Lost Girl (The Lost Series Book 1)

by Lantz, Kristen

  “Lily, this is Chief Tiger Claw.” Peter introduced.

  Chief Tiger Claw was one of the largest, most intimidating men Lily had ever seen. He had to have been the size of a bear. Even for his age, he stood straight and tall and had muscles everywhere. Across one side of his face and up to his cold black eye was a large scar. She couldn’t imagine what could have caused a scar like that. At least what could have caused it without taking his head off with it. And there wasn’t a smile anywhere in sight. His face was stone. Scary stone. Lily was instantly terrified of him. This was the kind of prep she would have appreciated from Peter. It would have been nice to know that Tiger Claw was the scariest person alive.

  The Chief bowed to Lily and she decided to bow back, afraid of what he might say or do if she didn’t. Then, as she came up from her bow, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a hug. She was in shock. A strange, giant, scary man was hugging her. She just stood there, stiff as a board until he was done. He then grinned down at her with the biggest smile she’d ever seen. At least he seemed pleased to meet her. She returned his smile and quickly realized she had been utterly wrong about him. Peter and the Chief laughed and embraced like they were long lost friends.

  “Lily, I’d like you to meet my daughters. I have seven of them and they are all excited to meet you.” Chief announced.

  Seven dark haired beauties then stepped out beyond their father. They ranged from the youngest who was probably around three or four to the oldest who looked to be approaching adulthood. They all bowed to her and stated their names one by one. Azalea, Iris, Bluebell, Dahlia, Heather, Marigold and little Rose Bud. They all had flower names like her! Heather looked to be the closest in age to her. After they were done introducing themselves, the Chief gave them permission to leave and they all bolted off in different directions. Lily was startled by a tug on her sleeve. She turned to see Heather and Dahlia behind her.

  “Come with us!” They squealed.

  And Lily ran off with them and into a tent. They crawled in and plopped down cross legged.

  “Tell us where you came from.” Dahlia urged.

  She had the full attention of both girls, so she decided this had better be a good story. She told them of her parents, and her brother and Uncle Cole dying. Then she explained her adventure on the seas and how she thought it was the end of her. Both girls were so captivated by her story and nodded and gasped at the appropriate places.

  “I can’t believe you travelled all that way.” Heather said with admiration, when Lily was done. “We are so glad that you are here. New people don’t come around very often.”

  “Let’s go for a swim.” Dahlia suggested. “Lily needs to get to know Neverland if it’s going to be her new home.” New home? Lily sure hoped. “I promise its safe!” Heather called to Lily.

  Lily wasn’t so sure. The deepest water she had ever played in was the puddle that would accumulate in front of her flat after a storm. Now these girls were jumping in the lake and swimming around like it was the most natural thing in the world. It wasn’t. Not to Lily.

  “Come on. It’s fun and it feels amazing.” Dahlia shouted.

  They did seem to be having a lot of fun. And she hadn’t had a bath in….. Lily had no idea how long it had been since she had bathed. But the mere fact that couldn’t remember told her that it had been too long.

  “I can do this.” Lily said to herself.

  And with that she ran and jumped as high as she could. She hit the water with an icy splash and lost control. It was so cold. She had not been prepared for the cold. Also, how was she supposed to get back up to the top of the water? She started flailing her arms and legs around, hoping it would eventually get her back to the surface. It didn’t and she began to panic. Then, on either side of her, hands grasped her arms and pulled her up. Her head broke free and she took in a deep breath. Then looked to see that it was Tiger Claw, clutching her arms. She was surprised to see him here. He pulled her to a grassy bank where Heather and Dahlia were waiting.

  “Lily you should have told us that you couldn’t swim.” Heather scolded.

  “I…I didn’t realize I couldn’t.” She explained.

  “Have you ever been swimming before?” Heather asked.

  Lily just shook her head. Both girls giggled for a moment,

  “How about if we teach you?” Dahlia offered.

  Lily perked up.

  “That would be wonderful!”

  They eased her back into the water and showed her how to kick with her legs and stroke with her arms. Tiger Claw watched protectively over them from a rock on the bank. By the time they were done, Lily was soaring around from one end of the lake to the other. Like flying had been. Funny, she had previously thought to herself how flying was like swimming. She hadn’t even realized how right she was.

  Later than afternoon Lily sat on Dahlia’s cot as Dahlia and Heather braided her hair. She had never had anyone do her hair. Not since she was a very small girl and she didn’t even really remember that. It felt good to have someone else brush her hair for once. She had never been so relaxed. The girls giggled and told stories. The more she experienced here, the more she fell in love with her new island. She loved being in the village and playing with other girls. She had spent her entire life surrounded by boys.

  The inside of the tent began to darken and she figured it must be getting late. In the distance she heard a bell. Lily froze, terrified it was alerting the tribe to a wild animal or an approaching enemy.

  “Dinner!” Heather squealed with delight. “I’m starving!”

