Second Star to the Fright

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Second Star to the Fright Page 13

by Vera Strange


  “What was that, son?” the woman said, squinting at him suspiciously. She opened the door more to see him better. “Wait, what did you say your name was again?”

  But Barrie could barely hear what she was saying. His ears were ringing from shock, drowning out her voice. Before she could interrogate him further, he bolted off down the street, heading for Michael’s house, even though he feared what he would find there.

  He cut through to the backyard and peered through the bedroom window, but there was no video game console or outer space comforter or skateboard lying by the door.

  Instead, the bedroom was decorated with every shade of pink imaginable. A little girl with blond curls lay in the bed in a pale blue nightgown. Her father was perched on the edge, tucking her in. He had a receding hairline and wore glasses, but his face looked vaguely familiar.

  “Daddy, tell me the one about Captain Hook and the Lost Boys again,” she said, her curls bouncing angelically around her face. “That one’s my favorite.”

  The father looked sad. “Once upon a time, my best friend Barrie found a rusty old pirate hook on a ship and made a wish to never grow up…”

  Michael? Barrie stared at the middle-aged man in shock. That was his best friend?

  Unable to believe his eyes, Barrie backed away from the window. The horror of it rushed through him. He looked down at his still child-sized hands. Even though it felt like he was only gone for a short time, decades had passed.

  Michael had grown up and had a family of his own now, while Barrie hadn’t aged a day. His parents were elderly and lived in a retirement community, while his sister was married with kids. In fact, everyone in his life had grown up, all while he was held captive on Captain Hook’s ship. His wish to never grow truly had been a terrible curse. This was Hook’s final revenge.

  Everything starts with Disney Books—my amazing editor, Kieran Viola; my design team, who create the best covers ever; and my publicity team, who are working hard to get these books to readers, especially in a crazy time. I’m looking forward to working on more villains with you. Also, as always, thanks to my fantastic book agent, Deborah Schneider, and the rest of my team. Disney Chills takes a team, and I am thankful that I have such an incredible one behind me.

  Writing Captain Hook was special for me, for many reasons. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank J. M. Barrie for creating these incredibly complex and iconic characters, who enriched my childhood and kept me entertained through many incarnations, and whom I now get to bring to life in a brand-new context—and in our world. This is also the first Disney Chills book where I created an original pitch from scratch. It’s been fun to see this series evolve.

  Oh, and I always wanted to write a pirate book! Guess I can check that off my bucket list. Full disclosure: I thought they’d be space pirates—but Captain Hook is pretty darn cool.

  I also want to thank my one-eyed pup, whom I often refer to as my pirate dog. He was at my feet for most of the drafting of this book, keeping me going on a tight deadline.

  Dear readers, you made it this far in the series! Thank you for your continued support in picking up these scary, whimsical, creepy little books. We’ve got more villains coming for you!

  Can’t wait for you to find out what’s next for Disney Chills.

  Argh, matey!

  JENNIFER BRODY (writing as VERA STRANGE) is a graduate of Harvard University and a creative writing instructor. She began her career working in Hollywood on many films, including The Lord of the Rings and The Golden Compass. She lives and writes in LA, where she’s hard at work on her next book. You can find her on Twitter @JenniferBrody, and Instagram and Facebook @JenniferBrodyWriter.

 

 

 


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