So I haven’t finished all of this story, but I read the first few chapters last week. Yesterday in the bathroom of a theme park, my daughter leaned into the mirror and I honestly had a moment of crazy panic.
3 Likes
That’s funny. I’ll have to add a subtitle, or perhaps a tagline, to the story: “Beware the Mirror”
FYI…I plan to get chapter 15 done sometime this week.
Nice one.
Really enjoying this (though the amount of time I spent reading it this am while I should’ve been working may bring a bunch of guilt on later)… I know someone else said to send it to Disney, but I actually think this has the makings of an amazing children’s/teen novel for real - you should send what you’ve done so far out to real publishers. They’d have to work with Disney of course, but it’s captivating and funny and in line with so many young adult series’ subjects… Even though I don’t know how this one will end, I can totally see further books (like a Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe type series where Ian and Sarah go back when they’re a little older) - it’s a total cash cow. Seriously. Try and publish it.
1 Like
Just so you know some of us are still waiting.
4 Likes
Hehe. Sorry. I haven’t forgotten, but having a hard time finding time. I will try harder! 
2 Likes
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Flight
I’m not sure how far it was, but we didn’t exactly fall. More like slid through a black tunnel, winding around wildly until…
“Oomf!”
“Ouch!”
I felt myself splayed on top of Sarah, who was, herself, splayed on top of Mickey like a big heap of dirty laundry. It was lighter here, but not bright like it was outside. The light kind of flickered, as though from candles, and I could make out enough to see we were inside some kind of hollowed out room like a cave or something. Only, the walls didn’t look like rock, but dirt and twisted tree roots.
“Get off me!” Mickey cried, futilely trying to shove us off.
A sound came from across the room.
“Shhhh!” it hissed, then a voice of a boy. “A little less noise, there. A little less noise.”
I rolled off Sarah and thudded to the dirt floor before looking up to see the back of a figure crouched over something in the corner of the room. I couldn’t quite make out what he was doing, but the figure didn’t stop nor look back at us.
Mickey managed to free himself as Sarah stood, spinning slowly, taking in the room. I did the same. It looked familiar, somehow, like I’d been here before. Which was impossible, I knew. I had to be going insane. This entire thing was just a terrible hallucination, and any moment I’d come to my senses and find I had passed out in the hotel and this was all just a dream or something. But when I reached out to touch a nearby table, it felt solid in my hands. Rough like a knotted tree. Could I hallucinate something so real?
Then, the green flash of light I had seen before zipped past me, straight to the figure in the corner, pausing at his ear and moving about as though angry at something.
“Tinker Bell!” came Sarah’s exclamation just moments before I came to the same realization. And if that was Tinker Bell, then the figure in the corner must be…”Peter Pan?”
The boy then spun around, brandishing a short, gleaming sword, taking up the stance of one ready for a fencing match. At first I thought he was threatening all of us, including Sarah and me, but then I realized he was pointing the sword squarely at Mickey.
“Halt, or I’ll lob off your head, you good-for-nothing pirate!”
Mickey froze halfway between where he had landed and what appeared to be an alcove with a ladder climbing upward. “Please,” he said, pleadingly, “Don’t hurt me!”
Tinker Bell then tugged a long length of rope and flew around Mickey until the rope had wound around his arms and body.
“Why shouldn’t I kill you on the spot?” Peter said, shaking the tip of his sword, threateningly.
“I’m not a pirate. At least, not any more.”
“Not a pirate? Ha! I recognize you from Hook’s crew! Do you deny it?”
Mickey shook his head, violently. “No, no. I don’t deny it. I was part of Hook’s crew. But…but…”
Then, unexpectedly, Sarah charged forward and stood between Mickey and Peter. “He’s our friend!”
I wasn’t so sure that was such a good idea to admit, given the circumstances. In fact, I wasn’t really sure if it was true. Companion, maybe. Guide? I’d heard it said to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, which felt more like what we were doing with Mickey. Keeping him as close as possible for fear he’d betray us as easily as he’d betrayed Hook.
“Friend, you say?” Peter asked, loosening his stance briefly as if pondering this. But then, he pressed forward, brandishing the sword more firmly, now aimed directly at Sarah’s neck. “Any friend of a pirate must be as good-for-nothing as he is!”
“No, you don’t understand,” Sarah said, seemingly fearlessly. “He risked his life to help us escape from Hook. He’s trying to help us get back home.”
At this, Mickey nodded his head feverishly. “Yes!”
“Hmm. Then why aren’t you dead? Hook doesn’t take kindly to mutineers. You should have been fish food by now.” Peter paused, then glanced my way. “And what about you?”
I watched as Tink managed to finish securing the binds around Mickey’s wrists before swallowing down hard the lump that had formed in my throat.
“My name’s Ian, and this is my sister, Sarah. We’re…well, we’re not from around here. And Ursula the sea witch tried to kidnap my sister…”
“…She did not…”
“…and then we were intercepted by Captain Hook, and then…the mermaids…and…well, we’re just trying to get back home before our parents think we’re dead. Or maybe they think we’re dead already, and….” My voice faltered.
Peter stood there, incredulously, before lowering his sword slightly. “That’s the most unoriginal story I’ve ever heard in my life. Where’d you hear it? In a bedtime story or something?”
“No. Well, sort of, I guess. I mean, parts of it…”
“…And you expect me, Peter Pan, to believe any of it? Especially the part about having parents? Ridiculous. Everyone knows parents are just grown-ups who lose their children when they stop caring about you! Just ask any of the Lost Boys. They’ll tell you.”
Sarah pursed her lips, then stepped closer to Peter. “That’s so sad. You mean, you don’t have a mother?”
Peter shook his head. “I had a mother. Once. Her name was Wendy. She came from a place far away called London.”
At this, Tinker Bell whizzed around the room, knocking over bowls and table chairs, angrily.
“Stop it, Tink!” Peter reprimanded. “She’s gone. You don’t have to worry. She decided to…grow up. You know that.”
“Please,” Mickey began pleading. “Please don’t kill us. We’re all good now. And, well, they were always good, but now I’m good, too. And, well, maybe I was always good and just didn’t know it. But please!”
Peter shrugged, then in one swift motion, sheathed his sword through his belt. While he didn’t untie Mickey, he eventually invited us to share some food, what little of it they had to offer, and to tell him the whole story, from the beginning. I started back in the park when Ursula took Sarah, and how we ended up at Space Mountain and was saved by a flying carpet. You could see the glimmer in Peter’s eyes as he listened, as though he could see the whole swashbuckling tale exactly as it had happened.
