Page 48 of Protector

“Till Neverland.” Carlo reaches into his pocket and pulls out a lighter, flicking it on until a yellow flame dances from it.

“No,” I whisper, a hand reaching through the bars, desperately trying to reach for it. But it’s no good, he’s too far away.

“You always did live in a fairy tale.”

With that, Carlo lights the corner of the journal on fire, burning all my letters from Puck with it.

“Daddy,” I whisper through my tears, feeling the last of my fight and my soul disappearing from my body.

“Fairy tales aren’t real, and your life, Bonnie Rhivers, has always been the furthest thing away from one. There is no Neverland. There is no happily ever after. You get a disappointing, empty life that ends in nothing but darkness. Welcome to Hell, Bonnie.”

He nods at two of his men, who open the gates and hold me by the arms. They seal my mouth shut and tie my hands together roughly behind my back, and I slump to my knees on the floor, watching Puck’s words burn into ashes on the ground.

Through blurry eyes, I watch Carlo pull out his gun and aim it directly at me.

Memories of my life flash before my eyes. My brother, Dax, Maria, even my mum.

And Puck.

My life has never been grand or exquisite. But it has been a life I’m proud of. It’s been a life I’m grateful for. Because even though this is my end, I got to know what living really felt like. I got to know how it felt to be loved and cherished and adored.

I got to know how it feels to be in a fairy tale.

I am not a Lost Boy anymore. I became Wendy Darling. And Puck was my Peter.

The sound of the gun firing is the last thing I hear as I clutch my stomach and disappear into a void of darkness.

And my last thought, which sends me away in peace, was even though I know I’ll never see them again.

I’ll never see King again.

I’ll never see Dax again.

I’ll never see Maria again.

And I will never see Puck again.

I know for sure that I will be with them one day soon.

In Neverland.

Iwake up in a concrete box. Three grey walls, and on the other side to make up the square, is a metal barred gate, sealing me inside.

I hear people talking, metal bars clanging, and after stepping close to the gate, I look around to see at least three flights of the same thing over and over again.

Just rows and rows of cells, occupied by men in grey jumpsuits.

In my cell is a mattress on the floor and a toilet bowl, with a grey jumpsuit and towel resting on the bed.

What the fuck?

For hours, I don’t see anyone but for the people in their cells. I don’t speak to them, and they, in part, seem to ignore me. I have no idea where I am, but I’m keeping my cards close to my chest for now.

Where the hell am I, and what has happened to Bonnie and King?

I spend my day torturing myself with thoughts of Bonnie dead and King fighting his way out of Carlo’s men’s arms, when hours later, there's a commotion outside of my gate.

There’s a dozen or so men walking up the flight of stairs and towards my cell, and over one of their arms, I spot King draped limply over a shoulder. Is he alive?

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