Darling Ellie

Chapter 33

Elaine

My eyes were downcast as I stepped through the dense underbrush into the openness of the clearing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. One...two...three...look. I dragged my eyes up to see the figure in the cage had their back turned to me.

"Come to try and beat an explanation out of me Pan. Or another apology for hurting your precious little pet?" He laughed.

"I wasn't aware that Pan still associated with the shunned of his society." I spoke simply, trying to keep my voice steady.

Daniel turned slowly until his eyes locked with mine. An evil, animalistic, predatory smile rippling across his face. I felt my whole body tense at that smile.

"Oh, he's been to see me plenty. Hello Ellie." I tried to adopt an expression of uncaring.

"I'm not a pet. As I'm sure you know, I seem to be much more valuable than that, even to you though I'm sure you hate to admit it."

"I'll gladly admit it. You're meant to be mine Ellie. I am the only one who can protect you."

"Protect me from what? You're the only one on this Island who is trying to hurt me."

He deflected my accusation, "You can try to act all brave and strong, but I know you're not. You're weak and powerless. There's nothing you can do or say which will make me believe you aren't, I mean look at you. The old Ellie would never have dressed that way. You're trying to hide the fact that you're skin and bone."

I clenched my fist, "Just as you designed me. With pixie dust if I'm not mistaken."

"Exactly." He grinned.

"Daniel, I must admit your plan was a brilliant one. A horridly vile, evil, and brilliant plan to attack someone you supposedly care about and ruin their life, but there is one thing your forgetting."

"Really, am I forgetting that Pan has magic? Am I forgetting that your love and hope can reverse the magic I cast on you? I don't think I'm forgetting anything."

"Well perhaps forgetting isn't the best way to describe it, how about missing. There is one vital piece of information that your missing." I quickly pulled my sweater off over my head and pulled my pants off standing in the long sleeve grey shirt and the shorts, moving fast before I could lose my nerve.

I shivered from the cold, and from the fact that Daniel, my attacker, was staring at my body.

"Is that vital piece that you love a good strip tease, or that you're still in love with me. I can work with either." He grinned. "Unlock the cage, Ellie, we'll be free of this place, free of Pan and I can have you just as I want you."

"This isn't for you, this is for me. So, get your mind out of the gutter and pay attention." I reached out and held a tree branch firmly, willing my magic to flow into it.

I felt the power course through my veins. Weak but getting stronger. I felt life begin to grow from beneath my hand, larger and larger. Stronger and stronger. I felt sound and sight and taste and touch disappear.

There was only this. This moment. A golden moment of opportunity. A tiny golden life spreading from my very soul. Everything rushed back.

I opened my eyes to see Daniel. My ears opened to hear him demanding to know what I was doing. I could taste the tang of something strange coating my tongue. And hidden just out of sight I felt a single flower beneath my fingertips.

"You used pixie dust on me to take away my strength. You stole precious magic and used it for evil. While you stole my mortal strength, you could not steal what pixie dust had given. You could not steal my magic." I moved my hand to reveal the flower sprouting from its newly grown stem.

"That's impossible." Daniel seethed.

"Anything's possible on Neverland if you believe. My magic helps aid that." I breathed deeply, when my eyes shot back to his I knew that pure anger and defiance blazed in them, a flame reignited.

"You tried to take away everything I had, you almost succeeded. But buried, deep within me...I've always believed in myself and that's the most powerful type of magic." I plucked the delicate flower from the tree.

"Stop, what are you doing?" Daniel shouted.

With the sharp thorn on the bottom of the flower stem I pricked the inside of my elbow, blood welling to the surface. Breathing deeply, I turned the flower upside down pouring golden pixie dust into the tiny wound. Blood is the fastest way for anything to work. I expected it to sting but instead it felt warm. Comforting and familiar. Golden tendrils spread across my body, just visible under my skin.

"Wendy taught me many things...while pixie dust cannot take away what pixie dust has given, what pixie dust takes can certainly be returned." I felt my cheeks fill out.

I felt my muscles grow and hone. From the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes my strength returned. With it I felt my magic heighten and burst to the surface. Golden light surrounding me. I felt my feet slowly lift off the ground, the pixie dust healed me and restored me to something greater than I ever was before. I felt the tightness in my chest finally release. The fear of touch, the fear of every boy on this Island, the fear of my friends was gone.

"I don't understand."

"At birth, my mother revived me with pixie dust which gave me my magic. I believed that the pixie dust gave me my strength, but it was my magic. My strength came from no magical source I see that now. So, what your dust took away, mine was able to restore."

"How did a mortal woman get pixie dust?" Daniel snarled.

"This mortal woman caught the eye of an immortal boy. She travelled to a land of magic and took a souvenir as she made her great escape."

"It can't be." He shrunk back.

"Goodbye Daniel and thank you for allowing me to rebuild myself. Thanks to you and your own fragility I am stronger than you will ever be."

"You've ruined everything!" He roared. "You'll never be strong you'll always just be Pan's little who-"

The door to Daniel's cage ripped off its hinges. My magic leaping forward from my body. Pulling Daniel into the open. He clawed at the invisible force holding him aloft by his throat. I felt fire dance in my eyes as choked gurgling sounds spilled from Daniel.

"You're so typical it's sickening. You're so predictable it's frustrating. You're so weak its disappointing. How dare you question my pursuits!" I demanded. "How dare you demean a fulfilling relationship in my life! How dare you when you tried so hard to defile me and take from me what I was not willing to give. You're a cowardly thief who clearly needs a lesson in consent!"

I threw his body back into the cage like a rag doll, the door reappearing with a wave of my hand. "Just like almost every boy on this Island."

"Except Pan I suppose." Daniel panted.

"Even he started rough. But at least he learns his lessons." I willed calm to wash over me quenching the fire dancing along my skin.

I turned on my heel and left. Satisfied to never see or speak with Daniel again. Breaking through the tree line the camp was clear, the boys seemingly all at lunch. I hurried to the cabin.

Waving my hand over my wardrobe I replaced all the clothes within with what I used to wear before Daniel's betrayal. I dressed and strapped on my weapons, quickly scribbling down a note and slipping back out into camp and towards the hall full of boys completely unaware of what had just occurred.

Completely unaware of how my life had been flipped upside down... or rather back up the right way.