• Neverland

    "Mom? Dad?" I call out, "Are you there?" I get no reply.I begin looking for my parents. I feel a sudden chill in the air and I look around to see where it came from. All of the windows are shut and the door is as well. I feel as though our small cabin house is slowly closing in on me. The usual comforting blue-white of the furniture looks strange. I begin to search in my parents bedroom. The comforting mint green of the walls brings a bit of ease to my troubled mind. I feel myself sweating which is strange with such a draft. I still haven't found my parents, I begin to question where they have gone. As I'm looking I hear a strange noise coming from the back room, almost like a creak of a door's hinges. Naturally, I go to see if it was them, rather I get an... Unexpected suprise.

    That strange door in the room, the one that always remains shut, is ajar. When i was little i would try to pry the door open, to no avail. i once found a strange key, which my mother swiped from me quickly. i always wanted desperately to open it, heres my opportunity, and I'm too scared to take another step. I feel my stomache flutter. Of all the time we've lived here, that door has never once been opened. I suddenly feel a sense of uneasiness, like there is no longer safety in my own home. I want to turn away, maybe to spend some time at a friends until my parents get home. Though I soon find that my curiosity is far stronger than my fear. I slowly, precautiously approach the door, I almost expect something to jump out at me. Something like a monster, or maybe a demon of some sort. I pass through the door, I look at what looks like a mile long corridor. Doors on all sides, I choose to keep walking, see if I can find an end to this hallway. As I walk, I find myself ducking to avoid hitting my head. "The ceiling is slanted," I think to myself, "nothing suspicous about that." Soon I'm on my hands and knees crawling down what seems to be a never-ending hallway. Finally, when I was just about to go back, deciding it was none of my business, I see a small door at the end. It is barely wide enough for me to squeeze through, but I'm glad I did. It opened to the most beautiful garden.


    I stare in amazment, and begin to twirl like a little girl. The grass is green and lush. The flowers are in bloom, full and beautious. I can smell some of the fragrant August Beauties in the distance. The pattern is extravagant. swirls of hedges border the lilies, deep purple. i watch the wind blow through the elegant roses. i swear they have a rose in every color. i skip toward them and start to pick them. i ignore the thorns.Then I look over to see a little girl sitting in a flower bed. Her hair is a rather pecular color, a very intense green. Her eyes are the same color. The dress she wears flatters her fine form. "She can't be much older than me," I can't help but say aloud, "how did she get here?" As I approach her, I can hear her gentle voice, singing a soft song.

    "Fresh as gold, silver, and cold. He sits down in the meadow. He lays down, on the ground. With nobody left to find him." I can't help but reconize the tune. The "Bloody Mary" theme song is still fresh in my memory. As I get closer, her tune gets higher, I'm beginning to question the motive behind the pointless little song. Then, she changes her words slightly. Something about leaving before the "man" finds you. I'm getting confused by it all, the pointless song, so shrill it hurts my ears to approach her, seems to have some great meaning to this silly little girl. I begin to fear if she's not mentally sane, maybe she would hurt me, maybe something's not quite right in her mind. She turns to me with her tear-streaked face, basically screaming at me now. Her once gentle eyes wide with fear. That's when I see him. A rather tall man, bearing an axe. I see a glint of green eyes and brown curly hair before I begin to panic.

    "Run!!" The little girl screams at me. That's when I realize what she meant by the song, she was trying to save me. In one swift motion, the axe is flying through the air in my direction. I have nowhere to run. I'm frozen to the spot, I can feel fear rushing through my veins. Suddenly, all is calm, There is nothing left but an eerie blackness.

