Chapter Four – The Strange Boy

The big evening finally came, and the boys were extremely excited. As Jon quickly combed his dirty blonde hair, Wendy helped Mikey into his jeans and sneakers.

"Mikey, stop fidgeting so," Wendy scolded him gently.

"But I really wanna go!" the little boy squeaked, practically jumping out of his shoes.

"We can tell," Violet laughed. "No worries, it's not going anywhere."

"I'm ready," Jon said, placing the leash and collar around Nana's neck.

"All right, then," Wendy nodded, standing up at last. "Let's move."

The group left the house laughing and joking, their faces aglow from the excitement that they had been holding back for so long.

"Shouldn't we wait for them?" Wendy asked as they continued down to Heather Avenue, not bothering to pause by the school.

"I'd rather we just go by ourselves," Violet frowned. "God knows they'll be dragging us back. Mandy will be whining about how dumb everything is and flirting with Fred, and Asher will probably be on his phone all night."

Traveling along, they came to the worn dirt path, stepping in time as they saw flickering lights in the distance past the trees.

"Is that it?!" Mikey whispered, his heart pounding.

"Not quite," Violet smiled. "That's the docks. Further ahead is the park. We'll have to take a ship across."

Nana trotted along silently until they came to the great, decorated ships. She sniffed the air, her lips curling back as she began to growl.

"Nana, what's gotten into you?" Jon frowned, adjusting his glasses and peering at the magnificent though worn vessels.

Mikey looked around, scratching his head. "Where are all the people?"

"Ah, so we've got visitors after all tonight."

The Irish twang made the group jump, Nana barking at a figure who had appeared behind them. "Easy! Easy!" he yelped as Nana tugged closer to him. "Watch it, pooch!"

"NANA!" Jon snapped, finally getting the dog to stop barking, though she continued to glare at the pudgy man. "Sorry, sir. I don't understand what's gotten into her."

"No matter," he sighed, adjusting his jacket. "Headed for the island, are we?"

"Yes, sir, Mister…?" Wendy started, raising an eyebrow at the man.

"Smee. Mr. Smee, at yer service," he smiled, tipping his cap to them after glancing down at Nana. "Well, hop on then."

Wendy squinted, watching the man's back. Her brows furrowed, something went off in the back of her mind. He seemed so familiar…

"Hey, you coming?" Violet asked, one eyebrow raised at her friend.

"Huh? Oh!" Stepping onto the gangplank after them, Wendy joined everyone at the bow, sensing the ship slowly tilt forward as it began to move.

"Incredible!" Jon grinned. Nana panted happily, enjoying the night air in her face. The wind seemed to hurry the little boat along, as if they had to get to the island on time.

"Hey, Wendy, that pirate man was called Mr. Smee! Maybe we will meet Peter!" Mikey said, his brown eyes glowing.

"Huh…funny. I didn't realize his name earlier. Maybe you're right, Mikey," Violet shrugged. "Who knows?" she whispered to Wendy. "Maybe they hire people to do this?"

Wendy just shrugged back in response, hugging her arms. The air was getting cooler as they headed further into deep waters. There was a faint ticking sound, sending shivers down her back. Looking out over the waters, she scanned the surface but saw nothing. The darkness was ominous, causing her eyes to search out the bright, arrogant lights of the amusement park.

"How much longer?" she asked quietly, her eyes glued to their destination. Something within her was anxious to get there…something about this ship…the water…it didn't feel safe…it didn't feelright.

"Shouldn't be too long," Violet reassured her, caught up in the moment. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as a smile grew upon her lips. She wouldn't mind living on a boat with the salty wind in her face.

"I can see the sign!" Mikey declared, pointing at the neon-green letters. Squinting, he struggled to pronounce the words. "N-Ne…Never…Never…L-…Land. Oh…Never-Neverland!" Placing his hands upon his hips, he smugly looked over at Jon. "See? I can read."

"I also recall we've only mentioned the name of the place several times the last few days," his elder brother smirked, causing Mikey to stick his tongue out at him.

"All right you two, behave," Wendy scolded them, heaving a breath of relief as the pier came into view. "We're almost there."

Within minutes, the ship docked. The boys happily skipped off the vessel with Nana in tow. Wendy headed for the plank herself, stopping only for a moment to glance over her shoulder. She looked over to Smee, who had steered the ship and was now contentedly smoking his pipe. There were only two or three others on board, also dressed in costume, but they returned the glance, some sinister, others curious. Ducking her head, she carefully went after the others, never looking back.

