Peter by day, Pan by night

Chapter 11

        Peter shrugs. “Do you want to go find the lost boys? I am sure they will start another fire within an hour or so.”

        I clear my face of the many emotions whirling inside me. “Okay.”

        We drift a foot or two above the forest. I finger the sleeve of my blue dress and wonder how my whole life could change in only two days.

        Once magic has touched you, everything is different.

        The lost boys have already gathered in the small clearing. The sun dips toward the horizon. The sky seems to darken faster than it did before. Didn’t Peter just say that it was only late afternoon?

        He looks up at the sky. “We must hurry. The darkness is getting stronger.”

        We land a few feet away from the fire. The sunlight is hazy, but I can still see its rays dancing in his green eyes. I’ve always loved eyes, but there is something especially enchanting about green ones. I don’t know what it is. But every time I look into his eyes, I see the forest. I see life and magic. And I don’t want to look away, because then I might wake up.

        “Pan!” one of the lost boys cries out. I jerk my head down and turn away from him. I thought I’d still have several hours here, but now it looks like I’ll be leaving even sooner than expected.

        Felix appears at my side. “It is a shame you’ll never return. It doesn’t seem fair.”

        I step away from him. “I know, but Peter says it is dangerous.”

        “If it’s so dangerous, than why is he letting Kelvin stay?” Felix turns toward me, fire sparking in his eyes.

        “I don’t know.”

        “I think I do.” Felix shakes his blond hair out of his eyes. “You’re a girl, and Pan doesn’t think you are strong enough.”

        I grit my teeth. “No, that isn’t true. He said that there was some sort of curse, the darkness-”

        “Curse? What curse? Besides, isn’t there darkness in England too? I would think…” He leans toward me. His eyes narrow as they run over my face. “I would think that it would be dangerous for a young girl to wander the streets alone.”

        “Stop it, Felix. Leave me alone. Peter Pan knows what he is doing.” My hand slips into the pocket of my new dress. I curl my fingers around the acorn. “I trust him.” At least I think I do.

        “You trust the boy who you just met. The boy with many secrets. Have you already forgotten what he said this morning?” The tall boy walks away from me, his steps slow and sure. “I thought you were smart, Wendy.”

        How did you hear our conversation? There is a boy I will never trust, but it isn’t Peter. It is him.

        I stand alone as the sun dips past the trees. They will send me away any minute now. I will never see Kelvin again, never see any of them. The question strangles my thoughts. Can I trust Peter Pan?

        He stands in the middle of the boys and doesn’t look at me. He grins, the firelight slanting over his face. I don’t know what to do. Is Felix right? I may not like him, but what if he is telling the truth?

        “Wendy?” Daine separates from the group. “Are you all right?”

        “Yes. I am fine.” I try to smile, but my lip trembles. “Thank you for coming over.”