CHAPTER FOUR
Runaway Lost Girl

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

     FOR EACH YEAR THAT WENT BY, ZELDA'S HOPE SHRUNK EVEN MORE. She had already lost hope that she would find a way out of Neverland and she sometimes wished that Pan would just get bored of her and put her out of her misery. At this point, she would rather be dead than be an eternal prisoner. It was moments like these that made her wish that she had thrown herself off that cliff sooner before Pan's shadow came along and dragged her back. The inside walls of her wooden cage were covered with as many tally marks as they could fit and it became impossible to keep track of time after that. Without knowing what day it was or how long she had been trapped, Zelda truly started to lose her mind and all sense of herself and the world around her.

     "Wake up!" Felix said forcefully as he used his spear to rattle the cage Zelda was confined to.

     The girl nearly jumped as she woke up from her rather unpleasant slumber and moved around to try and find a more comfortable position.

     "What?" Zelda asked as she rubbed her eyes.

     "It's time," the blonde said with a smile that Zelda could barely see through the thin spaces between the thick bars.

     "Time for what?"

     "A believer is in Neverland. Pan believes it's the Truest Believer."

     Zelda scoffed and laughed bitterly at the sound of hope in the Lost Boy's voice.

     "If he really is the Truest Believer, I hope he has the most common sense to get off this island before that son of a bitch finds him," she said as she leaned against one of the walls.

     "You should watch your mouth before Pan rips out your shadow," Felix warned.

     "Pan wouldn't dare rip out my shadow because if he does, he'll only be putting me out of my misery. And I bet you twenty pounds that he would rather watch me suffer in life than let me find peace in death," Zelda said and she could see a muscle in Felix's jaw twitch and that made her smile in satisfaction. "Looks like you can't threaten me with death anymore."

     "Don't be so sure. We can still take everything else away from you," Felix said.

     "What is left for you to take? You and Pan already took away my hope and my sanity. You can't hurt me anymore. I have nothing left for you to take away from me," the raven haired girl said.

     Felix glared at her before he turned on his heel and walked away. Zelda sighed as she closed her eyes and clutched some of the fabric of her overalls in her hands. The longer she stayed in Neverland, the more she wished she could go back to England. She wouldn't be caught dead going back to her mother but that little English village was the only home she had ever known. She would sometimes imagine what her life would be like on the day she finally escaped her mother's clutches. She would have her own little house in another village far away where her mother couldn't reach her and nobody would know who she was. She would've had a fresh start and her life would've started for real. Sadly, that wasn't how it happened and she unknowingly traded one prison for another.

     She sat up and looked through the small open space between the bars to see what was going on. All the Lost Boys were playing games around the fire and Pan was nowhere to be seen. She felt around the top of the cage and found a knot that she assumed was holding her above the ground. Her fingers worked at the knot until she felt the rope beginning to loosen and kept tugging until the cage dropped. All the wood smashed at the sudden contact with the ground and the noise caught the attention of all the Lost Boys.

     Zelda quickly got up and started running into the jungle but the Lost Boys were right behind her. She could hear Felix shouting as she moved the branches away and her feet pounded against the earth as she kept running. She turned around to see how far away they were behind her but when she turned back around, she lost her footing and fell off the edge of a rocky cliff. Everything seemed to be frozen in that moment until she hit the water and was surrounded by the cold darkness. Her entire body was numb and it was like for once in her life, she could just be still and let herself go. Everything that happened in the years that lead up to that moment replayed in her head and she was more than happy to finally allow herself to be swallowed into oblivion.

     It felt like she was having a very good dream but was forced to come out of it when she coughed up a whole bunch of water. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and her body shivered at the cold air. Her teeth chattered as she closed her fingers around the soil underneath her to realize that she had washed up on land. Little by little, she was able to move more parts of her body until she was able to sit up completely. It took her a while before she was able to stand up and walk right back into the jungle. If she stayed out in the open, Pan would've found her in no time and she would rather not let him get his hands on her so easily.

     As she walked through the foliage and vegetation, she found a long and thick stick that was near her height. She found a sharpened stone and used a vine to tie it to one end of the stick so she had something to defend herself with. Her makeshift spear was practically the definition of amateur but at this point, she didn't see the need to complain. The Lost Boys were animals and she needed anything she could find to use as a weapon to fight back if necessary. Whenever she heard the familiar sound of the Lost Boys, she moved the other way to avoid crossing paths with them and she kept herself on high alert for Pan's shadow. Although dying didn't sound like the worst idea, she would still like a taste of freedom before taking her last breath on Earth.