“…and that’s when we ended up here,” I finished after what felt like at least an hour. I dragged a bit of bread through the remnants of my soup and popped it into my mouth.
“She’s definitely up to something,” Peter said, turning to Tink.
But Sarah wasn’t happy, again. No matter how hard I had tried to tell her, she still insisted that Ursula hadn’t kidnapped her and that she was nice, and just needed their help.
“Help with what, though,” Mickey said before leaning back over his bowl, trying to lick up it’s contents like a dog, his hands still bound.
Tink fluttered about, then zoomed to the alcove and up, out of sight.
Peter sat there, contemplating what he’d heard for quite a while. “There’s a battle brewing. I’m sure of it. Hook and Ursula have been enemies for as long as I can remember, ever since her pest of a pet crocodile bit off his hand. But before that, they say, they ruled the seas together, terrorizing anyone they could.”
“But Ursula disappeared,” I said. “And we don’t know what happened to her.”
“Oh, she’s still around. In fact, she’s probably on the far side of Neverland right now, waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“For you.”
I exchanged glances with Sarah. “Why us?”
“You said you want to get back home, right? And there’s only one place I know of where that might happen.”
I waited, expectantly, for Peter to tell us. But instead, he leapt to his feet. “Let’s go!” And he quickly started up the ladder.
Sarah and I both raced after him, but Mickey could only hop, then teetered, almost falling over the chair. Moments later, Tinker Bell flew past us before setting Mickey free of the ropes. She paused in mid-air, shaking her fist at Mickey, threateningly. He raised his hands in surrender, before she dashed back up after Peter. Soon, we were all climbing until, finally, we exited into the open air where sitting in front of us was a large canoe. There was no water to be found, but Peter urged us to climb inside. We did, perplexed by this when suddenly Tink scattered something glittery all about us. Within seconds, the boat lifted from the tree limbs upon which it had been rested. Peter took out an oar and paddled into the air. We were in a canoe in flight!
4 Likes
Thank you can’t wait for your next installment.
1 Like
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Fleet
The flight in the canoe was a gentle one, and as long as I didn’t lean over the edge. I made the mistake of doing it once, just to make sure we really were floating above the trees below and not in some unseen lake. We started spinning, and I thought, for a moment, that we would be flung out into the darkening sky, only to realize it was just my head reeling from my fear of heights. Sarah was enthralled by the magic Pixie Dust had bestowed upon us, and once my dizziness passed, I had to agree with her. It was an amazing feeling that we were soaring in the sky with the same ease as drifting lazily along a river.
From here, it seemed we could see all of Neverland. Behind us, the mountains falling way to the sea below, and the lagoon where the mermaids lived, and in front of us, forests and hills and more mountains as far as the eye could see. The tallest was growing nearer, and I presumed it must be Big Thunder Mountain, for it looked ominous, with a threatening dark sky above it.
Despite my original curiosity as to where Peter was taking us, I found myself dumbstruck at the landscape. But as twilight gave way to darkness, a chill crept over us, and I began to worry. What if the Pixie Dust wore off? Or what if in the blinding darkness we crashed into the towering trees or a mountain cliff?
“Where are we going?” I finally asked.
Peter continued rowing, and at first I wasn’t sure if he even heard me. His long, gentle strokes seemed more like someone meandering peacefully than someone in a rush to get anywhere in particular. But then Tink broke him from his reverie, kicking him in the arm with a huff.
“Hmm?” he finally said. “Oh. Sorry. I was…planning.”
“Planning what?” Mickey asked. “Care to clue us in?”
Peter tucked the oars inside the canoe and faced us straight on.
“On the far side of Neverland, there’s another lagoon. The Lagoon of the Seven Seas. And along the shoreline, you’ll find a piece of land known as the Hundred Acre Wood full of strange and fascinating creatures. And in the middle of the Hundred Acre Wood there’s a magical castle. Where, at one time a Prince used to rule. But long ago, before even I lived in Neverland, a sorcerer cast an enchantment over the castle. And ever since, no one has ever been seen entering or leaving the castle, for it has been said it contains a magic so powerful that no one from Neverland could ever wield the power.”
“No one?” Sarah asked, incredulous.
“Well, not no one. No one from Neverland. And so it has sat seemingly abandoned for ages. Oh, there have been those who have tried. Including, I’m afraid, Ursula. Only, she was just as unsuccessful as everyone else. And so that’s what I think she’s up to. She’s figured out how to storm the castle. How to pierce the magical protections and seize the power inside.”
The idea spurred on my imagination. Could it be true? It sounded like something from a Disney movie, frankly. A fairy tale. And yet, here we were among the fairies and in the midst of those who lived only in movies and books. Tinker Bell, Peter Pan, Hook, Ursula, Neverland.
“But what is this power? What is it that Ursula hopes to gain?”
Peter shrugged. “No one knows, really. It has been the stories of legends here for years. A bunch of guesses. No answers. But if Ursula wants it, whatever it is, it certainly isn’t to spread joy and happiness.”
The thought was sobering. Ursula’s power was already incredible. Somehow she was able to leave Neverland and find her way to our world. And back in the ocean, facing off against Hook, she was able to vanish along with her ship without a trace. And why a ship if not to reach the Seven Seas lagoon?
And I couldn’t help but realize what was now obvious. Ursula needed someone who wasn’t from Neverland. My gaze fell on Sarah. That’s what she wanted my sister for! Sarah was going to be the sea witch’s ticket into the castle. It had to be.
“Sarah,” I said, gently. “I know you think Ursula didn’t kidnap you….”
“She didn’t! I told you that a billion times!”
“Yes, I know. And I’ll admit, I didn’t believe you. Or at least, I believe that’s what Ursula wanted you to believe. That she was your friend.”
“She was. She was nice to me. And she said she needed my help, and that she didn’t know what to do. I told her not to worry. I was good at helping people. And she said she would bring me back as soon as she could.”
“But what? What did she want your help with?”
Sarah stared at me blankly. “She didn’t say, exactly. She just asked me to help. And I said yes, and then we ended up here, on her ship. But she never made me come. She was nice.”
I looked at Peter, and he just nodded as if knowing what I was thinking. Sarah was going to be Ursula’s way into the castle. And so I couldn’t help but wonder why, then, we were heading there now.
“We should go back. Hide. We need to get away. If Sarah is Ursula’s ticket to power, we have to stay as far away from the castle as possible.”
