"Dad?" Olive asked seeing Peter packing his weapons on him. "What are you doing? Dad it's like 3 in the morning." She sat up from the bed. Peter couldn't meet her gaze. "We are leaving the isle now." Peter hushed her. He would not let his child know the burden he is facing. "But dad-?" Olive was questioned watching him pace the room his eyes flashing over to the clock.
Is this how I die?
Peter didn't want to tell her, he wanted her to accept what was to come. They grabbed their belongings and went to the gangplank. They were almost off the ship when Olive heard a familiar voice.
"Bi-r-die?" Harry slurred waking up from his hammock on deck. He looked upset.
"Blue eyes." Olive gave him a soft smile that made him feel warm inside.
"You're leaving?" Harry pointed out seeing her small travel sack.
Liv couldn't look at him "I'm not safe here Harry, I have to go home now." She teared up a bit.
"But you could be! This could be your new home! Join the pirate crew and I can keep you safe!" Harry begged trying to get her to form eye contact.
"I can't turn into what you are overnight Harry." She frowned and turned to go follow her dad.
Harry snatched her wrist and her green eyes met his blue ones.
"Please, at least say goodbye." He pled desperately wanting anything but this.
"No, never say goodbye because saying goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting. We Pans never say goodby. I don't want to forget you!" Olive frowned shaking her head trying to hold her emotions in.
"Then may I never say goodbye to you mrs. Olive Louise Pan." Harry whispered his eyes trailing over her for what felt like the last time.
"Don't miss me too much while your off being a prissy princess okay?" Harry smiled trying to brighten her spirits.
"I'll try Harry." Olive gave him a hug before following her father through the alley.
______
"Mind my intrusion?" The boy stepped out from the alley biting a apple.
"V, we are leaving! So go away." Peter swore. "Olive get over here" Peter ushered her behind him.
"What? You're letting her die happy?" Viridian rolled his eyes tossing his apple aside.
Olive couldn't take anymore of this boy and his constant death threats. "Who tf are you!? What is your deal!? Why do you want me dead!?" Olive screamed shoving him back.
"Olive calm down." Peter warned.
"No I'm not gonna do that! You know why?, because ever since you got here you've done nothing but shove cryptic riddles and nonsense down my throat! I want the truth!" Olive demanded boiling with rage.
Peter hissed from pain within him and just chose to ignore it. Honest? Okay? Peter mumbled to himself. "Olive, green bean, this is your older brother Viridian. He was born 5 years before you. You're not a only child like you thought. He's evil and it's all my fault."
Peter ran his hands through his hair trying to make sense of his words before continuing .
"I went to a seer on the isle just before your brother was born. The seer told me that he would be filled with pure evil born by the black fairy. I thought nothing of it, your brother acted as a normal toddler and 5 years later you were born. I set you down to bed one night, I was shook awake by fairy godmother claiming that Viridian tried to strangle you in your sleep. I was heartbroken, trying to understand. Fairy godmother had the king banish him to the isle so he could never hurt you again." Peter had glassy eyes.
Peter looked around the alley, his daughter was red faced of tears, his son's the same except red with anger.
"Papa" she whimpered
Peter knew she was upset whenever she'd call him that. He could recall when she was only up to his knees and had pure joy in her eyes while making him a newspaper hat.
"No" Peter hushed her "You couldn't have known. I shielded you from the truth. I'm a coward"
"Papa stop!" She cried again
"Shut up! " Viridian screamed at the girl. "You are wasting my time!" He grabbed her by the hair and tried to strangle her.
Peter started shaking and fell to the floor.
They both stopped fighting and watched Peter shaking like a frightened child on the ground.
"Someone help! Please! Something's wrong!" Olive screamed frantically looking around the alley to see nobody there.
"No!" Viridian croaked, "Old man what did you do?" He collapsed at peter's side.
"You drank the wine last night? yes?" He insisted to Olive.
Olive nodded tears still falling, wanting to help her father but she couldn't understand how. Viridian looked dumbfounded.
"I switched the glasses" Peter smiled weakly.
"No! I can't undo it! I can't go back! What have I done!? Father please!" Viridian's hands are a mess running through his hair as he wailed.
"What was in the wine!?" Olive yelped.
A silence struck amongst the siblings.
Viridian's glassy green eyes met Olive's and lightly he whispers ...
"Poison"
"You'll be the last thing I think of before I fall asleep and the first thing I think of when I wake up."Peter let out a grunt.
Harry slowly crept into the alley watching the scene play out.
"It should've been you!" Viridian cried. "He was innocent!" He spat.
Olive couldn't look at Viridian, she merely looked on as her father continued to struggle on the ground.
Peter's trembling became fierce as green fog was starting to consume his limbs.
"What's happening!?" Olive wailed before Viridian pulled her away from him.
Peter vanished without a trace, the green fog had consuming him.
Seconds rolled by and everyone stood silently looking at where Peter once laid.
Olive's heart snapped. "Papa?" She whispered her voice cracking. She slowly started sinking to the floor before Harry ran and caught her pulling her to his chest as she sobbed.
"He's gone." Olive kept mumbling over and over to herself.
"I know." Harry sighed pulling her away from the scene.
We are children of dust and ashes...
______
"You know that place between sleep and awake, that place where you still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you. That's where I'll be waiting.
-J.M. Barrie Peter Pan
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Author's note:
I'm letting you know now that writing this was just as heartbreaking as reading it. Also I chose this song because I felt it best represented Peter's perspective before his death.
Fun fact: I chose the names Olive and Viridian because they are both shades of green. (I'm a nerd😂)
Also this chapter is 1332 words!
Until next time -Izzy 💓