Suggested soundtrack for this chapter…Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N' Roses and Welcome to Paradise by Green Day.

………….............

Laughter chimed from everywhere and the wind seemed to flow with it as I looked to a sapphire sky. I realized the laughter was my own. Something was circling above me bearing no resemblance to any natural thing that should be in the sky, yet I felt no dread. I laughed again and sank into the vibrant green, knee-high grasses, hiding myself. Giggling, I watched the heavens. I wasn't sure why I was breathless, my heart was thudding wildly against my ribs. I heard a rooster's crow and my stomach whipped into a back flip. I was insanely happy.

But then I remembered. My mood fell quickly into that of melancholy. It won't be like this forever, I know, I must flee soon. I had felt something rising in me, something dangerous, and I could abide no longer. My heart resumed its normal tempo as I felt the corners of my mouth droop.

WHOOOSH

Suddenly I was flying, held by strong arms around my waist, attached to a body directly behind me. My heart picked up its dance once again. I grinned as I looked down at the appendages that entwined me. They were tan and somewhat scrawny, but I knew the immeasurable power they held. A soft chin rested on my shoulder. "You can't hide from me. I'm far too clever for that!" His breath tickled my ear, but I felt it all the way down to my toes. Though the ground was rapidly falling away beneath me, I felt no fear. I knew I was safe and secure in the arms of this boy, nevertheless someday soon I must make a flight of my own…

My eyes slowly opened and I could feel myself smiling. I still felt my body suspended in air, my back pressed against the body of that mysterious boy. It had been a good dream, and it had been so real. The sky was an Aquarius blue, and the brightness of it was bedazzling. I blinked and rubbed the blindness from my eyes as I sat up.

"What the hell?" I was in my boat, but my boat was most definitely NOT in the water. I looked all around at the fluffy whiteness that had replaced the sea-green of the ocean. The sun was blazing and I felt my body wet with sweat, whether this was from the sun or my dream I would never know. "OH MY GOD!" I panicked and the boat gave a horrible lurch, so did my stomach. I grabbed the edges, but it was just as effective as holding onto an anvil in the ocean. The boat plummeted.

I cleared the clouds and heard the whistling of the air rushing past me. Without further ado my small rowboat pitched over and I was looking down at the earth below me. "HOLYYYY FUUUUCCCKK….." The green island below me twinkled mischievously. I let go of the boat and I went into a free fall, the moisture on my body quickly evaporating. Ok I calmed a little bit, but just a little bit. This was just like diving…only off a thirteen thousand story springboard. 'Oh my God! Am I going to die?' My thoughts were morbid, and so was the seemingly innocent water lurking far below. The sea was getting closer and closer. I positioned myself into somewhat of a diving position, hands first feet last, with my head tucked in. All I could do now was pray…

………………SPLASH…………..

I felt my body enter the marine with and my hands tingled from the sting of the impact. Quickly, I somersaulted, and resurfaced, breathless. It was like being reborn, and I took my first breath of oxygen. This ordeal took quite a bit to set in, "OH YEA, BABY! Perfect freaking 10!" I cackled, but not in a look-at-me-my-name-is-Morgan-and-I'm-an-evil-genius sort of way. My diving coach Mrs. Phearson would be proud, wait…who was I kidding? She would have been jealous! My moment of triumph was quickly cut short. About ten feet away I spied something mossy pop out of the water. I didn't need the smirk sent my way to know that I needed to get the heck out of there.

"Oh hell no!" The head disappeared. Damn mermaids! The shore was about thirty feet away. I could see the palm trees beckoning. So close, yet so far away! I kicked it into gear with the best freestyle I could manage. Swimming like that was definitely NOT my forte. Oh, I could swim well enough, sure, but swimming fast, well that's where I fell short. Give me diving any day, or a surfboard and I kick ass.

Barely ten feet later and I was already huffing and puffing. Twenty feet, twenty measly feet. 'Come on! I dive off stuff higher than that. Of course it only takes me about five seconds to reach my destination, but whatever…11…10…8…come on!' I could see the waves cresting, just a bit farther. If only I had my board…Too late…SPLASH! Low and behold a very green boy with flaming red hair was grinning right in front of me, so…I dunked him. All right, stupid idea dunking a mermaid, but I trusted my intuition. I began my race to shore once again, but not soon enough. A slimy hand grabbed my ankle and I was pulled under.

On reflex I opened my eyes which is something you definitely don't want to do in the ocean, but my eyes were fine! There was no burn whatsoever. It was seriously a Kate Bosworth moment from Blue Crush; except there was a greenish boy resembling a Christmas decoration gone wrong floating in front of me. For a second I forgot I was underwater and I tried to scream, but you know breathing in water isn't the most intelligent thing to do when you're under mermaid attack. It could have been worse, though. The water I sucked in was completely fresh. No salt. And at least the mermaid…or should I say merman had the common decency to pull me to shore before he was going to do whatever he pleased with me.

I sputtered out water and opened my eyes to a very chipper mer-boy. He opened his mouth, I guess to say something, but what came out was an almost cat-like purring sound, "Purre menone aserrebe merr."

