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There are no kings in Neverland. Neverland was no place for a monarchy, it was a place to have fun. Kings would only bring about rules and boy did Peter Pan hate rules. So there were no kings allowed in Neverland, there was only Pan.
There was once a time when Pan had let lost boys roam free, play games to make eachother laugh. Now his games only led to violence and the lost boys seemed to feed off these games. Each boy that touched down upon the Nevershore began to lose their humanity the second their feet brushed the sand. They were akin to blood-thirsty animals, the way they would so quickly turn on eachother. The once fun games of hide and seek and archery now involved boys running around with spears and becoming the targets themselves.
They were savages. Savages that followed every word spoken by Pan. But sometimes there were whispers. There was royalty amongst them on the island, a queen and a king . Pan despised these rumors. “There are no kings in Neverland,” and “when was the last time any of you have seen a girl let alone a queen?” His answers were also dismissive, yet somewhere within the island lay the Queen. The lost boys that had been around for her reign were either dead or sworn to secrecy by their leader. Yet there were still whispers. Some boys recounted hearing a high-pitched humming while playing hide and seek. Some claimed they had seen a cage dangling from a tree with some sort of Neverbeast trapped inside. Despite Pan’s efforts, the queen’s presence was still felt on the island. The boys knew something was out there, feared the animal in the cage. Among those scared was Felix. Felix had seen firsthand how the Queen acted. Listened to her stories and scoffed. Girls were not supposed to be on Neverland. But she earned her keep just like the rest of them. She became something unladylike . It earned her the right to stay on the island. The bird had snapped like a twig beneath Pan’s boot; as a reward, she got to stay.
The whispers day by day made Pan reminisce on Wendy’s first visit to the island. The way she crinkled her nose at him when he asked why she had so many names. Her kindness and the way Neverland seemed to bloom around her. As if it was welcoming the first-ever lost girl. Her first visit was filled with wonder and the horrors of the island were kept under lock and key. Wendy’s experience would not be tainted, Pan made sure of that. He couldn’t understand why he felt the need to be so gentle with her at the time. Peter Pan was anything but gentle. Yet as time crept along and Wendy remained he decided it was a game. He liked games. Being soft but guarded around her brought him a new sort of thrill. It was anticipation. He couldn’t wait to see how he and the island were going to break her.
“It’s a new type of game bird.” Peter grinned down at her. A glint in his eyes she couldn’t quite place but it sent chills down her spine. “You know I am not a fan of your games,” she retorted. She was rarely asked to play the games but she felt that when she did something always felt off about them. The lost boys were not as kind during these games. They looked at her in a way she wasn’t fond of. “This one will be fun I promise,” he responded his eyes still alight with something she didn’t like. He placed his hand on the small of her back and started guiding her through the camp. “I really don’t want to play, maybe another time,” she tried to deflect giving a slight bit of resistance to the pressure on her back. “You will be playing.” He snapped, these sorts of outbursts where he told her what to do were becoming more frequent. He didn’t seem the same as when she first arrived. He appeared as if he was getting impatient but she wasn’t sure what he wanted from her. He moved his grip to her wrist, squeezing just a little too tight. “I always enjoy it when you play bird, don’t you want to make me happy?” He asked. The question tugged at her heartstrings. She was almost certain that he knew about the feelings she had bubbling up under the surface with the number of times he used it to his benefit. But Pan and feelings did not go hand and hand. The times she had told the lost boys stories that involved romance Pan would roll his eyes and voice his protests loudly.
“That is not very kind,” She retorted lessening her resistance to his pushing. “I do not know what you mean, I am extremely kind.” Despite not being able to see his face she could feel his grin. Boys. “Insisting I play your games and not taking no for an answer is not my definition of kind.” She huffed. It was meant to be something said under her breath but with their proximity of course it fell upon Pan’s ears. “Really my bird? Would you like to see me when I am not being kind?” He leaned in close whispering into her ear. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her breath caught in her throat as she listened to his light breathing against her ear. “If you think I’m so cruel I will just have to show you just how kind I have been.” There was that underlying tone again, he spoke sometimes as if he wanted to hurt her. That even the bare minimum should be enough for her. It should be enough that she is alive and he speaks with her with some semblance of respect. That she should be grateful that she is the mother to these boys. She didn't get to respond before some animalistic cry sounded right next to her ear and the sound of all of the lost boys rushing toward them became all she could register. In mere moments the lost boys were all lined up in front of their king and queen.
