Suddenly, I brutally dig the hook into Tinker Bell’s side, twisting and forcing it deeper and watching as her light fades. The tinkling of her bells can be heard roaring through Neverland as I take from her the one thing she never expected she’d give up. Her future, in exchange for the one she just ripped from me. Peter’s. Her life slips through my fingers and I find pure joy as I watch her fall to the floor. Her army, the other fae start to scream, their bells piercing the night sky and echoing into an angry chorus all around me.

The crew of the Jolly Roger hold them off. Ripping their wings from their bodies and forcing them into submission as they start to descend on Peter and me. I hear Tiger Lily’s Indian cry as she charges forward with her men, and they close in on Hook’s crew. Their screams meld with the yells of the crew, with the tinkling of the bells, as I fall to the floor and roll Peter into his back.

Blood flows out from the cut of Tinker Bell’s sword and I instantly begin to cry harder than before as I look up towards the night sky. I frantically send up prayers for a miracle. For a second chance. Hell, third even. For some kind of magic to bring him back.

A hand lightly grips my fingers and I jolt. Looking down, Peter’s eyes flutter open and then quickly close once again. My eyes widen in shock as I try to pull him into my lap, but he’s dead weight.

“Peter,” I scream. “Peter, come back to me.”

“Darling…”

My name is faint on his lips as I try and pull him to sitting. “Peter, please, stay with me.”

“Always,” he coughs out with a harsh laugh.

I smile through my tears, looking up frantically and noticing Tiger Lily’s army growing stronger.

“We have to go,” I panic. “Can you stand?”

He opens his eyes and tries to, but fails. I prop him up on my shoulder and somehow manage to hold his weight, as he attempts to stand one more time and begins to walk. My eyes find Tiger Lily’s and her face hardens. My hands are stained with Peter’s blood. Tinker Bell’s blood. If I need to shed hers too in order to leave this island, so be it.

“They won’t be able to hold them off,” I hear Peter say and trace his line of sight to see him looking at his men. “With Smee here, maybe. But without him, they don’t stand a chance.”

Tiger Lily starts to make her way towards us, and I flinch. “What should we do?” I stammer, quickly looking around us for an escape.

My eyes land on it just as Peter’s do as well.

The plank.

“But the mermaids?”