by R. L. Weeks
Wendy nodded sympathetically. She understood how being imprisoned felt more than most. ‘I understand. I was locked away here against my will. Peter said he cared for me, until everyone started acting like themselves. I broke out from his enchantment and I tried to help the fairies get away from him. He hated me for it, he felt like I betrayed him. To teach me a lesson,’ she said as tears fell down her dirty cheeks. ‘He killed loads of them. Then, whenever any tried to help me, or do anything he didn’t want them to do, he would slaughter their entire family. He killed my brother,’ she wept. ‘My little brother, Michael. He tried to find me, to set me free, and Peter found him and killed him in front of me.’
Redell looked at the cage floor. ‘Well, that makes my problems sound like nothing.’
‘Not at all,’ she said through sobs. ‘Just because someone’s problems are deemed worse, doesn’t make yours any less relevant.’
Redell smiled. ‘You have a lot of wisdom for someone so young. How old are you?’
She shrugged. ‘Lost count. While here, everyone stays young, never growing old. I was eighteen when I came here.’
‘You’ve been here for a long time then?’
She nodded, wiping her eyes. ‘Too long. The days just sort of blend together now. Sometimes I feel like I am going insane.’
He laughed. ‘Sorry, it’s just you’re the sanest person I have met.’
She half-smiled. ‘You mustn’t have met many people then.’
He shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Anyway, I’m here to get revenge on Ruby.’
‘She calls herself Red,’ Wendy stated.
‘I gathered,’ he said. ‘Probably because she was responsible for her family’s death, by me. I admit, I am no angel, but when I care about someone I will do anything for them.’
Wendy smiled. ‘I can see that. You’re not bad, but revenge won’t solve anything. Red has been crying for almost the entire time she has been here. It seems that she is tortured enough without you hurting her even more. How many years ago did she hurt you?’
‘She was seven,’ he stated.
Wendy’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Seven! No wonder she was scared and pushed you to the back of her mind. She was a child and probably confused. Hell, I’m confused by it all.’
‘I guess so,’ he admitted. ‘I am so angry though. I have been stuck in there…’
‘I know,’ Wendy said and grabbed the bars so she could be closer to him. ‘I have been trapped for a long time too, but if you seek revenge, you will end up empty. What happens if you leave her body without another host?’
‘I die.’
‘Oh,’ she replied. ‘What if I told you that I know the perfect person for you take over.’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Who?’
‘Peter,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t deserve what he has. You’d make better use of his body than he ever would.’
Redell rested against the bars and slunk further along the floor then sighed. ‘He would have to make a deal with me, knowing that I’d take his body. Nobody would agree to that.’
Wendy jumped up. ‘I have an idea. You said you were a wolf, right? Why don’t you take another wolf’s body?’
He shook his head. ‘Impossible. No wolf would make a deal with me.’
‘Well,’ Wendy said and smiled. ‘We have a time to think up a plan. Apparently some people are on their way to set me free. I will ask them to set you free too, only if you promise me not to go and get your revenge.’
He looked over at Wendy who was possibly the most intelligent, sweetest person her had encountered. ‘Deal.’
***
Gallisa climbed into the treehouse, followed by Rapunzel. Peter looked over at them and scowled. ‘I said leave!’
Gallisa crossed her arms. ‘No. My friends are here and I don’t care what you say Peter, you are my friend too. I care about all of you. I’m not leaving because I want to stay here with everyone. I love it here, I’ve never been happier,’ she lied.
Peter looked from her to Rapunzel suspiciously. ‘You’ve just decided this then?’ he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
‘Yes,’ Rapunzel gulped.
He lifted his feet onto the table that sat in the centre of the sofas and rested his hands behind his head. ‘Fine.’
‘Where’s Croon and Snow?’ Rapunzel asked.
Peter cleared his throat. ‘Croon is being punished.’
Gallisa’s eyes widened. ‘For having a tea party? Do you have any idea of how insane you sound?’
Peter jumped to his feet and walked over to Gallisa. ‘Who are you to dictate what is sane and insane?’
