Shadowless part II

As Peter made his way to the lagoon, dark shadows curled around Neverland, stars hid away in the skies.

Down in the lagoon, dark waters brew. Violent waves disturbed the usually calm surface. Piercing the night, a scream made Peter shiver. A siren’s scream. As fast as he could, he flies over. And there amidst chaos, a mermaid, fangs out, screams. The waters have a dark shade, almost crimson. At first Peter thought she had been fighting some invisible force, but up close he sees. She hugs a lifeless mermaid, and her wails are ones of grief and despair. Her body torn by her pain as she cradles her sister. Before he can even come to her aid, waves retreat of the shore relieving more dead sirens. He lands softly on sand and blood. Broken bodies adorn the coast, in total he counts five victims. Some of them have deep cuts around their middle, others lack an arm or even a tail.

Everything is shadow and blood, the sea vomits it on the fresh sand. The wailing mermaid finally notices Peter and Tink. Her sobs are haunting the night yet she makes way towards Peter, determination set on her features. Still she clings to her dead companion. Peter drops in the water helping her carry her burden to the land. Rage burns her throat as she harshly speaks in the language of men.

« My Sisters are… killed. Avenge me Pan-king ! »

She claws to him, sinking her nails into his skin. Peter lays her sister on the sand, and with the mermaid he sinks underwater.

How can the sea be so red ? How can Neverland home such carnage ? Peter doesn’t even know where to start.

« What happened ? Who attacked the sirens ? » he asks. The mermaid swims closer to him, bringing her palms to his temple.

His eyes close and when they open again, he sees through her. She shows her memories to him. The memory starts with music, aery, a nightly gathering like the mermaids frequently do. They sit on the shores, singing. Suddenly, one of them screams, her throat slit neatly. A dark corruption swirls, claims more lives. Shadows swarm the beach and death fills the air.

The mermaid, grabs her friend as they attempt to seek refuge in the deep waters. But the corruption waited them there too. It cuts through her friend in one strike and spares her. Her life spared, graciously ? Unless it’s for her to to tell the tale.

Peter stumbles back into his own vision. Before he reaches for the surface, he takes one last look at the mermaid. A gaze is enough for her to know. Her king will avenge her.

« You’ll need the woman. She has enough power. » her voice rings in his ear one last time.

She turns to the depths. As her tears run down her eyes, she falls deeper and sinks into the sea’s cold embrace.

Peter emerges, finding a worried Tink above him. Silence rests heavily in the place once called the Mermaid Lagoon. The moon shines on empty waters.

Through his blood soaked hair, Peter sees the bodies and rage finds its way in his heart. Shadowless, knees on the bloodied sand he takes in the carnage. Tink gasps finally noticing the lack in him.

Something dark stirs inside Neverland, and any answers Peter could have found are now buried in its sand.