There was a long pause, before Mickey spoke up. “I understand now.”
“Well, I don’t!” I shouted. “Why are we going there?”
“Because,” Mickey said. “There’s more to the legend. According to legend, there is within the highest reaches of the castle a portal, and it’s through this portal that one can come and go from our world to the other world. There are other portals, of course. It is how Peter Pan came to Neverland to begin with, and how you got here, and how Ursula got to Sarah to begin with. But no one knows for sure where the portals are located. They come and go. Ursula must have figured this out. But there is only one portal, according to the legend, that remains fixed. That is the one in the castle. Legend also says that is how the prince disappeared.”
“So,” Peter continued, “the only way we can keep Ursula from obtaining the power of the castle is for you and Sarah to break into the castle yourselves and find the portal.”
“Me and Sarah?”
“Yes. Remember? You’re not from Neverland, too. Which means you both have to go.”
I was fine with this. Why would I want to stay behind and send Sarah on ahead? I wanted to get back home and Mom and Dad just as much. Seemed easy enough. And I said as much.
Tink skittered about, like she was angry at something. Actually, she always seemed angry at something, but this seemed worse.
“You’re right, Tink,” Peter said. “Calm down.”
“What’s she saying?” Sarah asked.
“It’s just…it won’t be easy. For, don’t forget, between us and the castle lies the Hundred Acre wood, full of bears, and tigers, and heffalumps, and woozles.”
Tinker Bell shook her fist, saying something else indecipherable.
“Yes, yes. And owls.”
I gave him a sideways glance. Owls? Who’s afraid of owls?
“Owls have a taste for fairies,” Mickey said, answering my unvoiced question.
“Yes, and so we have to wait until sunrise now. It’ll be safer then. For all of us.”
I peered again over the edge of the canoe, still hovering in place. It was dark, for sure, but with the light of the moon, I could still make out the vast expanse of trees. Still. Quiet. Foreboding. As if the end of the world was about to come and the whole earth was holding its breath.
Peter urged us to try to get a little shut eye, but I couldn’t sleep. Instead, I tossed and turned fitfully, mind racing. And after what seemed like an eternal night, the sky began to brighten. On the horizon, I could just begin to make out what must be the Seven Seas lagoon, and woods, and a tiny dot of a structure that must be the castle. As the sun rose more, slowly burning off the haze of the morning mountains, I noticed something else. In the lagoon. Ships. Not one, or two, or even five. But what appeared to be an entire fleet!
3 Likes
I still say that this is amazing and it should be turned into a movie or a new version of the video game Kingdom Hearts.
1 Like
Can’t wait to read more!
Thanks. Appreciate the kind words. I’m not sure how publishable this would be, even after some serious editing (there is a lot I would need to fix), since it depends heavily on Disney’s IP…and, will, you know Disney…they don’t like no one messin’ with their IP. So, it would mean Hyperion (Disney’s Children’s book publisher) or bust.
But it is keeping my writing chops going as I’m doing research for the next book I’m planning to write.
1 Like
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Gone
“Uh…guys?” I said, reaching over to shake Peter awake. He was dead to the world it seemed, so I spoke more urgently. “Guys?”
“What’s going on?” Sarah asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“Look!” I pointed over the side of the canoe to the fleet of ships on the horizon.
“What are they doing?”
They were there for us. Had to be. Which meant getting to the castle wasn’t going to be as easy as I had hoped. Panicked, I grabbed one of the paddles and tried backing away. If we could see them, I figured, they could surely see us! We needed to get out of sight, and fast!
It was an odd feeling, dragging a boat paddle through the air, but miraculously, I could feel the same resistance I would have expected as if I were pulling the canoe through a slow-moving river. I paddled first on one side, then the other, all the while trying to kick Mickey and Peter to wake up.
“Peter? Mickey?” I yelled, then cringed at the thought of my voice carrying.
“Just a little bit longer,” Mickey mumbled.
But Peter stirred, then shot upright when he realized we were moving. “Stop!” he shouted, then grabbed for my arm as I was about make another stroke.
I jerked away and kept paddling. “We have to get out of here!”
“You’re going the wrong way!”
Then Sarah placed her hand on Peter’s shoulder. “We’re trying to get away.”
Peter glanced to the lagoon, then yanked the paddle from my grasp. At first, I thought he was just going to take over, so I let him. Only, he didn’t move us away, but spun the canoe around and headed back to where we had just been.
“What are you doing?” I said, trying to grab back the paddle.
“Stop it. Listen to me. We can’t go back. We have to get as close to the castle as possible first. Just look again! They haven’t made it to shore yet. Probably loading into the boats now. If we wait, the area around the castle will be swimming with pirates and we’ll have no chance!”
I peered toward the lagoon again, looking more closely this time. He was right. I could just make out activity on each of the ships’ decks, but the shoreline was still void of anyone. Even so, I couldn’t help but feel a rock form in the pit of my stomach. A great big rock that I suddenly felt the need to throw up. And there was something else. Ursula’s ship, the one we had been on before it vanished? It was nowhere to be seen.
“Wake up, you filthy pirate!” Peter shouted, kicking Mickey hard in the head.
“Ouch!”
As Peter continued paddling closer and closer to the castle–and to the fleet–we explained to Mickey what was happening, then started working out a plan. Once we were down on the ground, we’d have to make our way through the woods, being on the lookout not only for pirates, but also the heffalumps and other creatures.
“If you see one,” Peter explained, “don’t think, don’t hesitate. Just run!”
“Run where?” Sarah asked.
“Away!” Mickey answered.
I didn’t like the sound of that. “We have to stay together.”
“Good point,” Peter agreed. “So if, for any reason, we get separated, make your way to the moat. There’s a bridge that crosses it, but don’t. You won’t be able to, because that’s where the magic begins. But we’ve got to stick together as much as possible.”
I still wasn’t happy about this. Once in the woods, we’d wouldn’t know which way is what. “Sarah? You don’t let Mickey out of your sight. Mickey, you do the same with Sarah. Okay?”
“What about you?”
“I’ll keep close to Peter. They know this place better than we do, and can guide us to the castle.” I hesitated, glancing at Mickey. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. I still wasn’t sure I could trust Mickey. If faced with Captain Hook, wouldn’t he just leave Sarah and save himself? “On second thought, you and Peter stick together. I’ll stay with Mickey.”
