Becoming Peter

Chapter 24

The dust could clearly be seen, surrounding the bottom of the boat and the sails. The boat rose hundreds of feet above the water.

The children started to hesitate and panic. "Come on!" I shouted. "We can beat them to Neverland! Then we will be safe."

They were gaining on us. Despite the danger of them catching us, I pictured us as tiny mice and the ship as a massive feline. A game of cat and mouse. Holding in a laugh, I pushed us farther, faster. I was determined to win.

James cheated last time. He played me and it cost me more than my freedom. I lost everything, but now. Now it was his turn to lose.

I glanced back at the ship again. I could see James's face, they were gaining so much. He made eye contact with me. In response, I stuck out my tongue and wiggled my fingers by my head. Angrily, he shouted something to his crew, who looked dazed and confused about the entire situation. But they followed orders, because getting thrown overboard now was a different matter.

Spencer hadn't moved an inch. He gazed up at us in shock, unable to comprehend how the tables had turned. James noticed, stomped down the steps, and shoved Spencer onto the ground. The spell had broken and his eyes were torn away from us.

I studied the scene, waiting for James to make a move. Something clicked in James's brain before he turned away.

Neverland was in sight. We were nearly there, but James was nearly on our heels. I couldn't help but fill with adrenaline.

The boys rolled onto the sand, getting cuts and scrapes from the tough landing. Tink was lost among them. I searched for that ball of light as my feet hit the sand.

I shouted her name, feeling the sun on my cheeks as they turned pink.

The boys all stood. Their faces pleaded for direction, so I obliged.

"Go! Hide among the trees and stay put!" I yelled from my gut, waving a arm. They scrambled over each other to the treeline. I furrowed my brow and called for Tink again.

Mid-turn in search for her, above me was the ship, whose name I could now see: The Jolly Roger.

I bit my cheek at the name. It was anything but jolly. Insults almost slipped from my lips into the open air, but I had a better idea.

Rising up in front of the hull, I cheered, "Hey, ho, Pirate! Catch me if you can!"

I laughed and followed the border of the island. As expected, the ship turned just before it scraped the tops of the trees.

Nearly halfway around, I spotted the large rock I'd always been curious about. It was too far to swim. And I had forgotten about it till now. Nothing else came to mind, so to the oddly shaped rock I went. The closer I got, the more it seemed to resemble a human skull. Therefore, I dubbed it Skull Rock.

My veins danced. My heart pounded. I loved the feeling of adrenaline soaring inside. I couldn't breathe for a minute. Years ago I would have never imagined my life as it is now.

I landed on the rocky sand. It pinched my feet worse than Neverland's beach, but I had long lost feeling in them. I ran towards a large cave that copied a mouth from up above. The space was tall and circular. A mound of rock that looked almost like a mountain was near the back, surrounded by black water. As good a place as any, I thought. A new adventure in a new setting.

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a log moving.

The ship stopped shakily after gently tapping the rock. James shouted at his crew to follow me, spit flying.

They jumped onto the rocky sand and raced toward me. I waited at the base of the water inside the cave, ready to soar upward out of reach last minute. But the ground started to shake. James scrunched up his face with fury and confusion.

"What are you doing?" He screamed.

I was about to call out that I was not doing a thing, but the ocean water began to rise. Faster than normal tide, it wrapped around the crews ankles. It paused for only a moment before suddenly dragging them towards the sea. They flopped onto the ground like fishes, crying out helplessly. My mouth was agape as they were completely submerged. Once they were several hundred feet away, their heads bobbed at the surface. I could faintly hear their gasping.

"The curse." I smiled. Then, to Captain James, "Ha! You can't catch me!"

His face turned red and he moved so he was hidden from view. I waited for him to make a move. Turning to tiptoes and inching upwards, I tried to peek as to what he was doing. Before I saw anything of interest, my eyes showed me a strange sight. James had covered himself in gold-like dust and was floating awkwardly in my direction. I let him get closer till we were just feet apart.

"You always knew how to solve an icky problem." I smiled bitterly.

"You always knew how to get what you wanted." James snarled. "I saved your life! Yet you are trying to throw away mine."

"You abandoned us. If you want me to call you a savior, then you are going to be disappointed. It all started with fifteen and two are left. How do those odds make you a hero, huh?" I proclaimed.

James fumed. He was see-through with every emotion. Especially when he pulled out his sword from his belt. Instinctively, I back up. Letting my feet touch the sand.

"I'm sick of you getting in my way." He growled, coming closer.

I swallowed dryly, eyeing the sharp end. But an idea crept into my head and I realized it was my shadow, finally showing itself.

"What is that?" James shouted.

My dark self whispered in my ear a fun game to play. A new one. More exciting than cat and mouse.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Hello! It's been a long time! Being a writer is tough when there's so many distractions. I meant to publish yesterday, but I got too busy and I honestly have a terrible memory in general.

Anyway, we are slowly coming to the end. I've been distracted recently by another story (a romance. Can you believe it? After this one, maybe I'll start adding it here ;) )

Don't forget to vote! Comment if you'd like. About anything! How life is going in general, or just a happy thought. :)