Chapter 7
The four Lost Boys, led by the illustrious King of Neverland, kindly known as Peter Pan, guided Maggie Hart through the winding halls of their magical treehouse.
A sentence that Maggie never once thought could ever be real.
But it went exactly like that. Despite how enthralled they were with their rowdy game, all four of the Lost Boys left it behind, still barefoot and slightly swaying from their residual drinks, insistent on seeing Maggie to the kitchen they prepared for her.
She lingered behind all of them, still holding the slumbering cat close to her chest. Their chatter continued as they walked, talking about everything and anything under the sun.
Some mentioned a rivalry between a few merpeople, while others informed Peter of some issues the fairies had with their colonies.
No matter what it was they discussed, each and everyone of the men had a widening smile on their face.
There wasn’t an ounce of disdain in their voices, no argument ready to burst through the seams. They were simply pleased to be in each other's presence, and that was a beautiful kindness Maggie had not seen for quite some time.
So she watched as long as she could, keeping her lips pressed together as they carried on.
Her attention got caught in the house around her.
Each hallway looked different than the last. Some were darkened to the point of impossibility, rendering Maggie blind the longer she looked within.
Others contained a shimmering light at the very end, a series of doors leading up to it.
They all enticed her for different reasons, whether it was a sense of adventure, or a temptation into an enveloping darkness.
Maggie ignored it all the same, picking up her pace to remain in step with the giants that led the way.
Never before did Maggie ever consider herself to be small.
Even then, when she regarded herself as such, she did not mean in the barest of senses.
There was nothing small about Maggie. She was plump and curved, round in the chin and the cheeks.
But when she was amongst the Lost Boys and their King, Maggie felt like the very Magpies she was referred to as.
They all loomed over her like ancient statues, watching over her and the road ahead.
Something that might make a person feel frightened only brought Maggie a sense of security, a feeling she was not entirely used to.
Maggie almost slapped her own cheek.
Again, you’re comfortable with your captor!
When has she ever been so reckless? Maggie shook her head.
There was never a time. No, she could hardly even think of one.
The longer she remained amongst them, the more comfortable she became.
Maggie gripped onto Sunny as her heart began to race, the back and forth within her mind growing to unbearable heights.
She could hardly listen to her own thoughts, especially when her heart sought to combat them the moment they were dared to be uttered.
An internal fight was beginning to brew within Maggie’s soul, and there was hardly anything she could do about it. There was only simply the way forward.
Maggie pressed Sunny far too tight against her chest, and earned a loud mrow!
The golden creature landed on the ground with a muffled thump, his furry and large paws softening the blow.
Sunny stretched his front paws out instantly, letting his rear hang high in the air as he bent forward.
His mouth opened wide as he let out a yawn, sharp teeth glistening against the lights above.
After a few short licks over his paw, Sunny rubbed along the side of his face till he felt satisfied with his whiskers and fur.
Once finished, he politely took a seat, finally taking a moment to overlook his new surroundings.
Maggie eyed the confident cat and the Lost Boys.
It was Dash who spoke first. Long curls of blonde hair fanned across his sun-kissed skin as he stepped forward, inching towards the feline with a testing stance. Confusion passed over his face, in the same way Peter did when he kidnapped Maggie.
“What…What is that creature?” Dash reached towards Sunny’s tail and the cat swiped it away at the last second. Dash retracted sharply, eyes wide. “Feisty thing, it is.”
The other Lost Boys were already following suit.
Twitch, who was obviously the most outwardly confident out of the four, geared up to touch Sunny on the top of his head.
The feline stretched his head upwards, just as curious about them as they were of him.
Sunny’s whiskers flinched and twitched as he followed Twitch’s palm, doing his best to sniff, despite the Lost Boy constantly pulling away.
After a few moments of a struggle, Sunny sat back down and merely stared, the narrowing of his eyes and flattening ears showing a bit of annoyance. Maggie bit back her laugh.
“Well, it’s…” Twitch shrugged as he searched for the word, waving his hand aimlessly around Sunny’s small stature. “The thing is obviously…well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?”
