The first few seconds of waking up are pure bliss. You have no idea where you are or any memory of anything in life. It only lasts for a moment, but that moment is pure bliss.

That was something I always held on to when I lived at home. I'd have a few seconds where I didn't have anywhere to be or anything to do. It was heaven.

But that moment was over now. As I slowly came to my senses I began to recognize where I was. It was the cabin on the Jolly Rodger in which I hid to stow away. It seemed like an eternity ago when I decided to sneak onto the ship. If only I'd known what that decision would mean...

*flashback*

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Sprinting away, I heard the angry yells of the shopkeeper behind me. Who knew someone could get so upset about some chocolate? I deserved it. It's not like I got to keep my own money anyway.

Once I rounded the corner leading up to my house, I unwrapped the bad and scoffed the whole thing. It would probably be the only thing I'd get to eat that night. Although my parents were out, they'd kill me if they noticed any food missing. I can't wait to leave them.

xxx

My bedroom was a tiny, bare box room with a mattress on the floor. I'm surprised they even went so far as to let me have my own room. Slumping down on the floor, I opened up my bag and rummaged around to find my phone... well, the phone I 'borrowed' from that unsuspecting girl at the mall. Listening to music was the only thing I could do to distract me from the hell that was my life.

I felt a cool breeze down the back of my neck, which was odd because my window had been locked shit after father caught me sneaking out. Turning around, I noticed something terrifying...

A strange, black shadow crept through the crack in the window, eventually taking shape as a silhouette of a human. But this creature was anything but human. Any sane person would've made a run for it, but there was something compelling about this creature which kept me routed to the spot.

"What are you?" I asked cautiously. The creature just stared at me with it's piercing white eyes. Eventually, it reached out it's hand towards me, gesturing for me to take it.

"Why?" I asked, subconsciously reaching my hand out towards it. As my fingers carefully rested on the creatures hand, it grabbed my and before I knew it, we were flying out of the window and through the air.

"Where are we going?!" I shouted up to it. My lack of anxiety in this situation was astounding - something about this creature was oddly calming and comforting. The shadow just looked at me with cold eyes.

All of a sudden, I was falling rapidly towards the ground. But I couldn't scream. It was like the shadow had put me under a calmness spell, so seeing the ground become closer and closer had no effect on me at all.

I abruptly jolted up from the floor. Glancing around, I realized that I was still in my bedroom on my sad old mattress. What a strange dream - still, it explained why I was so relaxed about a weird shadow creature kidnapping me and dropping me to my death.

As I came to my senses, I noticed something strange. My room was flooded with light - had I really been asleep all night? I switched on my phone to see that it was 1:00pm. Meaning I was late for work.

I must've been running for quite a while before I became aware of my surroundings. The once-busy street along the edge of the sea were completely bare, and right in the middle of the water - where there are usually a couple of small fishing boats - sat the biggest ship I'd ever seen in my life.

It was like something from a fairy tale - almost as if I'd see Captain Hook himself at the helm (if only fairy tale characters were real. I'm sure we'd get along.) My mind flashed back to the dream I'd had. Was it a sign? Was this my chance to finally go on a real adventure and escape?

Slowly stepping forwards, I heading towards the ship...

Part of me wishes that I'd never boarded that ship. The ship I'm on right now. If I'd turned around and gone back home then none of this would've ever happened. I never would've been trapped here. I never would've lost the only boy I'd ever loved. Peter never would've died...

"Ah, Anna! You're awake! How are you feeling?"

Snow entered the room and sat down beside me, reminding me that she was the one who saved me.

"I'm okay I guess. My head's a little fuzzy." I replied, not wanting to discuss Peter.

"I bet it is. Listen, I'm sorry that David knocked you out. He feels pretty guilty about it, but we didn't know what you were going to do... You were freaking out..."

"I know, I'm sorry if I scared you. You're the only one who genuinely cares about me. Everyone else just wants to save me so they can call themselves a hero."

"You can't think that way, Anna. Truthfully, we all care about you - even Regina!"

"I doubt Hook does..."

"What makes you think that? Tell me Anna, did you really think you'd be able to punch him that hard without him fighting back?"

"What?"

"He let you beat him. He understood that killing Peter would hurt you, so he had to let you get out your anger." She said sympathetically. She paused, breathing in, then began again. "None of us wanted to hurt you by killing Peter, but you have to understand that he's-"

"The bad guy. I know."

"I'm sorry Anna. We all are. It wasn't fair that you fell victim to his game. We shouldn't have let you get involved." She sighed, putting her arm around my shoulder to comfort me. She smiled warmly at me, but then frowned in concern.

"What? What is it?" I asked worriedly.

"You're head... I just watched a scar appear across it right in front of me!"

"A scar...? Oh! It must be from when I hit my head! Peter gave me this magic water which healed it, but he said something about it only working while we're in Neverland" I started. But then I remembered exactly what Peter had told me about the water...

"So... if I was hit by a dreamshade coated arrow I could just drink that and be okay?"

"Well... sort of. You see, the water is connected to Neverland. Once you leave, the magic won't follow, so the only way to continue living would be to stay here,"

If what he said was true, then that would mean...

"Anna? Are you okay?"

"We have to turn back" I said, standing up.

"Anna. Peter's dead, we have to go."

"No, I might be able to save him. You have to get Hook to turn back!"

"Anna! Even if there was a way to save him there's no way we would let you! Peter is a danger to us, you have to understand that!"

The door swung open, and Hook burst into the room. "I couldn't help but over hear your conversation, Anna, and I know what you're thinking. Even if I did agree to turn back - which I won't - and to save Peter - WHICH I WON'T - there's no way you could make it to the fountain yourself. Peter enchanted the area around it - only he can get past."

"I'll find a way" I said angrily.

"Anna, you're being blinded by your love for this boy! You have to remember that he was playing you to get Henry!" said Snow

Even if that was true, I still loved Peter.

I couldn't let him die.