Wendy’s eyes scanned over the lost boys, who seemed to be buzzing with excitement. They knew it was game time and it was always such a treat when Pan let them play with Wendy. She shrank beneath their hungry gazes. She couldn’t stand it. “Today is going to be a real treat boys,” Pan finally spoke up from behind her, hand still placed on her back. She watched the lost boys eyes flicker from her to Pan, ready to soak up every word from their valiant leader. “Now mother here seems to think we have not been very nice to her, we are a little rough around the edges but I don’t think she has been appreciating our efforts.”
Every muscle in Wendy’s body was screaming at her to run. She had never felt so scared on Neverland, well maybe when she had met the mermaids but this was a new fear. She was scared of Peter, scared of the boys. “So today we will not be playing nice.” He finished balling his fist into the back of Wendy’s nightgown. It was almost as if he knew what her body was telling her before she even registered the feeling. It was his way of keeping her put. The boys responded with hoots and hollers, all but Felix. He stood further back behind the line of boys, a grin spreading across his features. Felix had never been fond of Wendy. Every attempt she made to smooth over whatever friction was between them was ignored. He hated her and she didn’t know why.
“For Wendy’s first real game why don’t we play some hide and seek,” Pan spoke through the excitement of the lost boys. With that their cheers only grew and Wendy started to tremble. There was no point in playing hide and seek with Pan. He knew exactly where everyone was on the island. He was the island. There was nothing that happened that he wasn’t aware of. The boys ran off in different directions without an order and Wendy was confused. Was she seeking? “You’re going to enjoy this one bird,” Peter spoke lowly against her ear. “I’ve been dying to play this one with you since you first landed.” The boys returned quickly, holding an assortment of weapons. Wendy took an instinctive step backward into Pan’s chest. As if he would protect her, instead he was feeding her to these animals. She could feel him chuckling against her back. “No protection this time. You’ll learn to appreciate how I treat you.”
He let go of her nightgown and pushed her forward, not hard enough to topple her over but with enough force she had wobbled a bit to keep herself balanced.
“ Run .”
At his word Wendy finally allowed her body to take over, making a mad dash for the tree line in order to gain some sort of cover. She may not be able to hide from Peter but she could definitely try to hide from the lost boys. She wasn’t sure how long she had until they were going to come after her so she just kept running. She made a sharp left turn between two trees. Her heart pounded in her ears as her eyes wildly watched her surroundings. It had been so long since she had truly ran, running barefoot through a bloodthirsty forest was definitely not the return to running her body wanted. Thorns slashed and snagged on her nightgown and her wild curls. She stepped on acorns and they punctured small holes into her feet. She did not care, she would not let those animals catch her. Where would they not look? Think Wendy, think! The boys had the advantage of knowing the woods and Pan who was definitely critiquing her hiding technique. She could basically hear him laughing every time she got caught on a tree branch or winced in pain. Sharp turn right. What were they going to do when they caught her? Her feet seemed to be moving on their own as her mind wandered to what she should expect when she eventually got caught. And she would get caught. Pan would tire of the game quickly, she knew there was only so much time before he decided his bird had flown a little too far away and needed to be punished for it. Pirates. Go to the Jolly Roger and beg. The idea crossed her mind in a flash. One place they wouldn’t expect her to go, straight to the Jolly Roger. She didn’t exactly know where she was or if the ship would even still be there but she stopped in her tracks to take in her surroundings.
As she tried to gain her composure she could hear the cheers of lost boys approaching. They would certainly hear her if she began to run again and if she continued to get caught up in the thorns she would only be caught. So she did the first thing she could think of and dove into a bush. Branches scratched every exposed inch of her body. She did her best to still her movement, holding her breath. She watched through the leaves as three lost boys appeared from the trees. One hopped down from a tree huffing. “Pan said she was this way,” he sounded disappointed. Oh. Peter was helping them instead of going for her himself. One of the lost boys with a spear in his hand crouched down to look at the dirt. “She was this way Slightly, her blood is all over the dirt.” Wendy’s eyes flickered to the small stream of blood running down her leg. She wondered if all the thorns were Peter’s doing. Giving the boys a clear trail to follow. The boys seemed to just circle around the clearing, trying to find any semblance of Wendy. She held her breath within the bush every time one of them stepped a little too close.
“Do you think Pan is intentionally sending us all sorts of ways?” One of them spoke up as he started to approach Wendy’s hiding place. “What do you mean?” The other boy seemed offended that was a question. “He has always acted weird about her,” a small voice piped up, probably one of the younger boys. “Pan would never. He loves games! And he knows where she is, it wouldn’t be fun if he told us exactly where she was right?” The older boy responded. “Tootles, we’ve all seen how he is with his Wendy ,” the way he said her name seemed mocking. She thought most of the boys liked her, if they weren’t currently hunting her for fun she’d have been a little hurt. “It’s all part of the game Slightly. Let’s keep moving, I want to be the one who finds her.” Tootles responded. She could see him take one last look at the bush she was settled in before they started moving again. She held her breath until they left.
