by Chanda Hahn
When Curly came back to his bunk, he noticed Peter’s worried frown and asked, “Something’s changed hasn’t it? You’re having one of your gut feelings again aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. I just . . .” He looked toward the door. “I need to get out of here.”
Curly glanced at his watch. “Well, you’re about to get your wish.”
“What do you mean?” Peter asked.
“I ordered room service.” Curly looked at his watch, pointed at the door, and counted down, “In three . . . two . . . one.”
A key turned in the lock and the door pulled opened. The same guard from earlier stood there with a blank look on his face, holding the door for them.
“Let’s go!” Curly peered around the doorframe into the hallway, then signaled for Peter to follow. They closed the door behind them but didn’t lock it. No one had noticed their departure, because Curly had given them the order to not notice. Just like he gave the order for the guard to forget. Once the guard left the hall with an order to return to duty, Curly began to head farther down, looking for the lost boys.
Peter stopped dead in his tracks and turned the opposite way. He stared at the stairs that led to the upper deck. The worry wouldn’t go away, but instead ate at his mind. He needed to be somewhere. To be doing something.
Peter was debating turning back to follow Curly, but then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark flicker of movement and a shadow beckoned Peter to follow. Peter climbed the stairs. The urgency he had felt earlier increased with each step he took. Out on the deck, the shadow flew right over to the rail and gestured out into the ocean repeatedly.
He touched the scar on his chest, rubbing the thickened white skin through his shirt, a souvenir from the past. A horrible memory that was coming back to haunt him with fervor. Why now? Why was he drawn to the sea when he should be freeing his boys?
The sea. The monster that stole Wendy all those years ago. That was the night he lost her. Lost his girl.
Peter!
Peter jerked at the sound of his name and looked around the empty deck.
The call came from the ocean. He was sure of it.
The shadow flew to him and then back out to sea, pointing.
A feeling of déjà vu began to wash over him, along with the feelings of helplessness and terror, the same feelings he had when Wendy went over and he couldn’t save her. But Wendy wasn’t there. She was back at Neverfalls.
He knew he should walk away and go search for the lost boys, but he couldn’t. His soul ached and the feeling of dread continued to build. Peter couldn’t peel his eyes away from the majestic waters. The shadow wanted him to follow it, but where would it lead him? Should he take the chance? What if he couldn’t fly that far? What if he couldn’t make it back?
Find her.
Peter spun around, but the deck was empty. He had heard it. The words . . . find her. He was almost sure of it—if not audibly, he’d heard it mentally.
“Peter,” Curly whispered from below deck. Peter turned to see his friend’s dark head peeking up from below. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t know. I think I have to do something.”
“Are you crazy? Get down here before you get caught!”
“Find the others, rally the boys,” Peter said.
“What are you going to do?” Curly said impatiently.
Peter turned to look back over the water. “I have to find her. She’s lost.”
“Who?”
He closed his eyes and his feet left the deck of the ship as he floated in the air. “My girl.” He grinned back at Curly. “I’m going to save her.”
“There’s nothing out there. It’s just ocean, Peter. You’re mad.”
“Maybe, but I have to go.”
At the sound of approaching footsteps, Curly ducked below deck and Peter flew over the side of the ship below the railing, flying alongside. A Red Skull rounded a corner and headed to the back of the ship, where he proceeded to light a cigarette and take a puff.
The shadow was urgently calling him, pointing to the ocean. Taking a deep breath, Peter pushed off from the ship and flew as fast as he could toward the shadow, his eyes scanning the water. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he knew that the feeling in his stomach, his intuition, was telling him that he needed to find her.
Chapter 24
Peter! she cried out internally.
Wendy alternated between swimming and floating on her back. Her arms were exhausted and her muscles were starting to cramp. It was impossible to tell how long she had been in the water because her fingers had turned to prunes and her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering. It looked like the sun had moved across the sky and it was nearing sunset.
She tried to suppress her panic whenever a wave washed over her, catching her off guard with mouthfuls of seawater. With each unexpected swallow, she thought she was drowning, that she wouldn’t recover and would freeze up, slowly sinking down into the dark depths of the ocean.
Wendy had no illusions about surviving. She knew she was going to die out here. It wasn’t the how that troubled her, but the when. For one always wishes they knew how they would die, and Wendy had accepted that the sea would be where she took her final breath.
After all, she had died at sea once before and washed ashore. That’s where her adoptive parents had found her, washed up on a beach. Maybe it would happen again, she would just fall asleep and slip under the water and wake up somewhere.
But what if she didn’t? What if she panned and came back to life and awoke miles under the water, only to drown over and over again. This time, the dark thoughts couldn’t be held back. Wendy found herself treading water and choking up with tears. It was the second possibility that she dreaded.
Desperately she wished for a lifejacket, a plank, or anything that she could use to stay afloat so she could wrap her hands around it and just rest for a few minutes, close her eyes and dream of being elsewhere, somewhere other than adrift alone in the middle of the ocean.
Peter! She was getting sleepy.