Mickey gave me an irritated glower, but didn’t otherwise protest. I could tell he could tell I didn’t trust him, but at the moment I didn’t care.
The canoe started to descend, dipping into the tree line. I took one last glance around, noticing the castle was still quite far off. Maybe a mile. And there were boats dotting the water between the ships and the shore. A minute later, we set gently on a patch of grass and jumped out.
“Wait a second,” Sarah said, looking around. “Where’s Tink?”
Sarah was right. In the panic of seeing the fleet, I’d not noticed she’d gone missing.
“I told you before, she’s scared of this place. Probably flew off to get away until it was safe to come back. I’m sure she’ll find us.”
We agreed upon a formation: Peter, then Sarah, Mickey, and finally me in the rear. Peter stepped forward almost silently compared to the rest of us. Our feet seemed to find every possible twig, snapping loudly with every step. It was going to be hard to stay hidden if we could be heard a mile away! But as we continued one, each of us gradually learned to follow Peter’s footsteps until the only sound was the occasional rustling of the leaves in the gentle breeze.
I’m not sure how long we marched along. The further it was, however, the more confident I found myself becoming that we’d make it to the castle without encountering a single pirate or creature. We had to be getting close, and the sick feeling in my stomach gave way to a glimmer of excitement that we would be home soon. Once in the castle, we’d find the portal and then Sarah and I would be back with Mom and Dad. And, sure enough, through the thinning trees, I could just start to make out what looked to be the blue and grayish color of the castle’s bricks. Picking up my pace, I found myself willing Peter to do the same.
But then, Peter halted, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw. I looked around. There was no one. Nothing. What were we waiting for? We were almost there! Just keep moving!
Peter turned, finger to his lips telling us to keep silent, before inching forward, laboriously slow. He waved us closer, then pointed. There, on the other ride of a row of trees, I could just make it out. A figure, moving almost imperceptibly, crouched as though hiding, it’s back to us. I couldn’t be sure, but it had to be one of the pirates keeping watch on one of the pathways toward the moat bridge.
Great. We were so close! But, I had an idea. Glancing around, I found a fallen branch large enough to do some damage, but small enough for me to wield like a kind of club. I tapped Mickey on the shoulder, motioning him to lean in close.
“Time to put your pirate skills into action.”
Mickey pointed to his chest as though making sure I was actually talking about him.
“Yes,” I whispered. “You need to distract whoever he is. Convince him you’ve found us and you need his help. Lure him this way. I’ll be hiding behind this tree and once he passes, whack! I’ll knock him unconscious!”
“I like it,” Peter said. “Thinking like a lost boy!”
Mickey seemed hesitant at first, but then, after a few moments, must have decided there was no other choice. Peter, Sarah, and I each snuck behind trees, out of sight, leaving Mickey alone to do his job. This was it. I was putting my trust in a pirate, and I suddenly felt like I’d made a huge mistake. As Mickey started forward toward the figure, I almost reached out to stop him, but then, it was too late.
“Yo, ho!” he called out.
From this vantage point, I couldn’t see anything going on, and I couldn’t risk peering out, but I could make out what sounded like the distinctive click of a gun being primed to fire.
“Who goes there?” came a voice in response.
“It’s…uh…”
Oh, no, I thought. He was going to say his name. And by now, I’m sure Hook had made it clear that Mickey was a traitor. We’d be done for.
“…well, I needs your help! I think I found out where they’re hiding, but there’s four of ‘em.”
Crunching of leaves, snapping of twigs, then, “Where?”
“This way. Follow me. But keep it quiet!”
More noises as they approached.
“Where’s yer gun?” the other man said, questioningly.
“Uh…set it down over here.”
And soon, Mickey was in view, passing by. I clutched more tightly to the tree branch, getting ready to swing, and I could see Peter doing the same to his sword.
Crunch. Crunch. Just another few steps and then…
…a loud, horrendous cry came bellowing from the woods in front of us. Crashing, thudding sounds, like the sound of something huge barrelling down the woods. Mickey froze, and the other man, still out of sight, gave out a frightened yelp. I don’t know what happened to him after that because a moment later, we all found ourselves fleeing from a giant beast. A heffalump was charging in our direction.
Mickey took off running in one direction, Peter in another. Sarah raced after him, dutifully, and I found myself unsure if I should stay with Sarah, or stick to the plan. As the heffalump came stomping toward us, instinct kicked in and I raced after my sister. Glancing back, if only for a moment, I could see as the heffalump caught up to Mickey, reared up on its hindquarters, and then crashed down on top of him. Mickey was…gone.
1 Like
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Castle
I hesitated. Mickey was gone. But so was the gigantic heffalump. But how? I risked inching closer, my gaze firmly fixed on the place they had been. In the shadows of the trees interspersed with sparse light, the ground took on an eerie mix of dark voids and lush undergrowth. Apart from my own heavy breathing, it seemed as if the woods had gone silent. I strained to hear some sign that Mickey was okay.
Stepping delicately so as not to rouse the heffalump–he had to be hiding somewhere–I caught glimpse of what looked like the edge of a deep chasm. And then I heard something coming from down below. It was like a mournful whimpering, crying out for help. It had to be the heffalump. It must have fallen in when it went after Mickey. I felt a flare of hope that maybe Mickey was okay. I had to find out, and moved more quickly, more carelessly. I was almost to the edge when suddenly…
Snap!
The sound came not from below, but from behind. I spun around to find the pirate Mickey had tried to lure into our trap now standing a few feet away, his gun poised to take me down.
“Gotcha, you little bastard,” he said, a sickening grin forming across his filthy face.
I clutched more tightly to the branch in my hand. It was my only weapon against the man, although I wasn’t sure what good it was against a gun. Without moving my head, I darted my gaze all around, looking for some way to escape. The pirate stood between me and the direction Peter and Sarah had gone, the direction that should have led me to the castle. The chasm was behind me, now, cutting off that direction, which only gave me two options.
I had to be quick, giving no hint to the pirate what I was about to do, because I could only hope my ability to run would be faster than his ability to fire off his weapon.
“Drop the stick, kid,” he said.
So I did–by chucking it with all my might directly at him. The trick worked, if only for a moment. As he tried to guard himself from the impact of the branch, I sprinted to the left, hoping to take refuge behind the nearest tree.
“Stop!” he shouted, his footfalls snapping twigs loudly through the brush. Then I heard the gun blast.