After a moment of contemplation, she started sprinting in the direction of where she thought the Jolly Roger might be. She had met the pirates on a few occasions and the captain seemed to enjoy speaking with her. Enjoyed the way Pan fidgeted when she laughed at something the brave captain had said. Captain Hook enjoyed those small victories. Being able to see Neverland itself react to Pan’s jealousy. So it made complete sense that in her own act of self defiance Wendy would choose to come find him once Pan seemed to turn on her. So she continued to run, ignoring the pain splintering through her body.
After a few turns, she managed to break through the tree line onto the beach. The Jolly Roger floated calmly a little way into the sea, contrasting the frantic way she moved towards it. She looked behind her to make sure no Lost Boys were on her tail before she started to call toward the ship. She could see movement on it so someone had to be there, “Killian!” She went to call a second time when the captain himself peered down at her. “Darling?” He called back, she could basically see his eyebrow shoot up. “Let me up! Please!” At the terror in her voice, Killian aka Captain Hook immediately turned to take action. He ordered the crew to get Wendy aboard and in a mere minute, she was standing aboard the ship. Hook’s crew followed him in a way the Lost Boys could never follow Pan. They followed him out of faith and devotion, meanwhile, the Lost Boys followed due to fear and some skewed idea of respect.
“What are you doing here Wendy?” The Captain looked down at the young woman. He held his worry in his brow, it was something she noticed every time she was aboard the Jolly Roger. “A game, Pan is making me play a game,” Wendy spoke through labored breath. Though she was no longer running the years of playing mother had taken a toll on her endurance. Between the fear and the sprinting, she felt as if her lungs were turning themselves inside out. Killian’s eyes widened, “What game?”
“The… the boys were chasing me. Hide and seek. I didn’t know where else to go.” Hook didn’t respond for a while, he began to pace back and forth. “You know that he is aware of where you are right? You’re just leading him here, you’re a nice young lady but you won’t be the one he punishes for it. It’ll be my crew.” His words made Wendy’s heart sink to her stomach. She thought being near Hook would keep her safe, and give her her own little one up against Pan. But all she had done is make things worse for herself and the pirates that took her in. “I won’t let him. This game was his idea, he can’t punish you for helping me when I asked for help.” Killian could only shake his head. Despite the years she spent on this island she didn't really understand what it was truly like. She may had seen glimmers of Pan’s rage but Killian had seen it in full force. While seeing the boy riled up gave him the slightest glimmer of glee, remembering that his hand was the price for such happiness soured it. “Lass you’re bleeding.” He changed the topic, looking over the young woman. Small streams of blood had formed dripping down her leg, and pooling at her ankle. She looked down at her legs wincing a bit at the visualization of her pain. “Let’s get it all wrapped up, then we can talk about sending you on your way.” When he finished he turned around to mumble orders to his crew.
Wendy looked over the edge of the ship, taking in the sight of the island. It was breathtaking. She always appreciated that about Neverland. Despite what happened on it the island was a beautiful place. She often wished for her typewriter, wanting to write every minute detail of the island to create the most glorious setting for a novel. She was sure that if she ever asked Peter would bring her one, but she wanted hers . It had been a gift from her mother and she would feel wrong letting anyone read her works before her mother. She didn’t get to dwell on the fact her mother might not be alive to read her next work too long as Killian returned to her side holding first aid supplies in one arm. Wendy didn’t turn to greet him, her eyes focused on the dark clouds forming above the island. The ship started to rock more violently. He knew where she was.
“Let’s get you patched up before he comes to collect you.” Killian’s voice sounded so defeated. He knew what was coming and he worried for his crew and the poor girl in front of him. He gently grabbed her hand guiding her to a crate on the deck. She sat down, her eyes still fixated on the incoming storm. The captain sighed as he grabbed his rag, pouring some sort of alcohol over it. “This may hurt,” the sting of the alcohol against her many scrapes and cuts finally brought her attention away from the sky. Wendy could only just stare. The stinging made the pain much more real, Peter had done this to her. He enjoyed games like this, the games where the boys would get hurt, where she would get hurt . She thought back to when he introduced the game, he was right, she didn't appreciate his kindness. If he wanted to he could make her play games like this constantly. “Done.” Once again Killian brought her back from her thoughts. She flexed her feet a bit pointing her toes, the aching at the soles of her feet seemed to radiate through her entire body. “Thank you, I’m sorry for any issues I cause you and your crew.” She gave him a weak smile, she would make it up to them. The kindness he showed her seemed neverending, still patching her up knowing Peter could arrive at any moment to take his other hand. Peter had always said the captain was not a good man and was being punished for his actions, but now she wondered what else he could have lied to her about.
