Except One

Peter grinned joyously as he swooped in the wind. Tink at his shoulder and Felin fizzing and hissing in excitement at his ankle. They were coming closer to Neverland, the white fluffy clouds that hid the island from sight were coming into view.

The clouds soon parted as they drew closer, and Peter crowed at the sight of his island…and with excitement at being with Regan again. After all she was his very best friend. He had missed her but now she had her fairy and they could be friends forever.

The three swooped into the door of the tree house, high in the boughs of the Nevertree and landed lightly on the smooth wooden floor. Felin proceeded to zoom around the room, unable to stay still with the euphoria of finally meeting his laugh, his girl Regan.

Peter stood still in the centre of the circular room. Something was wrong. He could feel it. He walked over to the window. A book lay there, beside an old dried candle, its wick burned and blackened. He looked over at the table where he noticed his note he had so carefully written Regan was still under the small rock he had placed upon it.

Something was very wrong.

With caution he walked around the deathly silent room, Tinkerbell and Felin quiet, sensing all was not right.

He placed two fingers on the shelf where they had kept all their favourite rocks and feathers they found. A think layer of dust rested on his fingers. Regan never let the room get dirty. She cleaned it everyday…

He looked at the small vase of flowers by the bed. Crumpled, withered sweet peas drooped in the mouth of it. Regan changed the flowers everyday,

Regan wasn’t here. Something had happened to her and if she was hurt, it was all Peters fault. He should never have left her alone…

He swooped out of the house, rushing into the forest, zigzagging between the tall trees calling her name. Where was she?

Peter stopped breathless by the lagoon and called out again feebly “Regan…”

He curled in on himself, crying by the rocks, his dirty hands catching his tears and he watched as they dripped onto the sand…

“Boy why are you crying?”

The throaty voice caused Peter to jump up, place his hands on his hips in his signature pose and say stubbornly “I wasn’t crying!”

The girl laughed, her body half hidden in the water, her sharp unnatural teeth glinting dangerously in the sun. Peter froze…he recognised those blue eyes, that pixie face, the long unruly hair. It was Regan!

Hecrawled closer to her “Regan?”

The girl frowned “How do you know me?”

Peter gasped…she didn’t remember him. She had forgotten…how could she forget?

“Regan…it’s me, it’s Peter…your Peter!"
The girl laughed, a cold cruel laugh that sent chills down Peters spine. Regan didn’t act like this…

“I have no friends that are human boy, you are but mistaken…”

Her tail flipped out of the water to smack down on the blue surface in amusement, showers of tiny droplets splashed onto Peter.

Peter shook his head, looking at the turquoise glittering scales where her legs should be. A mermaid? No, it simply wasn’t possible.

“Regan…you’ve forgotten…everything! You've let yourself forget..."

Regan frowned…looking into the boys eyes, they were familiar…

“I don’t know you Peter…”

She turned to go, but Peter shot out his hand, grasping her wet, cold wrist…
“No, Regan…it’s me…it’s your Peter”

And before Peter, the boy who never grew up realised what he was doing, he bent is head down to place his lips onto the mermaids…