     Her clothes were still wet and her raven hair was matted against her skin but she kept walking. Almost everything she was seeing now, she was seeing it for the first time. Although Neverland was a huge island with many places, Zelda had only seen base camp and the trail she took to the cliff before she tried to jump off. For the first time in all these years, she was seeing so much more to Neverland but that didn't change the fact that it was all a trap. No matter where she went, it was all the same because she could never leave. It was a miracle she was even able to escape the Lost Boys while Pan was out looking for the Truest Believer and she wasn't sure she would be as lucky to get off the island altogether.

     She heard twigs snapping and quickly hid behind the bushes. She kept her breathing quiet as she saw five people walking through the jungle. One of the men was using a sword to cut through the thick branches and she held her spear tightly as the second man grabbed his arm.

     "I can handle a bunch of thorns," one of them said as he tore his arm away.

     "It's Dream Shade. It's not the thorns you need to worry about. It's the poison they inject you with," the second man said with warning. His voice was deeper as he had a different accent to it. "In its natural form, death would be slower and far more painful."

     Zelda couldn't see the thorns the second man was talking about but she would have to take a closer look once they were gone. Naturally, she didn't know that there were thorns with a poisonous substance in Neverland and if she carried on walking through the jungle without hearing that conversation, she never would've known. She would have to see what the plant looked like so she would know what she was being so cautious of.

     She could hear their footsteps fading away deeper into the jungle and she came out of her hiding spot. She hated being so cautious and looking over her shoulder every other moment to make sure no one was following her but that was simply how it was. She could see the black substance on the tips of the thorns and she understood what the man with the accent was talking about. She made a mental note to stay clear of the thorns that secreted the dreaded Dream Shade as she trudged through the jungle with her weapon in hand.

     Her throat was dry and her lips were chapped and cracked from the dehydration and constantly walking without a break. Her feet were sore as well and she was getting tired but she didn't know if it was safe for her to rest. If she let her guard down for even a second, someone or something could jump out and attack her without hesitation. Nowhere was safe, especially on her own and it was a miracle she had even lasted so long without getting caught by Pan, his shadow or the Lost Boys.

     She reached another cliff and she could see the rest of the island around her. The jungle below looked even darker than the rest of the island and a shiver ran down her spine at the thought of what could've been lurking around inside. She needed to find a way off the island and she had no intention of spending the rest of her life trapped in Neverland with Pan lurking around and waiting for the right moment to attack. She couldn't even remember how many years it was before she lost track of the non-existent time.

     Zelda hiked back down through the tall trees and thick bushes and stayed clear of the thorns that were laced with poison. The more she walked, the more parched and tired she became and she wished that she could find at least one safe place to rest but it didn't seem to work that way. If she wanted to avoid getting caught, she needed to keep moving no matter how tired and dehydrated she was. The only problem was that if she kept going at the pace she was, she would drop dead pretty soon.

     From a distance, she could hear screaming and the sound concerned her. For all she knew, someone else could've had a run-in with the infamous Peter Pan and he could've been doing unimaginable things to them. All she had was her amateur spear and one experience of fighting somebody with a weapon but if someone needed help and she turned the other cheek, she would never be able to live with herself. She moved carefully through the jungle and held her spear tightly as the yelling got louder. She could also hear the sound of weapons clashing against each other and the familiar sound of the Lost Boys. Usually, Pan was where the Lost Boys were and she truly didn't want to fall back into his hands. She reached a clearing and she could see some people who were surrounded by Pan's Lost Boys and fighting them off. One of them was using a bow and arrows, three were using swords, and one was using what looked like magic. She saw Felix attack one of them with a club but he used his sword to block him and fight him off. She watched the form he was using and clutched her spear with both hands.

     Just as she regained her focus, an arrow hit the tree right next to her head and she quickly moved away from it. Another arrow flew right past her and she stumbled while trying to avoid getting hit. Her foot slipped and she tumbled down the slope until she stopped falling right in the clearing. She saw one of the Lost Boys hovering over her and preparing to hit her with his weapon but she kicked his legs from underneath him and scrambled to stand up. She used her spear to block his attacks and she could hear Pan laughing in amusement but she didn't want to face him. She tried to run back into the jungle but somebody grabbed her and they both tumbled back down the slope. Her head was spinning as she reached for her spear but it was like an invisible force dragged her back and someone pressed their knee on her back while grabbing her hair and throat.

     "Where's Henry?" the person holding her down asked.

     The name didn't sound familiar to her at all and she was still in shock from being subdued in such a way. Her silence only seemed to anger the person with a woman's voice even more as they squeezed her throat even tighter and Zelda could feel herself getting lightheaded. The mysterious woman pulled her onto her feet and dragged her through the open space before throwing her into the dirt.

