Caged • Robbie Kay/Peter Pan •

Chapter Six

Nothing felt extravagantly relieving as stepping out of the moving boat onto the beach of the small fishing island.

Luckily, I hadn't gotten sick enough to lose my breakfast over the side of worn wooden boat but my small headache had turned into a nauseating migraine.

The sun had finally risen, but clouds blanketed the pale blue sky.

I fell onto the stiff wet sand as the wind whipped around cooling my flushed cheeks, I closed my eyes.

I could hear the squishing sound foot steps someone trudging closer to my aching head in and the little light that shone from the sun was blocked by a towering figure.

"What do you think you're doing?

My eyes squinted opened to reveal Peter with his arms crossed over his chest and his brooding scowl of annoyance.

"I've never been in a boat before." I replied simply, burying my head in the crook of my arm.

"Get up."

I had no choice but to uncover my head and stand before Peter, brushing off my cloak and pants.

"I'm up. Now what do you wish for me to do, your majesty?" I said with teeth clenched and mocking a bow.

"Watch it, Meadow. Don't mock me unless you want to be left here when those boats leave this island." Peter informed, pointing the boats with an extended arm. I was growing tired of his threatening tone that he used in attempt to scare me. But I knew that if I talked back, he would keep going on.

"Yes, Peter. What would like me to do?" I asked him again. He thought for a moment while glancing at the other boys who had worked together to pull the boats into the shore. His tongue flicked over his bottom lip before he spoke. "Since you can't very well use a spear to fish, go into the woods and pick some berries."

"But I can't-"

"Are you afraid?" he questioned, his pupils cutting through me like black daggers dipped in green poison.

"No. But what if something were to happen to me?" I questioned further. "Can Owen come with me?"

"No." he commanded sternly and too quickly as if he had known what I was going to say before I had even said it.

"Liam." he called to the young boy. His head jolted up in attention. "Yes, Peter!" he replied, dropping his bag with a muffled clunk.

"Go to woods with Meadow."

His face fell with disappointment but he complied without hesitation, joining me as we went into the unfamiliar woods to tackle whatever lie behind the soldier like trees.

"Peter told me I could help this time. He's never let me fish with the older boys before." Liam finally said when we were out of ear's reach.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, he told me I couldn't either." I admitted, patting the shoulder of the young boy.

"Yes, but you're a girl."

Liam's seemingly innocent words had just as much of an affect as Chase's words had when he attempted to make me feel lowly and worthless.

When I didn't reply, Liam looked up at me and his expression softened. "Oh I'm sorry, Meadow. I didn't mean it. I meant-"

"No, it's okay! I know you didn't mean it that way. I guess I just feel a bit differently than everyone else."

"Being different isn't a bad thing."

"It is when you feel like you've got a target on your back. The boys treat me like I'm lower than them and I feel like Peter is trying beat the stubbornness out of me because he knows I'm not afraid of him." I say, Liam listening intently to my complaints.