Shadow of the Hook

by Erik Schubach

  They all stopped playing and came back to land near us. More of them pulled little wood swords, and all started looking more closely at my girl. A couple prodded her like it would coax her curse out, she snapped at each of them.

  The eldest again took charge and assured us, “The Pan will know what to do. Come with us, we'll fly you to home. He'll know how to hold a wolf.”

  Before we could protest, they swarmed us, and two boys each grabbed us under our arms, and we were speeding up into the sky at unimaginable speeds. One laughed and let go of me, but the other boy had no problem holding me aloft. “Tink may look growed up, but she still weighs less than Timmy. It's a Make-Believe!” I was extremely light in mortal terms, around fifty pounds, most of that weight my extremely dense bone structure. Most mortals my hight and build were almost three times that. It is how the Goddess made me.

  The others repeated excitedly, “A Make-Believe.”

  I called out indignantly, “My name is Robyn, not Tinkerbell.”

  The one flying me sagely said, “It's ok, Tink. They all forget when they become oldies. The Pan can help. Especially if it's just a Make-Believe on you.”

  I looked down at the sea far below, dotted with sailing vessels, and a better view of the chain of islands. They were all in a crescent shape, and I had to blink, there were light and dark patches of water, and they formed the rose of a map, complete with an 'N' to the north. And light lines seemed to divide all I could see into a grid that extended into a dense mist at the corners. It was a map. This odd fairytale land, this Neverland, existed on what I could only describe as a living pirate's map.

  I glanced at Mandy, who was looking down as well, her jaw agape in shock as she saw the same thing.

  If we hadn't already known we were in a different realm before, this just solidified the fact. And my farsight couldn't penetrate the misty fog at the perimeter. I heard myself absently asking as I tried to get over the shock of the amazing sight below us, “What lies beyond the mist?”

  The boy looked down at me and his brow furrowed. “The Nothing. Even oldies know that, what an odd pirate they made you Tink.”

  I asked to clarify, “So there is nothing beyond it? Has anyone ever explored beyond it?”

  He said, “You stop... being... if you try. Those who venture into the mists, slowly fade from memory and just aren't anymore. Only the Pan could get through to the Faraway, until the Hook stole the Sea Devil.”

  Amanda asked from where she dangled indignantly between two straining boys, “How many friends have you lost to the mists?”

  The boy laughed and said, “I don't know. Only the Voodoo Queen remembers. If I lost any friends, how would I know? The Pan says there used to be thousands of more people. And all the empty buildings had to come from somewhere, right?”

  Then Another boy asked with suspicion in his tone, “Wait. Is this another game?” All the boys flew closer in excitement, one calling out, “Can we all play? What are the rules?”

  The eldest called out, “No time for games, we're home. The Pan is going to be so happy to see Tink again.”

  I caught the scent of sulfur for just an instant just as we landed on another island that seemed to be uninhabited like the one we left, but it was swallowed up by magics swirling around the area so thick it was almost oppressive. The only structures were the series of grand tree houses that surrounded us in a primitive looking camp.

  Mandy's nostrils were flaring for a moment, but then she seemed to relax. We spun around when a young man's voice boomed out, “What are pirates doing here?”

  I relaxed when I saw a boy who looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, dressed head to toe in green, with a little green triangular hunter's cap. I don't know what we had been so apprehensive about a moment ago, there was no threat here.

  I glanced at Mandywolf, who looked similarly relaxed. The boy glided up through the air to us as the Lost Boys started shouting thing out like, “We found Tinkerbell, she got growed up.” “The Wendy is a wolf.” “Is it a Make-Believe or is Tink an oldie?”

  I was feeling a bit passive, and it confused me a little before it was washed away when this Pan narrowed his eyes as he drew a small sword, “Sit.”

  All the Lost Boys sat on logs around us as he approached, I found myself wanting to sit. I had been on my feet most of the day, and it sounded pretty good to me. So I sat next to the youngest, and he laid his head on my arm.

  Mandy was looking between this Pan person and me, looking confused, but she exhaled and sat beside me. This got the approaching boy to hesitate, his blade drooping a bit as his brow furrowed. He said as his eyes narrowed, “You can stand pirates.”