  Lily breathed out a sigh of relief. She needed to stop being so paranoid. She leapt off the cot with Heather and Dahlia and ran out for dinner. As they approached the fire, the smell of fish crept over to them. Lily’s mouth watered. Her breakfast of all of those delicious fruit had been wonderful, but what she wouldn’t give for a salty piece of fish. She followed the other girls over to get her share. Once they got their food, Heather and Dahlia joined their other sisters by the fire. Lily quietly followed behind. She was intimidated by the older girls. They hadn’t said anything to her since she’d joined them this morning and she was afraid she was unwelcome.

  “Sit here.” Dahlia suggested. Lily looked around at the other girls to see if there were any objections. No one said anything, so she took that as a sign that it was ok. She savored every delicious bite of her fish. It was better than any fish she had ever had.

  After they were all finished eating, Rose Bud and Marigold came and sat with Lily too. Both of the younger girl were enthralled with everything she had to say. Rose Bud eventually crawled into her lap and yawned.

  “Sing me a song.” Rose Bud requested.

  It was loud and crowded but Lily couldn’t deny her. So she began to sing her one of the songs she used to sing to Toodles. Rose Bud wrapped her arms around her neck and began to drift off.

  “You’re a beautiful singer.” Marigold said, scooting closer to hear her.

  And Lily was pleased to be accepted by more of the sisters.

  The sun was finally down and dinner had turned into a party. There was music and dancing. Heather pulled Lily up with her and they joined in with the dancing. They danced around the fire with everyone else and she got lost in the music. Tiger Claw sat at a table with Peter, a woman who appeared to be his wife and a younger, handsome man. They watched over the crowd, pleased by the joy that was spreading over the tribe. Peter hopped off his seat and came to join in the festivities. He danced and soared and Lily had never seen him so happy. He grabbed Lily's hand and continued dancing around with her.

  “Are you enjoying yourself?” He shouted in her ear.

  “I love it here!” She replied with glee and threw her arms around him. All of this was because of him.

  “I’m so glad to see you happy.” He whispered softly.

  “Peter, who is that man at the table where you were sitting? And what is this party for?” Lily asked.

  “That’s Azalea’s betro
thed. This is a celebration of their upcoming wedding.” He explained.

  “That’s so exciting!” she squealed.

  “It is, Tiger Claw has been waiting a long time to find someone worthy to marry his daughter and someday take over his tribe. Black Eagle has proven that he’ll make a great chief someday. And Azalea is pleased that he’s not old and ugly.” Peter laughed. Lily joined him. She wouldn’t want to marry an old, ugly guy either.

  “It’s time for us to head out. Everyone will be going to bed soon.”

  Lily was confused.

  “We aren’t staying here?” She asked.

  “Only members of the tribe can sleep in the village,” Peter explained.

  Lily felt disappointed that she couldn’t stay with her new friends. And that she’d have to sleep in the tree again. She hugged Heather and Dahlia goodbye and followed Peter out, beyond the village.

  Lily slept in the tree again that night, however she didn’t really sleep. Last night she had been so exhausted she could have slept anywhere, now she wasn’t and sleep was not finding her. She was uncomfortable and nervous. She was afraid that her not staying the night in the village was a sign that she wasn’t staying in Neverland. That was a thought that made her unable to breath. It was best if she pushed it out of her head and focused on other things. Positive things. The amazing things she saw and friends she made…… things and friends she could very well never see again. No! She had to push those thoughts away. Dwelling on them wouldn’t change anything. And she was determined to enjoy herself as long as she could. She also still had to help Peter with his problem. Whether she stayed or not, she cared about Peter and if something was threatening his home, she HAD to do something about it.

  “Lily” someone was whispering in her ear.

  She opened her eyes and saw Peter standing over her. It was morning. She wasn’t even sure how long ago she finally fell asleep, but by how tired she still was, she assumed it hadn’t been very long.

  “Are you ready for today?!” Peter asked.

  He was acting very strange. Almost giddy. He didn’t often seem like the little boy he was, but when he got excited about something, that little boy in him came out in full force. His excitement was enough to get her going.

  “I sure am.” She answered though a yawn.

  Peter helped her up and adjust herself against the trunk of the tree to climb down. He stayed with her so she didn’t have to scrape her arms up by bracing herself against the tree. They landed together on the ground with a thud and laughed.

  “I got breakfast while you were asleep. Here have a banana.” Peter offered.

  “Thank you, I’m famished. “ Replied Lily.

  “Eat fast so we can get going. We have a long walk ahead of us, since you can’t fly anymore” Peter explained. Lily ate the banana in just a few bites and felt full enough to start out. After the festivities last night and still being tired, she didn’t want to overeat and make herself too exhausted to travel. Lily stood to leave.

  “Are you sure you had enough?” Peter asked and furrowed his brows. “We aren’t in that big of a hurry.”

  Lily smiled at his constant concern for her. It always felt so good to have him care.

  “I’m positive.” She replied.

  He popped up with her and headed out.

  Lily followed close behind Peter. As they walked she saw all kinds of plants and flowers she’d never seen before. All colors just seemed brighter here. Everything almost appeared to be glowing. It was all so surreal. She looked around at all of the activity around her. There were squirrels chasing each other and deer grazing, bunnies hopping along. Everything she saw was exactly what she assumed the forests at home looked like. Except of course for those magical differences.