Dash eyed him. “If it’s so obvious, why haven’t you said it yet, smart guy?”
“Looks sort of like the tigers down in the jungles,” Scamp called out, poking his finger in Peter’s side. “You remember going there with me, don’t you, Pan?”
Peter was already nodding. “‘Course I do, Scamp. You caught your first Bebaloona that day.”
Maggie watched the sweet interaction and tried not to linger on the fact that she had no idea what a Bebaloona was. “Do you guys not know what a cat is?”
All together, the Lost Boys and their King raised their heads in Maggie’s direction.
They shared an expression of utter confusion, blinking and casting prolonged glances around with small shrugs and short questions.
When they turned back to Maggie, they looked more confused than before, now eyeing the feline with mounting curiosity.
“You’re telling me,” Maggie began, hands placed firmly on her hips, “that in a world full of magical things, you all don’t know what a cat is?”
As if on cue, Sunny began to stride towards the Lost Boys, effortlessly weaving in and out of their legs.
The cat eyed them curiously, standing on his hind legs when he preferred to get a closer look.
Never once did he brandish a claw or expel a hiss.
He was simply curious, and eager to get to know the new strangers he happened to stumble upon.
Dash took the chance and crouched. “Tell us more, won’t you?”
“W-Well…” Maggie let her voice trail off as she watched the men take a seat in front of Sunny, one by one.
The cat looked thrilled to have a stunned audience holding onto his long fur and let his tail fly high in the air behind him.
In some ways, the Lost Boys were much more like children than they were grown men.
Perhaps that might’ve been a rather definite strike against wanting to like them, Maggie couldn’t help but feel renewed in their innocence, her own dwindling hope feeling rekindled in their presence.
“They are flexible felines,” Maggie blurted, unable to find words when put on the spot. “Agile and kind, though only when they like you. A-And they are territorial, I suppose.” Growing flustered, Maggie gestured towards Sunny, who put on a show walking in front of their amazed expressions.
Peter reached for the cat, letting his fingers wade through the long fur for a moment, just testing. “His name is Sunny,” he said with a broad smile. “He is Maggie’s best friend.”
A smile tugged across Maggie’s lips. It was unbeatable, no matter how much she wanted to hide it.
Scamp boldly reached for Sunny as he passed him by, grasping onto the feline’s bushy tail and lifting it higher.
“Mrow,” Sunny released with an annoyed expression.
Releasing his hold on the tail, Scamp held his hands up in defense, and received a few angry tail flicks in his direction. “W-What’s that mean?”
Maggie held a hand over her mouth, trying to hold in her laughter.
“When cats flick their tail like that, they’re probably irritated with you.
Same goes for their angry ears.” Maggie held her palms up like ears beside her head and tilted them towards their respective sides, as if the ears were flattening. “You know?”
In front of them, Sunny eyed Maggie and replicated the stance, his ears flattening as the dark slits in his eyes grew sharp and narrowed with annoyance. The feline chittered quietly, the sound of teeth clicking together echoing through the group’s concentrated silence.
Dash’s hand shot out, an accusatory finger pointed in Sunny’s direction. “What sorta sound was that?”
“Like a chitter,” Maggie replied with a shrug. “Wasn’t it cute?”
It was Dusty, that time, who raised a brow at her. “Cute?”
“Sure,” she said. “They’re cute little creatures.”
Twitch stood tall and straightened, his arms crossed defiantly across his broad chest. “What else are they for, besides being cute?”
Maggie reached for Sunny and the cat knocked his forehead against her palm, the sound of his purrs vibrating through the room. “Companionship,” she mumbled. “You know.”
Silence responded for much longer than she expected.
Rising to stand herself, Maggie looked over the Lost Boys and Peter to see perplexed expressions.
They eyed her closely, even more so when Sunny began to rub against her legs, asking for more attention.
She reached for the cat immediately, taking his furry body in her arms like a bundle of baguettes, carefully resting his front paws against her shoulder.
Sunny perched against her side and his purrs melted against her skin.