It was dark when Mara opened her eyes, she had dosed off while awaiting the game to end. She could see the late evening light from the entrance and barely see James sitting near her. Her neck ached when she lift her head up, she rested in a uncomfortable position while sitting up.

"How long have I been asleep?" She rubbed her eyes.

"Nearly all day" James moved to the entrance, "didn't sleep well last night?"

Mara thought of last night when she got out of bed and snuck out of the tent and was with Pan when they watched the Native dancing and singing. "No" she mumbled.

"First nights aren't the best but you'll get used to it"

"Tomorrow will become a week since I've been here"

"Well congratulations, you've made it through the first week" James sounded sarcastic.

She huffed in response and then stood up. The underground was small, she had to lower her head down a bit to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling. "Honestly it feels like I've been here for weeks, with the whole time standing still here"

"I remember that feeling" he sighed, "feels like I've been here for a hundred years"

She nodded.

James removed the cover from the entrance, "I think the game is over, sun's probably passed the horizon"

"You think?" She pulled up her canteen and took a gulp of the water "I'd like to get out of here and head back to the camp. Just want this day to end so I can have more rest"

"Alright" he climbed out of the underground first and she followed him.

Twilight colours filled the sky above them when she looked up through the tall trees, stars were showing and twinkling, just during the day it was all cloudy and now it was all clear. She thought rain would come.

"So I guess we got a long journey back to the camp" Mara half groaned and James was covering the entrance of his hiding spot with grass and leafs.

"We'll get there before night grows late, I'm sure not everyone is there yet" James started walking.

Night noises began before night could complete, crickets chirped, owls hooted, frogs croaked. Mara had walked through the woods and forests hundreds of times in her life, there were nights where she was frightened and there were times she wasn't. The sounds reminded her being in the Enchanted Forest, she missed it a little, and she could be in someplace else by now.

She wondered where, where could she be right now if she didn't had to stay in Neverland, night was nearly complete and she would be finding a place to stay. If in town, she'd look for an Inn or a barn, if in the woods, she'd just be in the ground. She thought of Captain Hook, wondering what he is doing at the moment, wondering if he was thinking about her or had forgotten about her already.

How long will it have to be when she'll see him again? Strange how she thinks of Killian Jones quite this often, she'd forget him by now, she barely knew him, he was a man, a pirate with shred of decency who took Mara in and gave her an opportunity of the adventure she had ever wanted, a pirate who taught her how to fight with a sword. She never blamed Hook, never blamed him about Neverland, he never knew this would happen.

Mara had to admit that she misses Killian a little.

"You'll hear them sometimes, you know?" James said, walking ahead of her.

"Hear them?" Mara walked fast for a moment until she was close to him, "Who?"

"Whispers from the dead" James gazed left to right, "Slightly said they are those who died in past here on this island. It's never a good idea to wander around in the night in these woods alone, they'll hear you, and see you then they'll whisper to you"

She shivered all of the sudden, chills ran on her spine. But then she remembered she was alone before, on her first night and the second night. "I was all alone when I first came here, slept in these woods all by myself"

"Unless you weren't really alone throughout the night and maybe you were close enough to the camp"

The walk to the camp was long and dark. James found a torch unlit midways and he lit it so they could see where they were going. The walk maybe long and dark and a little scary but there were times Mara had seen thousands of fireflies around, she never seen that quite many before and thought it was beautiful. Where wouldn't have to worry about ogres, wolves or any kind night creatures that roam during dark here in Neverland besides the whispers from the dead.

What do the dead do anyway? Whisper the Lost Boys to scare them to death? Sure it sounds scary to hear the dead in the night but completely harmless, right?

"I wouldn't worry so much about the dead whispering" Mara commented, "we've got two deadly animals caged up that might escape any day, mermaids willing to drown us, natives who are willing to kill us at their sight, that I worry so much"

James chuckled in response.

It felt it had been all night as they walked to the camp, they finally arrived the meadow where they trained yesterday, then to the river and went across. At the river, the camp was close and they began hearing the boys from the camp.

Mara sighed in relief, "Finally" she never notice how sore and stiff her legs were from all the walking and running today.

"I've never seen you so happy" James smiled and somehow he was being sarcastic.