  I guess we had rested enough. We had things we needed to discuss anyway. I stood with Mandywolf. He cocked his head and said, “Turn around so I can get a look at you.”

  Well, of course, it only made sense, how else could he get a good look at us? We were after all in his home, it was the polite thing to do. We turned slowly then he smiled widely and sheathed his little sword and stride right up to us, walking around to examine us.

  He was a little too close for my taste, but it would have been rude to ask him to step back. He said, “You're not from this realm, are you.”

  Mandy and I chimed out, “No.”

  He whispered to himself. “Interesting. You seem to have quite a bit of imagination in you even though you're grown. What realm are you from?”

  Mandy just looked confused at the question, but I knew what he wanted so offered, “The mortal realm.”

  He smiled widely then cocked his head as he reached up to move my hair aside to look at my ears. A part of me knew I should slap his hand away, that was awfully familiar, but I didn't wish to upset him, so I just stood there as he looked. One of the Lost Boys called out, “See? We found Tink, she survived the Hook!”

  Amanda was watching, and I saw her eyes dilate, and she started growling, it started in the subsonic and built to an audible growl as she started to move toward him.

  He looked over at her and said, “Behave.”

  And something in me flashed in alarm as my girl just stopped then relaxed. This Pan turned his attention back to me and asked, “The mortal realm? But you are no mortal, what are you?”

  I said like it were obvious, “I am one of Perchta's children.”

  He smiled and said, “Are you really? Or are you as the boys say, Tinkerbell, or her sister? Could you be confused and simply forgot because you grew up?”

  I said, “No, I don't think so. Did I?” I didn't forget did I? Why was my head so foggy? Did grown-ups forget things? This Tinkerbell, of course, was my sister, but why did I remember something else? And the children say she's a fairy, I'm not a fairy, am I?

  Pan chuckled at my confusion, making me happy I had made him laugh. He said, “Oh this is priceless.” Then he whispered into my ear, “Can you imagine if it were true?”

  Imagine? Of course, I could imagine it. Anyone could imagine anything. Oh, Goddess preserve me, how could I have forgotten who I was... and that would mean... where are my wings? I asked in a small voice, “Why can't I remember?”

  Amanda was lunging, growling again, why was she so upset? She was my mate, but how was that possible if I was... Pan said one word, “Stop,” and Amanda stopped, looking confused as to why she did.

  Pan was grinning. “Oh this gets better and better. I can smell the demon taint in you. So much power. And a strong imagination, I could feast for years on it.”

  The youngest walked up and grabbed Amanda's hand and said like he was trying to gain favor, “I saw the Wendy first, and brought her to you.”

  He looked at the boy and told him, “And you will be rewarded.” Then he walked around Amanda. “You seem pretty impulsive for a little girl.”

  She looked confused and panicked for a moment before she crossed her arms across her chest and pouted out, “I'm not impul... impu... not what you said!” Fear flashed through her eyes, but then it was gone.

  The boy
in green smirked, and I swear I saw red flash in his eyes before he turned to the others and said, “It's a Make-Believe. The Hook must have done this to them to fool us. This is Tink's sister Bella, and Wendy's little sister Mia. Let's play and eat and celebrate their rescue, and help them remember who they are. Use your imaginations to break the Make-Believe and everything will be a big happy game again.”

  The sun was low on the horizon then, there was something important about that, oh yes, I blurted out, “But...”

  He stopped me and asked, “You want to make me happy don't you, Bella? You can't imagine it could you?”

  What a stupid question. Of course, I wanted to make the Pan happy, it would kill me if he were sad. But my name wasn't Bella, it's Bella.

  He said, “Imagine all the fun we'll all have.”

  Imagine? I could imagine it. We'd have such fun, and we needed to celebrate my rescue. Why didn't my Mia look happy? Was it because she grew up?”

  The Pan stalked past her and said, “I'd be ever so happy if you didn't pout. Have fun, celebrate. Use your imagination as much as you can, I'm hungry, and you and Bella are a feast.”

