Revenge on Neverland

Chapter Six

The faint pink rays of the setting sun were soon enveloped by the darkness of nightfall. The black canvas was speckled with countless flickering stars above us, some shinning more prominent than others. The north star peaked through the jungle leaves, allowing me to catch a few glimpses of the bright speck in the sky.

My left foot stumbled over the loose dirt as I trudged through the jungle, Sawyer still unwilling to loosen his grip on my arm as he tugged me forward. We had been walking nonstop since we had started, and I was sure my sprained ankle would be different hues of blue and purple once we reached our destination - wherever that may be.

The cool night air prickled the back of my damp neck, where drops of sweat had formed hours ago in the blazing heat. The faint sound of crickets rubbing their legs together hummed through the trees, their rhythm only pausing once we neared the bushes they occupied.

My legs became heavy as we continued to follow Pan, and I glance ahead of us to see that I wasn't the only one exhausted from our travels. The lost boys all seemed to be irritated from the constant movement of their legs, their shoulders slouched as they continued at a slow pace behind Pan, who's strides never seemed to waver, despite walking long after the sun had sunken behind the ocean.

Pan seemed to have noticed the lack of energy of the boys, as he regrettably came to a halt, causing some of the boys to stop mid-stride, trying to fix their drooping eyes into attention as Pan glanced at them. His eyes shifted over the fatigued lost boys, setting his jaw in agitation before letting out a deep sigh.

"We'll rest here for what remains of the night," He informed, and the boys signed in relief as they dropped the bags that were secured over their tired shoulders. "We'll be leaving at the first sight of daybreak."

They didn't waste another moment on their feet, each of them slumping against some of the smooth rocks that surrounded us. A few didn't bother to find a spot, as they collapsed into the long grass that laid at our feet, leaning their heads on their leather bags.

Sawyer finally released his grip on me, before placing his hand on my back, shoving me forward as he did so. I glance in the direction he was taking me and saw that the cage a few boys where carrying was now settled onto the ground, the back of it was flushed against the wide trunk of a tree. Sawyer swung the cage door open, the sound of cracking wood filling my ears as he did so.

"Get in," He demanded, shoving me towards the entrance of the small cage.

"Lay your hands on me one more time, and I'll relieve you of your last leg." I glared, my teeth gritting together in anger as I shrugged his hand off my shoulder blade.

His usual cold glare was gone, and fear flashed in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came, as he set his jaw in annoyance. "It's either the cage or being tied to a tree all night. Your choice."

My eyes shifted over to one of the trees where a few boys stood, their hands gripping a thick bundle of rope, it's stray straws poking out in all directions. The thoughts of standing up for what remained of the night made my legs wobble, my body longing for much-needed rest. I turned back to the cage. The wooden bars were set a few inches apart, just wide enough for my hand to slip through.

Without giving it much more thought, I reluctantly stepped through the cage door, my boots fumbling over the uneven branches that made up the bottom of the small enclosure. A satisfied grin made its way into Sawyer's smug face before shutting the door, securing it with an old metal lock that hung between the door and the cage. I watched him as he jabbed the key into the keyhole and then turned the key, before carelessly slipping the small silver key into his shirt pocket.

His cold blue eyes shot me a final glare before he turned his back, heading towards a wide tree trunk as he walked with a limp, his left foot imprinting into the loose dirt as his pegged leg stabbed into the ground.