She gave him a strange look before letting out a soft laugh.

In the camp, Slightly, Tootles and Curly were there already, seems most of the Lost Boys were back and couple more were still missing.

"Where did you two hide? In another world?" Curly asked the moment he saw James and Mara.

"We were around west" James replied.

"Like I said" Slightly looked at Curly.

"We were at east" said Curly, "Uriah and John found us and meanwhile Tootles was already here, good thing you two hid pretty well. They caught Felix's group"

"What does Pan have in store for them?" Mara asked, since the entire group that are caught are the losing team.

"I don't know, I reckon he's planning something for them at the moment since he's missing" Curly stood up and stretched. Mara never noticed that Pan was missing from the camp.

Once everyone else came back, that's when Pan arrived, he approached across the camp toward Felix and his group, seemingly informing them on something. He didn't speak loudly but rather quietly as if he didn't want the rest to hear, and then Felix and his group left the camp.

Stars were visible when Mara glanced up despite the torches all over the camp and the bonfire in the middle of the camp. It was nearly late when Pan finally announced, "Time for all of you to rest, call it a day"

Greatest thing Pan has ever said all day.

She wasn't exactly sure if she'll able to sleep tonight, she was out late last night and she slept all day today throughout the game.

Everyone went to their tents, Mara was behind Tootles as they walked into their tent, she pulled her canteen, pouch off while carrying her sword and hung them by her hammock. She sat down, took her boots off and swung her legs up and laid down on her hammock.

"Big day tomorrow, lads" Curly uttered.

She asked what happens tomorrow but remembered it's merely something that Curly says before he sleeps. Perhaps it's just words to motivate the boy to sleep or to expect something great to happen to tomorrow.

"Have good dreams boy and girl"

"Have good dreams" this was from James.

Tootles, who was still on his feet, he blew out the lanterns before going to his hammock. Mara heard a crash and thud and grunt from the clumsy boy. "Sorry, have good dreams" he hushed.

Mara smiled for the boy.

The camp filled with silence long moments later, but snores from the boys, she had her eyes closed for the longest times but can't seem to sleep. The long nap had taken her sleep and seems she won't able to sleep until she's tired.

Mara thought of many things, the day she last saw her father when he left for war, her guardian's last words, Nym apologizing before leaving her behind, Hook's farewell, and even today when she and James got caught in the net. That odd moment when she looked at him, how she thought of placing her lips on his.

Mara shook her head, sat up instead, put on her boots quietly, she glanced to her right, toward where James was sleeping, she looked toward the entrance, stood up and left the tent.

Outside, all the torches around camp were lit out and the bonfire in the middle of the camp was dying out. There wasn't a single person in sight, not even Pan. Mara made her place by the bonfire, sat on the log in front of the fire, and waited to be tired.

The sounds of night creatures was heard, the fainted croaks from frogs, an owl hooting nearby, and there were soft chirps as well. She focused on the fire cracking and watched it dying out. She wished she was growing tired as the fire was slowly dying. Not even her eyes were heavy at all.

Then she heard someone coming, she could guess it was Pan, it was obvious, he was coming into the camp from her right, when he did, he immediately spotted her, brows raised showing a slight surprise, "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I tried" she shrugged.

"Can't sleep again?" He walked over and stopped until he was close.

"Was up last night if you remember" she rested her elbows on her lap, looking up at the boy, "Took a wonderful long nap during the hunting game"

"You're waiting to feel tired?"

She nodded, "Exactly" glanced at the fire again.

He didn't speak for a moment, he breathed out sharply, he seems to be thinking. "You're just going to sit there until you feel like you're falling asleep?"

"That's the plan" she murmured, she said nothing for a minute, "You wanna join?"

Pan chuckled, "That would be boring. I've got elsewhere to go to anyway"

"Well, have fun" she smiled derisively at him.

He didn't respond, he just walked by her, she listened his steps, listening to him walking away but then he halted. "You can join if you want"

Mara gazed back at him, he flashed a slight smirk at her then proceeded walking. She didn't had time to think, either she sits here until she's worn out or go for a walk with Pan.

She didn't think at all, she just stood up and followed Pan out of the camp.

***

Boy I am tired now, good night everyone and have good dreams 😁