That's right. Smart one you are. Smart and fearless make a nasty combination." Pan Flute speaks like a character in a book I'd avoid reading. It's both cliche and pretentious.

"I hate to break it to you," I almost laugh, "but Neverland isn't real."

"You hate to break it to me?" He repeats my words. "Tisk, tisk, I don't know how things work back in your land, but you would do well to suck up to me. Talking disrespectfully will get you nowhere on this island. Nowhere at all."

Pan Flute begins to make his way closer to me. I slowly back up until I'm pressed against a tree as he eyes me up and down, still grinning. "I own this island. Which means I have direct control over everything on it. Don't think you're any special, mate. I own you."

I gulp. Pan Flute is literally insane. I'd be an idiot to not be scared of him.

"Why did you bring me here?" I ask.

I'm an idiot.

He looks at me funny, "I think the proper question is 'why did you come?'"

"I didn't ask for you to bring me here, you do realise that? I didn't know what was happening when we were at that stupid bonfire. If I had known that you were about to kidnap me I would have left before I had even arrived." I raise my arm to shove him away from me but he blocks me.

His grin doesn't falter. "I don't keep prisoners on my island. At least, not when it can be avoided. If you heard my music and if you followed it down to my circle of boys and then on top of that you managed to come down through the portal, then you want to be here. At the very least you wanted to leave wherever you were before. I'm most certainly not wasting any of my precious time or energy on getting you back to your stupid little land without magic especially when you would rather be here than there, so I guess you had better figure out why you want to be in Neverland, because to me it doesn't appear as though you will be getting back home anytime soon."

With that he storms off.

I enter the now empty tent. There are clothes scattered around everywhere making up piles on the ground that are completely disorganised. As if the entire world had laundry day at once. The tent smells putrid; I can taste the sweat and broken dreams. I peek around, looking for something to change into without actually having to touch any of the clothes. If I am going to stay here while I try to find a way back home, I'll need to look like I'm one of these boys. Even if it means sacrificing my hygiene and my dignity in the process.

I pick up a pair of pants off the ground and immediately drop them. The smell is literally burning my eyes. If I remain in here any longer I am positive I will go blind. No more lovely blue skies. No more watching the rain. No more Pan Flute's stupid face. Actually, going blind might not be as bad as I might think it is.

All of the clothes in here are made of this itchy material, so much so that I have come to the conclusion it must be made of hedgehogs' hide. My guess is all the good stuff is currently being worn by the boys. That is, if there is any good stuff.

I pick up a long black cloak. It looks about my size, perhaps slightly too baggy, and it's the only one that has buttons on the front. These will be perfect to help cover up the fact that I, in fact do not have the body of a twelve year old boy. Turning towards the tent door, I quickly throw off my sweater and throw on the cloak. I'm suddenly thankful I wore a black t-shirt underneath my sweater and not just a bra.

Someone walks into the tent just as I finish doing up the last button. I quickly throw my hood over my long brown hair, hoping they didn't notice it.

"Hey, you're a New aren't you?" The boy asks.

I nod in confirmation, pretty sure I'm what he calls a New.

"You know, no one washes these clothes ever, they're pretty ghastly. Most of the cloaks are fine because they aren't normally worn on the grounds, but the pants and shirts are awful." He looks me up and down. "Your pants should do you fine, your shoes too."

He sticks his hand out, "I'm Robert."

"Charlie," I say shaking his hand.

"Well Charlie, it's nice to meet you, but if you wouldn't mind I was just passing through." He picks up a cloak of the ground. "It's time for a game in a few days, or so I've heard. I've got to prepare myself, you know?"

"A game?" I ask.

His face goes white. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything."

He practically runs out the tent. I'm about to follow him when I realise I don't have a solution for the hair. I don't have scissors or anything on me to cut it on me, and even if I did I doubt I'd be able to part with it. I search around for a hat or something to cover it with but come up with nothing.

"Dear lord this isn't happening," I mutter to myself.

I sit on the ground and cross my legs, breathing heavily. As ridiculous as a hat is, it's setting me off. I am in a strange land with a creepy boy. Correction, a couple dozen creepy boys. I don't know how to get home, let alone how I got here and my sister is probably worried sick by now. I bury my face into my hands, rubbing my eyes with my fingers.

