The Never Boy

|2

We reach the – yes, you guessed it - docks about 20 minutes later. I slowly get out of the car, slinging my bag over my shoulder. My Dad really had gone insane. Where could Neverland possibly be that we needed a boat? Maybe we were just going across the canal to the mainland or something? All my hope diminished when I looked up to see it. My Dad jumps out of the van like a kid in candy land.

"Oh there's my girl!" he says, running up to the huge ship parked at the end of the docks in downtown London.

"Well James, I'd like you to meet my ship. The Jolly Roger!"

I take a step back as I gape at the vast ship in front of me and its dark redwood with huge white sails. At the bow, there is a mermaid with its hand outstretched as if pointing the way. As I followed my gaze higher, I noticed the large black flag flying from above the lookouts point. It had a white skull with crossbones adorning it. It stood much higher than all our heads and I could only imagine what it was like on the inside.

"We're going to Neverland on a ship," I began. I took another glance up at the flag flying overhead before looking back at my father. "A pirate ship."

"Well of course. No better way to get to Neverland!" my father exclaimed. He slapped a hand on my shoulder before walking up the ramp leading to the top deck. I adjust my bag on my shoulder and follow him on board, my eyes wide taking everything in as I went. He quickly walks up the stairs leading to the upper part of the deck where the steering wheel was. I look up at him from the deck as he stands in front of it. He looks so peaceful up there, as if it's where he belongs.

"So Dad, where exactly is Neverland?" I question him. He seems to have a sparkle in his eyes as he answers.

"We sail to the second star to the right and straight on till morning!"

I sigh deeply, before letting my bag fall off my shoulder and onto the deck.

"You mean navigationally right, like we follow the second star while at sea?" I question him once again. I must be the insane one if I expected a logical answer.

"Oh you are too funny, no of course not; we sail straight at the second star and it will lead us right to Neverland." With that extremely confusing explanation, he walks back down the steps and puts his hand on my shoulder again.

"What's wrong my boy?" He asks, obviously faintly catching onto my confused expression.

What's wrong? WHATS WRONG? My father belongs in a bloody mental hospital is what's wrong! I shove his hand off my shoulder and try to ignore the hurt look on his face.

"So you're telling me that not only are we going to Neverland on a pirate ship," I say, gesturing to the massive ship around me, "we are going to Neverland on a "flying" pirate ship?"

He smiles widely at me and slaps me on the back with his one hand again.

"See, now you're getting it!" he exclaims, as if he has won some type of award. Just as he says this, my Uncle Shmee walks by, carrying a tub full of rolled up papers. He slings his arm around Shmee's shoulders while still grinning at me.

"See Shmee, I told you once I explained it to him he would understand." With that, he turns away from me and walks beneath the deck, whistling.

We are all going to die.

"James, are you okay?" my uncle asks, rather concerned.

We are most definitely all going to die.

My uncle pauses for a moment, looking to the door that my Dad disappeared into, and then back at me.

"It's alright boy, everything will make sense once we get there. Your Dad has flown to Neverland countless times on this ship. You have nothing to worry about!" he attempts to comfort me. Did I say that my uncle was the sane one in this family? I was wrong. I was very wrong.