Rapunzel looked at Gallisa and gave her a look. Gallisa sighed. ‘Of course, Peter. Sorry, he is one of your lost boys. You should decide the appropriate course of action.’
He nodded. ‘That’s right. Now, I’m going to find how Snow’s getting on.’
‘Where is she?’ Gallisa asked.
Peter smirked. ‘She’s the one punishing Croon for me.’
Rapunzel nodded at Gallisa. She took his hand. ‘Can I speak to you in private?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘Quickly.’
They walked to Peter’s room and she sat on the edge of the four-post bed. ‘I missed you when I was away. I’m sorry I left. You were so kind to me before.’ She stopped and blushed. ‘I actually really liked you.’
His eyes widened. ‘In what way?’
She pressed her lips together. ‘I think I fell for you, Peter.’
He took a deep breath and sat next to her. ‘I liked you too, not loved, but I cared for you. It hurt when you left.’
She nodded. ‘I am so sorry.’
He placed his hand on hers and smiled. ‘It’s okay, sweet Gallisa.’
‘Can I try something?’ she asked, edging closer to him.
He opened his mouth but didn’t speak. She pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back just for a second then broke away. ‘Sorry,’ he breathed. ‘It felt wrong. Nothing against you, you’re great, but I think I may care for another more than I thought.’
‘Snow,’ Gallisa said sadly.
Peter nodded slowly. ‘It does seem that way.’ He left the room, smiled at Rapunzel, and climbed down the ladder.
Rapunzel raised her eyebrows as Gallisa walked back into the living room. ‘What happened?’
Gallisa grinned. ‘I kissed him.’
‘Well?’
Gallisa dangled a key from her hand. ‘He didn’t notice me take it.’
Rapunzel bit her lip. ‘What if he thinks you’re together now. You could have trapped yourself.’
Gallisa shook her head. ‘Just as I suspected, I think he has fallen in love. I never thought he was capable of it, but he stopped kissing me and said he cared for another.’
Rapunzel smirked. ‘Oh dear.’
‘Guess we have leverage. It looks like he has fallen for Snow.’
***
Peter walked through the clearing and down the path, through the trees, then out to another clearing. Croon was tied to a tree as Snow whipped him. ‘Enough,’ Peter said. ‘He’s been punished enough. Have you whipped him enough?’
‘Hundreds of times,’ Snow said and smirked. Croon hung forward, the rope was the only thing holding him up. His face had drained of its colour and tears patterned his cheeks. His beautiful hat that he had made and nice suit was in tatters.
Peter cut the rope and Croon fell to the floor. ‘Bring him back to the treehouse. Give him some water first and something to eat.’
Snow nodded. Peter took her hand and looked into her eyes. ‘I need to talk to you later.’
Snow looked puzzled. Peter was trembling a little, she could feel it on her hand. ‘Sure. Is everything okay?’
‘It’s perfect,’ he replied and walked off.
Snow helped Croon to his feet. They waited until Peter left and Croon brushed himself down. ‘He fell for it! But that one whip hurt.’
‘Had to make it look realistic,’ Snow replied. ‘
Don’t breathe a word of this to anyone, though.’
Croon smiled. ‘Of course I won’t. I’m surprised you disobeyed him for me.’
Snow smiled back warmly. ‘I feel like you’re the only friend I have on this Island that I can trust at the moment. You have been nothing but understanding and accommodating to me.’
He picked up his ripped hat and sighed. ‘I can always make more.’
‘Not yet,’ she warned. ‘Next time he may not send me to punish you. Wait until I am in charge. It won’t take long. I’m going to change Neverland and Peter,’ she promised.
GIANT
James cut through the crocodile’s skin with ease. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he killed them one by one. Bell watched on with awe. He raised his hand and summoned a rope, using his powers. Bell laughed as he grabbed the rope. He looked at her and smirked. She stepped back. ‘I’m not swinging over the swamp.’
He wrapped his arm around her waist and swung them both to the middle of the swamp. He summoned another rope onto a branch above and jumped to that one. Bell squealed as they flew through the air. ‘I could have flown you know,’ Bell laughed as they landed on the rocks near the gate.
