The Piper's Charm

Death

Jordan grabbed my hand, "We must go now." He tried to hurry me out of bed.

"What do you mean? How do you know its my father?" I asked pulling away from his arm.

"One of the other boys was about to kill the man but Peter saved him and ordered the boys to take him to the echo caves. Now hurry!" Jordan rushed me on.

I got up and struggled to catch up to Jordan who was beginning to sprint.

He began to go faster and faster, I gulped. "This is why I quit track." I thought helpless.

Finally after what seemed like forever, Jordan slowed down. He hid behind a tree, I joined him.

I stared across the clearing at Peter. "He's in there?" Peter asked Felix as he emerged from the cave.

"Yes, he's fresh too." Felix replied cooly, his stick resting on his shoulder.

"We better deliver the news to Diane. Come on boys." Peter lead the boys away, toward camp.

"What news is he talking about?" I asked, a knot began to form in my throat.

"Im not sure but we better get you back to camp." Jordan looked weary and nervous.

"Okay." We began to run back to camp, my body grew weaker and weaker with every step. I tripped over a rock and fell, Jordan stopped and came to help me up.

"Look were almost there!" Jordan pointed to the clearing where camp was. He helped me up and we ran faster.

We broke into the clearing as soon as Peter appeared with the lost boys. "You two look exhausted." Peter raised an eyebrow.

"We went for a run, I need to stay in shape. You know?" The heat from my blood wore off and now I was began to feel cold.

Peter grabbed my arm gently, he pulled me to the side and frowned. "Your cold." A sweater appeared in his hand and he handed it to me.

"Thanks." I took it from him and eagerly put it on. It was warm and it smelled like Peter. God, he smelt amazing.

"Ive some bad news for you. We found your father in the Echo Caves. He was murdered." Peter said flatly.

My eyes began to tear up but I wasn't going to cry in front of him, "Do you have proof?" I asked as a knot gathered in my throat.

"We found this, it was covered in blood," He pulled my fathers hook out of his pocket. I took it from his hands.

Oh no. The tears welled in my eyes, "Along with this." He pulled out a small sharpened stick from his belt. It was Jordan's, the one he was sharpening the night I met him.

A tear rolled down my cheek, he reached over and wiped it off, "Im sorry, Diane. He'll pay for this." Peter reached his hand out for me and I took it, we walked into the middle of the Lost Boys.

"Boys! We've got a traitor among us. Bring him out." Peter said darkly as Felix brought out Jordan. His hands were tied behind his back and his eyes blindfolded.

One of the boys brought Peter a bow and arrow with a glass bottle filled with black sap.

"Whats that for?" I asked nervous, still trying to hold my tears back.

"We have a story on Neverland about a boy hitting his best friend squarely in the heart with an arrow. Were going to testing that theory." Peter dipped the arrow in the sap and put it on the bow.

"Whats the black stuff?" I asked wide eyed.

"Dreamshade, a ruthless poison. Just a drop of it in your blood and you'll die within 24 hours." He handed me the bow and arrow before all the boys backed away.

"What's the Dreamshade for?" I asked my voice quivering.

"Just a precaution, my boys are tough. Jordan can survive an arrow but not Dreamshade," Peter backed into tge group of boys.

They started chanting "Shoot, shoot, shoot."

I hesitated and pulled back the arrow. Was I really going to shoot Jordan? I held my breath and remembered my father. A fire burned somewhere in my heart.

Just as I released the arrow it set on fire. I gasped as it struck Jordan harshly, he screamed as the pain from the fire and Dreamshade engulfed him menacingly.

The Lost Boys began cheering joyfully. "You passed the test, welcome to the family." Peter grabbed one of my hands and raised in the air as the boys cheered on.

I didn't feel any better, my heart just burned with a fire I had never felt before. The tears had ceased and so did the knot in my throat.

"Exhilarating wasn't it?" Peter asked releasing my hand.

"Yea, I guess." I sighed heading toward the tree. I didn't feel anything but pure evil.

I stopped, how did I make that stick set on fire? I turned around and focused on another stick that was on the ground. It set on fire.

Peter smiled, "Interesting, it appears you contain magic." His deep green eyes studied my tearful eyes carefully. "Your hurt." He said following me.

"Hurt? Pssh thats an understatement. I just killed the only friend I had on this island, plus my fathers dead. And you think I'm just hurt?" I glared at him but he held my gaze steadily.

"I'm truly sorry about your father," Peter nodded to me before turning his back and waving over some Lost Boys.

I rolled my eyes and pushed my way into the tree. I walked into my "room" and on the nightstand was a picture of me and my father.

I stood and stared at the picture for a good minute before I heard someone behind me.

"I thought you might want that. It was in your fathers pocket," I turned my head to see another lost boy. He had short dark hair and green eyes.

"Thanks," I turned around and faced him, why did he care if I got the picture or not?

"I'm Austin by the way, I'm Jordans older brother," He smiled and my eyes got wide.

"I'm so sorry, I-I didnt mean-" I started to freak out.

"Its alright, we weren't the closest brothers...I better let you sleep then," He slightly waved before stepping out into the main room of the tree.

I flopped down onto the bed and stared at the wooden ceiling, "I have to get out of here," I mumbled to myself feeling exhausted.

The nuzzled myself into the warm blankets and slowly drifted into the deep darkness of my dreams...