The Castle of Dreams

- 6 - The Rescue Mission

Just like the book Baylee had, Peyton woke up on a sandy beach. Why was he on a beach? Groaning, Peyton sat up and looked around. In the distance he saw what looked like a pirate ship. To the left of the pirate ship Peyton saw a big rock shaped like a skull. Behind him, Peyton saw alot of trees. Peyton stood up and walked through the trees, because it's probably not smart to walk up to a pirate ship and besides how would he have gotten out to the ship? Peyton walked throught the trees and ran into a spiderweb. Peyton yelped and flailed around trying to get the sticky web off of his face. He froze in place when he heard laughter. "W-who's there??" He asked, his voice cracking on 'there.' Six boys suddenly appeared hanging by only their feet on a tree branch a couple feet in front of Peyton. "Gee, sorry Pan we didn't mean to freak you out, we only meant the web as a prank." The one that looked like the oldest said. He wore an orange suit designed to look like a fox. Peyton stared at the boys confused for a moment. Did the Fox boy just call him Pan? The only people that ever called him that were his friends. Wait a mintue. Pan..Boys in goofy animal suits....a strange island. Peyton looked down at his clothes and then back at the boys hanging in the tree. "Hey..uh Pan are you alright?" the one in Rabbit suit asked. Peyton sat down on a boulder. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine I think. But I think I may have also hit my head on something." He said. The boys all swung to the ground and came over to stand in front of Peyton. "Yeah, you hit it on the spiderweb." The rabbit said and the six boys cracked up, even Peyton cracked a smile. "I, even in my brief state of distress have to admit, that was very clever my young friend." Peyton said. The rabbit boy bowed and the others laughed. Peyton however looked behind him because he thought he had heard someone behind him. He couldn't see anyone but he couldn't shake the feeling someone or something was behind him. "Let's play treasure hunt!!" One of the twin racoons said.

"Yeah! Treasure Hunt!!" Repeated the other. Before Peyton could say anything about it the boys had run off into the forest to look for the treasure. Peyton was about to follow them when someone jumped out from behind the bushes. "ARGH. I HAVE YOU NOW, PAN." Yelled a voice from behind him. Peyton jumped and whipped around in midair. "Why does everyone keep calling me that? Only my friends can call me that! Who are you, and why are you so short??" Peyton asked the man in a red coat who was obviously a pirate. All around them more pirates surrounded them. "Normally, I would have sliced you to bits by now, but you sound genuinely confused. So I will answer your obvious questions and then slice you to bits, Pan. First of all you are Peter Pan that's why they're most obviously calling you that, second of all I'm only short because well, look down my boy." Said the pirate. Peyton looked down slowly and saw he was floating in midair. He immediately fell to the ground. The Pirates chuckled. "Now, as to who I am, well I think you know." The man said suddenly swinging his hand or more like hook at Peyton. Peyton dived aside and jumped to his feet. "There's no where to go, Peter. Give up boy!" Yelled Captain Hook. Peyton silently prayed that this would work and jumped in midair. It worked as he was again floating. "NEVER!" Peyton yelled and willed himself to float higher from the ground. Still willing himself to go higher and then to the west, Peyton found himself flying and laughed aloud. Peter Pan, Captain Hook, lost boys, and now flying? What in the world was happening to him? Peyton had no idea and he was trying not to think about it. Instead he thought about finding his friends. Peyton looked around and saw no land, as he was now flying over the ocean. He kept going and just when he finally thought he had gotten the hang of flying he fell. He fell and fell and fell. He was apparently higher than he had originally thought he was. Peyton hit the ground and groaned. "PAN!!" A familiar voice yelled. Peyton turned around, surprised to see two of his best friends. "WOLFIE! RED! Oh thank goodness. I was terrified I'd never see you guys again." Peyton exclaimed running up to them and hugging both of them. Wiley chuckled. "Dude, I thought that exact same thing when I woke up!" Wiley exclaimed hugging Peyton back, Rebecca as well."Have you guys seen the others? I've been looking all over for them. I haven't found them or any trace of them, until just now when I fell and well here you are. And golly-gee am I glad to see you guys." Peyton said. Peyton and Wiley laughed, but Rebecca had frozen in place. Wiley and Peyton turned to Rebecca concerned. "Red? Is everything alright??" Peyton asked. Rebecca nodded and switched her basket to hang on her other arm. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine but I thought I heard someth-" Rebecca was cut off when a loud howl pierced the air. Rebecca jumped and dropped her basket. Wiley sniffed the air, and Peyton glanced around the forest. "Another wolf. Maybe if we follow it, it could lead us to Beckett." Wiley said. Rebecca shook her head and knelt down to pick up her basket. "No way, follow a wolf? Are you crazy?" Rebecca said standing up and crossing her arms. Wiley and Peyton exchanged glances. "But, that wolf could lead us to Beckett, and if we don't follow it, Beckett and all those poor sheep could be eaten. Come on, Red, do it for Boo!!" Peyton exclaimed. Rebecca looked very uncomfortable with the thought of following a wolf. However, she finally gave in. "Ughh, fine. But only because I don't want Beckett to get eaten." She said. The further the three of them went into the forest the darker it seemed to get. "I don't know you guys. Maybe this isn't such a good idea." Rebecca said tensing up when the wolf howled again. Peyton put his arm around her shoulders. "Aw, come on, don't be scared, Red. We'll probably protect you if that wolf tries to eat us." Peyton said. Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Probably?" She asked.