    I open my eyes to see that same young girl.
    "Are you alright?" She says with a tinge of worry in her voice.
    "I'm fine" I respond swiftly. I want desprately to take the worry out of her voice. It seems so misplaced there.
    "Oh thank god!" She says with a smile. More beautiful then I could imagine, glimmering white teeth and pearly pink lips to sorround them.
    "Now," she says, "its time for you to go home."
    "How?"
    "Wake up!" her voice seems to echo through my head. The next thing I know I'm spinning in a circle, things drifting by me at an unnatural pace. Then I wake up for real. Just how much was a dream? I feel the grainy earth beneath me and know that not enough of it was. When I see her there is no smile, actually her look is rather bitter. Almost as though she ate too much dark chocolate, but with the figure she has I doubt she's ever even tasted it. A rather unique-looking boy walks up to the little fire she seems to have fixed. They both begin speaking in a toungue I can not manage to decipher. Their words, or what seem to be words to them, are swift and hushed, almost meant to be unheard. I begin to worry, I have no way to understand what there saying, I'm completly alone with two strangers in the middle of the woods. What have I gotten myself into?

    The boy approaches me, I feel unnaturally shakey, almost as if he were to have some power over me.
    "Hello," he says in a tone sweet as honey, "may I ask your name?"
    "Valkyrie." I respond simply, I feel as though I should courtsey along with it for some reason. It's not as if he's any form of royalty, and if he is he doesn't make it very obvious. He looks at me undecicive at first, he must have read my face though for his expression quickly softens.
    " I'm Collin, it's a pleasure to meet you Valkyrie!" His voice seems overly sweet, almost like he were sucking up to somebody important. There is no reason to use such a voice with me, that's for sure. He smiles again.
    "Welcome home, princess." I stare at him in shock. I'm not sure to respond with sass, implying that he was being sarcastic, but his smile is so sencere. He laughs at me, I'm not sure what to make of it. He's still smiling. I really don't know what to do about all of this. Things start spinning again, this time his smile fades and he seems worried.

    "Are you okay?" he asks. I'm not sure if I can answer. Things stop moving and I can see him clearly. His pale skin shone like snow. His dark hair hung lightly in his eyes. Oh and his eyes, they are like liquid chocolate. He is muscular, more so than normal. He pulls me into his arms and asks me again.
    "Are you alright, princess?"
    "I-I'm fine, thanks," my cheeks are hot.
    "Behave yourself Collin, you flirting isn't helping her situation." the girl with the intense teal hair says.
    "Oh hush Miki, I'm just trying to see if she's fine." he bitterly retorts. I don't know how he could go from sweet to rude so quickly. He turns to me and smiles again. A punk girl walks out of the woods.
    "Wazzup?!" She asks without manners, seems like my type of girl. Her hair has neon streaks, while wearing baggy cargo pants and a black beater, she has a perfect destructive look.
    "Look who the cat draged in!" Miki points at me. The punk girls look freezes on me.
    " Ya know, I was half expecting some stuck up little brat, but you seem fairly decent," I'm not sure to take this as an insult or a compliment. By her standards, decent could mean I look like trouble.
    "Thanks, I guess?" I say unsure of myself. She laughs and sticks a hand out to help me up.
    " I'm Kairi! Nice to meet cha!" she says with a bit of slang in her words. I take her hand.
    "Valkyrie, same to you." I reply, I'm not sure if she's going to help me up or throw me across the clearing by how much force she puts behind it. I wobble when I go to regain my balance. Collin is behind me in no time to help me balance myself out. I blush, realizing that his hands were gently placed on my hips. I pull away, slightly afraid. He laughs and sticks his hands in his pockets. I turn away quickly when I see the golden band on his ring finger. He meets my gaze before I can look away, he then looks solemnly at me. I know there's a story behind that ring, that it wasn't because of love. He looks down as well, and leave it to Kairi to break an akward silence.
    "Why is everybody so quiet?!?!" I can't help but laugh. The thought of her innocence, being completely unaware of when something is a bit weird. I almost wish I could be something like that, never have to worry about drama. The others laugh along with me. Miki doesn't seem quite as amused.
    "What is so funny?" She says it with so much sass that I knew who the other ring belongs to. A sudden hush falls over us.
    "Nothing much, just laughing away stress!" Replies Collin, he seems to have quite a way with words. Being able to win all of us over in an instant, with a sentence as simple as that. In a flash, quick as lighting, I'm miles up in the air. I can see the others inaudibly shouting. All I manage to make out are two little words bellowed from Kairi. "Never surrender."

    That's when I realize what's going on: I'm the princess, a damsel; a prize to be sought over, and that's exactly what's happening.