Wendy!
I’m so tired, Peter. I can’t anymore.
Don’t give up. I’m coming.
Wendy choked again as she began to sink under the water and struggled to pull herself up to the surface. It was becoming harder and harder to stay focused and not drift off to sleep.
Sleep. Yes, where the ocean became her bed and the gentle rocking of the waves covered her like a quilt. It seemed so peaceful to just close her eyes and let the water take her.
No! The loud order reverberated through her head. It sounded like Peter, but it couldn’t be.
She was hallucinating. That’s how she knew it was the end. Because she heard the voices of her loved ones.
I love you, Peter, Wendy promised.
Her leg cramps became unbearable and Wendy whimpered, keeping her mouth closed and focusing on breathing out of her nose as she became weaker. Her strength and willpower diminished, she only wanted to dream.
I’m coming.
It’s too late. I’m ready to sleep now. I’ll wait for you in my dreams.
When exhaustion finally took hold and she began to sink, Wendy didn’t struggle as she slipped under the water. She watched her hair fan above her like a trail of gold ribbon reaching toward the sun, her hands floating upward, her eyes closing just as a dark shadow blocked out the light.
The shadows would finally claim her. Wendy sighed, releasing a trail of bubbles from her lips as she sank lower into the ocean’s dark depths.
The darkness took shape, and it cut through the water with sure strokes. Strong hands grabbed her around her waist, and then she was being propelled upward.
Could it be?
They broke through the surface, the cool air hitting her skin causing goosebumps. Her body so numb, she couldn’t even feel the light kiss he placed on her forehead.
“Peter?” She still couldn’t believe that he was here with her. How did he find her? Though it hurt to
talk, she found her voice again. “You came for me.”
“I will always come for you. Always.”
Wendy laid her head on his shoulder and passed out.
Chapter 25
Tink pushed a few buttons on the keyboard and a satellite image zoomed in on the ocean. John felt a shiver of excitement at being in the same room as this beautiful, technologically savvy girl.
“Of course there wouldn’t be anything there. Neverland would have erased all evidence of it ever having been there. They probably have people working at NASA.” Tink munched on a Skittle.
“What am I looking at?” John asked. “I just see a bunch of blue.”
“No, look.” Her fingers flew across the keyboard. “This is the satellite image of these coordinates from a year ago.” A picture popped up on the screen. All blue like before. This is the same location from today.”
He couldn’t notice anything different between the two images. “So it looks the same.”
“Exactly,” Tink smirked, crossing her arms. “Although it’s not.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve been going through all the data and written accounts and interviews of everyone that had ever been on Neverland. I’ve been able to calculate a probability of a hundred-mile radius of where the island should be. But the problem is there are hundreds of islands and I’ve been searching and studying them all on the maps.”
“And?” He looked over at her as her hands started to wave excitedly.
“I hacked into the international satellites, John. I’ve been watching all the islands for years, and I finally figured out that I’m not looking for an island.”
“You’re not?”
“No, I am, but I’m looking for nothing.”
“So you’re not not looking for an island?”
“I’m looking for a non-island. I’m looking for nothing.”
“How can that be? Translation, Tink,” John chuckled.
“Oh, I’ll translate.” An unmentionable word dropped from her lips and her censor band kicked into high gear, cutting off the cuss word with a loud ringing noise.
“Someone hacked the satellite image before me. What do you see?”
John leaned in to look at the screen, his eyes squinting. “Nothing, just the ocean.”
“Well, according to the coordinates we have and the weather forecast from a year ago, this patch of ocean shouldn’t even be visible through the storm front that is surrounding it. They are broadcasting a signal clear as day of the open ocean, but it shouldn’t be. When I go and remove the hacked code, I can see the real-time satellite and . . .” She zoomed in the satellite’s camera feed. “How about now?”
“There’s an island.”
“See? Something hidden behind nothing. And when I put the hacked code back in . . .” Her fingers danced across the keys, and the island disappeared, replaced by ocean.
“But how can someone do that?”
She leaned back in her chair, grabbing a chip from the open bag on the table, and took a bite, the crumbles falling down her chin and onto the keyboard. “It’s hacker magic.”
“Did you find it?” Dr. Barrie’s deep voice bellowed from the stairwell as he came up from the lower garage. His hands were covered in grease and he was wiping them on a rag.
“I think so.” Tink grinned proudly, spinning her laptop around to show him the coordinates.
“That looks like the right island. That’s my girl.”
“What do we do now?” John asked.
Dr. Barrie tossed the rag on the kitchen island and went to the counter. “The engine is tuned and ready to go.”
He ran his fingers along the underside of the counter until he hit a button, triggering a secret panel in the wall. The panel turned, revealing an arsenal of weapons.
Dr. Barrie grabbed a gun and checked the chamber and extra magazines of ammo before handing it to John. “Now we go get our boys back.”
Tink let out a squeal of happiness.