In that moment, I lost all sense of direction. I just had to get away! I pushed harder, my chest burning. Through another bunch of trees, then veer right. That’s it. I didn’t even bother looking back. Just keep going. In the distance, I thought I could make out, once again, the gray of the castle. Around another tree, darting this way and that, unpredictably. Almost there. And then…
I halted. For as I had come around a bend, I had found Peter and Sarah. They were in front me, just standing there, arms bound, mouths gagged, surrounded by a garrison of pirates. A moment later, the pirate in pursuit slammed into me from behind, knocking me to the ground and grabbing hold of my legs. I tried to worm myself free until I heard a menacing voice.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
I glanced up to see Peter’s own sword being wielded by one of the filthy men, poised near Sarah’s neck. We were caught, and all of this was for nothing. It was over.
In surrender, the pirate clutched me by my belt, hoisted me back to my feet, and shoved me toward Sarah. And that’s when I noticed him, among the pirates. Captain Hook.
His crude grin sent shivers down my spine. Had we really just walked directly into Hook’s trap? And the castle, now clearly visible maybe fifty yards away, so close…yet impossibly far.
“Finally,” he said. “Pan is mine.”
And then, pounding through the woods, I heard the crashing sound of what had to be another heffalump. Only, when it came through the bushes, there was a rope around its neck like a leash held tightly by–Mickey! He was still alive!
“Well done, Mickey,” Hook said, his gaze falling to Peter’s.
Peter tried to say something, and I’m guessing from the way he grunted through the gag that it wouldn’t have been polite. I decided to speak for him.
“You filthy traitor.”
Mickey’s eyes narrowed, victoriously. “Like me pet? I calls him Lumpy.”
The heffalump’s ears twitched as Mickey stroked his long trunk.
“Oh, my silly boy,” Hook said. “Did you honestly think Mickey was on your side? Did you honestly think he was going to help you get home?”
Honestly? Yes, I did. And now I could see I was the fool. Only, I wasn’t sure why. Why would Mickey have gone to all this work when he could have betrayed us to Hook back at the mermaid lagoon?
“Oh, poor, poor children.” Hook stepped closer, dragging the metal hook of a hand across Sarah’s tear-stained cheek. She glanced downward, trying not to look at him. “Did you think, this entire time, that we cared at all what happened to you? To be clear, your part in this little adventure is done. I’ll have you walking the plank soon enough. But I needed Mickey, here, to win your trust. To make you think he was one of you. To make you find the one I truly wanted.”
He spun around, and with one swift motion, sliced the point of his hook across Pan’s face. Pan grimaced, blood spilling out and staining the gag in his mouth red.
So that was it? We were pawns in Hook’s plan to capture Peter?
“So, what? You’re just going to kill us now? I’m warning you. We won’t go easily.” I said, defiantly.
“Oh, well, you see. But the thing is…I have no choice. Because the fact remains, the sea witch would still love to get her hands on you. I can’t have her ruling Neverland. And with the both of you dead, well…she’s ruined.”
He had this all figured out, I could see. But a thought came to me. One thing that might convince Hook to keep us alive–at least for a little while longer.
“But wouldn’t you like to put an end to Ursula’s power once and for all?” I asked.
Hook raised an eyebrow, curiously. I’d captured his attention.
“The fact is, if we’re dead, Ursula is still the same menace she’s always been, isn’t she?”
He seemed to think on this a moment. “I’m listening.”
“But inside there…” I nodded toward the castle, turning dramatically to face the imposing structure. “There’s still unimaginable magic. And what if you held that power instead of her? Wouldn’t you like to use that to defeat her? Because, I can get it for you. Only my sister and I can get you inside the castle. Unless, of course, we’re dead.”
For a long, interminable minute, Hook pondered this, his narrowed gaze focused on me, then Sarah, then me again.
“You sneaky little fellow. You’ve almost got what it takes to be a pirate. I like the way you think. But don’t believe for a moment I don’t see what you’re up to.” Turning, he motioned to Mickey. “Come here.”
Mickey nodded in obedience, handing the leash off to the pirate who had first captured me before coming closer. “Yes, sir.”
“You’re going to keep watch of…” He turned to face me again. “Oh, I’m sorry. What’s your sister’s name, again?”
“Sarah,” I said, forcefully.
“Sarah. Lovely. And you are?”
“Ian.”
“Very good. You keep hold of Sarah while Ian here gets me into the castle.”
But…this wasn’t what I had wanted, and my fear must have shown in my eyes.
“Oh, I just need a little insurance. As long as you don’t double cross me once inside, your sister stays alive. But if I even think you’re up to something, Mickey here will slice your dear little sissy’s head from her shoulders. You understand me?”
No. No. No! But what else could I do?
“In the meantime, keep Pan alive until I return. I’m looking forward to putting an end to this thorn in my flesh once and for all!”
And with that, Hook shoved me toward the castle.
But then Mickey stopped him. “Wait. Sir.”
“Yes. What is it?” Hook responded, irritably.
“What about Ursula? She could show up at any minute. With the girl out here, she still has a way in.”
He thought about this. “Hmm. Fine. We’ll both go. Grab Pan’s sword, though. And if the boy tries anything…”
Mickey dragged a finger across his neck, finishing Hook’s thought.
The castle rose up before us as we reached the bridge crossing the moat. The entire structure seemed to almost shimmer, the air around it fluid like it was surrounded by a shield of water. We stood, just inches away. And suddenly the same, scared feeling I’d had when I jumped the gap to the monorail came over me. Only now, the fear I’d had then seemed silly by comparison. What if this didn’t work? What if we weren’t the ones who could pass through, safely? What it had all been just a story someone made up, and we were about to touch it, disintegrating us on the spot?
I resisted moving closer, but Hook wouldn’t have it and squeezed my arm so tightly I thought it might break.
“Move it,” he said, urging me to take the final step.
But then, unexpectedly and to my horror, Sarah rushed forward, dragging Mickey with her. Like a pond swallowing a stone, they were through. They were inside the castle.
1 Like
CHAPTER NINETEEN - Prince
“Sarah!” I screamed, rushing forward, only to be jerked backwards by the hand clutching my arm. I tried to wriggle free, but it was futile.
“It’s okay, Ian,” she said, with the same silly innocence she used when she insisted that Ursula wasn’t kidnapping her. “It’ll be okay. She said she would let us go home if I just got her inside.”
Hook jerked me close, his hook hand poised to slice open my throat. “Your brother’s dead if you don’t come back out here right now.”
The cold of the metal sent shivers through me. “Don’t listen to him, Sarah. Just go! You have to go home!”