  Miawolf smiled and then looked at me and grabbed my hand, and pulled me to the boys, who were imagining a great meal of sweets and puddings. We giggled and joined in. A part of me was wondering where all this food was coming from, but I shrugged, the Pan wanted us to use our imaginations, so I imagined a bowl of strawberries. What was a rescue celebration without strawberries, right?

  As we played and ate the strawberries I found next to me, I lamented the loss of the wings I couldn't remember having. But that was ok because Miawolf looked so cute in her little pink frilly dress. I was glad the Lost Boys were stripping away the Make-Believe as she played tag with them, most of them taller than her as she giggled.

  She looked over to me. “Bella, come on, let's play!”

  I nodded at her, playing sounded fun. I flitted over to her and landed on her shoulder. She kissed my forehead, and we went screaming away from the boy who was 'it.' My fairy dust sifting down to Mia's shoulder ad she ran.

  That's when it all went wrong.

  Something in me panicked when I noticed the sun had set and the full moon dominated the bay below, and Mia screamed in pain as the Lost Boys all flew off in every direction in panic. The Pan flew out of his treehouse eyes blazing red as he looked down at us. I flew up and away from Miawolf as her wolf pup emerged. Her fuzzy wolf cub fur a beautiful midnight black, and she had dangerous looking recurved claws and razor-sharp fangs.

  She howled to the moon in last of the pain from the transformation. Then she started slashing her claws in the air toward us. She was small but dangerous as hell, especially if she bit someone and transferred the curse.

  Pan landed twenty yards from her and smirked, she spun toward him, her eyes glowing with hellfire and she started stalking toward him. He said, “Stop, and calm down.”

  She dove at him, and I saw fear and shock in his eyes when she lunged, like he couldn't believe she hadn't obeyed.

  He crossed his arms in front of himself in a defensive gesture. But just as she reached him, a muzzle appeared on her. She collided with him, her claws slashing, leaving deep cuts on his flesh as she roared and tore the muzzle off.

  The Pan was hurt. It was like my life was over. As I flew down in a panic, I yelled, “It has to be silver!” I was equally concerned for her. Of course, she was my mate. But how could a little girl who looked only to be seven or eight be my mate? I'd have to worry about that later.

  I flew between them to save the Pan. Miawolf snapped her freed fangs at me but stopped just shy, and I saw her nostrils flaring. Then she tried to get around me, but I buzzed in front of her. Then another muzzle was on her, burning and sizzling, indicating it was silver. If only we had some sort of containment cage. God, she looked so damn cute and fuzzy.

  I looked down to see what looked like a pink pet carrier laced with silver at Pan's feet. I called out in my tiny voice, “Peter.”

  The Pan looked down and then grabbed the struggling wolfing, and stuffed her in the carrier. After a few growling lunges followed by yipping as the silver burned her, Miawolf settled down in the carrier and just growled.

  He spun on me and grabbed me from the air, I squeaked in pain as I felt one of my lower wings crackling. “Why didn't you tell me she was one of Styche the Trickster's cursed?”

  I said as I trembled in fear at his outrage, “I tried, but you told us to play and celebrate.”

  He growled and said, “I'm disappointed in you, Bella. We'll speak of this tomorrow.”

  I looked at him, my eyes watering as he released me then flew up to his treehouse, leaving me standing there with the little pink pet carrier. I sat with my back to the carrier and cried. Why was I so sad and disappointed in myself? I had upset the Pan.

  The growling in the carrier ceased and turned to whimper. I looked around to the door to see Miawolf's nose sniffing at me as she whimpered.

  She was my mate, and I was hers. She wouldn't hurt me no matter how primal, and animalistic her mind was in this form. I crawled into the cage, and she first snarled and snapped at me, then sniffed and curled around me as she growled at the world. I yawned realizing how tired and confused I was as I cried over Pan's disappointment with me. Then I relaxed into the downy soft black fur, yawned, and went to sleep, with my Miawolf protecting me.

