Shadow

Dream Catcher

Peter finally arrived back to the island, thinking about Wendy the entire journey back. He was wondering if there was any possible way she could become lost, so he could take her to the island. He was to scared to bring her to the island with her shadow still intact, not knowing what that would mean for her. At least if she were on the island without her shadow, he'd at least know what would happen, even if it wasn't ideal.

Peter went back to his little hut and jumped in his bed, unable to get Wendy off his mind. He couldn't sleep so he did what he normally does when he can't sleep, he went into Scott's hut.

"Couldn't sleep?" Scott says as Peter enters his hut, looking up from his book.

"No, not tonight," Peter replied.

Scott hates the night, and barely sleeps. After breakfast he is normally so exhausted he goes back to his hut to sleep for a couple of hours. He has a dream catcher above his bed that Peter normally looks at in the morning. The way dream catchers work on the island is that they catch your dreams, and with some magic, shows the person who is watching.
Scott constantly has nightmares which is why he doesn't sleep at night. The night is dark and lonely and takes him back to the night Peter saved him. During the day he just passes out, so he's not trapped with his thoughts, which is also why he reads at night, so he's not alone with his thoughts. Another reason is so he won't wake up in the middle of the night, alone. When he wakes up from a nightmare during the day he can just join the lost boys.

When the nightmares get really bad, Peter just erases them from Scotts memory, so the nightmares won't stop. People need to get worse before they can get better, so Scott needs to face his nightmares in order to heal and move on, not avoid them. Which is another reason Peter likes to watch Scotts dreams: to see if he's healing. If Scott heals, then it's just Peter taking care of the lost boys, and he'll be all alone again.

"I met Johns sister tonight, Wendy," Peter told him, sitting on the hammock in Scotts hut.

Scott put his book down and asked, "How was it?"

"It was... good. It was nice to talk to someone who is different, you know?"

"You mean someone who's not damaged," Scott replied.

"Someone who doesn't depend on me to save them," Peter said. "I know that sounds wrong, and I love saving these boys, but it's just nice to talk to someone who can take care of themselves, and just wants to talk to me just to talk."

"These boys don't just depend on you," Scott said.

"I know that, but when something goes wrong, they do. Which again, is fine, I love it, its was just nice for a change."

"I understand," Scott said. "What was she like?"

Scott hasn't spoken really to anyone in years. He tries not to get too attached to the lost boys, because he fears it will hurt when they grow up, and he doesn't. That's why he only really speaks to Peter, he is really the only guaranteed constant in his life, and has been for the past ten years.

"She was great. She's so pretty and strong, and smart. She understands that what her father did is wrong and hates him for it, but also loves him because he is her father and he's always been good to her. She has beautiful blue eyes that you could just get lost in, and it was so nice to talk to her. I can't wait to go back," Peter said.

"Go back?" Scott asked confused.

"Yes. I promised her I'd go back. She's lonely without her brother with her."

"You dont think she'd lose her shadow do you?" Scott asked concerned.

"I don't know, but if that means she can be here on the island, then so what?" Peter said.

"No!" Scott said, his voice becoming angry. "You know what happened to my sister, how could you willingly do that to someone else, especially someone you think you fancy?"

"Hey, I didn't know that would happen to your sister, but it was better than just leaving her there," Peter said, his voice becoming dark.

"That's debatable," Scott said.

"Really? Having her starve to death from your fathers neglect would've been better?" Peter stopped rocking back and forth on the hammock, sitting still and just glaring at Scott.

"She was a baby, she wouldn't have been aware of what was happening. Maybe her cries would've annoyed the neighbors so they'd call the police and she would've been put into child services and adopted>"

"No one would adopt a deaf baby and you know it," Peter said, standing up and pointing his finger at Scott.

"Maybe that's true, but this girl has a life, she can take care of herself like you said. Don't make her lose her shadow, and if she does, don't take her here."

"You're not the boss of me," Peter said.

"I'm not just going to stand here and watch you ruin a girls life out of your own selfish desires!" Scott exclaimed, standing up.

"Maybe I'll just take her here with her shadow still attached," Peter said.

"You don't know what that could do to her!" Scott yelled. "You've only known her for a night, and now you're willing to risk her life just to have her here? Are you insane?"

"I really thought you'd support me," Peter said with disappointment in his voice.

"I don't support idiotic things," Scott scoffed.

"You don't know when you're going to leave this island. It could be today, it could be ten years from nw, all I know is, I'll be alone, and maybe she'd want to stay here with me, and take care of the kids with me. Maybe she'd love it as much as I do and the island won't affect her like that."

"Don't do it Peter, don't ruin her life," Scott warned.

"You ever think I'd be giving her life meaning?" Peter asked.

"If you really think she'd stay, abandoning her little brother, her parents, and even stay after John left, for you, then you have another thing coming."

"Maybe you're right," Peter said walking out the door, "or maybe she wouldn't be abandoning anyone."