‘That,’ he said. ‘Would have been far less fun.’
She giggled. ‘It was fun, wasn’t it?’
‘Let’s find my mum,’ he said darkly, ‘and get my friends back.’
Hundreds of glittering fireflies appeared through the surrounding trees. They flickered around them, lighting up the dark swamp that no longer seemed scary. Bell walked behind James. The water splashed as James jumped in. The water reached to his waist and to Bell’s chest. They both waded over to the rusty, gigantic gate. James pushed at it but it didn’t budge. ‘Use your powers,’ Bell urged. ‘Saying that, why didn’t you use them back with the crocodiles.’
‘I can’t hurt anyone or anything with my powers,’ he admitted. ‘But I can summon things to help me, such as to move the thick mud underneath away from the gates.’
He pushed the mud down, but the gate ran much further into the mud than he had anticipated. The mud shifted and the water rose. They held onto the gate as the ground disappeared beneath them. Finally, the gate slid open just enough for them to swim through. They swam through the murky waters until they reached a mound of rocks. James lifted Bell onto them first then pulled himself up.
Belle screamed again. The inside of the cave was enormous, big enough to house several giants, and it went on for around a mile. The cave had a reddish hue to it, making the bloodstained rocks and rattling bones hanging from the ceiling look even more terrifying. Bell and James covered their noses as whiffs of rotting flesh floated around the dank room. A horrendous roar shook everything. James and Bell knelt down and held onto the rock until the roaring stopped. The water rippled and the cages hung from the ceiling, housing skeletons, rattled.
Bell and James proceeded with caution. ‘Bell,’ James whispered. ‘There aren’t any giants on this Island, are there?’
‘I don’t know,’ she whispered back. ‘Peter never really let me explore any of the wastelands.’
James pressed his lips together. ‘I wonder why.’
They walked on the uneven rocky ground, which was unusually sticky. James slipped up in some strange liquid and Bell quickly helped him to his feet. They both looked at the clear stretchy, bubbly liquid and Bell gagged. ‘Is that saliva?’
James nodded. ‘Whatever that came out from must have a bloody big mouth.’
Bell followed James toward the sound of loud rattling breaths and chains dragging. They walked over some more uneven rocks which had streams of water running around them, like rock pools at the beach, except the water was tinted red.
They reached a room. Chained to the far wall was Belle. Next to her were piles of bones. Across from her sat a throne, made from what looked like human bones, and a table made from Gold. In the throne, sat a giant who was eating eyeballs on sticks as a snack. After he finished the tray, he burped, which made the whole room shake.
‘Please,’ Belle begged. ‘Let me go. I’ll do anything.’
The giant grunted and slammed his fist onto the table. ‘Why does my food keep talking? I am almost ready for super. Shut up!’
The giant stood up and walked over to a bubbling pot which sat on top of a roaring fire. He panted like a pig as he grabbed a live bird from a cage. It squawked and fluttered its wings as it tried to get away. He laughed throatily as he threw it in the pot and watched is squirm as it slowly burned.
The giant picked up a large tub of oil, pouring it into the pot. His skin moved in ripples as he walked around and sweat oozed from his skin. He picked up a rat and threw into the pot. Drool dripped from his mouth, creating a pool of saliva on his grimy, green top.
‘Now for the main course,’ he growled, looking over at Belle who screamed. The stench of his sweat made James and Bell want to throw up. They watched as he quickly put the rat and bird onto a tray and into a huge black coal oven. He ripped the chains from the wall and Belle fell to the floor. She tried to run but he grabbed her with one quick scoop.
James grabbed his sword and ran over to the giant. Bell turned into an orb and flew after him. The giant didn’t hear James over his own stomach growling and James stabbed the sword into the giant’s foot.
‘What the?’ the Giant boomed, looking down. ‘Two for dinner. It’s my lucky day.’
Bell flew over to his eye and jabbed a spear into the pupil. The giant screamed and dropped Belle to the ground. Her head bled into the cracks of the stone floor. The giant swiped at Bell, who was flying around his head, jabbing things into this eyes. Blood dripped from his eyes and onto his cheeks.