Sarah took a step toward me, but Mickey held her back.
“No!” he said. “Hook wouldn’t dare harm your precious brother.”
Hook laughed, showingly, threateningly. “Ha! You don’t think so?” I yelped as he dug the point into my neck. A trickle of blood dripped onto the bridge stones.
“Ian!” Sarah cried out, then turned to Mickey. “You said he would be okay!”
Mickey grinned, mischievously. “If Hook kills your brother, he has no way to get inside this castle, no way to prevent me from gaining access to the ultimate power!”
And then, I froze, chills running down my spine. This wasn’t the voice of Mickey any longer. It had morphed into something else. And Mickey, himself, seemed to be mutating from a rough, stocky little pirate, his features stretching, his body oozing, his legs twisting like serpents. Sarah screamed as the hand she was holding onto thickened, then transitioned from the deep red of a tan into something pale and blue. She let go, then back away as the creature, no longer Mickey, continued changing into–the sea witch!
“Noooo!” Hook yelled out in anger.
And in that brief moment of realization that Mickey had tricked him in the same way Mickey had tricked me into believing he was on our side, Hook relaxed his grip long enough for me to jerk my arm free. I spun away from his hook hand, falling to the ground on all fours ready to crawl through the magical barrier separating me from the castle.
But I was too slow. A boot came down on my back, slamming my belly against the bridge.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Hook said. “You’re not going anywhere without me!”
I glanced up to see Ursula now laughing, maniacally. She had fooled us all, and now she was exactly where she had wanted to be from the beginning. But I couldn’t believe it. How did this happen? We were on the ship with her. We went overboard, and her ship disappeared, with her on it. And then, on Hook’s ship, we found Mickey, hiding. Only…it must not have been Mickey. It must have been Ursula all along!
“Now, now. Let this poor, unfortunate soul of child through, Hook. Your days are numbered, either way. He just wants to go home with his precious little sister!”
At this, Hook grabbed me and flipped me over, his boot pressing into my gut, his hook hand threatening me as he spoke in an urgent, hushed voice. “Listen here, kid. Your life means nothing to me. But I’m willing to let you and your sister return home safely if you just get me in there.”
I weighed this in my mind. I couldn’t trust Hook any more than I could trust Mickey-turned-sea-witch. But the only chance Sarah and I had of getting back to Mom and Dad was inside the castle. And so what if Hook and Ursula battle it out to gain access to enough powerful magic to rule Neverland? But then I thought of Peter, and Tink, and the Mermaids. What would become of them? Even if Sarah and I got out safely, I couldn’t see Ursula nor Hook letting them live. Could I betray them and the risk they took to help Sarah and me?
Mickey had been right about something, though. Hook wouldn’t kill me while I was on the outside. He needed me to get inside. But then, he’d have no need of me any longer. And Hook just didn’t seem like the promise-keeping type.
Ursula, apparently tired of waiting, grabbed hold of Sarah and started crawling further into the castle, into the shadows where I could no longer see them.
“Sarah!” I shouted, but they were out of sight now.
How long would it take for them to locate the source of magic? And would Ursula, in the end, let Sarah go? I could only hope so. At least one of us had to get back. And if I had to stay behind, maybe, in the very least, I could help Peter and the others.
I turned back to face Hook, about to tell him that I couldn’t help him until I knew Sarah was safe. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving. Over among the trees. A flash of light, and then…arrows arcing through the sky. One of them pierced Hook’s hat, and another tinked off the bricks walling off the bridge from the moat below.
“What?” Hook cried out, spinning around and releasing me from my captivity.
From out the wood came probably a dozen boys, all about my age, faces painted, wearing twigs and branches as camouflage. And ahead of them flew Tink, leading the charge.
The Lost Boys raced forward, firing more arrows in my direction. Several flew past, disintegrating as it reached the magical shield protecting the castle. At first, I thought they might accidentally hit me with their seemingly random shots. But then, I realized they were missing on purpose. Even Hook. They didn’t want to kill him. They just wanted to give me a chance to get away!
I clambered forward, then jumped to my feet. I heard Hook cry out for me to stop, but I had the element of surprise. I darted forward, out of reach, and leaped through the castle’s protection. I crashed into the brick archway with a thud, but I was safely inside.
Hook stared at me with a gaze that I thought could kill someone before the Lost Boys were upon him, taking him down to the ground in the same fashion he’d taken me down. A few moments later, however, a garrison of pirates came from behind, brandishing their swords. Helpless, I stood there watching as a fierce battle ensued. Then I knew what I had to do. If there was magic to be had, I had to keep Ursula from getting it. And the only way I could see that happening was if I found it first. Then, maybe I could stop all of this.
I turned, feeling guilty to be abandoning Tink and the Lost Boys, but knowing it was the only chance they had. I ran further inside, unsure which way would lead me to the source of magic, but listening for any sign of Sarah and the sea witch. Off to the right, in a dark corridor, I could just make out what sounded like the creak of a door. Finding a stairwell, I bounded upwards to another corridor, shoving open each door I passed with a crash. A library, a bedroom, an armory. Everything you’d expect to find in an ancient castle, but each one was empty of the one thing I cared about.
And then, as I rounded a corner, I found a room with a door closed up tightly. I jammed my shoulder against it, but it wouldn’t budge. It must have been locked. None of the other doors were locked, but this one was. It must have been locked for a reason.
“Please!” I pleaded to the door. “Just open!”
To my surprise, it did. Slowly, and without any effort on my part, it swung open. The flickering light of a candle bathed the room enough to see it was another bedroom. Just a bedroom, it seemed. Only…
“Won’t you come in?” came a voice. It was gentle, but rough, like the gravelly sound my grandfather made when he spoke.
There, standing with his hand still on the door, was an older man, dressed in a fine, blue robe and a crown upon his head. Could this be? Could I have found–the prince?
1 Like
CHAPTER TWENTY - Power
I’m not sure how long I stood there staring at this man who just stood there, staring back at me. My mouth gaped, but I found myself unable to speak. What was I supposed to do? Bow? Or was that just for a king or queen? I tried to think of any movie I’d ever seen, but my mind was blank, as though under his spell. Maybe that was it…he was a sorcerer and I was under his spell. Any minute he might turn me into a clock, or a teapot, or a candlestick!
