Chapter 13: The Portal to H-E-Double Hockey Sticks
"Shh…shh…Mindy, you're okay…you're having a nightmare! Mindy…Mindy wake up!"
She sat up with an ear-piercing shriek of terror.
Her bloodshot eyes popped open, and she awoke in a cold sweat. Mindy panted heavily as she scanned her surroundings with utmost caution… She panicked when she once again found herself in Captain Hook's bed in his quarters on the Jolly Rodger.
She instinctively got into a fetal position, hugging her thighs firmly against her chest. Her hand trembled as she combed her fingers through her disheveled mud-brown hair, and she bit her bottom lip in order to restrain a squeak of fear. Mindy snapped her eyes shut to prevent the oncoming tears from leaking out, but to no avail. She could do absolutely nothing to stop them from streaming down her cheeks as she buried her face in her knees.
She flinched as she heard a familiar voice whisper her name softly. "Kiddo, are you okay?"
Reluctantly, Mindy lifted her head to face none other than Dakota Davenport. Deep concern shone in his vibrant hazel eyes and he placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. She sniffled as the tears continued to fall freely from her glistening eyes.
Mindy didn't say anything for the longest time… "Y-y-yeah, I-I'm fine."
"No, you aren't." He was quick to notice her stutter. "Did you… did you have the vision about the burning forest again?"
She shook her head. "No…I…I think it was just having some kind of stroke. I'm fine…really; I was just a bit overwhelmed I guess from just taking part in a daring swordfight with Captain Hook."
Dakota wasn't entirely convinced, but chose to let it go for the moment, "Yeah…you just about scared the bejeezus out of me! It was a reckless leap of faith, and chances of success were incredibly low! But I never lost hope for a second! Okay…maybe a little bit, but-but! You were awesome! Since when did you know how to be a swashbuckling rogue? Unless…" He then gave a suggestive smirk, "Are you per chance leading a secret double life you're not telling me about?"
Mindy snorted, "Something like that."
"Hey, I got something for you."
She quirked a brow, "What?"
"Boop!" Dakota beamed before offering her a chocolate chip cookie, "I made these earlier as a thank you to everyone for being so accepting of us even though we're a couple of old farts. Let me tell you, it was NOT easy. I had to fight tooth and nail in order to save this last one."
Mindy accepted the treat with a smile of her own, "I can only imagine…those kids have probably never tasted chocolate before in their lives."
This earned her a chuckle, "How're your wounds doing?"
It was then that she noticed the bandages wrapped around her neck, forearm, and her left ankle. "Oh, um…my leg still hurts like a bitch, but everything else feels okay for the most part."
"Do you want me to get you an ice pack?"
"As much as I appreciate the helicopter parent energy you're giving off right now, I'm fine I promise." Mindy said in between cookie bites. When he didn't respond, she glanced up and was shaken to find that Dakota was on the verge of tears… Her once neutral expression shifted into one of immense worry. She swallowed her mouthful before she asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's just that…I was so scared I was gonna lose you back there."
She immediately threw her arms around him in an embrace as he cried into her shoulders. "I'm sorry …I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. But I'm okay now, and that's all that matters…right?"
"Yeah…" Dakota sniffled, "Don't ever scare me like that again, alright?"
Mindy's lip quivered as she held him tighter, "I won't I promise."
Little did she know, she would end up breaking that promise a million times in the near future.
Mindy shielded her eyes from the glaring sunlight as she and Dakota emerged from The Captain's Quarters.
It was as though a gigantic man had taken a paintbrush and had meticulously decorated the sky in an array of wispy clouds of pink, purple, and orange all blended together to perfection. The half-circle sun was nestled amongst the boundless sea of color, and a couple of shimmering stars had been sprinkled on top as a finishing touch to the painter's masterpiece.
The pair couldn't help but stop and marvel at the breathtaking sight for a few moments…
Even when Dakota left to go check on the kids, Mindy remained rooted to her spot.
She closed her eyes and released a wonderful sigh as the salty-sweet breeze combed through her tangled feathery locks. There was no doubt in her mind that this was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her entire life. She knew for a fact that she would never have been able to get this kind of view in Mulberry County since it rained all of the time.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, Mindy stumbled up the stairs that led to the upper deck.
