Confidence (I Am)

Chapter 1: Freedom Is Harder Than Surrender

He stands at the edge of the cliff, his toes in open air, looking down at the rushing water below. Far below. Behind him, he can hear the pirates getting closer, clumsily and roughly cutting their way through the forest. Braving the Neverwild just to catch him.

"I can't do this." He whimpers. What makes him so special? He's just some kid, not a warrior. He doesn't want to be a warrior, doesn't want to fight, just wants to go home–

•Of course you can.• She laughs, and he's not even sure if she's actually talking or if he's imagining words within the bell-like sounds that come from the little speck of light in front of him. It certainly doesn't sound like she's talking, except when it does. •You just need to believe!•

She says — doesn't say — it as if it's the simplest thing in the world. But it's not. How can it be? He's seen so many impossible things over the last few years, but that doesn't mean he's going to believe everything he's told. Some things have to still be impossible, surely? He can't make himself believe when there's a little voice echoing in the back of his head, whispering what if this time it's really impossible? What if you fall?

The pirates are getting closer. Capture is better than death, no matter how he flinches when he thinks of that awful ship. Surrender is easier than belief. But still he stands on that cliff, neither turning back nor going forward, frozen in place; capture is better than death, but freedom is better still.

His shadow ripples around his feet, and his dark double forms, stepping out easily into the open air in front of him. It turns, holding out a hand and grinning at him, as if to say if I can do it, so can you! See? It's easy.

But it's not easy, he can't do it, he–

"Yargh, there he is, men!" The first pirate to escape the forest shouts. "Get 'im!"

He looks at them, the wavering shadow and the ball of light, open air beneath their feet and not a care in the world. They can do it, it's possible, he can do it–

A rough hand reaches out to grab him, to bring him back to their wicked king.

The water rages below, whipping itself into white foam that obscures deadly rocks.

The shadow grins.

The fairy laughs.

The boy jumps.