Sofia Whitman

Around 11, when the house was quiet, I snuck out of bed. I had gone to sleep in workout clothes, so the only thing I had to do was grab my shoes before meeting up with Lucas in the garage.

By the time we got to the soundstage it was nearly midnight, and despite living the farthest away, Alex was already there, his backpack stuffed full. After a few minutes, Eli and Emma came around, both still quietly upset they lost the vote. To be fair, they didn't have to come, but neither of them ever backed down from a challenge.

"You ready for this?" Alex asked.

"Let's do it," I responded.

There were no security guards anymore, but the doors to the soundstage were locked. Eli, out of nowhere, starts picking the lock. Within a few seconds, the soundstage doors swung open.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Emma asked, taking back the bobby pin he had asked for.

"Youtube," he said. When he was met with raised eyebrows, he scoffed, "I can do research, too!"

With that, we headed into the building, Lucas shutting the doors behind us. It was dark, but Alex found a light switch and flicked it on. It was massive, with big cameras, high tech computers, and cords everywhere. Alex pulled out his own laptop, and he and Lucas got to work while Eli, Emma, and I explored the soundstage.

"Check this out!" Emma called, standing back next to the doors to the outside.

Eli and I came over, and she pointed to a plaque by the light switch. It read: "This soundstage is where the DHI program was modeled. It is no longer used in commemoration for the Kingdom Keepers' efforts to disband the Overtakers."

"That's gotta be a joke," Eli said, though he certainly sounded less convinced than earlier.

After a few minutes, Alex told Lucas, Eli, Emma, and I to put on the green suits I had seen our parents in hours before. He hooked us up to huge, heavy cords, and told us to do a few poses and athletic activities. Eli complained the entire time.

When we were done, Lucas repeated the procedure with Alex, who told him exactly what to do. It took us hours, but Alex finally declared that we were done around 3 am, and all of us were ready to get out of there. With a flash drive in hand, we all hurried home, as the next day, or really just a few hours later, we all had school.

Waking up sucks even more when you're running on 3 hours of sleep.

Even Lucas looked like he got run over by a truck. Despite the confidence I had yesterday, this morning I felt like we were stupid for even trying. I mean, even if it was true, all of the rumors, how could we have repeated the same modeling they did? Alex was good, but was he really that good?

Finally, after what felt like a millenium, the lunch bell rang. I picked up a tray of pizza and headed over to our normal spot, with Alex and Lucas both beating me to the table. Alex was on his laptop, talking in a hushed voice to Lucas, who was listening with rapt attention.

I sat down, dumping my tray on the table before letting my head hit it as well. I covered my face with my hands. Lunch was 45 minutes, barely enough time for a nap, but it would have to do.

"Sof?" Lucas said, prodding me with a pen.

"What?" I asked.

"You need to eat," he said.

I glared at him, but sat up all the same. Just in time, too. Luowski and his followers were slinking up to the table.

"Well, don't we look ready for the day," Luowski said, in a fake, positive voice.

"Go away, Luowski," I said, very much not in the mood for him today.

"You three look like you rolled out of bed and into mud,"

"Really, I thought that was the look you were going for," That comment earned me some snickers from the surrounding tables.

"You should learn to keep your mouth shut," he said, menacingly.

"And you should learn to put on some deodorant," I countered.

One of Luowski's goons decided to pull him away, "This isn't over Whitman!"

I took another bite of my pizza. Alex and Lucas both stared at me. "What?"

"Do you have a death wish?" Lucas asked.

"You're going to get shoved into a locker!" Alex said, whisper-shouting to prove his own sarcasm. Though, the sentiment was genuine.

"Oh, please, he wouldn't touch me,"

"I wouldn't be so sure Sof," Lucas warned. I just shrugged. He still looked worried.

"Hey," I said, softer now, "I'll be fine."

We ate the rest of lunch in silence. Alex typing in between bites. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but with only about 2 minutes before the bell he looked up.

"We're in."

By dinner, I was beyond ready to go to sleep. Dad looked about as horrible as I felt. While Mom seemed actually interested in my siblings' conversations, Dad looked trapped in his own thoughts.

When I could actually go to sleep without suspicion, it didn't take long. It felt like as soon as I hit the pillow I drifted off into a world of dreams and peace.

I was laying down, eyes completely closed, listening to the silence of night and feeling the breeze on my face.

Panic jolted through me at once and I sat bolt upright. I was sitting on cement. Looking up, Cinderella's Castle stood 50 feet away, a shining symbol I could recognize anywhere. The Magic Kingdom.

Out of the corner of my eye, I sensed something move. I stood up quickly, my eyes searching the direction the movement came from. Suddenly, a boy, maybe 12-years-old, dove at the shadow of the bush in front of me.

Instinctively, I took a few steps back, my heart now pounding in my ears. The boy looked like he was wrestling with an unseen opponent. As I took him in, I realized I recognized him. In his all-green outfit, fit with olive tights and hat with a signature red feather, anyone would.

"I've got you!" He shouted triumphantly, finally stepping out of the shadow of the bush.

He lugged a black spot on the ground out of it, which I quickly realized was his shadow. He looked up at me, as if seeing me for the first time.

