Darling Ellie

Chapter 2

Elaine

The night was dark and brisk in the grey London sky. The thick cloud parted as two bright stars appeared in our path.

"The second star to the right," I whispered.

The Shadow looked down at me. I swear he grinned. I knew it was pointless to struggle. He would not release his grip, and if he did...I would be dead. The star grew larger and larger until the dark sky rippled and the sun hit my face.

"And straight on 'til morning." I saw the ripple of our entrance into Neverland continue across the sky, an array of colours unlike any I had seen.

They were vibrant and meaningful...and beautiful. The Shadow seemed unfazed or completely unaware. I had to escape his grasp, have him release me before we reached Peter's camp. We were low over the water, about to reach land. In Neverland, anything is possible if you believe. I reached my hand not held by the Shadow up, grabbing the figure's forearm and willed it to catch fire. My hand was engulfed in flames, the Shadow shrieked, the first noise it had made since I met it. We were low enough that the fall didn't kill me but not so low that I went unscathed. The bottom of my night dressed ended up with a large tear, and I felt hot blood cover my right cheek, just under my eye. I recovered quickly, running into the cover of the dense forest. The Shadow flew over the small clearing where I landed. He clearly did not spot me and flew off. I loosed a shuddering breath and listened tentatively to the forest around me. Every rustle, every snap of a twig, every far-off shout from who I assumed must be the lost boys—the lost boys and Peter Pan.

The shouting went quiet, eerily quiet. I could tell they were far away. Aunt Wendy had told me that in Neverland, you can hear halfway around the island, while Peter could listen to any noise if he tried.

Their silence could only mean one thing, they were coming to find me. I gripped my nightgown tightly, ripping it entirely along the tear. The dress that had fallen to my shins now sat above my knee. I used part of the fabric to wipe the blood from my face and another scrap to tie back my hair. All I could do was run. I ran far from the spot where I had been dropped, sure that it would be the first place they would look. I had put a fair few miles between myself and the clearing when I first heard the noises. Running and shouting in the distance, I had to hide. Finding myself in a very dense part of the forest, I climbed a tree with thick branches until I was just below the canopy. But below me, the cover was not thick enough; I could see torches in the underbrush. I moved quickly along the high branches, desperately trying to keep my balance. A fall from this height...there wouldn't be much left of me.

Then I saw it, a possibility of salvation. A massive pile of sticks and foliage wedged between large branches—the Never-bird nest. Wendy's book said that Peter hunted the last one; I prayed she was right. The nest looked long-abandoned, small holes starting to form. The noise of the lost boys was getting louder. I pressed myself down in the nest and stayed very still. I heard them all day and long into the night.

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My thirst had been intense for the first twelve hours I was in Neverland, my stomach twisting with hunger. Thankfully it started to rain the next morning. The nest had been built almost completely sheltered from the elements I would have to climb higher to reach the water. Luckily two large husks from some kind of fruit or nut that the Never-bird must have long ago feasted on still sat in the nest. Each would hold a day's water, at least I hoped they would. One at a time, I bought the husks higher up the tree so that I was just about to break through the canopy. I sat for some time filling my makeshift buckets and listening to the sounds of Neverland. There was so much to hear I figured I could listen to it for hours, like a grand orchestra playing in an even grander theatre.

Maybe that's why Aunt Wendy would take me to the orchestral performances, because she listened to Neverland too. I stayed in the nest all day while it rained, weaving nets which I could throw over my shoulder and place the husks in, for when I undoubtedly would need to go to a river for water. I took my sword and broke a small sheet of bark off the tree's great face, to create a lid for my water husks. Breaking off a larger sheet, I laid it on the nest as a flat plate for the water to sit on.

My stomach was still growling. I had not heard the boys in hours or seen the light of torches. I looked around and saw a few trees over in the distance, a grove of fruit trees. Perfect. As long as I could get there without being seen. When I was waiting, I had woven another bag with much smaller gaps to carry food. Looping the strap over my head and under my arm, I ventured out of my tree-top sanctuary.

I had climbed trees before. Aunt Wendy had a house in the country with a forest full of large trees. None were as high as these. I couldn't look down.

I journeyed from branch to branch, holding vines for support. The trees were covered with all kinds of weird and wonderful fruits. I filled my bag with fruit from every tree, tasting them as I went. The colours were strange and brilliant. If this was to be the only food I had, I wouldn't complain. Travelling back to my nest was easier as I knew the lay of the land. That didn't prevent me from almost losing my footing when I saw the lost boys running below me. I moved quickly and as quietly as I could to avoid detection, never stopping moving until I had again pressed myself down in the Never-bird nest. I was terrified that they would find me...but at the same time, I felt a pull in my chest to venture inland. To where I knew Peter Pan was waiting for me.