Adventures of John: Journey to Neverland

by John The Adventurer

I am John the Adventurer. In my journeys through the magical realms, I have been to many strange and wonderful places. One of my earliest adventures took me to a land of dreams and imagination, a land known as Neverland, the home of Peter Pan and his Lost Boys. But while I was in Neverland I learned the shocking truth, about both Pan and the island itself.

4. Chapter 3

Adventures of John: Journey to Neverland

Chapter 3

My plan was immensely complicated, and requires an immensely advanced mind to understand. Not really though. It was really a fairly simple plan. Am I going to tell you what it was? Not quite yet.

I led Pan into the mountains, deep into caves and tunnels. I weaved as complicated a path as I could, going through side tunnels and backtracking, even creating new tunnels when I had to. I did everything possible to make sure that Pan would get lost. Then, to complete the effect, I magically muted all noises I could make, turned myself invisible, and even made sure I had no scent. In other words, I was undetectable.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Pan called, his voice echoing through the tunnels. "Here I thought we were supposed to be playing tag, not hide-and-go-seek! It's not polite to go around changing the rules like that."

I saw his shadow vanish behind a corner and I followed it. I summoned up a knife that I had imagined for a very specific purpose. If all went as planned, this knife was my ticket out of here.

"Using magic, are we?" Pan asked. "That's cheating, you know."

Says the one who turned a whole island against me, I thought. I approached Pan from behind, creeping up on him, making sure he didn't have some way of detecting me.

"Where are you?" he called. "I'm starting to get tired of this game of yours."

"Then let's stop playing!" I cried, canceling my enchantments and slashing at Pan with the knife.

"That's the best you've got?" Pan laughed, flying out of the way. "That little knife of yours missed me by a mile!"

"I wasn't aiming for you," I told him, grinning. I held up my hand, which held something impossible. Something that shouldn't be able to be held. I was talking, of course, about his shadow. The knife had done its job, separating Pan from his shadow. It squirmed and wriggled in my hands, but my grip was iron.

"Give me that!" the ordered, rage flaring in his eyes. "That is not yours to take!"

"Don't like losing, do you?" I asked him. "Sure, I'll give you your shadow back. But only once Pixie and I have left Neverland for good."

"That's what you want, fine then. Just give it back!" He demanded, holding out his hand.

"Once Pixie and aiare are far away from here," I repeated, edging away. I created a flame in my other hand. "If you try to stop us, I'll destroy it."

And so, I flew out of the caves, grabbed Pixie, and fled. I could feel Pan's baleful eyes on my back, following me all the way, but I kept the flame going, and he dared not do anything lest I destroy his precious shadow. We passed through the clouds once again, entering the place between realms. Only when my own realm, my home, was in sight did I dare release Pan's shadow.

Back at home, I sat in my chair, thinking. "That was fun," I told Pixie. "Where to next?"