Not Just Stories

Chapter 6: Truth or Dare

A couple hours had passed and our baskets were full. Alex looked up at the hot sun

"Oh no!" He panicked.

"What is it?!" I asked, watching him pick up our baskets.

"It's half an hour past noon! Pan's gonna kill us!" He yelled, running back to camp with me not far behind.

We arrived back at camp, out of breath due to our panicked running. We set the baskets down on a table where the other food was.

"Why were you two out so late?" I hear Pan behind us. He had his arms crossed and an angry expression on his face.

"We were picking berries," Alex says.

"Oh really?" He lifts a brow. "For four and a half hours?" We both stood there silently, waiting for him to speak. "Well then... if you two like to pick berries so much then why I don't assign you two to do it for the rest of the week." He says with a fake smile on his face. "Along with the rest of your chores." He finished.

Alex showed regret on his face. Pan walked away soon disappearing into the trees.

"I'm sorry Alex," I say quietly.

"It's fine. I mean hey.." he faced towards me. "That means we can spend more time together." He plastered a smile across his face, trying to think the best out of the punishment.

I walk over to a group of lost boys that included Logan. They all introduced themselves to me happily. I then asked them what Pan's rules were.

Most of them seemed ridiculous and made just so the boys wouldn't bother him. He seemed fairly selfish and, the more I heard about him, prideful.

With all of the boys around, I ask, "Who was the girl before me?"

The boys fell silent. They looked around to see if one would answer me. "Who told you about her?" Gavin, a boy a bit younger than me, asked.

"Pan mentioned it to me last night," I say.

"Pan talked to you? When?" they asked. I wasn't sure if Pan would want me to speak of his whereabouts... Given that he did talk to me when everyone was asleep.

"You're stalling. Who is this girl?" I say, trying to avoid their question. They looked at me, not saying a word.

I turned around just to be facing Pan who's face was inches from mine.

"What are you all talking about?" He asks, not breaking eye contact with me.

"The girl I asked you about yesterday. I want to know who she is." I said truthfully. Peter takes me by the arm and drags me away from the boys.

"Ryan, that girl is of no importance, do you hear me? I don't want to hear you talking about her again!" He says in a low voice.

"What is so wrong?! Why can't I just ask about her? What could she of possibly done to hurt such a monster like you?!" I challenge him.

He looked at me close in the eye and paused. His words hitting me hard.

"Why don't you speak of your sister?"

I said nothing. Hurt flashed in my eyes. He noticed.

"That's what I thought." He says and walks away. I'm left there, regretting that I ever asked.

•••

Later that night I trained with the boys. The night was filled with sword fighting, archery, rope climbing, running, boxing, and so on.

The other boys were tough but I was too. They didn't go easy on me.

I started to get closer to the boys and closer to Logan. I found that everywhere I sat Logan was always right next to me. I found it amusing.