Chapter 9
Far past Hazel’s cottage, Maggie and Peter strolled through a thick forest. That afternoon still held the morning’s dreary haze, with a cloudy outlook overhead and rain gathering in the distance.
An early autumn breeze already swept over the island, pulling a shiver or two out of Maggie.
Her short sweater dress was the thickest thing she had to wear, but it was hardly enough when the sun was incapable of peeking through the clouds.
Peter pulled off his coat as they walked, tucking it around her shoulders without saying a word.
His expression was clouded, as though he was deep in thought, and yet, he made a small act like that without even considering it.
Maggie’s blush was warm enough to bring some heat back to her body.
She pulled her arms through the coat sleeves, feeling the heftiness weigh down on her in a comfortable way.
Peter’s natural scent, almost woody, washed over her.
The fear that once grappled her within the woods did not bother her too much, not with Peter beside her, and certainly not with his coat around her shoulders.
“Do you remember what we talked about?” Peter asked.
She hesitated. In all honesty, it was hard to concentrate on anything after he put the coat on her.
For a moment, Maggie didn’t even have a clue as to why they were there in the first place.
Keeping her cool and acting nonchalant, Maggie shrugged and nodded at the same time, ignoring how Peter watched her with an amused smirk.
“Why don’t you tell me again,” she murmured, “Just to remind me?”
“Your wish is my command.” Peter reached for her hand and raised it to his lips, dragging his mouth across her knuckles in a delicate kiss. The movement startled her, but he didn’t let it hang in the air long enough for her to question it. “The only way to get a favor from a nymph is to catch her.”
“Rather silly, don’t you think?” Maggie shrugged. “Like a game of tag, isn’t it?”
Peter beamed from ear to ear with pride. “I grow more astounded with you as every day passes,” he murmured, tapping his thumb to her chin charmingly. “It is exactly like a game of tag. Nothing else screams Neverland like playing a game of hide and seek with a nymph.”
“So what happens once I manage to catch her?” she asked.
Peter reached into his pocket and retrieved a small leather pouch.
“Once you’ve got her, she’ll give you one wish,” he explained before placing the pouch in her outstretched hands.
“But remember, it’s not that easy. They’re basically invisible to the naked eye beneath their veils.
If you think you’ve spotted her, one splatter of the dust on her will let us track her. ”
Maggie pulled open the pouch at the drawstrings.
It was full of colored powder and nothing else.
Hesitation strung at her as she drew it tightly shut, tucking it away in her front pocket.
They continued walking but the reality of the situation wasn’t done grabbing Maggie, it wasn’t done making her feel a slurry of guilt all of a sudden.
They continued on through the woods in silence for a few moments as Maggie’s nerves grew. As if he could feel it, Peter tucked an arm around her shoulders, pulling her out of the daze she was falling deep within.
“What’s the matter, Magpie?” he murmured in question. “Was it something I said?”
“No!” she quickly blurted. “No, it wasn’t you at all. I just…I just…”
“Go on, Maggie. You can tell me anything.”
She paused, looking up to meet his gaze. “I can’t help but feel bad, is all. Doesn’t it sound like we are hunting her? Like she’s some sort of animal?”
Peter’s carefree laugh shocked her. “Relax, Maggie,” he said. “Though I’m sure the nymphs appreciate you, they honestly enjoy the game.”
“Game?”
“Sure,” he replied with a shrug. “They’re pretty bored out here, but they’re some of the fastest runners on the island. When people look for them, it’s just something to do, let them stretch their legs with a laugh.”
Maggie pressed her lips together. “Why are they all alone out here, then?”
“Well, what’s more fun than the chase?” Peter was grinning mischievously as he took a step away from her, beginning to look through the scenery around them.
“Keep an eye out for branches bending, or if they’re moving.
There could be some footprints around to point us in the right direction, or a sort of “glint” in the sunlight. ”
Maggie blinked as she tried to remember everything. “What do you mean by glint?”
“Imagine something passing over a light,” Peter explained. “And how the light itself flickers, or gives the illusion of flickering. Like that.”
She nodded and began to keep an eye on the ground. She took another step, landing on a dried up twig that loudly snapped on contact.
“Magpie,” Peter whispered, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “We’ve got to be quiet, too.”
If Maggie had known that would have been the beginning of a search that lasted for hours, she doubted she would’ve ever believed it.
After the first hour and nothing had been found, Maggie started to believe that the nymphs didn’t exist at all.