Just as she expected, the sunset was even more astonishing from a higher vantage point.
She felt the corners of her mouth quirk into a contented smile as she leaned against the railing with her chin cupped in her hand…When I get home, I'm sure gonna miss this… I wish I'd brought my phone so I could take a picture and keep it with me forever so I can never forget this experience.
"Hey, you."
Mindy had a mini heart attack, but settled down when she saw that it was only an amused Peter Pan. "Dude, you really need to stop sneaking up on me like that!"
He chuckled in response, "Sorry…uh, how-how're ya feeling?"
"Still having a little trouble walking, but at least Hook missed my Achilles tendon." Her grin faltered when Peter cocked his head to one side. "Never mind."
"Oh, I almost forgot." A gasp escaped Mindy's lips when Peter handed her the black-and-white striped seater, skinny jeans, and combat boots she'd left behind at the Native Camp, "I know I was acting like a huge jerk earlier, so I got these back to make it up to ya."
"Thanks, I appreciate it." She eyed him curiously, "But what made you change your mind so abruptly?"
"Well a couple of things." Peter admitted as he leaned with his back against the railing, "First and foremost, it wasn't your fault that you lost all your memories so I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. The Mindy I knew would have never willingly chosen to forget her friends and family at the drop of a hat. Secondly, if I was really your friend than I shouldn't be pushing you away just because you've grown up. I should be doing everything I can to get you to remember all the fun adventures we used to have. Yeah, you've changed in more ways than I'm willing to admit but…deep down I know that the old you is still in there somewhere. And I want to help you find it."
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you didn't come to these conclusions on your own."
He rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, "Tink might've played a part in talking some sense into me."
Mindy nodded in approval, "So…what happens now?"
"After we drop off Wendy, her brothers, and whoever else decides to stay behind in London, I could take you to someone who might be able to help you get your memories back." Peter proposed, "Or…or if you want to go home and forget that this whole thing even happened then he should be able to help you with that too."
She paled at the thought of forgetting she'd ever been in Neverland. "Why would I want to forget the ever-winding rollercoaster that's been today?"
"Dunno." He shrugged, "I figured that you'd want to go back to your cal-poo-lus homework, get a B-, and let your dad know you're alright."
Mindy chose not to correct him on any of the false points he listed, "If…if I wanted to go home (keep in mind I'm not saying that's what I want to do) can't you just drop Dakota and I off in Florida and call it a day?"
He shook his head, "It's not that easy…The Dremesphere is located outside of what we call The Otherworld. Plus, this…Florida that you keep mentioning isn't the one that you're used to."
"There's that word again!" Mindy pointed with a half-crazed shout, "Hook kept calling me the Princess of the Dremo-whatever! Ughhh! What does that even mean?!"
Peter stared at her in shock for a moment… "Mindy, The Dremesphere is the world you created when you were a little girl. Every animated Disney character that has ever existed lives in it, and you…you were our leader, our-"
"-princess…" when he bobbed his head in confirmation, she felt herself begin to spiral, "But-but I don't understand... how could I have created all of this?!" Mindy gestured wildly to their current surroundings, "I…I can barely string together a coherent sentence, and yet I managed to just-" she made a gagging noise as she circulated her wrists to make it look as though vomit was spilling out of her mouth, "-THIS?!"
His eyes grew ten times their size at her sudden outburst, "Um…I have no idea…you sort of just, did it? You used to have these pretty awesome magical powers. I don't know how you got them, but you were able to create anything you put your mind to. If-if you wanted to make a tree, you'd snap your fingers and boom! A tree would be there! I don't know how else to explain it! It was incredible!"
Mindy looked down at her hands in disbelief, "I want to believe you…let me rephrase that, I really, really want to believe that I'm more than this mess that I am…but I just, I just can't. I've never been the type of person to stand out in a crowd, mostly because I hate any kind of attention drawn to me. I've never been special, or important…I'm just little old me. A personified ball of anxiety, an impulsive dumbass, and in short…a nobody."
"Why don't you like yourself?"
She stared at him for a good minute before she asked with a pathetic excuse for a smile… "What is there to like?"
Before Peter could answer, Dakota's shrill voice shouted from the crow's nest: "LAND HOOOOOOOO!" then: "God, I've always wanted to say that!"