"Hi," He said, showing no fear of confronting a stranger. "Are you a Kingdom Keeper?"

I did a double-take, "I'm sorry?"

"A Kingdom Keeper?" He repeated, "A hologram?"

I looked down. Now that couldn't be possible, it's got to be a dream. I was glowing. For some reason, this discovery started my heart racing even faster. It felt like I was having a panic attack.

"Hey," he said, now looking worried, "You didn't know?"

I shook my head, trying to distract myself with deep breaths. In and out. This wasn't real. I wasn't a hologram. It's all a dream.

"Well, uh," The boy looked a little uncomfortable, "I'm Peter, Peter Pan."

No. No. No. Completely made up. Can't possibly be true. I snapped back to reality, and saw a figure lying on the ground a few feet away. It grounded me. My head stopped spinning and I could breathe again.

"Alex!"

He was wearing a tee shirt and pajama shorts, obviously expecting a night of dreams and not whatever this was. He looked like he was sleeping for a moment, but after a few seconds his eyes fluttered open.

"Alex," I repeated, kneeling down next to him.

"Sof," he said, his voice a little raspy.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you in my dream?"

I took a deep breath, "Alex, I don't think this is a dream."

"I hope not!" Peter said cheerfully from behind me.

Alex sat up, taking in the castle and Main Street for the first time. Peter came over, his shadow long forgotten. Alex saw him, and his eyes went wide.

"It's real?"

Despite championing this idea, Alex looked surprised. As if seeing it for himself was any different than believing it from the get go.

"I guess so,"

I helped Alex to his feet. Just like me, he scanned his surroundings, eyes seeing for the first time what they only had in pictures. Despite only having ever seen this place on video and in pictures, I had the distinct feeling that it was much more magical during operating hours. The breeze that woke me up felt almost sinister, and the quietness of the park only added to the impending feeling of danger brewing in the bottom of my stomach.

"Sof!"

Alex's voice sounded much more awake now than when he had first appeared. He was pointing to a spot maybe 50 feet away, also glowing. We ran to it, Peter following behind in a curious silence.

"Emma?" Alex lowered himself next to her, speaking quietly so as not to scare her, "Emma, wake up,"

She slowly opened her eyes, blinking at the brightness emitting from his face. Even though it was obviously after hours, between the few lit streetlights and our glowing bodies, there was plenty of light.

Emma was wearing a matching set of white pajamas, her hair pulled back into two french braids. I looked down at myself, realizing that I was also wearing what I went to sleep in, a simple tank top and shorts.

"Guys? What's going on?" She sounded scared, glancing around as she sat up.

There was a commotion behind us. I whipped around, searching for the source and found Peter once again wrestling with his shadow. I almost rolled my eyes, but then I saw the two figures appear just behind him.

Eli, like Alex, Emma, and I, donned sleeping clothes, a tee shirt and basketball shorts. Lucas, however, was dressed in dark running clothing, complete with a pair of black sneakers. While Eli took a minute to get his bearing, Lucas sat straight up, his face full of excitement. He came straight over to us, grinning like a crazy person.

"It worked!" He practically shouted.

I quickly covered his mouth with my hand, urging him to be quiet. For whatever reason, I felt exposed- and not just because I was in my pajamas. I couldn't shake the feeling we were being watched.

"What worked?"

I had almost forgotten Peter was there. He had a good hold on his shadow now, and he looked at us like we were monkeys in a zoo.

"You're Peter Pan," Eli said, stating the obvious.

"Yep," Peter said, flashing a smile briefly before scrunching his face up in confusion. "Wait, how did you know that?" His confusion turned to suspicion, "Are you a pirate spy?"

He took out a small, jagged dagger from its sheath. We all took a few steps back. Eli held up his hands in a 'surrender' fashion, "Whoa, dude, I'm not a, uh, pirate spy, or whatever…"

"Oh," He sheathed his sword, "Okay then."

Silence overtook our little group. Lucas was practically bouncing up and down, looking in every direction. The rest of us were just astonished by what we had done. Alex stared at the castle, unblinkingly. Emma looked terrified. Eli kept an eye on Peter, distrustful that he wouldn't pull a knife on us again.

"So are there other characters like you?" I asked him.

"Oh, yeah. There are quite a lot of us. Wendy and the rest of the Lost Boys are back at my attraction. Most of the royalty stay in their castles, or other attractions. Ariel travels between the Studios and here, though lately she's been here."

Peter rambled on, talking about different characters and where they hung out. We soaked in every word, every detail about the world we had woken up in.

"But what about the villains?" Alex asked, "The bad characters?"

Peter's face fell. He glanced around, as if by bringing them up Alex had put everyone in danger. He grabbed my hand, motioning for us all to hide in some nearby greenery. When we were all settled, sitting in a circle behind a few trees, Peter looked at us all with a serious face, and seemed to age a few years before our eyes.

"You shouldn't ask about them…" he warned.

"Why?" asked Eli.

"They've been defeated for some time," Peter explained, "But a lot of them are still around, waiting for the right time- the right leader, to reorganize them."