Chapter 26
He couldn’t find the ship. Peter tried to fly back with Wendy, but he must have strayed off course. His arms were tiring from holding her, and he was exhausted from flying. Thankfully, Wendy had immediately fallen asleep and had stayed that way since he rescued her. He could feel the rise and fall of her chest and her warm breath on his neck, so he knew she was fine. But if he didn’t find a place to land soon, they might both end up in the ocean again.
Ascending even higher into the air, he tried to get a better vantage point. Slowly turning, he searched the horizon for a glimpse of a reflection, or a shadow of any kind. The sun was setting and he knew it would be harder to find the ship at night.
“C’mon,” he begged. The sun cast a magnificent yellow and orange band across the sky, and he couldn’t help but watch the light show as it turned red. But as the bright colors deepened his fears intensified.
“Where are you?” Peter whispered. Wendy stirred in his arms, and he pulled her closer to him, to keep her warm against the cool breeze.
He was running out of time. He had to decide. Head toward the mainland or continue his search for the ship? He knew if he couldn’t find the ship now, he might never find it and the boys would be lost to him forever.
He cursed under his breath at the unfairness. He had saved Wendy, only to lose the boys, and now he might lose her again. The sun’s rays played a trick on him, because just as it was setting, he saw a dark blip on the horizon that was previously hidden.
Is that . . . ?
He focused on the spot and tried to not go blind from staring at the sun. Yes, there was something small on the horizon; it could be the ship. It was obscured, blended into the dark water and the red band of the horizon, but he was sure of it. There was something there.
Taking off, he flew as fast as he could in the direction of the speck. Praying that it was their salvation. Even if it was the Red Skulls themselves, he wouldn’t care as long as he could get her somewhere safe. The speck grew larger, and the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. His only choice was to stay his course and hope that the speck would pan out to be somewhere to land.
He tried to shift Wendy in his arms again, and he began to lose his grip.
“No!” he grimaced and dipped to try to reestablish control. It was just enough to relieve the weight and to feel the blood pumping through his arms. He had her again. But he didn’t know if he could catch her a second time.
Peter almost shouted with joy when that small speck began to take shape, yet it wasn’t the shape of a ship, but of an island. He didn’t care, as long as it was a place where he could take care of Wendy properly and see to her needs. The side of the island he found didn’t have a long beach, but he found a small inlet of sand at the base of the cliff, with a few sparse palm trees. His feet buckled under him as he touched down, and he nearly dumped Wendy unceremoniously on the ground. But he held it together, and carried her over to a downed palm tree. Then he laid her out on the soft sand beside a fallen palm tree and collapsed next to her. His hand reaching for hers, clasping it, he curled around her, keeping her warm.
A soft tickle brushed against her cheek, slowly waking her. Her eyes were crusted with salt water and stinging, but the pain subsided. She felt movement beside her and a touch of a hand on hers, and she opened her eyes to meet a familiar pair of emerald eyes. Just seeing him, seeing Peter alive, provoked fresh tears, helping to wash away the sting of salt and sand.
He ran his hand gently up her cheek and brushed away the single runaway tear. “Shh, no more tears. It’s okay.”
“I thought it was over. I thought that was the end,” she whispered, her throat burning.
“Nonsense, our story isn’t over.” He smiled, brushing her strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. “I wouldn’t let it end like that. And if it did, I would just rewrite it.”
Her heart, the organ that betrayed her by stopping and starting whenever it wanted, began to pick up speed, her cheeks warming at his promise. H
ad it only been a few days since they had been together at Neverwood? Not including his shadow, or time in Jax’s body. This was her Peter, and he was whole.
They lay together, entwined in the sand, and neither was capable of moving, both lost in the closeness and joy of being near each other. The morning sun cast a warm glow over his skin.
“How did you find me?” she asked.
“How did you get out there?” Peter simultaneously asked. They chuckled.
“You first,” Wendy said.
He quickly caught her up with what had happened since he left her, recounting the story of Curly’s change of heart and even how he followed the shadow to where she was. “What about you? How did you end up floating in the middle of the ocean?”
She couldn’t meet his eyes. Looking down, she drew circles in the sand with her fingers. “I went into the shadow realm,” Wendy answered. “I had them take me through their plane to try to get to you, but something went wrong. I was crossing a dark ocean and when I hit the water in the shadow realm, I came through in our world in the middle of the ocean.”
Peter had fallen deathly silent at her confession. He stiffened, dropping his hand from her face. “Why would you have done something so foolish?”
As he pulled away, she felt the loss of his warmth, intensified by the disapproval in his voice.
Wendy sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest and leaning her back against the fallen palm tree. She began to steel herself against the heartache and the fight that she knew was coming. “Foolish? I didn’t throw myself into another person’s body. You didn’t even know if you could get out. No, Peter, you are the foolish one. I did what I had to do to try to save you, because I love you.” Her words held power, fueled by her anger.
His eyes widened in surprise at her tone, and he took a deep breath. “No, you’re right. We were both foolish. I’m usually the one that makes all the rash decisions. I just wasn’t expecting you to be as reckless as me.” He chuckled, his eyes twinkling.
