The Old King ~OUAT Panfiction (Book 3)

Reminiscence

            Nightfall...so soon, Anne couldn't figure it out. She was trudging through the woods, to where? She also couldn't figure out. Whatever Pan was planning for her, she just hoped it involved a warm change of clothes. She followed the howls & sounds of pounding drums through the forest, the bonfire light glowing against trunks of trees like a beacon. They were having a party. Anne got close enough to the outskirts of the camp again. There was wild dancing, masks, rum, and music. Only a few boys sat around, chattering & watching through their drunken hazes.

When Anne caught sight of Pan, he was watching, pipes in hand by his side. She watched him leave, stifling her breath behind a cluster of berry bushes. Her eyes followed him into the forest, though she didn't think much of it. That wasn't until she heard leaves crunching in her direction. She clamped a hand over her mouth, praying he'd pass. Her eyelids clenched shut, then her ears perked when the leaves stopped. There was silence behind her, causing her to glance over her shoulder. There was nothing but darkness, oblivion that helped her to her feet. She lowered her hand, then turned to run back off.

There was the sound of a twig snapping, at which startled her to bolt. As she was engulfed in darkness, she scurried aimlessly, rapidly breathing until she discovered a path. She halted, dropping down & felt the moist, warm dirt beneath her. It was like the forest had been purposefully cleared through this way. The rustling of some leaves caused her to climb back up & hasten forward again. She followed this path until she met the clearing at which it opened up to & the moonlight casted a silver glow upon the roof of a tree house.

Anne gasped, horrified at the memories that rushed back to her when the shadow's curse was over the island & Pan had attacked her. Except, there was something different. It wasn't the same tree house. It was larger & there was a balcony. A wooden post stood by a wooden ladder, no, not a rope ladder, but a wooden one.

Just as Anne went to approach it, a lantern hanging on the wooden post became visible as it was lit. Taken aback by the bizarre image, the sounds of someone walking came & her eyes darted over. It was Pan.

"S'about time you showed up," he spoke to her as he headed over to the ladder. "I was beginning to think you were foolish enough to keep running."

"I thought about it," she confessed, regarding him suspiciously. "But I knew you'd always find me."

"That's my girl," he replied, lifting the lantern off a hook on the wooden post.

"So you do remember," she began, hesitantly drawing near him.

"I do," he replied, a solemn look in his eyes.

~ ~ ~

After slight debate about it, Pan convinced Anne enough to follow him into the tree house. As they emerged onto the wooden floor, Anne's head turned to look back at Pan. He set the lantern down onto a table, at which he blew out. They were bathed in blackness, an eeriness climbing up Anne's back, before she was relieved when Pan magically lit a fireplace from close by. An untidy hammock hung in front of it, the place Pan had recently slept.

The firelight lit up the whole tree house, revealing a bed not that far from Anne, Pan's table that was circular w/two wooden chairs. Along the far wall, there were cupboards, a panel screen w/dreamlike, transparent white curtains laying over it for privacy & shelves of things like folded blankets & clothes. On these shelves, there were stacked bowls, cups, ladles, perhaps soaps & a brush.

It was cozy, not too large, but not to small of a room either. There was definitely air to breathe, though a few things made Anne curious. "Looks like you just cleaned up after a sleepover. What's with the...bed & the hammock?" She raised a brow.