Mindy forced herself to chuckle, "Sounds like we've arrived at our destination…I-I should go see how my buddy's holding up, and I'll think about your offer to help me get my memories back."
She didn't give him a chance to respond as she speeded down the stairs. She almost tripped over one of them, but gripped the railing with gritted teeth as she wiped the tears from her eyes. When she reached the main deck, she was met with a dilemma. Mindy didn't trust herself to fly on her own accord yet, and her foot wasn't too keen on climbing up the rigging, so instead she strolled to portside to take a look at their new surroundings.
The stars had all but vanished behind the thick blanket of mist that draped over the slumbering city, and the night air was as crisp as the crunchy leaves Mindy had been walking on not twenty-four-hours ago on her way to her friends' childhood treehouse. The pitch-black buildings emanated a soft golden aura thanks to the candles glowing in the windows, and the chimneys produced thin wisps of smoke that made the general area smell rustic and authentic.
Mindy gawked at the London Bridge as the ship soared above the River Thames. Then she rushed (as fast as she could on an injured foot) to the starboard side to gush over Big Ben. Since she had been so sheltered for the majority of her life, it had always been a dream of hers to one day travel the world. Gazing at these famous structures reminded her of how many new places she was going to visit when she was able to move out of the drab town of Mulberry County, and the endless possibilities made her heart flutter with excitement.
"I'm looking forward to seeing mother and father again!" John exclaimed as the ship came to a halt in front of the nursery window of house number fourteen on Bloomsbury Drive.
A thunderous bark caused Michael to giggle, "And Nana too!"
"LOST BOYS LOWER THE ANCHOR!" Peter bellowed as he made his way to the main deck.
As they followed their captain's orders, Mindy started to drag the gangplank towards port. However, her god-like strength she'd displayed at the battle had inexplicably dissipated, and she was back to struggling to do even the simplest of physical tasks thanks to her noodle-like arms.
She stiffened when she felt something land on top of her head, "Watcha doin?"
"You have three seconds to either help me or walk away Davendork."
"And there's that pesky nickname again!"
"Only because you're using me as an armrest!"
Dakota backed off and burst out laughing when he was met with a scowl of intense vexation, "Alright, alright Little Miss Grumpy Grumps, you win."
Mindy rolled her eyes as together they hoisted up the wooden plank, and connected it securely to the side of the open windowsill of the Darling residence. John was the first to approach the-Boy-Who-Wouldn't-Grow-Up.
"It has truly been a pleasure making your acquaintance Captain Pan." He said before grabbing ahold of his hand and shaking it ecstatically. "Thank you for taking us on this most extraordinary adventure!"
"Heh… glad ya had a good time." Peter replied with an all-too-tight smile.
He let out a breath he hadn't know he'd been holding when John released him, only to inhale sharply as Michael tackled him into an embrace. To make matters even more uncomfortable, tears were springing out of his eyes.
"G-goodbye Peter Pan." He sniffled. "We'll never forget you."
Peter's eyes softened as he patted him on the back. "Right back at you."
"Master Davenport?" Dakota straightened up as John addressed him next, "Thank you for coming to our rescue… we are forever in your debt."
"Aw shucks." His freckled cheeks tinted pink as he bowed in reply, "Anyone would've done the same."
John tipped his hat to him before turning to face Mindy. "Little Swimming Dolphin…thank you for intervening when you did. Holding off that black-hearted scoundrel did not look like an easy task, and we are eternally grateful for your courage."
"Thanks." She allowed herself to smile, "But, my actual name is Mindy for future reference."
"Apologies… farewell Mindy… Dakota." With that, John stepped onto the gangplank to wait for his siblings.
"Master Davenport… huh… I do like the sound of that." Dakota mused…his lips then curled into a devilish smile: "Nudge nudge; wink wink."
Mindy punched him on the shoulder with a chuckle, "In your dreams Davendork."
His shoulders slumped in a pout. "I thought we agreed to drop the nickname!"
Before she could retort back, she looked around as something tugged on her fringed skirt. "Mindy, are you gonna go home after all of this too?"
She glanced downwards to stare into the puppy-dog eyes of Michael Darling.