Suddenly I feel a shift in the air and I sit back up. I have this odd feeling, as if I'm being watched. I stand up and glance around nervously. I notice a brown hat sitting on top of a pile of clothes. I can't believe I hadn't noticed it before. It's a really lovely cap, in fact it's just my style. It's a hard hat, so much so that I have the feeling it's shaped with a soft plastic or really durable cardboard. The top of the hat is like a short cylinder; it rises above the brim of the hat slightly, but definitely not so much that it could be considered a top hat. The brim of the cap has a small visor with a slight curve. It's like something a paperboy would wear, back in the 1930's.

I pick it up and place it on my head. It fits well, not lose enough that it could fall off without a hard pull, but not so tight that I can't feel my brain. I gather my hair and quickly shove the ponytail inside the cap, to hide any traces of my long hair.

I walk outside the tent and glance around me. The tent area is basically empty, everyone is either crowed around the long table eating like savages or they are by the fire, singing and dancing. I am awfully hungry.

Just as I turn around, someone grabs me from behind. One hand over my mouth and the other across my waist as they pull me back inside the tent. I try to scream but am muffled by the hand. I'm yanked inside the tent and I fall face first on to the floor. Between me and the door is the boy who threw me inside.

I begin to stand up as the boy comes to my side, helping me up off the ground. I turn towards him about to attack, when I see his face.

"Calm down, Charlie. It's me." Johnny says.

I look up and indeed it is Johnny.

"Did you need to sneak up on me like that?" I ask him. "You scared me half to death."

"What the hell are you doing?"

Johnny has never been one for formalities. Not even hello comes from his mouth before he cuts straight to the chase.

"I was heading over to get food; you should more concerned with you are doing, scaring people like that will get you killed eventually." My fingers gesture to his eye, which is already swelling from where he was punched in the face.

He rolls his eyes. "I meant why are you on Neverland?"

"You actually think this is Neverland?" I scoff in his face.

He glares at me. "We fell through a magic portal and some guy says he's Peter Pan. Why wouldn't I believe him?"

I look at him and roll my eyes. "Johnny, snap out of it. Neverland isn't a real place. That Pan Flute guy is mentally deranged."

"How else do you explain what's happening?" He demands. "We fell through a portal to a foreign place, with a group of boys."

"I need to get back home." His reasoning is dumb, best not to even acknowledge it. "My sister needs me. Besides, I think Alison is in danger. She called me before we got whisked away."

"Alison?" He croaks. "What... what do you mean "Alison is in danger?""

"She called me, that's how I found you guys, she's at some frat type party." I explain. "Don't worry though, she can hold her own."

He gulps. "You don't know she's safe for sure."

I roll my eyes. "I'm just as certain she is safe as I am certain that you are in love with her."

"I am not."

"Not what?" A familiar voice asks from behind Johnny.

"Nothing." Johnny and I say simultaneously, turning to face the voice.

"Well, I certainly think you aren't nothing either. I like useful people." Pan Flute, owner of the gross voice, smiles.

I freeze, my voice hitching in my throat. I can't decide if his anger or his smile terrifies me more. Perhaps it's a healthy combination of both.

He looks at me funny. "You're a strange little one, aren't you boy?"

I glare at him. But don't say anything. He grins back at me, his pearly whites flashing.

Johnny steps closer to Pan Flute, "I'm sorry to bother you sir but I was wondering if we can talk for a minute outside the tent."

I almost gag at the word sir. Pan Flute looks over at me for a second. I look away from him, trying to show that I'm not going to be defiant. If I want to survive for however long I'm here, I should try to get on his good side. I look back over at see a wide grin across his face. Like he knows something I don't. He looks at Johnny then back at me and cocks an eyebrow.

"Sure Johnny, come on." He says gesturing outside the tent. The two walk out, leaving me alone in a tent filled with smelly clothes.

~~~~
Like I said, it'd be up today. I'll have the next few issues up sooner rather than later, since I have them all completed for the most part. Once again thanks for reading.