"Hurry, Wendy! Hurry!" Mikey pleaded, running down to the front gates. Nana followed in dogged pursuit, dragging Jon along with her.

"Violet, we're paying for you, too," Wendy informed the girl, seeing how she'd reached for her pocket.

Her violet eyes widened at her friend's words. "I can't let you-!"

"Dad's already left us the money, he left a note saying to pay for your ticket," Wendy smiled. "Don't worry about it. Save your money for a snack or prize."

Admitting defeat, Violet hugged Wendy, a smile on her dark lips. "Thanks."

Side by side, the two girls went together, pausing at the ticket booth before heading to the wooden gates.

"Are you sure this park's not abandoned?" Wendy asked, one eyebrow raised. "I expected more people to come. Why are the doors closed?"

"Security reasons," a light, airy voice budded in, startling the two girls. Waiting inside was a beautiful young woman, her jade eyes keenly observing the two visitors. "How many?"

"Oh…um, four children, one dog," Wendy informed her, placing the money on the counter and through the hole in the glass.

The woman took the money, but not before staring at Wendy, her eyes going cold for a moment. "Here," she said, sliding back the change and tickets to the waiting girls. "Enjoy." Leaning back in her chair, she pursed her lips and frowned at Wendy, an indignant "hmph!" escaping her mouth.

Wendy felt her face go red as she took the items, joining her brothers at the gate.

"Geez, what was her problem?" Violet frowned, glaring over her shoulder at the exotic lady.

"Hey Violet, Wendy!" Jon called them, his eyes huge as the gates opened. "You've got to see this!"

Coming to her brother's side, Wendy felt her cerulean eyes widen as she felt the warmth, the brightness, the smells, the sounds, and the strangest sensations wind out and wrap themselves around her, struggling to tug her inside. "Oh…wow!"

Together, they went in, looking every which way as so not to miss a single sight.

"Look, Jon! A Ferris wheel! And a carousal! And look at that jungle way back there!" Mikey gasped, pointing at everything he saw. "Wait, look! Indians! Real Indians!"

A trio passed through, dressed in fine buckskin pants, their faces smeared with colorful paint. Large, magnificent feathers stuck out of their braided hair, and they gave a polite nod to the children as they made their way through the winding streets.

"Wow," Jon agreed. "That looked very…authentic."

Wendy scanned the perimeter, one eyebrow arched, showing how perplexed she was. There were a few couples, families, and others dressed in the same Indian attire and some in glittering gauze, but she had expected more of a huge turn out. She shrugged, figuring that it was a private, unknown and undiscovered park to many people, explaining why it appeared so quiet and empty from outside. It wasn't crowded, at least, which was to their advantage. Mikey was notorious for whining if the line was too long.

"Hi."

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Wendy spun around. "Who's there?"

A tiny hand tugged at her jeans, causing her to look down. There was a boy of about Mikey's age, with tousled brown hair and bright green eyes. He was covered in soot and his clothes were tattered. Her heart immediately melted and she fell to her knees. "Hello. What's your name?" she asked with a sweet smile.

"Mouse," he smiled back.

Jon covered his mouth as he tried not to snicker. Violet gave Jon an irked look. Nana sniffed the child, and after a moment's pondering, licked his dirty face. He giggled, petting the giant dog. "Big puppy," he stated.

"I'm Mikey," the little boy introduced himself. "These are Violet, Nana, Jon, and Wendy."

"Where are your parents?" Wendy asked, brushing her fingers through the child's hair.

He shrugged, blinking his eyes at her. "Mmh." Looking at Mikey, he asked, "Wanna play?"

"Actually, I wanted to go on the carousel," Mikey admitted.

Mouse's eyes lit up as he pointed at the spinning structure. "Let's ride!"

"Ok!" Mikey grinned, taking off after the boy.

"Mikey! Mouse! Wait!" Wendy called after them.

"Whoa!" Jon exclaimed, Nana taking off after the pair and dragging him along for the ride.

Violet laughed, following alongside Wendy as they hurried after the children. "Something tells me tonight is going to be interesting."

Arriving at the merry-go-round, Wendy gasped for breath when she noticed all the unique creatures built into the ride. There were wild horses with Indian paint markings, unicorns, bears and lions, great whales and dolphins, crocodiles, wolves, tigers and panthers, and even butterflies with gossamer wings. "Oh…" she breathed, her eyes taking in all the life-like details. There were even seats set between sets of four animals, each unique in their own way. One looks like a gnarled, mossy old trunk with wildflowers growing on it; another looked like a comfy settee you'd find in Victorian England. "It's beautiful," she sighed, her lips stretching into a smile…

"Hey! There you are!"

