The Shadow's Keeper ~OUAT Peter Panfiction (Book 2)

"I don't like guessing games."

"H-Hemlock?" Anne stuttered, shivered to the bone.

            "Would you like to see what happened to dear old Christopher?!" He yelled loudly in pure joy, a laugh following that intimidated Anne greatly.

            "Stay back! I'm not afraid to use this!!" Anne then held out her knife and tried to hide her fear, but her hand shook dreadfully.

            "What, did your precious Panny give you that toy?" Hemlock laughed again. "It's pathetic!" He went to smack the weapon from the Beastly's sister's grip. Cutting himself instead he yipped like a suddenly injured dog and drew back as though he were scared, shriveling away and hiding himself beneath his cloak. He was then weeping. Anne wanted to leave, every part of her did, but her powerful curiosity was biding her to stay in her place. The boy's body was now shaking in his weeping but there was something grim about him still.

Anne then backed up when suddenly the boy shot around, the bottom of his cloak sweeping the dirt beneath him and he flicked his injured hand out. Eyeing his palm, the black cut healed before Anne's very eyes making her panic and finally bolt off. "Just kidding!!" Hemlock called after her, laughing some more.

The boy now running after the girl, he continued to taunt and harass her. "Not a fan of jokes are we?! Oh no problem!! How about a guessing game?!"

Shooting around a hollowed in tree, Anne burrowed herself deep within its depths. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she struggled to catch her breath, her heart racing along with her thoughts. "You guess how I'm going to kill you, sound fun?!" Hemlock called, his voice faint, clueing Anne that he was some distance back. Taking another deep breath, Anne then bolted from her shelter. Hemlock heard her and had started to bolt himself.

Suddenly tripping over a big stick, the lost girl flew over, falling hard onto the ground. Her gaze shooting towards the big stick, she thought fast and crawled towards it quickly.

Swift moments passed before Hemlock reached the empty place Anne had previously fallen. He recognized her tracks and snickered darkly. "Oh I was only kidding about that one too!!" He then called. "I don't want to kill you darling, I merely want to...play. How about you guess how many fingers I'm holding up?!" Hemlock laughed, walking and heeding the woods around him. A wicked grin on his face, a sly chuckle leaving his lips.

Passing a tree, he was suddenly smacked in the nose, instantly falling to the ground unconscious. Anne then whirled around the tree with her big piece of tree and threw it down on him. "I don't like guessing games," she commented nonchalantly before coming to her knees and digging around the lost boy. Searching through pockets on his clothes, she snatched out the handle of a knife. The blade flashing beautifully, Anne snickered beneath her breath at the greater-sized sliver and stashed the weapon inside her belt. Climbing to her feet, she then ran off.

~

"Do you have any idea where you're going?" Regina questioned towards Emma, aggravated and smacking away tendrils and leafy appendages from bushes as she'd frequently peer ahead.

            "Not even the slightest," Emma admitted, stopping and glancing back at her followers.

            "That's just wonderful," Regina spoke, stepping around Hook and Tinkerbell. "So what's your plan now, savior?" Regina then mocked mirthlessly, placing her hands on her hips.

            "I wish I knew," Emma faltered finally and sat down, covering her face. Hook came around and kneeled next to her.

            "And this is exactly why we shouldn't be wasting our time. Wherever your parents may be, they won't know a thing. They're too wrapped up in each other to look at the bigger picture, they will be useless to us, and after finding them what will we have accomplished in saving our son?" Regina challenged.