This sorcerer seemed to be sizing me up, his hand stroking his square chin, thoughtfully. Something about him seemed…familiar…as though I had seen him before, and yet never met. The kindness that had been in his welcoming voice oozed from his gaze, his bemused lips, and even his mustache. I wanted to trust him, believe him to be safe from the harm that had been swirling around me just minutes before. But then, I had placed my trust in Mickey, and look where that had gotten me. Finally, I worked up the courage to speak…or at least try to. Sounds came from my throat, but nothing intelligible. And so the sorcerer—laughed.
“Do I look like a beautiful enchantress?” he asked, then glanced down at himself. “Come to think of it, do I look beautiful at all?”
“Uh…uh…” I stammered, before finally able to form an actual word. “No? I mean…yes? I mean…”
He laughed even more. “It’s okay. I know. I’m just an old man. Not a sorcerer, as I assume you presume. But I’m also not a beautiful enchantress who is known to transform castles of people into…things!”
“Ba…ba…but…” My voice once again failed me.
“How did I know you were thinking I was a sorcerer if I am not, in fact, a sorcerer?”
Instead of answering, I just nodded.
“Well, you don’t suppose you are the first young boy or girl to show up at my door, pleading for help, do you?”
If I had been shocked before by this strange, yet kind and familiar, old man, this shocked me even more. Not the first? And this revelation seemed to loosen the grip on my voice. “What…do you mean?”
“Come now,” he said, patting a small bench at the end of his bed. “Sit down, and I will tell you everything you need to know.”
I moved toward the seat, then hesitated, thinking of Sarah, and Ursula, and whatever battle must be raging outside. I had to save my sister! I didn’t have time to chat! Only, what if he did have information I needed? What if he was the Prince? What if he could tell me where to find the source of power hidden within this castle?
“Or just stand there,” he said, smiling. “Suit yourself. But…you don’t have to worry about your sister.”
“My sister?”
“That is why you’re here, isn’t it? To rescue your sister?”
I nodded.
“Then have a seat. She won’t be harmed. Not while you’re here with me.”
Despite the voice inside my head screaming at me that I needed to go, find Sarah, and find a way home, I believed him and edged closer. But why should I? Why should I trust him?
“First, before we get started, we should have a proper introduction. Or, perhaps better said, an improper introduction. See, around these parts, I’m simply known as the prince.”
I was right! He was the prince! I had found him!
“But, in all honesty, I’m not actually a prince. It is just a story people tell. A role people expect, and so, I decided to fulfill that role. Be a part of the story, you know? Because…stories are powerful, as I’m sure you well know!”
I quickly found myself standing in front of the bench, poised to sit, but not yet convinced I should. If he wasn’t actually a prince, then, did this actually matter? Was I, in fact, wasting my time, allowing Ursula a chance to find the ultimate power? Yet, he had said he would tell me everything I needed to know. Maybe that meant where the source of power is. So…I sat.
“Ah! You decided to stay. Very nice!” And in that moment, he stood. “Care for a drink? Coffee, perhaps?”
I shook my head.
In the corner of the room, there was a small pot-belly stove, where he placed a kettle on top. “I’m a scotch man, myself, but I don’t suppose that would be appropriate given the circumstances!”
“If you aren’t actually a prince, then…who are you?” I asked, impatiently trying to urge him back on topic.
“Hmm? Oh. Yes. That. So, as I said, in all of the stories…or, well, the good ones at least…it seemed there was always a prince. And in those stories, sometimes the prince would save the day. In others, he was a nebulous figure who only showed up to kiss the sleeping beauty, or find the girl who fit the shoe. And in others still, the prince was the one who had to learn a lesson or two! Always a prince, but the prince was never who the story was about. Not really.”
He came and sat down on a desk chair across from me.
“And so,” he continued, “I’m part of the story, but not really who the story is about.”
“What story? What do you mean?”
“Oh…I’m coming to that. You are an impatient one, aren’t you? But then, I suppose they always are! Anyhow, no. I’m not a prince. It is just part of the story I play. But you can call me by my name, Walter. Or, if you prefer, Uncle Walt.”
Uncle Walt? Walt? As in…
“Yes, yes. Now you are beginning to see,” he said, smiling broadly. “This magic kingdom you are in is mine! Or, at least, it started out that way. Only, time is short…too short, I’m afraid…and, well, sometimes we grow up and then old, and must pass on our dreams to those who follow.”
“But…I thought…I mean…aren’t you supposed to be…well…”
“Dead?” His head swayed back and forth, noncommittally. “Well, I suppose so. But, really? Does anyone who leaves a legacy ever really truly die?”
I wasn’t sure if that was true or not…but considering Uncle Walt was sitting in front of me, talking to me, right now, what choice did I have? Nothing that had happened since Sarah went missing at The Magic Kingdom seemed even the slightest bit possibly real, and yet…here I was, talking to a supposed dead man in the middle of a castle in the middle of a magic kingdom!
“And so, you might say I’m now simply a caretaker. Or, perhaps the wise old man who shows up now and again to put the hero of the story on the right path. But what I can tell you is that I’m no longer really the one in control of this place.”
“You’re not?”
Uncle Walt shook his head. “Nope. I’m not.”
“Then…who is?” Perhaps this was it. This was going to be the key to the power Ursula was after…knowing who it was who reigned over this kingdom now! “Who?”
His smile spread. “Well, that’s simple. It is…” But before he could answer, the kettle on the stove interrupted, its whistle cutting him off at the most inopportune time. “Ah! Coffee!”
He stood, and spent the next several moments preparing himself a mug, and inside, I found myself about to burst. Just tell me already! Please! And when he turned back, he almost seemed surprised to find me sitting there.
“Ah! Where was I?”
“You were going to tell me who is in control? Who, or what, is the source of power?”
“Oh, yes. That!” He paused again long enough to sit back down. “The answer should be obvious by now.”
Obvious?
“Think, my boy.”
I was thinking. Thinking I was going to strangle this man if he didn’t tell me what I came here to find out! But, that wouldn’t help anything, so I took in a deep breath…which didn’t really help.
Walt rolled his eyes, seemingly as exasperated with me as I was with him.
“Your sister was brought here by Ursula, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And Ursula used her to get into this castle, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And in all of that, who did Ursula bring along as well?”
I thought back to them entering the castle. I don’t remember there being anyone else. It was just Ursula and Sarah. Was there someone else? Someone I hadn’t noticed? One of the fairies, or Lost Boys perhaps? Peter Pan himself? Did they sneak in, and I didn’t pay attention?
