The Legacy of Peter Pan

Chapter 14: Flight of The Wendybird

          The two pirates, one large and square-like with a singular bushy eyebrow that concealed his eyes, the other all gangly limbs and thinning hair, tugged their net into the scrappy little rowboat they both stood in. Though the Jolly Roger was resting hundreds of feet away, anchored on the shore of Pirate's Cove, Sneed (the squarish pirate) and Parry (the pirate of mostly limbs) knew Hook was unblinkingly surveying them through the lens of his golden telescope. Ensuring they wouldn't row away. No, instead, as punishment for last night's attempted hushed escape, they were tasked with sitting out for hours in the melting heat and fishing for what would be the next three week's worth of lunches, dinners, and occasional brunches (when Hook felt the need for one). With the Celebration coming up fast, a decent source of food was going to be needed for the trip out of Neverland.

The pirates looked down at their empty net tangled with soggy seaweed and simultaneously, defeatedly sighed. If a miracle wasn't performed soon, they were going to be on this damned boat for the rest of the night.

Parry dropped his end of the net and sat on the creaky bench the rowboat provided. He ground his teeth, shaking his head. "Ye finks it were Smee that gave us up? That oversized weasel?"

Sneed grunted in reply.

"Yer right. It were definitely 'im." Parry nodded, his lazy right eye lolling in its socket. "Ye could see tha guilt schwimmin' in 'is eyes. And now looks at us. Bein' baked by the sun and still no fish in reward for our efforts. Curse that scoundrel, Hook. Curse on 'is very name. 'Cap'n's gone plain bonkers. Gettin' involved with the dark magics that are those shadow beasts."

Sneed grunted in reply.

Parry pulled on his stringy beard. "Ye reckon we could out-row the Roger if we made fer it?"

Sneed slowly raised his brow, eyeing Parry like one would a mad man in the streets.

Parry grabbed for the net again, submitting to his fate that would be fishing for the better part of the night. "Ay. A valid point ye makes."

Sneed lowered his brow.

Parry went to toss the net back into the sea, but he didn't fully carry out the action, which nearly caused him to fall forward and the boat to lurch. His attention was caught by the dolphins splashing just yards away. And due to their curious nature, were approaching the rowboat, though were clearly startled by Parry's sudden movements.

"Oy, Sneed." He whispered, preparing to toss the net again. "Ye grab yer end of tha net and stay very very still. Release it on me command."

Sneed questioningly grunted.

"Shhh! Keep it down!" He warned. "See them dolphins? Just one a those could last us fer a fortnight. Equal to thirty fish we would've caught stayin' in this boat all eve!"

Peter assisted Wendy in trudging through the waterfall and back into the shallow water bank outside the cave. Neither had spoken for the past few minutes since the peaceful passing of the whale. Peter observed the sea. The majority of the sky was dim, the sunset being only a strip of mandarin colored light on the horizon. He took in a deep breath, trying to fill the weighted hollowness in his belly. Again, a known feeling. He couldn't shake the Deja Vú that scratched at the edge of his consciousness.

Wendy noticed how absent he became when the whale took its last breath, and she wished she knew what was happening inside Peter's head. His eyes were distant, mind somewhere else. He looked lost...lonely. For a flash of a second, his confident, cocky, and brave exterior was shattered, leaving behind a broken little boy with no one to turn to. Nowhere to go. And it made Wendy wonder...who had Peter been before he became The Pan?