Jackie screamed as she clung to Peter like a cat in water. Peter was zooming across the velvet sky, whislt Jackie was just trying to save her skin.
"Peter! Peter, please put me down!" she pleaded, but he didn't seem to hear her. Peter dropped down at the level of the smoking chimneys and weaved in-between them, sending Jackie in a frenzy. She was on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck as he flew higher. They shot towards the sky, breaking the atmosphere of earth to float along in space. Jackie gasped and looked about her.
They were millions of stars, all around her, twinkling and winking and they almost appeared to be laughing. The sun could be seen from a distance, the sphere a bright yellow while red flames flickered all around it. Some of the planets, up to Saturn, were visible to Jackie, who gasped in awe when she could see Saturn's rings and Jupiter's red storm.
But before she could do anymore sight-seeing, Peter raced away and towards a brilliantly bright star (wow, that's hard to say!). Jackie felt them gaining speed as lights swished all around her, making it appear as if they were flying through one of those tunnels on the highway with those bright orange lights that leave your eyes stinging even after you are long past it.
Suddenly, it felt as though they had broken through a glass window (although Jackie prayed that she would never have to experience such a thing). They slowed to just a relaxed float as Peter swooped down to graze his hand in water. Jackie looked at it for awhile before it finally hit her. Water!?
She looked up to see an island looming in the distance. At first, all she could make out was a large mountain, possibly a volcano, with birds flying high and clouds that swirled around its peak. But as they drew nearer, Jackie could see the jungle beneath the mountain and a large series of lagoons that were connected by waterfalls. She could see a pirate ship off to the right side of the island, the same side where she could see smoke rising from the trees. She could see a particularly large tree, just beneath the mountain, that almost appeared to be glowing. Jackie was about to question what made it glow before she actually realized where she was. Neverland.
Peter descended to the beach and gently landed, allowing Jackie off of his back and turning to smile at her. "Welcome to Neverland!"
"Stupid boy!" Jackie yelled suddenly. "Why on earth did you take me to Neverland!?"
"To escape the mothers."
"I don't need to escape mothers! You're talking about them as if they are deadly cobras." said Jackie angrily. The last thing she wanted was to be taken from her room by a boy that closely resembled Tarzan and be taken to a deserted island in the middle of space.
"They might as well be! The only thing mothers are good for is barking orders and giving rules." said Peter, crossing his arms and huffing a breath.
"I hope you realize that you have kidnapped me. I can call the cops on you." said Jackie threateningly. But then she remembered she didn't have her phone. What did she have...? She looked down to see she still had on the messenger bag she had filled with things to take to her friend's house. She had forgotten what she had put in there, but she didn't feel like rummaging right now.
"But you don't have your--"
"I know, Peter, thank you!" said Jackie loudly.
"So, what do you want to do?" Peter asked, un-crossing his arms to teeter back and forth.
"I want you to take me back home!" said Jackie.
"Oh, not yet! We haven't done anything! You have to at least stay for a battle or two." said Peter.
"Battle?"
"Oh yeah! With Captain James Hook, Captain of the Jolly Roger!" said Peter as he pointed to the pirate ship. "He has a hook instead of a right hand, with which he guts you!" Jackie grimaced as Peter crooked his index finger and slashed it across his stomach.
"And how, may I ask, did he get that hook?" asked Jackie nervously.
"Well, I guess he had to put something there, since I cut off his right hand." said Peter nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders.
"You did what?!" cried Jackie, bringing her hands to her cheeks and gasping loudly. She was beginning to fear Peter more by the minute.
"He was trying to kill me!" exclaimed Peter.
"Look, it's not that this island isn't...interesting, but I really have to go home." said Jackie.
"Why?" asked Peter.
"Because, I will be missed! At least, by my father. Oh and Ryan! I will miss him! He is probably worried sick! And all my American friends, my few French friends that I can't understand very well, my grandparents on both sides--"
"Okay okay." said Peter hurriedly. "I'll take you home."
"Thank you!" gushed Jackie.
"Tomorrow."
"...what?" said Jackie slowly.
"Are your ears painted on?! I said I'll take you home tomorrow." said Peter.
"Oh..well I guess I can wait that long." said Jackie, not feeling the need to haggle with Peter anymore.
"Great. So..." said Peter. "Do you want to see...the...um...mermaids?"
"Mermaids?" asked Jackie, her eyes widening.
"Yep." said Peter with a smile.
"You have mermaids here?"
"Ofcourse! We have everything here." said Peter.
"Oh...well, then, I guess seeing the mermaids wouldn't hurt." said Jackie as she shone with anticipation.
"Allright, come on." said Peter as he helped Jackie onto his back. He soared over the trees that sat right next to the beach and headed towards the chain of lagoons. Jackie kept her eyes fixed on the glow-tree, which they happened to pass on the way. Jackie could now see that the tree itself wasn't glowing, but something that looked like little fireflies.
But before she could make any more observations, Peter ducked down into the trees and landed with a light thud. Jackie slipped off and hurried towards the first lagoon. Peter ran after her and grabbed her arm. "Not so fast!" he hissed.
"Why not?"
"You'll scare them." Peter whispered as he squat down and began to crawl, Jackie doing the same. They came upon the break of the water as Peter pulled out a strange-looking flute and began to play it.
Suddenly, out in the center of the lagoon, three silvery blue heads with fiery red hair slipped above the water. Jackie grimaced and scooted back. "They're hideous!"
The mermaids must have heard her, because they made a loud shrieking noise and dove back under. Peter lowered his flute and huffed, sending Jackie a look that said 'way to go.' She smiled innocently.