Chapter Forty One

                                    

                                          

"Take her"
                          
The Dark One's voice.
                          
I shuddered as I realized that I wasn't being saved, I was being captured.
                          
Rough hands caught me by the shoulders and threw me upright. I stared uncomprehendingly at Ethan as he pounded on the iron bars, but I didn't hear the clanging sound that it made. I could just hear a roaring sound in my ear, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The green eyed woman bound my hands together behind my back so tightly I couldn't have moved them a millimeter. She shoved me towards the Dark One and I stumbled, unable to make my body function correctly.
                          
"Alia! No, Alia! You can't leave me!" Ethan's screams turned my blood to ice as I realized how it must be for him.
                          
I turned one last time to look at him. Probably the last time I'd ever see him. He was pounding on the invisible wall, desperate to reach me, his panicked expression broke my heart.
                          
Another hand landed on my shoulder. Without knowing who it was, I shrank back from it. I could feel the malevolence coming from that simple touch. It spoke of darkness and cruelty, evil things that lurked in the night, feeding off the pain of the others, enjoying it. Living to create chaos and suffering wherever he went.
                          
The Dark One chuckled, but didn't release his grip on my shoulder. Suddenly I was enveloped in swirling purple fog and I felt like I was falling through emptiness. I didn't even get a last glimpse at Ethan.
                          
The fog dissipated and I stumbled to the ground, disoriented. I hated whatever this teleportation thing was. I looked up and found that I was in a large dome shaped cavern, lit with the glowing golden sand that fell slowly through an immense hourglass. 
                          
I struggled to get up with my hands tied and winced as sharp and pointy objects bit into my skin. I bit back a scream as I realized that they were bones. Broken bones littering the floor. And further away, lining the walls, were plenty of skulls of all sizes. Some looked pretty real, but others shone like they were made of gold or bronze or some other metal.
                          
Only then did I realize two other people were in the cave with me. The green eyed woman and the Dark One. Without knowing why, without thinking about it, I cringed away from him, like if simply being in the same room as him would contaminate me with his darkness.
                          
"Where-where am I?" I asked more bravely than I felt. "Why did you bring me here?"
                          
The woman laughed, her green eyes flashing dangerously. "Because Skull Rock is the last place Pan would ever think we'd stay."
                          
There was definitely something familiar about that woman. Something more than just the eyes that were exactly the same shape and color as Pan's. Since when had I noticed such details about Pan's eyes?
                          
"What do you want with me?" I asked defiantly. I wasn't about to show them how scared I truly was.
                          
From beneath the shadows of his hood, the Dark One spoke in his deep, raspy voice. "For now, nothing, dearie. We'll wake you up when you'll be of use."
                          
I didn't have time to open my mouth in protest that he had already snapped his fingers and a fine rosy and shiny dust flew towards me. In an instant I already felt pleasantly drowsy and I swayed on the spot. My head felt heavy, my lids drooped shut. I couldn't spare a thought to worry about the fact that I was going to crash into the ground in a few seconds. Into the bones. I lost my balance and I hadn't even hit the ground that I had already faded to the darkness.
                          
***
                          
52nd day in Neverland 
                          
I was woken up from my tormenting dreams by the voice of the green eyed woman. I didn't open my eyes. I didn't want them to know that I was awake.