James used his powers to make a large rock fall from the ceiling. It landed on the giant’s head. ‘Stop,’ the giant boomed, but James made another rock fall.
The giant fell to the ground with a massive thud. James fell over, his sword slid away from him. Belle’s body rolled into a slight ditch. James pulled himself along the floor, grabbed his sword, and jumped up. He ran over to the giant and pushed the sword into the giant’s neck, including the hilt, then with mighty force, pulled it along the length of his throat.
Blood squirted from his neck, soaking James. Bell was splashed with blood and dropped to the ground where she turned back into human form.
A huge splash sounded from outside the cave. James ran to his mother’s side, but the blood carried everything away like a river. He tried to wake Belle but she didn’t move. Bell waded her way through the blood and stopped by James. She placed her hand on Belle’s wrist. ‘I can barely feel her pulse.’
James cried heartily into his mother’s dress. He squeezed her hand and didn’t move. Everything in the cave shook. The force from the giant falling had made everything crumble slowly. Rocks fell from the ceiling. Bell grabbed James’s hand and tried to pull him away. ‘No,’ he shouted, holding onto his mother. ‘Mum, please wake up. I can’t do this without your help.’
Belle’s breaths were in ragged, shallow gasps. Her face was etched with lines from laughter. He waited for her to open her mouth, to say something, but the ghosts of her words were nothing but painful memories as James, over the banging and crashing, heard her fragile heart thump its final beat.
Belle’s glassy eyes were now permanently fixed onto the falling ceiling above. A rock fell onto Belle’s lifeless body, snapping her ribs like twigs. Black blood shot out of her mouth. Her eyes went bloodshot, then the veins burst.
James vomited next to her. Bell pulled him+ away. ‘You don’t want to see that,’ Bell said, tearfully. James walked backwards, watching the blood spool from his mother, joining the giants blood. Water rushed through the cave, Bell and James made it out of the exit in time. Bell pulled James onto a slight hill next to the swamp, and looked out at the collapsing cave. James wept silently as she watched the river dragged the cave into its murky depths, taking his mother with it. Bell lowered her head and whispered a fairy’s prayer.
/> MERPEOPLE
Snow followed Peter down to the beach after pretending to fix Croon up. Peter stopped by the sea and took Snow’s hand. ‘I swear, you are my most favourite person,’ he said, with what seemed to be the utmost sincerity.
Snow’s eyes flamed green. ‘But you don’t love me?’
He kept his smile, but something faltered in his expression. ‘What does it matter? Respect and admiration mean so much more than love. I will protect you, I care for you. I don’t know what love feels like, but-’
Snow grinned showing off her pearly white teeth. ‘I want nothing more than this,’ she said, pointing her finger into his chest, ‘forever.’
His cheeks flamed red, a trick of the light perhaps? She wondered.
‘I will always want you, forever,’ he replied.
Snow pulled out her sword which shone brighter than it ever had. ‘It wants you. It calls for me to strike it into your heart,’ she slid the tip of the sword across his chest, cutting a slit on his top. ‘The whispering grows louder each day that I allow you to breathe.’
Red flashed across his gaze. ‘You don’t want to do that though, do you?’ Peter laughed, maniacally, as he took the tip of the sword and pointed it at his heart. ‘Please, end your torment. That’s if you want a tedious life with tedious stories.’ He smiled evilly, and Snow smiled back.
‘What makes you think that I cannot have an amazing story without you?’ she asked, arching an eyebrow.
‘Because, sweet Snow,’ he pushed the sword to the ground, ‘you have crossed to the side of insanity, power, and lust. You will never feel fulfilled again if you left this place. If you were without me. Remember, some happily ever afters aren’t as predictable as others.’
Snow picked up her sword and looked at the horizon. The pirates ship gleamed against the sparkling clouds and red sky. ‘Who do we trap first?’
Peter laughed. ‘Is it not obvious?’ Snow shook her head and Peter pointed at Snow’s chest. ‘The hearts desires are how we lure, how we trap. Who on this Island has the most sadness, the most guilt?’