"Um… hopefully soon."
"What makes you say that?"
She opened her mouth to respond, but a quizzical look from Dakota caused it to immediately snap shut… after a moment, she sighed. "It's… it's complicated."
The boy didn't question further, and instead hugged her tightly. "I hope that you find home soon."
Her heart melted as she kneeled down to return the gesture. "Me too sport."
Michael released her sooner than she had been anticipating, and he rushed over to embrace Dakota. "I hope that you find home too."
"Thanks kiddo." He ruffled his hair teasingly, "Stay in school ya hear?"
The youngest of the Darlings broke away with a giggle, and waved to them as he joined his brother on the gangplank.
"Peter? Are ya sure ya don't wanna come along with us?" Slightly questioned, "It wouldn't be the same without you."
The immortal boy crossed his arms and shook his head. "Sorry men… but I'd rather die than learn useless things in a school, work in a stuffy office, and not have any fun for the rest of my life! Besides, Tink and I promised to help Mindy reclaim her memories!"
"WHAT?" Everyone exclaimed in unison.
"Hold on there!" The aforementioned girl shouted, "I said I'd think it over! I never provided a direct answer as to whether I'm going home or not!"
"Not to be rude or anything, but when exactly was I involved in this discussion?" Dakota demanded.
"So that's it then?" Wendy snapped. "You're going to willingly follow her to the ends of The Dremesphere, even though she grew up… and yet you won't even do the same for me."
Peter threw his hands up, "But it wasn't her fault! She-"
"-Yes it was!" She interrupted as she whirled around to glare daggers at the girl (Mindy pursed her lips and avoided eye-contact in response). "Do you not remember what she's done to you? She didn't forget about you against her will, she chose to purge you out of her memory!" She then turned back to Peter with an unusually serious glint in her eyes, "I would never do that to you… and yet you still decide to throw in your lot with her instead of me!"
Mindy opened and closed her mouth a couple of times before actually speaking, "Um…I'm sorry, but what are we talking about?"
"What have you got that I don't?" Wendy burst. "I'm proper, pretty, and cultured… you… you're a show-off, overzealous, and-and completely bonkers! What could you possibly have to offer him?"
Mindy's brain painstakingly put the pieces together...when she realized what the girl was implying, she cringed. "Ooh… I think I understand what's going on here. It's a classic case of prepubescent angst. To put it simply, Peter's helping me because we have what we call in my world, a strictly platonic friendship. Side note, I'm eighteen! I know my height, my pudgy cheeks, and squeaky voice are misleading, but I promise you that I am waaaay too old for this dude aight?"
When no one responded, she felt the need to do a face-palm.
God please kill me. Mindy begged as sweat dripped from her brow. Strike me with lightning, send a swarm of murder hornets, or even open a portal to H-E-Double Hockey Sticks. Just get me out of this unspeakably awkward situation.
In response to her silent plea, a burst of white illumination shot out of the pendant.
Her brows shot up as she carefully extended her hand towards it. Before her fingers could graze the beam however, the amulet was yanked off of her neck by some invisible force. She attempted to snatch it out of the air but it zipped towards the Thames River and vanished within the mists.
No one said a word.
Mindy opened her mouth to break the tension, when a cacophonous sucking noise was heard emanating from the water. A beat of silence passed before the group whirled around and made sounds of collective horror.
The amulet hovered high above the river…and directly underneath it (growing increasingly bigger by the second) was a massive whirlpool.
Before anyone could take decisive action, it started to wrench the Jolly Rodger towards it at supersonic speed. John scooped his younger brother into his arms and leapt into the nursery window as everyone else clung to the railing for dear life.
"Wendy!"
"Michael! John!" Wendy tried to jump towards them, but the ship was moving so rapidly that there was no way that she could make the distance, "No, No! Please no!"
Meanwhile, Mindy was hurling into the river as The Jolly Rodger started to circle the inside of the cyclone like a turd being flushed in a toilet. It didn't help that Dakota had his arms locked around her waist which caused even more bile to spill from her mouth. To make matters worse, everyone was much too distracted to think of a single happy thought. Therefore, they didn't even consider the possibility of flight.
It appeared as though the only thing they could do was screech like bloody cowards as the ship plunged beneath the watery depths…