A Land of Never After

𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖.

Mermaids, stormy skies, daring adventures, pirates…it was little wonder I sprinted to the docks the moment I left the orphanage. Eager to begin my new life, I searched for a ship that would have me—and found a thief instead. I chased the bastard.

Now I’m trapped.

I’m told this place is Neverland, but everything I touch is dead or dying; what’s left is hellbent on killing each other. Monsters lurk around every corner, and everyone I meet hides a damning secret. I’m thrust in the middle of a deadly feud, and the only one capable of unraveling the curse that plagues us.

Neverland is my home now. Until it’s done with me?

It will 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 let go.

𝙒𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙮

“Kill her.”

Hook's curt order was enough to send the men behind me into a frenzy, and my cries of protest fell upon deaf ears. Hook turned back toward the stairs leading below, my imminent death clearly not enough of a reason for him to stay.

Elvira alone raised her voice in my defense, shrieking to be heard over the mob. “I’d reconsider that if I were you!”

“Why?” The captain whirled around, refusing to spare me even a passing glance.

“She’s your ticket to catching Pan.”

“I’ll find another way. The men need a kill, and I don’t need a woman aboard the ship. It’s bad luck.”

Elvira snarled, shoving me aside to face her brother. “You already have one.”

“You’re not a woman.” Hook curled his lip. “You’re the devil.”

They broke into more raucous arguing, and I had reached my limit. Tucking my satchel into a corner, I marched toward the siblings, determined to be seen if they wouldn’t hear me. “Enou—”

Before I could finish, the muzzle of a pistol pressed into my temple.

“Move and I pull the trigger,” Hook whispered.

Fear froze me in place, but only for a second. I’d been prepared to die since the moment I set foot in this place—how was this any different? I even had my mother’s words protecting me: ‘𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘯.’ I leaned into the weapon, goading him on with my gaze. “Do it.”

Surprise flickered across the captain’s features, and for the first time, he looked directly at me. Though he didn’t lower the gun, we locked gazes, and as his eyes swirled, recognition stirred within me. I was more than certain we’d never met, but there was something eerily familiar about the way he moved and spoke.

But through the silence rose a song—my song. More accurately, my music box’s. Elvira was no longer in my peripheral vision; without looking, I realized she must have opened it. The bells tinkled rhythmically, and the familiar tune calmed me despite my current predicament.

It did the opposite for Hook. Chest heaving, he stiffened as Elvira added her voice to the music, singing lyrics perfectly in time with the melody.

“𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘣 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣,
𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘮.
𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥,
𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥.

𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦:
𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘦.
𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘦𝘢 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘐 𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘤𝘦.
𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘦.”

When she stopped, so did the music box, though whether because she’d closed it or because it had run out of cranks, I couldn’t be certain. All I knew was that I’d heard those words before.

“Your curse, Ced. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 curse.”

Elvira’s confirmation did nothing for my nerves. Her song had solidified it was all connected: the music box, my mother, the curse, all of it. The pirates and Peter were just as entangled in this mess as I now was, and given what I knew of Neverland…

The way out would be painted in blood.

Hook lowered his gun. Staring blankly in my direction, he spoke in a whisper. “What did you say your name was, again?”

“I didn’t.” Though my mind was reeling, I managed to keep up my brave façade.

Elvira scoffed. “You’d know the answer to that if you actually spent time on the mainland every once in a while. She’s all the Nightstalkers have talked about. ‘Neverland’s chosen,’ they’re saying.”

He narrowed his gaze, both drinking me in and asking without words. 𝘖𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯.

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t—not with him looking at me like that.

“But,” Elvira continued, “I suspect you already know exactly who she is. She has her eyes—and her mouth once you get her fired up.”

My pulse spiked. They couldn’t mean—

“Say it, Ced, or I’ll say it for you.”

It soon became clear Elvira would need to do just that, for Hook and I both remained captives to the horror etched across our faces. I knew where mine came from, but his was a mystery.

“Maynard. Wendy Maynard.”

None but Elvira were prepared for the captain’s reaction. Hook’s knees buckled beneath him; he gasped as if stabbed, and a sob followed. He’d have collapsed on the deck if his sister hadn’t caught him.
My voice returned at the sight of such a powerful man caught so off-guard. “Is he…”

“He’s fine.” Elvira yanked him upright, forcing Hook to face me. “Just needs a moment to realize the truth.”
“Truth?”

She nodded. “It’s not every day a father meets his daughter.”