Giving Fantasia: The Taking Fantasia Sequel

Chapter 117: I Want A Moment To Be Real

Chapter 117: I Want A Moment To Be Real

"Jim. You'll have to talk to him eventually."

Jim agreed with his mother. 

"Sure." he said, unwinding metal springs from Sinbad's mattress. "Once I take over this floating piece of crap, I'll drop him in a life boat with clear cut directions to Hell."

"To Hell!"Morph cheered. 

"Thanks Morph." Jim wrenched a second spring free. He grimaced; the gripping smarted his scar. "Least someone is on my side."

Sarah held her temper. She didn't like Jim's behavior but he had reason to be upset. Sinbad had liberated Sarah, but locked Jim in his cabin. Actually, he had barricaded Jim in his cabin.

It was a harsh punishment, but Sinbad had safety concerns. Since his arrival, Jim had attempted to hijack The Princess too many times to count. His last attempt had been extraordinarily successful – Jim had freed John Smith, thrown Eret overboard, and set sails for Fantasia before Sinbad interfered. Jim was detained; the door was padlocked; the key was discarded; and everyone (excluding Jim) was happy.

Well....happier. Sinbad was a wreck. Although he was clearly impressed, Jim's breakouts were making Sinbad...nervous. Nervousness was an uncommon trait for Sinbad; he generally thrived under high pressure situations. Like Jim, Sinbad preferred to beat the odds rather than play them. So why was he nervous now?

At first, Sarah blamed Sinbad's nervousness on "daddy jitters." He had acted the same way before Jim was born, and practically died of anxiety every time Sarah asked him to change a diaper. Perhaps the return of his family had resurrected those old insecurities.

However, Sinbad denied it. At least, his actions indicated otherwise. Sarah quickly gauged that Sinbad was more frustrated with Jim, and apprehensive about something else. Whenever Jim steered them off course, Sinbad would spend hours scoping the horizon.

"Freakin' Boogie Man." he'd mutter, scanning the ocean for invisible foes. "Damn it Jim we are going to get caught."

Sarah didn't bother asking for translation. Sinbad would get irritated if she pried, and her energy was already spent on Jim. 

Jim was mad. Sinbad thought Jim's anger was healthy. "Let him stew," he'd say "Keep him in time out." But Sarah refused; Jim had shunned her from his life before, and it had taken Wendy Darling, Ariel Triton, and Long John Silver to bring him back. 

There was no way Sarah was losing her son. The first time she lost him was the last.

So she tried. Again.

"Jim. I am on your side." Sarah lowered to the keyhole. "Jim look at me."

Scoff. "How? Under the threshold?"

"It's an expression."

"Kinda like the expression 'till death do us part?"

"Jim you don't know the whole story. Your father – "

"Here, can you pull this wire through?"

Jim stuck a wire spring through the doorframe. He waited, then wiggled the wire until Sarah accepted the opposite end.

"Got it?" he asked.

Sarah sighed. "Yes."

"Good. Slant sideways and pull. That should trigger the dumb freaking lock..."