by K.L. Coones:
“Has anyone seen Tink?” Peter rummaged around the hollowed out tree that served as the home of the Lost Boys of Neverland. Maybe she was under the pile of clothes? No. Maybe she got trapped in that snuff box Peter swiped from Hook last week? Not there either. “Shadow! Have you seen Tinkerbell?” Peter’s shadow shrugged helplessly. “Hook must have captured her!”
“Uhhh… Peter?” one of the Lost Boys called from outside.
“What, did you find her?”
“Uhh… no, but you better come take a look at this.” Peter belly crawled through the short tunnel of wood in the tree’s trunk. Several Lost Boys were gathered around in a circle peering at something on the ground. Pete jostled his way into the circle.
“What is that?”
“I dunno, a hole? It’s getting bigger too!” posed a Lost Boy. Peter side stepped up to the ‘hole’ and peered over the edge.
“That, ain’t no hole,” stated Peter “They have bottoms.” One of the Lost Boys dropped a rock into the void, and they all turned their ears toward it to listen.
“That hole ain’t got no bottom!” observed a Lost Boy in astonishment.
“That’s what Pete just said you ninny!” said another, pushing the first. The two boys fell to the ground in a squabbling tangle of arms and legs.
“Hey break it up!” shouted Peter. “You wanna fall in?” The two boys skittered away from the ever widening void in the ground with looks of terror on their small faces. “I’ll bet Hook is behind this!” With a grim set to his jaw, Peter leapt up into the air, quickly becoming a small speck to the sight of the boys left behind.
The wind whipped about Peter like a hurricane, but he did not slow his flight. Soon the edges of the Pirates Cove were visible over the hills, followed by the tips of the masts of Hook’s ship. Peter was about to begin a steep dive toward the deck of the ship when he noticed the chaos on board. Peter pulled up and watched as Hook’s men ran two and fro like frightened ants. He drifted down closer to the ship and spotted the source of the pirate’s confusion. A huge hole of nothing had opened up near the prow of the huge galleon. The void looked exactly like the expanding void outside their tree. Peter landed on the middle mast.
“What’s got you in such a bother, Captain Hook?” he shouted. A tall man, standing amid ship, turned toward Peter with a scowl on his face and thrust his hooked hand at the boy.
“Pan! This is your doing, you adolescent scallywag! Cease this instance or I shall have my swivel guns open fire!” threatened Captain Hook. Peter laughed.
“I have nothing to do with it you barnacle brained baffoon!” Hook flashed his hook in the sun menacingly. “If you are done threatening me, I’ll come down and we can try to figure out what this is?” Hook cocked his head to the side.
“Very well. No one touches the boy,” Hook ordered, glaring sternly at his men. Peter landed lightly on the deck, amid a circle of frowning and grumbling pirates. “Alright boy, speak, if this goes on much longer the anchor chain will disappear and we will be adrift!”
“There is one of these outside our tree, and it is also getting bigger. Something is happening to Neverland, not just your ship,” explained Peter. “Have you noticed anything else missing? Are all your men accounted for?”
“Actually, I haven’t seen Mr. Smee today,” mused Hook. “Mr. Smee, step forward!” There was no answer. “Who has seen Mr. Smee! Answer or you shall all walk the plank!”
“Cap’n sir, no one has laid eyes on him, sir.”
“Tink is missing too,” stated Peter. “I’ll go talk to Great Big Little Panther, he might know a way to find out what these ‘nothing places’ are.”
“Not so fast, Pan,” snipped Captain Hook. “How do I know you will come back before my ship’s anchor chain has vanished? I’m going with you!” Peter nodded. “Lower the longboat, we are going ashore.” The oarsmen stayed in the boat, as Hook and Peter entered the forest. The Indian village was on a high bluff overlooking the cove. Within a few hours they stood at the edge of the village listening to the commotion of drums and singing coming from within the village.
“It’s a warpath!,” grumbled Hook. The Captain put his hand on the hilt of his cutlass. Peter’s hand on his arm and a shake of the boy’s head kept him from drawing the blade. Slowly, they left the cover of the brush and entered the village. A huge bonfire burned in the middle of the village with the shadows of braves circling it. Inside the ring of braves, a man with a wolf’s head sang loudly and flailed away at a hide drum. One of the braves caught sight of Peter and Hook as they approached, and the commotion slowly died away.
“We must see the chief!” shouted Peter. He stepped forward into a wide stance, hands on his hips and his chest thrust forward. As the braves milled about, a large feathered headdress appeared as Chief Great Big Little Panther stepped through the line of warriors.
“Why you come, boy who does not grow?”
“What’s happening to Neverland?,” replied Peter. “Can the spirits tell us?”
“Spirits say a hand of those who swing in trees is causing evil. Evil is beyond the hole in the air.” The chief pointed at an expanding area of void at the edge of the village. Pan glanced at Captain Hook.
“Go back and take care of your ship Captain.” Without waiting for a response, Peter sprinted to the void and dove inside.
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