Neverland Crumbling: The Arrival

Chapter One (Ellie)

I loved the feel of the wind blowing in my face, my hair flying about as I flew through the beautiful city of London. My hometown, the place I had grown up in. I had visited many of places in the world, but this city always made me feel warm inside. I felt at ease here. I could see the street I had grown up in with my family, my estate gone. It was always difficult for me to pass by this area, the memory of orange flames rising up inside of me, all of it rushing back.

I shook my head, telling myself it would do me no good to think of that now. I had to focus on my mission: bring another child back to Neverland. Peter and I usually alternated taking trips to find one, but I liked making the trip. I liked leading lost children to a place where they could worry about nothing but silly pirates.

I scanned the street below, looking for a child. I usually targeted orphans like me, for they were the easiest to convince. They were looking for a family. A new home. New beginnings. Peter gave me that when he found me. I was a sad orphan too, and he gave me everything I could ever want. And now I could give that to a new child. Perhaps a child could be residing in the alley... I flew down slowly, peering into a dark alleyway, and I could hear slight rustling. Had to be. "Hello?"

I landed on the dirty concrete ground with a gentle thud, and I looked around the alleyways. I was determined to find any source of life, any at all. I began walking around, my hands trailing the brick walls that enclosed me in this narrow little pathway. I almost felt claustrophobic, but I couldn't let it get to my head.

"Is anybody in here?" I called out, my voice echoing. "My name is Ellie Barker! You don't need to be afraid!" I stopped when I heard slight shuffling noises, and I turned around. There was a boy crouched down in between the gap of two buildings, his blond hair scraggly and his blue eyes--a lot like mine--vacant. He couldn't have been older than twelve, maybe thirteen, his smallish frame telling me that his bones were basically held together by beeswax.

"Ellie Barker...?" The boy rubbed his eyes with his bony hands, and I noticed he was trembling. He was an orphan, had to be judging by his ragged clothes and dirty face. I immediately felt that cold sense of pity slithering into my system, making my stomach knot up and my heart race.

I gently and slowly knelt down before him, staring into his eyes. "Yes, that's me.. And who might you be?" I tried to keep my voice steady and calm, hoping he would trust me. I knew what it was like to be an orphan. Sad, alone, trusting no one. No hope for a better life. I'd been there. His eyes were quickly flitting from the ground to me, back and forth, as if deciding whether to trust me or not. Deciding if I wasn't some bandit trying to lead him to his demise. "You can trust me.. I can be your new friend.. I won't hurt you.. I used to be like you once. I understand how it feels to be an orphan... Please, trust me..." Establish trust. Once I did that, I could start telling him all about Neverland. Sometimes I always managed to forget how difficult it often was to get a child to come with me.

"Trust..." It was clear the word was so unfamiliar on the boy's tongue, and he flinched as I helped him up. It was obvious that he was raised on the streets, probably thieving just to survive. He looked to be starving, and my stomach clenched when I remembered being in his exact position.

"Yes, trust." I nodded a little, a faint smile on my face. "Don't you worry, I'm not here to hurt you. Like I said, I want to be your friend." He looked mystified as he watched me, probably because a person (let alone a girl) was never this close to him. "Will you tell me your name?"

The boy coughed into his elbow, and he finally made eye contact with me. I could practically see through his big, wide eyes because they were so blue. "Alexander," he whimpered. "B-But I like to be called Xander."

"Xander," I repeated, testing the word like it was a new spice. "Xander. I like that. So Xander, where are your parents?" Xander looked down and sniffled, and my heart dropped a little. "Oh, you're an orphan."