  Chapter 4

  Pirate's Landing

  I woke to the sun streaming into the carrier as I was thrown bodily out of it. I buzzed into the air and checked my leaf skirt and armor, just as a little girl started cussing like a sailor. “What the actual fuck? Ow, fucking ow!”

  The pet carrier burst apart as Mia changed from her fluffy puppy butt to human. I giggled at the sight. Then she froze as she stood up, silver burns sizzling on her flesh healing quickly, but not as swiftly as normal wounds.

  Her eyes were wide as she looked down at herself as the Lost Boys started flying down from treehouses. She started screaming as she covered her modesty, which got the Lost Boys screaming. So I started screaming to join in the game.

  Mia was looking at herself muttering, “What the fuck happened to me, why am I so small? How did this...”

  Pan flew down, the young boy yelling, “What's going on here?”

  Then Miawolf was diving through the air, her little pudgy hands curled like claws as she landed on the Pan, grasping his throat as she screamed, “You did this to me!”

  I was torn between my need to protect her and the panic that she might hurt the Pan as I hovered there. Even one of the cursed who was as young as my Mia was insanely strong and fast, she could snap his neck without a thought.

  The fact that he couldn't pry her hands off his throat as they hit the ground, her riding him to the ground without losing her grip, was a testament to that. The Lost Boys swarmed them, trying to pry her fingers open. This snapped me out of my indecision. They might hurt her.

  I buzzed in front of her face and squeaked out, “Miawolf, stop! They'll hurt you!”

  Her eyes bulged in shocked recognition and her grip loosened as she asked in her cute little girl voice, “Robyn?”

  That was all the distraction they needed, the youngest boy, who we learned was named Timmy, slammed into her from the side and knocked her off of the Pan, Nate and Jamie threw a net of twisted vines over her they had imagined out of thin air, and the others dove onto the corners to keep her pinned down.

  I zipped over to her, yelling at them, “Be careful! Don't hurt her!” The warning was unnecessary, as they were all having a problem containing her as she growled and shrieked and dragged the whole bunch toward Pan, who was sitting up now, rubbing his throat.

  Then Mia and the Lost Boys all froze with me as the Pan rasped out, “Stop!”

  Then he strode up to us as Mia growled at him, “Hush.”

  She hushed.

  Then he said, “Release her, and for god's sake, imagine up some clothes for her.”

>   I closed my eyes as the boys did and I did my best to imagine clothes for her too as they did. That's what the Pan wanted of us, and I wouldn't let him down again. When I heard a little indignant harrumph. I opened my eyes and saw Miawolf standing there in a cute little yellow dress and her hair in a ponytail tied with a yellow ribbon, and cute little shiny black shoes.

  She was looking at her dress with disgust, and that look on her face was adorable. It was like seeing a kitten hissing. Amanda would be mortified to be seen like... Amanda? Who... wait... she wasn't Mia, she was... I mumbled in confusion, “Mandywolf?” A fog cleared from my mind. What had... I looked at my hands, I was so tiny and... “By the Goddess!” I screamed.

  The Pan growled out, “Bella, Mia, calm down. You had that dream again that you were someone else.”

  At the sound of my name, I remembered who I was. He was right, it had seemed so real a moment ago when I thought I had been the Wendy called Robyn. Of course, he was right, the Pan is always right. Then I was immediately afraid that maybe I had disappointed him again.

  I looked at my Miawolf, and she looked confused and afraid as she lowered her eyes. Like a beta wolf, the way she did with Snow. Hmm... who was Snow?

  The boy in green walked slowly around us, talking to himself, “Interesting. The Trickster's curse seems to awaken her when she changes.” He glanced at the destroyed pet carrier and mumbled, “We'll need something larger next time.”

  Then he turned his attention to me. “And she seems to recover faster from the Make-Believe than a mortal. Probably the excitement of the moment and adrenaline.”

  His feet came into view and stopped in front of us, I realized my head was down like Mia's. I wasn't a beta, but I didn't want to look up to upset him.

  He addressed us, “Mia, who are you, little wolf girl?”

  She said in a shaky little voice like a little girl caught pilfering sweets from the kitchen who knew she was in trouble, “I'm Mia, Wendy's sister.”