#humphywilliams

@rhy-ofseelie

Humphrey had found himself feeling rather lost after he’d been enslaved to Pan at the Soul Harvest. His goals of finding a way off the island or possibly overthrowing Pan had faded away because it was starting to seem more and more like either of those options were impossible. The only way off the island is if Pan let you off, and he rarely did things simply to help another person out. As for overthrowing, perhaps killing Pan...well, that was an even more far-fetched idea. In truth it always had been, but only now had Humphrey begun to realize just how powerful the eternally young monster was. He still wanted to get back to his little sister, but to be honest he had no idea how to at this point.

Today he was simply wandering the Neverwoods, trying to find a sense of peace or self in the calming embrace of nature. As always, it was beautiful and he felt more relaxed than he did in other parts of the island. Finding his way into a small meadow with a towering oak tree, Humphrey took a seat on the ground and laid his back against the trunk. Taking deep breaths, he tried to remember the good things about the island, few though they were. He did his best to think about the nice people he’d met here, and the nice people he could meet again if he went back home. Slowly, after about an hour he began to feel more optimistic and like his usual self. By no means was he the same person as before the Soul Harvest; however, he at least didn’t feel like despairing any longer.

Humphrey could hardly believe it when he was voted to be Pan’s next slave. To be honest he hadn’t even thought he knew enough people to cause them to dislike him that much. Now, his dream of finding a way home or overthrowing Pan began to seem even more far-fetched to him than it already was. There was nothing he could do as far as he was aware of, unless somehow Pan had the ability to release people from his service. The odds of him doing that if it were possible were pretty much nil though, so even that wouldn’t really help him. Wandering the island for a little while, not really minding where he was going...Humphrey eventually came across the mermaid lagoon again. Smiling a little at the interesting mermaids he had met there, he decided to go past it, and after another good walk found himself looking out over the ivory sea.

The white sand of the beach and the sound of the tide lapping against the shore was soothing to him, and a small smile appeared on his face before he walked down to the sand near the edge of the water and sat down. Pulling his knees up to his chest, Humphrey set his chin on them as his arms wrapped around them, looking out and trying not to think of the bad things about this place. Two people immediately came to mind, Vitalani and that Lilly girl he’d met at camp, both of them had been kind to him and interesting company. Would they even want anything to do with him now, though? All it would take is an order from Pan and he could try to kill them, hurt them, betray them...those thoughts mad him feel sick and a few tears started to make their way down his cheeks. It had already been hard enough to find friends here without this added complication. Perhaps it would be best if he just stayed away from others from now on, and if h did that Pan wouldn’t use him to hurt anybody. Truly an optimistic thing to hope for, but there wasn’t much else he could do.

@darlinglittlewendy

Humphrey felt almost more awkward than he did before he started trying to make friends. The main reason for that was because of how he’d accidentally kissed Vitalani, making a complete fool of himself in the process. Sure, she wasn’t at the camp all the time like the regulars but he was still anxious about what would happen next time he saw her. After grabbing a plate of food for himself he went away from the main group of people, which was when he saw a girl sitting by herself without anything to eat. Curious and wanting to be helpful, he went and filled up a second plate before bringing it over to her and offering it. “Here, you should probably eat something even if you aren’t hungry. Skipping meals is never a good thing to do.” Humphrey told her firmly, before he brushed some hair out of his eyes that had fallen in the way. “Oh, forgive my manners, I’m Humphrey Williams.” he told her, and held out a hand after wiping it on his jeans to make sure it was clean.

@indiianprincess

Despite the fact Humphrey had found a few tolerable people at camp, he still felt the urge to get away and spend time on his own. So, after eating lunch he decided to do some more hiking and exploring. Yes, he had explored a fair amount of the island but there was always more to discover and so long as you kept your wits about you as well as a weapon at hand, well you were usually alright. There were still things that a dagger, or even if you had one a pirate sword couldn’t handle. Which was why Humphrey was glad for his long and lanky frame that helped make him one of the better runners in camp.So now here he was, already a few miles away, with only a water container and his dagger for company. The forest around him had slowly thinned out as he climbed, and he was now in an open area that even had some nice flowers in different patches. Pausing to look around, he felt himself smile as the near quiet of nature aside from animals and insects washed over his sensations. 

