The Man Named Hook (Rewind The Classics 2023)

Ch 2: Hunting

There was no question about it, these kids that Peter chose to go hunt were going to get themselves killed.

Wolife is the second oldest; however, he is three years younger than me. His weapon of choice was his human teeth. Though he is a scrappy young lad there isn't a beast alive he can kill with his bare hands I fear.

Then there's Clever who wears the skin of a fox. His weapon of choice was a thick stick. Over the years I tried to shape into a club, but at the end of the day, it was nothing more than an oversized tree branch.

Finally, Hawk. I have nothing positive to say about Hawk.

"Why is Badger with us?" Hawk screeched loudly as he poked me with his twig-like fingers. "He is going to steal the show."

I ignored the trio as they loudly voiced their complaints about me to me. I couldn't blame them though. They went from playing all day and then being fed dinner to being the ones who had to make dinner.

I led the group to my usual hunting ground, far away from the waterline we called home. The Lost Boys stopped their complaining as they were memorized by the tree-covered land. I abandoned my hope for help as a game of hide and seek broke out between the boys.

They ran around making as much noise as humanly possible. I went deeper into the woods to hunt in peace. During my hunt, I found multiple deer wandering around and an abundance of turkeys. They are both super tasty but not what I am looking for. I had to travel far deeper into the woods than I ever had before to escape the noise being caused by the other Lost Boys.

The tree lines began to block the natural sunlight forming an unfamiliar darkness. Silently I became one with the darkness. Armed with my machete and protected by the skin of a honey badger, I did not fear what hid in the darkness.

In an open patch of the forest, I spotted a boar grazing in the grass. I readied my machete as I contemplated charging the beast.

That was until a shadow formed in my peripheral vision. A pair of unknown eyes rested on mine from a distance. The shine from his glasses was the only indication that I had that he was human. His shadowy figure pointed towards the boar without moving any other muscle. Then the loudest sound that I ever heard echoed throughout the forest.

Bang.

Fear shot throughout my body as nearby animals ran past me for safety. I was paralyzed in fear. That fear had a name as the human approached the now-dead boar.

"It's an adult," I whispered.

The man was shorter than me, but definitely huskier. He was definitely stronger than me because he lifted the boar over his shoulder with such ease. The man waved at me as if he wanted me to follow.

"Badger!" The screams of the other Lost Boys brought me back to reality.

"Bring Peter!" I ordered.

It was as if the name Peter frightened the adult because he dropped the boar and ran deeper into the woods. As soon as the adult disappeared from sight Wolfie and Hawk ran up to me.

"No fair. He killed dinner." Hawk whined.

Again, I have nothing positive to say about Hawk. "Take the boar to the camp and tell Peter where I am."

My order was final and absolute as I ran after the adult. I assumed that his size would slow him down; however, his pace did not slow. As the distance closed I realized that the adult did not simply point at the boar, but he pointed an unknown shiny weapon.

And he was pointing it again, but this time it was at me.

The deafening sound slowed me, but lucky for me I was uninjured. I chased the man into a clearing and saw a side of Neverland that I had never seen before. Over the horizon, I saw a mountain that was shaped like a human skull. I was so focused on the view that I didn't notice that the adult slipped away.

"Honey!"

I turned around to see Peter flying full speed towards me. He gently landed next to me as his eyes scanned my body. Possibly searching for any visible injuries.

"I'm fine," I said, trying to reassure him.

"Are you sure? I heard a strange noise?"

Peter being visibly worried made me smile. If he knew what kind of danger I was in he would probably never let me out of his sight again.

"Come on, let's go home," Peter said as he pulled on my arm.

"Hang on," I stopped Peter in his tracks as I turned his head towards the strangely shaped mountain. "What's that?" I asked.

"That's Skull Rock."