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, Maggiedidn’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, Petertucked 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 asone of the branches began to bend, as if something was leaning against it, something she couldn’t see.