They couldn’t reassure each other or offer any words of advice, since the slightest sound could set the nymph running if she happened to be lingering nearby.
There were too many things that could go wrong, and it kept them both silent for hours.
Maggie’s sore feet were screaming as they carried on and the sun began to lower itself overhead.
Everything was ten times more hopeless than it had ever been.
Peter was right – the dryad’s riddle was the easiest thing to pass, especially if wandering the wilderness for hours was the alternative.
Maggie breathed a deep breath before stretching her arms high above her head.
She squeezed her eyes shut, listening to the creaks and moans within her tired body.
Peter was searching quietly nearby, but she just needed a moment to realign herself.
Lowering her arms back to her sides, Maggie opened her eyes to find her nerves mounting.
They would have to return to the treehouse empty handed for another day if they couldn’t find one of the nymphs.
She was beginning to turn toward Peter, about to call it quits, when something caught her attention in the corner of her eye.
A glint.
The light quivered beside a bush, where a stream of late sunlight fell across the grassy floor. Maggie went as still as a statue. Her eyes narrowed as she stared, immediately noticing as one of the branches began to bend, as if something was leaning against it, something she couldn’t see.
Maggie drummed her fingers against her side rapidly, until Peter’s eye had been caught. She gave the direction in front of her a quick point, and watched as he followed her gaze, his eyes widening in response.
Dipping into her pocket, Maggie retrieved the pouch as she crept forward.
Watching carefully where she stepped, she got as close as she could to the nymph.
Though she couldn’t actually see the creature’s figure, she reached into the pouch and released a handful of purple powder in the bending branch's direction. The powder fell over the nymph like a purple shower. The creature’s slender figure was covered by it, making her impossible to miss within the dense woods.
The creature burst to life within the same second, speeding off in the distance with only her shrill laugh guiding their way after her.
Maggie chased as though her life depended on it.
She had no idea where Peter was, and only kept her sights set on what was ahead.
The purple blur grew closer as Maggie ran, careful to leap over a thick fallen log that was in her way.
The nymph disappeared for a split second as she crawled through something, prompting Maggie to drop to her knees once she reached the same area.
She scurried through the middle of a thick tunnel of wood, ignoring the sounds of creaking wood and bugs trekking along with her.
When she came out on the other end, Maggie felt like she was moments away from a collapse.
She couldn’t remember a time before when she had exerted so much energy, when she had run that far in one go.
Everything within her ached and screamed for a rest, but she had already come so far.
Every doubt she ever had about herself had been quickly proven wrong, but there was still so much more to be done, so many more people to show how much she had grown.
Maggie tightened her hands into fists, entirely out of breath, and far more determined than before.
She wouldn’t give up, no matter what dared to stand in her way.
Maggie pelted forward, closing the gap between her and the giggling nymph.
The laughter filled the air as Maggie pushed herself further than she’d ever gone before.
Once she was only a few feet away, Maggie released a loud shout before throwing herself forward, her hands outstretched and already grabbing.
Maggie’s fists clench around the nymph’s frail veil as they both tumble sharply to the ground.
A young woman, beautiful and full of laughter, laid on her back, breathing heavily and splattered with purple powder. She sat up, wide eyes landing on Maggie with a joy that was almost overwhelming.
“You caught me!” The nymph’s voice was musical and angelic, lighting up the dark and shadowy woods.
“The King of Neverland and the Woman of the Way have won my game!” She began to sit up, pushing thin and silky blonde hair off her shoulder.
“Tell me whatever it is you wish, and see that it is already yours.”
Maggie looked over her shoulder at Peter, who leaned against a tree, entirely breathless. His cheeks were flushed in a handsome way, almost pulling the air from Maggie’s throat.
“Nymph,” Maggie began, her voice raspy, “We would be honored to have your veil.”
“Take it!” The nymph pooled the rest of her veil in Maggie’s hands. “I only wish there was more I could give. That was the most fun I’ve had in ages!”
As the dust settled and the excitement quieted down, the nymph left them with a happy song on her lips. Peter hoisted Maggie onto her feet, brushing the dirt and dust off her clothes.
“I wish you could’ve seen how fast you ran,” Peter murmured. “Like lightning.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
Peter hooked a finger around her chin. “I’m serious, Magpie. Like lightning.”
Maggie didn’t say another word as Peter lifted her off her feet, already hovering in the air. She leaned against his chest and let her eyes flutter shut, the exhaustion hitting her instantly and without warning.