In a flash of green smoke Peter Pan appeared on the deck of the Jolly Roger, arms crossed and jaw clenched. “Hook, I believe you have something of mine.” He hissed at the captain. Killian stood up from his spot on the ground, “Oh yes, Miss Darling came to see me after you decided to send your boys after her. Poor thing is all cut up.” Wendy was amazed to see the difference in his tone when Peter was in front of him. It oozed a confidence that was missing in their conversation earlier. “You should know better than to get involved in my games,” Peter took a step toward the captain, eyes dark. “I got him involved it wasn’t his fault.” Wendy finally spoke up hoisting herself up off the crate. She held onto the rail of the boat to keep herself steady, the foot that ached less holding up her body while the other rested on the crate beside her. “I was hurt…. and scared. I came to the ship looking for help. He didn’t want to help but I insisted.” A white lie, he did seem hesitant when he found out she was playing a game with Pan. But Killian would never refuse a woman in need. “Oh is that true?” Peter turned his attention toward her taking a step past Killian to be closer to Wendy. “Yes,” Killian responded coldly as the monster passed by him. “Why did you not concede? I would’ve tended to your wounds with magic.” He didn’t seem angry with her, which relieved a bit of her anxiety towards the situation. “I did not know what would happen if I conceded. I…I did not feel safe.” She answered. “And you feel safe here? Among the pirates?” He questioned further. She just nodded in response, eyes flickering to Killian who looked concerned. The small bit of softness that Pan seemed to show dissipated the second she nodded, “do you not feel safe with me?” He growled at her grabbing at her arm and pulling her away from her supports. “Have I not given you anything you asked for? Given you your own home on the island? Allowed you to tell your silly stories to my boys?” Wendy flinched at the harshness of the questions, remaining silent. “You’re lucky today Hook,” Pan turned his gaze back to Killian, “Wendy will be receiving the punishment today. Your other hand can stay nicely attached to your arm.” With that, there was another puff of green smoke and Wendy and Peter vanished from the Jolly Roger.
When Wendy opened her eyes she was back in the middle of the camp. Peter still held a tight grip on her arm as he repeated the same animalistic cry he used to start the game. Once again lost boys came from every direction. “Boys, we have found the bird!” He proclaimed. Wendy began to tremble at the shouts and cheers of the boys. “But, unfortunately, our bird has cheated. She stowed away on the Jolly Roger.” The Lost Boys responded with boos and shouting at her. Pan simply raised a hand and they silenced. “I believe this is a great learning opportunity, we cannot have people who won’t play by our rules in our midst. So Felix if you will.” Felix seemed to emerge out of nowhere from the shadowy treeline dragging something behind him. A cage. Wendy immediately tried to run, pulling Peter towards the opposite tree line. He only laughed in response holding her in place. “The running is over Darling, time to sit and take your punishment.” He whispered in her ear. “You’ll learn that Hook cannot protect you. I am the only one who can protect you here. ” He then shoved her forward into the crowd of Lost Boys.
In the crowd, the boys grabbed at her holding her in place. Some ripped the bandages Killian applied while others dragged her by her hair into the cage. Throwing her in, no semblance of kindness from the boys she spent her time caring for. Tears spilled from her eyes as Felix closed the door to the cage and locked it. Wendy couldn’t contain her sobs, she shrieked at the new pain added to the ones from the game. The boys seemed to be eating up her wails, smiling and laughing. “Let me out!” She shrieked through her tears. Tears poured down her face as she desperately tried to meet Peter’s eyes. He couldn’t let them do this to her. “Please. Please! ” She cried out trying to gain any sympathy from the boys. A few of the younger ones stood to the side of the crowd, trying to hide in shame from their mother. Felix hoisted the cage up leaving it to hang in the middle of the camp for all the boys to see. She started to hyperventilate the second she was hung in the air. “ Peter! Peter please I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! I won’t go back to Killian! You can’t leave me up here!” Her desperate pleas fell upon deaf ears. Soon the boys started to clear out, tired of listening to their mother’s screams. Soon only Peter was left, looking up at the cage. She needs to learn her lesson. I’m the only one who can protect her. She is mine to protect. She. Is. Mine. He turned on his heel and started towards his tree, ready for the day to be done and for his bird to learn her lesson.
That night when the boys began their nightly cry Wendy’s wails nearly drowned out the rest. That night Pan and his Lost Boys heard many things.
The cries of a bird who had its wings clipped.
The cries of a mother longing for the love of her children.
The cries of a young girl finally having the illusion of Neverland broken.
The cries of a feared queen in the making.