    I start to get altitude sickness, for fear of losing everything from lunch, I close my eyes. When I manage to open them again, I find myself tugging desperately at ropes and chains that restrict me. This person had no intentions of taking me willingly. I see shadows under the door and start to panic; who knows what their intentions are. What if they want to kill me? That's when I see the glint of silver out of the corner of my eye.

    My locket.

    The same one my grandmother gave me all those years ago. I start to daze, seeing images from my childhood. I was always very weak, and afraid of everything. I started to block out everybody, hoping that would prevent me from ever being hurt. Then my grandmother saw through my thin little mask, offering her locket to me. It was her way of promising I was never alone. The next day she was shot, and I never will forget that she watched out for me. I will protect myself only for her, for I know that while she may love me, she doesn't want to see me anytime soon.

    The anxiety is driving me up a wall. I've been screaming for somebody to hurry up and come here. I might be playing a joker here, but it's my only chance. The next thing I know a young boy, no older than me, walks through the door. I don't want to trust him, but I have no choice. Something about those sea green eyes, with his thick brown curls falling over them, I couldn't help myself.
    "You called?" He asks.His tone confuses me. He looks so young, so radiant, that when that heavy deep voice is ushered from his lips, it seems out of place.Yet it seems perfect at the same time, it gives him dominance. It's everything I can do not to sink to my knees right now.
    "Yes..." I try to shoot as much venom in my words as I can muster. It's hard to be rude to such a sweet face.
    "...And? What is it you need?" The way he says it makes it sound as if he's actually going to accept my request.
    "I want out. Unchain me, NOW!" I grit my teeth in the attempt to give myself an edge. He laughs. Not the response I was looking for.
    "I would love to, in fact," he snaps his fingers," guards, take her to my quarters." he looks me over and smirks. I suddenly no longer want to leave my post. They make it obvious I have no choice. Grabbing my hands and feet, I am carried away.

    I thrash around as I'm carried down the hall. I know it's no use; the guards are at LEAST three times my size. I eventually stop struggling, hanging limply between the guards muscular arms. Soon I find myself re-chained to a post in a beautifully furnished room. The next thing I know, that boy is in the room and his skin is inches from my own. His heavy breathing hits my neck in hot bursts. He runs his hands over my face. Before I can scream for him to stop, there's a peice of duct tape over my mouth. His hands first rub my neck, then down my arms, and to my waist. I want to scream, but I can't. He presses himself up against me, swaying my hips lightly with his strong hands. He smiles into my neck, and runs his lips down to my shoulder.

    I black out. There is nothing I can do.

    I wake up drowsy, no doubt they drugged me. I feel numb all over, so I jerk my hands around to see if they're still bound. I was stupid to think they wouldn't be. I groan and try yelling for help. Naturally, no help comes. I want to just break my binds, but I know I can't. I'm still that weak little girl from all those years ago. I feel some sharp pain in my hand, which is actually a relief. Feeling pain means whatever they gave me has worn off. The relief fades when I feel something warm and wet. Blood. No doubt about it. I look over to see my locket, one of the old, rusty, jagged edges stabbing my hands. Stupid thing, it's sharp sides cutting me... Wait a minute, it's sharp!!!

    I immediatly set to work trying to saw through the ropes that bind me. I hear a snap, no two. Then my left hand is free, I set to work on my other hand, and then my feet. I rub my raw wrists, hoping it will relieve the pain I feel because it's lacking it's top layer of skin.
    "At least I put up a fight." I think to myself, I just wonder who took more damage from my rampage, me or the enemies. That's when I hear a window bust behind me. I dive behind the bed, praying that whatever it is, it's friendly. I peer over the bed, against my better judgment.