All I could do was feebly squeak, "English?"

The green, freckled boy smiled and laughed a little bit. His shaggy red hair danced as if it was still underwater. "Sorry, I kind of forgot myself for a second there," his voice was pubescent, almost squeaky. Mermaid puberty? "My name's Micah." Uhh…

"And…what do you want?" I said as calmly as I could considering the moment.

He was sort of glazed over. "Oh, that, um I saw you fall out of the sky and wanted to know if you were okay. I mean you don't see pretty pixie's fall out of the sky everyday, do you? I thought you could have been hurt and I wanted to check it out. I mean, it looked like a knarley fall and all. That was so high and everything…" He was babbling…Pixie?

"Wait, kid…Micah, hold on a sec. Pixie?"

"Well yea I figured…" he was staring at my shockingly pink and very wet hair. Hm…maybe this was a good thing, blending in with my surroundings like a chameleon reptilian thing.

"Oh yea, that's me…a pixie!" Damn my shitty acting skills!

"So what were you doing flying over the ocean, and what was with the falling?"

"Oh well that…see I was flying and my wings…they just sort of fell off," I faked a look of bewilderment. He looked slightly confused and his hair gave another flick without the wind.

"Pixie's don't have wings…"

They didn't?! Since when? What kind of a freaky fairy tale joke was this? Somehow I kept my cool. "Oh…heh. That's just a little pixie joke. To tell the truth I was looking for my… bracelet that fell off earlier it was the last place I haven't searched," I hoped they accessorized here.

"Oh okay," he was grinning again. What a happy little mer-man, so chipper, so annoying. "I could help you out with that-

"That'd be great but now I have to leave you and go help my pixie family…water…the garden. Cya!" I kept the air of ditzy…I so deserved an Emmy or a Grammy, or whatever…well at least he bought it.

"Okay bye, if I see your bracelet I'll letcha know!"

"Okay sure." And without a backwards glance, I ran into the green forest.

……………….......................

A small ray of sunshine crept its way through the wispy tendrils of the weeping willow and into a very gigantic knothole. The ray whisked its way to a slumbering figure and tapped him on the nose. The loud snoring that usually had filled the knothole abruptly stopped and a pair of vibrant blue eyes snapped open. The figure bounded out of bed to the window. He stuck his head out and let loose a resounding crow.

But nothing happened. There was no ringing laughter, no bounding footsteps up the tree to meet him. There was only a familiar ball of light zooming its way toward the willow. The light sped into the room and started to chime very rapidly but the rooster ignored it.

"Tink…I guess…they really are gone…" It was the same as every other morning. He had the same far off look and he gave the light the same blank stare before he turned around and sank into his bed once more. The light sighed. Mind you, lights don't normally sigh, but upon closer inspection this light was actually a small woman; clad in her own small leaf outfit with wild blonde hair and an out of place forlorn expression. This was Tinkerbelle, the fairy-light. At the moment she glowed blue. The same routine had played on for a very long number of years. Tinkerbell cried one sparkling tear, the same as every other morning. Her Peter, her ageless Peter Pan was in fact growing older.

It had all started when one by one the Lost Boys left. Without any word at all, not even a simple good-bye they all vanished. 'Oh the ignorance of them!' thought Tink glowing red. But with a small glance at the sulking form of Peter she became blue again. They left and it was a very number of nights that no one came for supper that Peter realized that there was never going to be a pretend dinner ever again. Peter was heart broken.

First Wendy, and now this? It was too much for a young boy to take. He was all alone in the world. Tinkerbelle couldn't even begin to imagine the pain he felt in his heart, his heart was almost as big as she was. The loneliness was so unbearable and it began to give him actual physical pain. This was far beyond any ache that a child could bear. Tinkerbelle remembered the nights she flew around his head as he moaned. The sound was so unearthly. She cried for there was nothing more she could do, she was too small. So Peter grew, and my did he grow. His limbs became longer, shoulders broader, muscles stronger, voice deeper, and understanding…well the loneliness didn't hurt quite as much anymore. It became a rare occurrence when Peter left the perimeter of his willow tree.

There was nothing left to look foreword to anymore; no one to laugh with or play with. Tinkerbelle needed to find something to keep Peter young…and fast or he was doomed. Possibly the island was doomed. Who knows how important he was to everyone's well-being. But hadn't she seen something coming over the horizon just this morning? Oh yes she had! What was it now…a boat? Yes a small boat floating on the clouds! The fairy went mad with joy, glowing bright yellow. She zoomed to Peter's ear and started to jingle.

Peter sat straight up. BANG! He crunched his head on the low, knotted ceiling, "OW!" But this was no time to deal with petty things like pain!

"A boat, you say Tink?" She jingled violently. "A flying boat?!" He exclaimed with happy disbelief. "Smells like pirate business…" He jumped out of bed and rummaged around the small room. Finally, finding a small sheathed dagger in a duster corner, he strung it around his waist. "Let's go Tink." And without even putting on a shirt he leapt out of the knothole, flew south, and gave a laugh that seemed to make the island burst to life.

…………….....................