“Tootles! If you don’t let me out right now Peter could die!”
He jumps. “Okay. Okay. I’ll, um, I’ll let you out.” He steps toward the door, but the shadow turns, blocking him.
“Just push it out of the way or something.”
“Why is Peter’s shadow acting like this?” Tootles asks.
“It’s just being overprotective. You know how Peter is.”
“Brave.” Tootles nods.
“Exactly.” I point at the shadow. “So we have to get it out of the way. Come on. Peter’s counting on you.”
“Can’t you justtellme where he is so I—”
“Tootles!”
He jumps again then swallows hard. “Okay, all right.” When he moves to sidestep the shadow, it moves with him, blocking him.
“Come on, Tootles.” I reach through the bars while the shadow’s back is turned, but there’s a rusty lock on the door. “Wait, do you have the key?”
He lifts the candle and looks at the wall across from the cage. “It’s just here. I’ll grab it.”
“Good.”
He takes the key and tries once again to move around the shadow.
The shadow puts its hands on its hips and stands in front of the door.
“We need to help Peter,” Tootles explains.
The shadow doesn’t move.
“Just poke through it or something!” I yank and pull on the door to no avail.
“Poke through it?” Tootles winces. “I can’t do that.”
“I don’t care what you do as long as you get me out of here. Just, just throw me the key.”
“Okay.” Tootles rears back with the key in his palm.
The shadow jumps him, knocking the candle out of his hand as it tackles him to the hard stone floor.
“Tootles!”
The shadow engulfs him, holding him down as the candle flickers on the damp floor.
“Get off him!” I reach through the bars and grab at the shadow, pulling it away from Tootles as best I can, but it’s like sand through my fingers. It drips through and reassembles around the Lost Boy who struggles to free himself.
“Stop!” I reach through again, grabbing and pulling as the shadow falls away over and over. It covers Tootles’s mouth and face.
He fights and kicks, but his movements are growing sluggish.
“You’re killing him!” I can’t use my sword without risking Tootles. “Leave him alone!” I pull and pull.
Tootles rolls onto his side, momentarily jarring the shadow. It moves from his face and wraps around his neck. Tootles takes in a deep breath, his face red, and reaches toward me, key in hand.
I stretch for it, jamming my shoulder against the bars as I try to grab the key from him. I have to get out of here and help him. Ihaveto.