    "Valkyrie!!" Collin calls out as he pulls me into a warm embrace. I'm so shocked to see him, and yet overwhelmingly happy. Then I hear Miki clear her throat. I know our little hug lasted a bit too long. Collin seems much different, his eyes are rather deep. Almost as though the few days that we have been apart he has went on a year-long journey.
    "Alright!" He says, "we need to formulate a plan, while our army should be here soon we still need to- what happened to your neck?!?!" He looks at me in shock. I lightly touch my neck to find bumps, wilts, and lashes. Collin rushes at me and is apon me before I can react.
    "What happened to you?..." his eyes are close to tears while he holds me firmly. His grip doesn't hurt but it's very shocking compared to the way he held me prior.
    "I don't know his name, he had green eyes and brown hair."
    "Echo!" He almost spits when he says the name. "What else did he do to you?!"
    "I don't know, I passed out." I try to keep it simple. Even though I know more, I don't need him doing something irrational. He punches a wall, putting a solid hole through it. I'm almost scared now, that he might hurt himself.
    "I know he did something more, now what was it?!?!" His eyes are cold and unforgiving, his hair falling over them gives him a demented look. Praise the lord for Kairi.
    "There's no time to worry for that now, we need to get her out of here." I can't be sure, but I have a feeling the wink she gave me means that she didn't have intentions of stating the obvious just for fun. Collin sighs and nods. I think he's finally calmed down.

    They haul me out the window, not that I couldn't do it myself. They insisted, besides I'm too tired to struggle. Collin picks me up, wedding style, and starts to carry me.
    "I-I can walk on my own," I say in an unintentionally shy manner. I don't want to be rude, but I don't need any extra strain on him. He simply smiles at me. That warm, comforting, smile has been burned into my memory. His heavenly voice slowly whipering bitter sweet nothings to me. I feel at peace. I rest my head against his chest and listen to his heart beat. Steady and lulling, I soon fall asleep in his arms.

    I reopen my eyes to see a white ceiling, I hate unfamiliar ceilings, they always seem to represent some form of bad situation. I feel something sticking my arm. I look over to see an IV needle. Great. I'm in a hospital. There's a nurse by my side in seconds, trying to coax some strange fushia liquid down my throat. I refuse, I've learned the hard way not to take anything I dont give myself. Collin takes the liquid and starts speaking in that foregn language again. He gently lifts up my head and moves his face inches from mine. He then raises the medicine to my lips.
    "Drink," he mutters sweetly. I slowly take in the medication, it's a sickly sweet flavor of bubble gum. He doesn't drop my gaze as he tilts back the container. He looks rather strained, like he were trying to resist something he wanted desperately. I pull his face to mine and kiss him, I couldn't help myself anymore. I've never felt like this before. He looks shocked at first, but then pulls me closer, gently allowing his lips to mold to mine. I don't want this to end, but I need to breath. I've never kissed somebody like this before. He pulls back and smiles. I feel like I'm high, with everything so joyous and bright. That is, until miki walks in.

    Her gaze immediately drops to his hands hands on my hips, and gives him a stern look.
    " Hallway, now!" She says as she grinds her teeth. Talk about if looks could kill. It was at though her green eyes were loaded with venom of some sort. He gives me a depressed puppy dog look, I simply shrug. I can't do much to help him right now. As they walk out of the room my parents walk in. They both hug me, my mother in tears and my father trying to remain strong.
    "We missed you so much. We were so scared that we would never see you again!" My mother sobs. I can't hold it back anymore. I lose it.
    "What the hell is all this?!?! What is this place?! Why am I here?! Why are YOU here?!?!?" I rambled off questions at lightning speed. I don't give them time to respond, and become more livid when they don't. I know I'm being unreasonable, but so were they by leaving me alone in this place, with no guidance. I was terrified. They both look at me shocked as a hoard of doctors come in and try to restrain me. One stabs a needle into my arm and everything fades out..

    Opening my eyes again I see Kairi lightly hovering over me.
    "So how are you feeling?" She lightly strokes my face. Her warmth feels nice against my frigid skin. I feel the chill bumps rise on my arms. This is the same sensation Collin gives me. Strange, I never considered that I might feel this way about a girl. Maybe this is just the feeling of a good friend, but maybe not. I feel confused, maybe it's the drugs making me think like this.
    "I'm fine, I think," she laughs.
    "You gave your parents a good scare, they won't come near your room any more. Oh, there's somebody we want you to meet. We can always to that later though, I don't think you should be moving in your current condition," I don't say anything, rather I just nod.
    I lay back and attempt to rest my head, which feels like somebody just took a sledge hammer to it.


    To be continued...