Walt waited, prolonging the moment of revelation. I could see from his expression that he thought I could figure this out. Only, I was coming up blank. There was no one else. The only people who entered the castle were Ursula, and Sarah, and…then it hit me like one of the Lost Boys arrows, sending painful chills through my entire body.
“Me?” I said.
He nodded, then took a sip of his coffee, triumphantly.
“Yes, my boy. You! You are who Ursula is after. And all she needed was your sister to bring you here! You are the source of power!”
1 Like
Sorry it took so long to continue this story. I think COVID sucked the inspiration out of me, but now that COVID is finally seemingly coming to an end, I found my desire. Been working through this for a bit now. Hopefully I can bring the entire story to conclusion in the next few weeks.
Pinging @joefishing209, since he kept bothering me about getting this thing done!
2 Likes
I’ve been wanting to ask you for months and months but I’ve been good.
1 Like
You were politely persistent on behalf of all of us @joefishing209 
So glad to see this continuing/concluding and thanks again for sharing your talents @ryan1!
You have been a very good boy!
It is always a trick with writing, for me, balancing finding a time to do it when I am feeling inspired with my other obligations.
I actually know how the rest of the story plays out, but I have been struggling with those free moments of inspiration.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Happy
“Me?” I said. “But…I’m just a kid.”
Walt laughed. “Just a kid? Really? A kid who chased after his sister through a magical mirror, possibly risking his own life in the process, in order to rescue her? Sounds like more than ‘just a kid.’ Sounds like a kid with a lot of bravery inside!”
I shook my head, wanting to disagree, but unable to find any words to counter his argument. Still, it was quite a leap from wanting to save your sister to being some source of power that an evil sea witch was after! “I don’t have any power. No magic. Nothing like that!”
“Is that what you think? Truly?”
I nodded.
“But you, my boy, are the magic! You brought it with you inside that thick skull of yours!”
“But—”
“Here. Let me show you.”
Walt set down his mug, pushed himself up and opened up a cabinet across the room. Inside, it seemed like a treasure trove of random objects! But…not random. I knew these objects. Like a glass slipper. Cinderella’s glass slipper! And the Mad Hatter’s top hat. An apple with a single missing bite. A tiny umbrella, like the one carried by Jiminy Cricket. And so much more!
“These are some trinkets I’ve collected over the years from others, such as yourself, who have come to visit me and my supposed kingdom.” He reached in, pulled out a silver hand mirror, then quickly shut up the cabinet again. Holding it out, he said, “Here! Take it.”
My hand clasped onto the cool metal handle.
“Now, look into it.”
Slowly, I lifted it enough to see into it. And, to my shock, I saw myself. Only, not myself as I sat there in that moment, but myself with my sister and parents as we were before this whole adventure began. I gasped, then looked away for a moment, as if seeing the image might somehow blind me, before gazing back. Only, the scene had changed. Now it showed just me, alone, standing at the gap between the monorail station and the floor of the monorail itself, eyes closed. I remember that moment, and how scared I felt inside. Which was crazy, I could see now. The small crack could never hurt me.
“What do you see?” Walt asked.
I told him about how my shoelace hadn’t been tied properly, and how I worried, needlessly, about what might happen if the lace had gotten caught.
“So,” he said, easing himself back down onto his chair, “I might say you had an overactive imagination. You created fear where there was nothing to fear, no?”
Then I heard noises coming from somewhere outside the room. Distant, pounding noises. I hesitated, glancing at the door to the room, but Walt seemed not to notice.
“Well…I guess…” I started, distractedly.
“And that is where your power comes from!”
I tried to focus back on him, looking down at my feet. “My shoelaces?”
“No, my boy! From inside your mind. Your imagination! The ability to create something real out of nothing at all!”
“But, anyone can do that!”
Then more pounding. Slightly lounder.
Walt shook his head. “You’d like to think so. But, sadly, that’s not the case. For some, a gap on a monorail station is nothing more than a gap. And a ride on a carousel is nothing more than going in circles. But for some…for some…a carousel means riding horseback across a meadow and jumping straight into the middle of a fox hunt, and then winning the derby! And that, son, is the kind of power you have. Like it or not.”
Now the sound grew even more intense to the point where even Walt could no longer ignore it. He stood, then reached out to take back the mirror. “I’m afraid time has run out for us,” he said.
Only, I didn’t relinquish it. Not yet.
“I still don’t understand,” I said. “Why does Ursula want my imagination? What good is it to her?”
He shrugged, then reached closer. “You’ll have to ask her that. Now then, please. My mirror.”
I hesitated, but finally handed it over.
The moment the metal touched his fingers, the world around me transformed. He vanished. The room vanished. The seat I had been sitting on vanished, and I fell to the stone floor of the castle hallway. The doorway that I had not long ago passed through to discover this man seemed to just melt away into solid stone.
The pounding was louder now, like someone trying each and every door as I had myself done earlier. Glancing in the direction of the sound, I could see shadows being cast from around the corner. She was close. Ursula. Because I was certain that’s who was approaching. And any moment, she would come around the corner and find me.
I felt torn between running away in the opposite direction and finding a place to hide, or staying to face her. My heart pounded. What about Sarah? Would facing Ursula now help her if I only managed to get caught? And what would she do to me? If I had this power she wanted, what vile thing might she do to extract it from me? Walt never said. Actually, he never told me much of anything, come to think of it. It was nonsense! I had no power. I was no different from any other kid my age!
More pounding, even closer. Only…something odd. I could hear foot falls as well, like those wearing heavy boots. And not just a few, but a lot of feet. And then, a voice, low and gruff.
“Nothing!”
Who could this be? I stood up, trying to find a place to hide, but there was nowhere but to run the other way. I turned, ready to flee, only…I couldn’t. I had to know who was coming. Friend, or foe? And how did they end up in the castle? Walt never actually said he lived here alone. Maybe there was someone else who remained inside the magical wall that protected this castle.
I spun around and took in a deep breath, closing my eyes, bracing myself for the worst, but hoping…no, praying…that I wasn’t going to regret this.
The stampede of feet came closer, the shadow cast by the castle’s torches growing, stretching out like an ominous blob. And then…
“Achoo!”
A sneeze.
A sneeze?
I unclenched my fists, not even realizing I had clenched them to begin with. I waited. And then, a moment later, two very short, very stocky bearded men came around the corner, followed by another younger skinnier one. Dwarfs. Three of them. And I knew them in an instance. Dopey, Sneezy, and Happy!
4 Likes