     "We got a hostage who can tell us where Henry is," the woman said while Zelda tried to hold herself together.

     How many times was she going to be held prisoner? Maybe she should've walked away when she first heard the fighting but instead she chose to see what was really going on. And who was this Henry person they wouldn't stop talking about?

     "Who's Henry?" she asked.

     "Don't play dumb with me," the woman said and Zelda could feel something wrap around her throat as if an invisible hand was trying to strangle her.

     "Regina, let her go!" someone said and Zelda could recognize it as another woman's voice.

     "Where's Henry?"

     "I don't know who you're talking about," Zelda said as best she could with the lack of airflow.

     "She's not a Lost Boy, so let her breathe before you kill her!" the second woman said.

     "Lost Boy or not, she might know where Henry is," the first woman said.

     "And if you kill her now, we may never know," the second woman countered.

     Everything was silent until Zelda was able to breathe again and her lungs were relieved. She looked at the people standing around her and one of them kneeled in front of her. The woman had pale skin and her dark hair was cut short. She still held the bow in her hands and a quiver of arrows around her shoulders.

     "We're looking for somebody named Henry. Do you know where he is?" the woman asked. Zelda only avoided eye contact as she played with the sleeves of her shirt. She honestly didn't know who this Henry person was and even if she did, she didn't know where he would be. But so far, no one seemed to be satisfied with her honesty. "No one is going to hurt you."

     "Speak for yourself," the first woman said.

     Zelda turned around to get a better look at her and her hair was also dark and cut short but not as dark or short as the woman kneeling in front of her. Also, her skin wasn't as pale and she had more attitude whereas the woman in front of her was more gentle.

     "I already told you, I don't know who you're talking about. And even if I did, I wouldn't know where he was," Zelda said and she could feel everyone except the woman in front of her scrutinizing her.

     "She could be lying to us and working for Pan," a man with dirty blonde hair said while narrowing his eyes at Zelda.

     "I've been running and hiding from Pan all night. I got away from him and his Lost Boys and I've been hiding in the jungle since then," Zelda said as she looked at everyone's faces.

     "She's telling the truth," a blonde woman said and Zelda eyed the sword in her hand.

     "Besides, she wasn't with the Lost Boys when they attacked us, she only came tumbling down halfway through the fight," the man with a dark coat and a hook for a hand said and Zelda recognized his accent from before.

     "What's your name?" the pale woman asked gently.

     "Zelda," the raven haired girl said.

     "Well Zelda, you can come with us," the woman said as she stood up and pulled Zelda with her.

     "You can't be serious! If anything, she'll only slow us down!" the dark haired woman said as she glared at the young girl in front of her.

     "We are not leaving her behind just for her to get caught by Pan again after hiding from him all night," the gentle woman said sternly.

     "Besides, she could be rather useful with this weapon of hers," the man with the hook hand said as he gave the spear back to her. "Nice handiwork by the way."

     "Thank you," she said as she took the spear from him and stayed close to the pale woman who was nothing but kind and gentle to her.

     She followed them through the jungle and held the spear in her hands tightly. Although she had agreed to follow them through the jungle, she kept her guard up in case they turned against her, especially the woman who was already against the idea of her tagging along to begin with. They reached an area where a fire was built and a tarp was set up. There were other supplies as well as Zelda stayed quiet. The pale woman offered a canteen of water and Zelda looked at it hesitantly. Of course she was practically dying for some water but she wasn't sure if it was okay for her to take some either way.

     "Go ahead," the woman said and Zelda hesitantly accepted the canteen from her. She took a small sip, careful not to take too much or to drink it too fast and the burning in her throat started to cool down. "When was the last time you had any food or water?" the woman asked.

     "I don't remember," Zelda said as she gave the canteen back.

     The woman nodded as she pursed her lips into a thin line. "Wait under this tarp and I'll be right back," she said.

     Zelda did as she was instructed and sat down underneath the tarp but she held a firm grip on her spear as she watched everyone go about their business.

     "Are you alright, love?" the man with the hook hand asked and Zelda looked up at him.

     "I'm fine," she replied.

     "You look a little lost," the man said.

     Zelda sighed, "I feel lost. I feel like a Lost Girl."

     "How long have you been trapped in Neverland?"

     "Years."

     "That's gotta be rough."

     Zelda nodded her head as she waited patiently for the woman to return. She also wanted to ask what her name was so she would know what to call her from that point on. She was also thinking that while they were looking for Henry, maybe this could also be her chance to finally escape Neverland.