The Never War

Holland was too busy chumming it with the likes of Peter Pan to notice that her older sister had already stormed off out of the clearing. With her brown hair furrowing in the wind Harrow found a small clearing through the trees far enough away from the training ring to let out a yell.

Grabbing a hefty rock in her hands she chucked it as far as it would go before gravity took hold and crashed it back to the green grass. Gripping at her hair a shaky breath escaped her. All she could imagine was the arrow zipping toward her sister and the smile Peter held when all was said and done. The way Holland’s face lit up at the excitement.

“Little piece of rotten shit. I’m going to wring his neck!”

“You think so highly of me, I’m humbled.” Harrow whirled around to find the very boy of her aggravation. Eliminating the space between them at a rapid pace her fist connected with his jaw before he had time to react.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?!” Peter wiped the small trickle of blood from his lip. When he didn’t reply she shoved him backward. “Answer me!” Her face was red in fury and Peter did his best to bite down the chuckle in his throat.

“I’m merely teaching both of you the way to fight.”

“By making me watch you shoot my sister?” Harrow’s eyes were narrowed. “Your sick mind games might work on her but I see right through your charade.”

“I made her defend herself.” Peter’s tone grew firm. “I made her aware of senses that had yet to be unleashed.” He gestured toward the rock Harrow had tossed effortlessly. “How heavy do you think that weighs?”

“What?” Harrow glanced at the object. “Maybe twenty pounds.”

“Try more like eighty.” Peter counted each step he took before bending down to lift the small boulder. His face turned bright red and a small vein popped in his neck. Letting out a grunt he let the rock fall back to the ground and propped his foot on it. “I don’t even think Will could make this budge.”

“What’s your point Pan?” Harrow put her hands on her hips.

“My point, Harrow,” Peter began with a raised brow and side smirk, “is that under your rage lies a beast. A beast that can lift the likes of this boulder and chuck it as if it weighed nothing. Your sister was able to channel something inside of her to slow down everything around her to snatch that arrow before it cut her throat.”

“It did cut her throat,” Harrow snapped.

“A knick is far better than a severed head, don’t you think?” Making his way back toward the girl he circled around. “Both of you have survived this long for a reason. And it’s not because you’ve gotten lucky up until this point.”

“It’s because I make sure she doesn’t do anything irrational enough to get us both killed.”

“You’re her protector?” Peter scoffed. “You mean to tell me that in your entire time here she’s never once saved your life? Helped you out of a sticky situation? Brought back a dead animal to eat in order to survive?”

“Of course she has.”

“She’s never made a smart decision in her time here? Has never came up with an idea that kept you warm and dry over a cold night?” He started to walk around her slowly.

“There have been a few times.”

“Holland has never gone out of her way to make sure that you’re safe before doing what she’s doing?”

“Yes sh-“

“But she can’t live without you.” He stopped pacing and stood directly in front of the girl, eyes sharp and locked. “She can’t survive this island without her big sister dictating her every move.”

“I don’t dict-“

“You tell her not to trust me. You tell her to come down from the trees she more comfortable being on than the ground. You tell her not to catch an arrow that she clearly can. You tel-“

“I get it!” Harrow finally shouted. Peter took a small step away from the girl. “I get it alright?” Her tough demeanor was broken. He watched her face struggled to remain still. “She’s a wild spirit, hard to tame, and I do my very best damn job to make sure she sees another day.”

“Yet you are the very reason she’s holding back.” Peter opened his arms and spun. “She could be free, under no watch, doing what she wants to do. But she stays for you.”

“We’re family.”

“And my lost boys are my family. But I don’t pull them by a string if they get out of line. Everyone has to learn to be on their own, to make their mistakes, and you’re not letting Holland do that.”

“Why should I?” Harrow was growing defensive. “Why would anyone do that in a place they are unfamiliar with?”

“So they can reach their full potential.”

“If Will went head first into a fight with four Indians you wouldn’t stop him?” Harrow watched Peter’s lips pull into a small grin.

“On the contrary. I’d go in with him. I’d fight next to him until the day we both die. Because I believe in him.”

“I believe in Holland.”

“Do you though? Do you trust her?”

“With all my heart I trust her.”

“Then maybe it’s time to loosen the reigns a bit.” Peter crossed his arms over his chest. “I understand how you feel Harrow. I really do. Will is like an older brother for me as well. But it was I who saved his life in the end because he was too worried about trying to protect those around him to see the danger he was in.”

“That’s rich coming from the ‘clan leader.’” Harrow let sarcasm drip from her words.

“Maybe you should ask Will how that came to be.”

Harrow opened her mouth to reply only to be cut off by a blood curling scream. Both of their heads snapped in the direction of the clearing and neither had to think twice before racing off. Harrow beat the young boy by a few strides and felt her heart tighten at the sight in front of them.

Several of the lost boys had arrows protruding from their bodies, blood pooling on their clothes, and wounds made by knives littering their skin. Those who could stand were helping the fallen get to their feet. Will was lying against one of the rocks with his arm tucked against his torso and blood smeared on his cheek.

“Holland?” Harrow quickly spun on her feet searching for her sister. “Holland?!”

“They took her.” Peter propped Will against his shoulder and lifted him from the ground slowly. “They came from the trees and only wanted her. I tried fighting them off but there were too many. Three took me down while two more put a sack over her head and pulled her back into the trees.” Anger flourished in Harrow’s chest, her hands instinctively curling into fists at her sides.

“This is what I was talking about,” Peter started, “the Never War has already begun.”

Harrow knelt down and plucked a single feather from the grass spotted with black. “Then let’s take the battle to them.”