  “What’s this?” Lily asked, on her tip toes looking at a tree branch. Peter walked over and saw what she was looking at. There were tiny crudely constructed houses everywhere. They were made out of pinecones and leaves and flowers and acorns and basically everything else growing in this forest.

  “Those are fairy houses.” Peter explained.

  “Fairy houses!” Lily was so excited. “Where are the fairies? Do they sleep during the day? Can we wait around until they wake up? Are they out looking for food? Do they know how to speak to us?” Lily just rattled off every question she could think of.

  “The fairies are all gone.” was Peter’s only reply.

  Lily had forgotten that he had already told her that. Once again she felt determined to help him figure out what was happening to his home. She just had to help him.

  “Let’s keep going.” he suggested. “We still have quite a ways to go.”

  “When will we see the mermaids?” Lily asked.

  Mermaids were the thing that had really piqued her interest back when Neverland was just a story. She would love to swim with them, now that she knew how to swim. She imagined they were very beautiful. Or looked like fish with legs, she still wasn’t sure which applied.

  “We will meet them soon. But not today.”

  And he kept on walking. The excitement that had seemed to fill him before had passed and now he seemed melancholy. She need to distract him.

  “So where ARE we going?” She asked.

  And that seemed to do the trick. That spark of excitement ignited again and Peter was back.

  “Uh uh, not telling.” he almost laughed. “It’s a surprise.”

  “If you say so.”

  Lily was just pleased to see Peter happy.

  While they walked Peter would point out spots that he and the Indians would play games or hunt.

  “See that rock there?” he asked.

  Lily nodded.

  “No matter how many times I hide there, Rose Bud never finds me.”

  She laughed at the thought of the smallest of Tiger Claw’s girls constantly forgetting to check the same spot.

  After they walked another 10 minutes, Peter stopped.

  “We’re here!” He announced.

  Chapter 10

  Um…… Lily looked around, confused at what she was seeing. They stood on the edge of a meadow. All she saw were more of the same trees she’d been seeing all morning. Toward the edge was a haunted looking tree, possibly dead. It was shorter and flatter than the other trees with an enormous trunk. It looked completely out of place. Like it was snatched up and brought here from another, spookier world.

  “Peter, what am I looking at?” She asked, still not understanding.

  “It’s your new home.” Peter explained.

  “I don’t understand.” she replied.

  “That tree. It’s your new home.” He explained.

  Lily figured he had to be joking. How in the world could she live there? And why had he been so excited about it? He must have realized she was confused.

  “Lily, I want to build a treehouse with you. For you to live in. Most of the trees here are impossible to build in. They are too tall or dense. This tree is old enough, short enough and hollow enough for us to build you a home out of it.”

  Lily was beginning to understand what he was saying. He wanted to give her a home! If he was giving her a home that meant he intended on having her stay here. Neverland really was going to be her home now!

  “We’ll have to travel around the island to find things to help us make it a home. But we should be able to find plenty of things. The north shore is where wrecked ships and lost things wash up all the time. We’re bound to find tons of things there.” He explained.

  Lily was beside herself with excitement. She flung herself in his arms and thanked him repeatedly.

  “Lily,” He stopped her. “It’s going to be a lot of hard work. We will have to carry things back, chop trees down, and dig. It will not be easy.”

  “I look forward to the hard work it takes to make my very own home” she replied. She had been excited on James ship to get her own cabin. Now, she was getting her very own house!

  “Let’s head out to the north shore and see what we
can find there.” Peter started walking out and Lily, again joined him, bouncing with excitement.

  The walk to the north shore went on forever, but Lily barely noticed. She and Peter talked about the things they would do to the house to make it as much like a home as they could. Although, it could have been 4 small walls for all Lily cared. She was just excited that she was obviously staying AND getting a house. Dreams really did come true. They passed through more forest and Lily realized that Neverland was even bigger than she could have ever imagined. And then a thought occurred to her

  “Where did the fairies go?” She asked. Peter shrugged.

  “I’m not really sure. They just said they were going somewhere they could find answers. They even left the source.” Peter replied.

  “The source?” Lily asked.

  “It’s what we call the tree where pixie dust comes from.” Peter explained.

  “What’s Pixie dust?”

  “It’s magic. It’s what makes me fly. It feeds all of the plants and animals. It’s what makes everything so bright and young.”

  Lily hadn’t realized there was something that made people fly or that there was something that fueled the island. Peter had told her, before she ever left home, that it was just something he knew how to do.

  “What does Pixie dust look li….” Lily stopped when a thought occurred to her.

  “Peter, is Pixie dust that stuff you threw on me when we were on James’ ship?” He didn’t need to answer. She knew it was. What else could it have been? She was so wrapped up in what was happening at the time that she hadn’t had time to think much about it, but she now knew it was.

  “Could you give me more pixie dust so I can fly again?” She asked.

  Peter just shook his head.

  “Why not?” she demanded. “You used it on me once, why can’t you again?”

  “I don’t have enough.” He answered.

  “Just go to the source and get more.” She suggested, wondering why he hadn’t thought of that before.