"I assume you were sent about the white-hair?" He asked, causing all of us to throw puzzled looks his way. He raised his eyebrows, "But I see not."

There was rustling in the bushes. Peter jumped to his feet, eyeing the place where the sound came from. For a second time I felt unease crawling up my throat.

"You must leave, it is no longer safe."

"We don't know how to do that," Lucas said quickly, sounding more than a little disappointed.

A speck of bright yellow light came whizzing into our hiding place. I realized, with a start, that it was Tinker Bell. She zoomed up to Peter, hovering around his ear.

"Hello, Tink!"

The sound of bells echoed, and Peter listened intensely.

"No, I've just met them," he paused, then turned his attention back to us, "I don't believe I got your names?"

Eli's mouth hung open. I realized if I didn't start, no one would.

"Uh, Sofia."

After a quick round of introductions, Tink spoke again. Or at least, I suppose she did.

"No, I didn't know that."

"Didn't know what?" Eli asked.

"The Kingdom Keepers are back."

Now we were in trouble. I could see the shock and terror written all over my friends faces. If this wasn't a dream, and I suspected it wasn't, then our parents were also in the park, and they were probably going to find and punish us for the rest of our meaningless lives.

"They could probably show you how to get home," Peter told us, obviously expecting a happier reaction to this news.

"No!" We all said in unison.

"Um, it's actually, probably, better if they don't know we're here." I explained, ignoring the fact that we all just shouted into a practically silent theme park.

Peter didn't question it, but I could tell he wasn't sure what to make of our reactions. Lucas tapped my shoulder, pointed through the trees back towards Main Street. A group of people were huddled around a spot near the Partner's Statue, talking in hushed tones.

"That's them!" Peter sounded excited.

We all carefully made our way to the edge of the tree line, peering through bushes to get a better look at our parents.

"That was a waste of time," Uncle Terry sounded dejected.

"It was worth a shot," My dad said, rummaging around in a flower bed, looking for something.

"What if it's not there anymore?" Aunt Jess sounded concerned.

"I set up a return at 1am," Uncle Philby said, "We're in the Hub, so it should work fine."

"No need."

Dad stood up, brandishing what looked like a small garage door opener. It had been hidden amongst the flowers, so it was covered in soil.

"I can't believe that," Uncle Terry said.

"Believe it," Aunt Charlene told him.

"Ready to get some sleep?" Dad asked.

He pushed the button. All of them sputtered and disappeared. Lucas checked his watch.

"It's almost 1." He said.

"How did you think of wearing that?" Eli asked him.

"It's called being prepared." Lucas said, teasingly.

"We should go." Emma said, "I don't like the idea of us staying here for too long."

"I agree." Peter said, practically shooing us out of the bushes.

We walked quickly to the spot where the black fob had dropped. Alex picked it up, examining it briefly before handing it over to me. I looked at my friends, the realization hitting me that we would never look at our parents, or each other, the same way again.

"Ready?" I asked.

They nodded. I pushed the button.

In the hidden room, four women sat in roughly carved thrones. A plan was in place. Spies were being recruited. The child who was to bring the green fairy into her full power was being searched for. Maleficent had her sights set on a specific few.

"Do you have the information we seek?"

The Evil Queen's voice sounded as regal as she looked. As a co-leader of the Overtakers, there was no question she belonged amongst these powerful women. She had been silenced for too long. There was no need for Chernabog, not with them in power.

"Don't I always?"

Jafar's voice was as smooth as a snake's hiss. There was one time when he might've been divided from this group, his own faction wanting the power the Children of Light possessed for themselves. But he had since learned that the only way to get what you wanted was to band together.

"And?"

The Evil Queen was impatient. Rightfully so, having waited for this plan to be enacted for many years. A new generation would make it possible.

"My spies tell me they appeared earlier this evening," Jafar began.

"Perfect," The Evil Queen cut him off.

With Kresky under lock and key, and the so-called "Kingdom Keepers" resurfacing to look for them, it was only a matter of time for all of their most dangerous enemies to be crossed off. And then all it would take is the location of the child to bring about complete domination.

"Don't you wish to hear what else the spies saw?" Jafar's voice teased.

"What could be of more importance?" Cruella de Vil snapped, pointing her lit cigarette in Jafar's direction, "Do not waste our time, Jafar."

"I simply thought you might be interested in who else appeared in the park tonight."

Jafar wandered over to the pictures of the eldest Keeper children, taken from Kresky's photo album and pinned to the wall of the room. He now held the women's undivided attention.

"Which ones?" Cruella couldn't contain her excitement.

"All 5 of them," Jafar answered, "In their pajamas."

Maleficent raised an eyebrow. So, the children had not planned to wake up in the park tonight.

"Did they meet with their parents?"

"No," Jafar said, relishing in being able to repeat what his spies had told him. "In fact, they hid from them."

Cruella laughed, a high pitched screech. "Someone is hiding something from mummy and daddy," she mocked, slurring her words as if talking to a child who couldn't possibly understand her cruelty.

"I have names," Jafar offered, brandishing a piece of paper.

Maleficent smiled. With names, they could find schools, and then which was a fairlie. The plan was almost complete.