As he closed his eyes to take in a deep breath and exhale, stretching his arms out above him in the process, Humphrey felt the oddest sensation in his life. Far odder than when Pan had taken him to the island, and even more surreal than when Fiona had died. His thoughts and memories blurred until he couldn’t keep up as he felt his body began to shrink to a smaller size. It hurt, feeling the bones and muscles shorten and change, and even though he hadn’t opened his eyes yet he just knew that he was reverting back to an earlier age. Stumbling a little, he opened his eyes just in time to catch himself and roll to the ground while the changes finished. His clothes were far too long and baggy now, and his shoes would be practically useless unless he did something. As he felt his face, he could sense it was a little rounder with a small amount of baby fat though he was still a skinny kid. “What the...what?!?” he asked, shouting a little at the sky. Eventually it hit him that nobody but Pan or the pixies likely had the power to do such a thing, and the pixies probably wouldn’t.

@rae-hood

Ever since Humphrey had become a part of the Lost Ones, he had done his best to keep his distance. Yes, he had his assigned space, but he’d also made his own place in the nearby forest on the edges of the haven. He did it to keep himself comfortable, and also because he didn’t trust them. If they didn’t know him well, his hope was perhaps they wouldn’t sell him out to Pan. People still saw him, and the ones there for a long time probably knew his name, but he didn’t want to be seen as a weird kid or a threat. His goal was to be occasionally seen, but not noticed or heard. It was a risky thing to do, because if the haven was ever attacked he would be on his own. It was what he’d grown accustomed to, and during the time when everybody else was training to fight he usually knocked around his personal space.

Today was different though, because for the first time in a long while he wanted to make himself do something productive. Instead of missing Casey and writing letters, he wanted to do something towards his goal of finding a way off the island. A futile endeavor people told him, because the only way off was by Pan’s good graces...as if that existed. No, he wanted to talk to the native people here, maybe the pixies, and if he could manage it form an alliance or at least get information that could aid him in his goal. Humphrey didn’t know enough, and though it was dangerous to ask questions he needed to. Before he went asking though, he needed to learn how to fight. There were real dummies at the main camp, but he settled for making one himself. It wasn’t as good as what the camp had, just loose timber tied together by vines and propped up sandwiched between big rocks, but it was better than nothing.

Taking a dagger that was sharp on both sides, Humphrey gripped it awkwardly in his hands. This was one of the moral dilemmas he’d been struggling with, learning how to fight. He was not a person to take a life on a whim, and had always run or hid on the island when he’d encountered something dangerous before. Now, he knew that it was time to overcome his fear and learn how to defend himself, and how to hurt others. He knew that he was close to losing it at times here, but he wasn’t completely crazy. No, he was well aware that he wouldn’t get let off the island without fighting his way out. Pan didn’t let people go, he either broke you, you died, or you disappeared. The last was the scariest option, because he didn’t even want to contemplate what would happen if he was taken captive by the monstrous boy. Gripping the knife tighter, he slammed the dagger towards the midsection of the dummy.

Teardrop Melodies

A single chord is struck,

Pitches resonating in my bones.

While it slowly builds in intensity;

I begin to fear the tones...Stop!

What emotion is  lurking now, coming from deep inside?

That this sound has somehow brought?

Does it stir desire, anger, sadness, where feelings reside?

Perhaps something I had almost forgot? Stop!

Is this chord in the right place?

Will the feeling suit my song?

Before we all put pen to paper

Always ask, “Does it belong?” Stop!

Remember where it starts;

Keep in mind where it’s going.

Take a moment to plan the course

As a river changes flowing. Stop!

When the rapids churn the water

Are its impurities cleansed, or cloying?

As melodies, harmonies, memories wander on...are they calmer?

If a ringing lingers, am I healed or destroying? Stop!

This is a lone ripple in a pool of hidden scars;

Not a wave or a tide, merely cause and effect of a small droplet.

Of import? I can’t really say...few contemplate guiding stars.

The goal is not remaking, but understanding my own gauntlet. Stop!

(H.S.W.)