NeVeR NeVeR LaNd
"And that is how the lost boys and Peter first befriended the Indians. There darling, are you tired enough yet? God knows I am…really honey, it's time for bed."
Tora sat up from under her feather comforter and pouted her small rosy lips together. "Aw but mom, can't I stay up a bit longer? I'm 14 years old it's enough that I still like for you to tell me bedtime stories, can't you let me stay up till 11:00?"
Her mother laughed, her once youthful skin showing the small wrinkles of her aging face. She was still the most beautiful thing Tora had ever laid eyes on. "You know Tora, if your father was alive he would never stand for you to be up past ten o'clock!"
Reluctantly Tora slid back underneath the covers, burrowing her way between the sheets. Her mother looked at her with her eyes heavy with love. "Goodnight darling, tomorrow's Monday and I'm leaving for New Jersey with your Aunt Laura very early. We won't be back till very late Saturday night…Mrs. Jones from across the street will check up on you every once in a while, and I've left emergency numbers on the fridge. This is your first time alone…but I trust you, you're a very mature girl. Promise me you'll stay inside the house and if you go anywhere you'll call my cell phone first, alright?"
"Of course mom. Gosh, I'm not a baby anymore..." Tora said rolling her eyes and letting out an overly dramatic sigh.
"I know kiddo, I know. I love you, goodnight"
"Love you too," she called after her mother who gave her one last smile, then turned out the lights and shut the door half way, leaving a bit of light shining through. She did it every night, and every night Tora snuck out of bed and shut the door all the way. Tonight was no different from the rest. So far.
A cool breeze blew in from the open window and it chilled Tora's body which was clothed in only a thin, sugar pink nightgown. She quickly ran to the window and closed it, then went back to her bed and climbed in. For a few moments she lay there gazing up at the plain white ceiling with her bright green eyes which she had inherited from her mother. From her father she had inherited long, thick coal black hair, almost as dark as midnight. She was proud of her hair…for she could almost disappear in it, which is something she often longed to do. A yawn danced through her lips and her eyelids drooped as she began to fall asleep…
She suddenly felt colder. Trying to ignore it, she pulled the comforter higher around her body, but to no avail. Slowly she opened her eyes and peered out from under the covers. A bright light shone through the now open window, so powerful it was almost blinding. Tora through her hands in front of her eyes to shield them from it, then slid out of bed and crept over to the window. The light suddenly dimmed. She lowered her hands and saw the North Star. But that was not what caught her attention, for it was not the object that had shined so brightly…
"Second star to the right, in the darkest of the night, think happy thoughts and then take flight…"
Tora squeezed her eyes shut. She had often dreamed of the second star to the right, the way to Never Neverland, but she hadn't ever actually seen it before.
"If only," she thought, "If only I could go to Never Neverland…such a wonderful place is too good to exist…but it would make me so happy…"
The wind blew harder, and Tora grew colder, yet she still did not open her eyes. She suddenly felt like she was flying, and she figured she must have been dreaming this whole thing. But in dreams you usually can't feel pain…and she soon felt as if she had been thrown to the ground. She tried to open her eyes and wake herself up, but all she saw was black.