Violet's left eye twitched as she pouted. "Busted," she muttered as she and Wendy turned to face Mandy, Fred, and Asher approaching them.

"I thought we were all going to meet back at Heather Avenue," Asher said, straightening the collar of his polo shirt.

"Like, what the hell you two!" Mandy snapped. "We were like stranded in the dark and like had to make our way like by ourselves to the like docks. Those pirates were like uber creepy!"

"Hey, we found them and that's all that matters, right?" Fred said cheerfully, smiling at Wendy. "You going on the merry-go-round?"

"Ugh, that's like for babies!" Mandy huffed, taking out a compact mirror and checking her make-up. Wendy noticed how she wore a plunging red halter top and too-tight, too-short shorts, her wedge heels making her look out of place.

"Whatever," Violet scoffed. "We're going with the boys."

"I'll go, too!" Fred jumped in a little too eagerly. "Hey, you're supposed to feel like a kid again in this park. Why not go?"

"Well, since we are here…" Asher shrugged.

Mandy pouted but kept her mouth shut, following them as they headed to the gate. A young man ushered them in, his skin so pale that it appeared to be slightly blue. His ears were pointed and he wore clothing that appeared to be made from plants. His feet were bare.

"Oooh! I want the bear!" Mikey grinned, allowing Wendy to help him up.

Mouse pointed at the Indian horse beside Mikey's bear, receiving Violet's assistance and a peck on the cheek. "There ya go, big boy. Remember to hold on tight, 'kay?" she laughed at his delight.

Jon found a seat created from barrels that seemed to have come from a pirate ship, Nana settling down at his feet. "That's it, girl," he said, patting her head. "We'll stay put here. I don't think you care for being dizzy." Nana yawned at this, closing her eyes.

Asher grabbed hold of whale, inspecting the eyes on either side, fascinated. Mandy took a silver unicorn further away from the group. "Fred!" she called, waving coyly. "C'mere! There's like a tiger for you to ride on!" She motioned at the barren animal beside her, hoping he would obey. She was sorely disappointed.

"Thanks, but I'm taking the dolphin," he called back with a friendly smile. Straddling the animal, he caught sight of Violet hopping onto a panther, whispering to Wendy.

"Great. I was hoping we wouldn't have to deal with them. Sorry, Wendy," Violet whispered.

"It was inevitable, and it's not your fault," Wendy reassured her.

"Hey, Wendy!" Fred called out. "There's a butterfly here for you!"

"Thanks, but I have to stay close to the boys," Wendy responding, hopping onto a handsome stallion in front of the youngest ones. Fred's face fell at this, meanwhile Mandy sent Wendy the evil eye.

Seeing that everyone was settled, the magical looking operator pulled the switch to start the ride when a figure slipped in at the last moment. He saw the young man enter, grinned, and jerked his head towards the slow-starting carousel. The boy nodded his thanks, sauntered to the attraction, and lightly stepped onto the spinning platform.

Asher was closest and noticed him first. "Hm?" he murmured, noticing a shadow between his creature and the next. Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes widened at the sight. "Whoa…what's with the threads?"

The boy ignored him, stepping in between animals with a soft but sure step.

Mandy was the next to see. Her jaw dropped when she saw him, quickly changing into a little "o" of surprise. For once, she was speechless. He didn't even look her way as he passed through another set of animals and slid around Jon's seat.

Nana raised her head immediately, a growl stuck in her throat. Jon glanced up at the figure, his eyes bulging out. Adjusting his glasses, he muttered, "Good grief! What kind of costume is that?"

"The best kind," the boy replied, with a smirk that was borderline between childlike innocence and adolescent arrogance. "Mine."

Carrying on, he passed by another empty set before squeezing his way between Violet's panther and a wolf. Violet glanced at him, looked away, then quickly looked back, perplexed. "Where'd you come from?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

The young man nodded politely to her, bowing his head and offering a smile before moving on, passing Fred.

Fred gawked at the stranger, suspicion filling him. "Hey, buddy. Sit down already, would ya? You'll fall."

He gave Fred a bored, insulted look, rolled his eyes, and continued. The young man stopped when he arrived at the boys, his emerald eyes shining. "Hi, Mouse. Made a new friend, I see."

Mouse's face lit up upon seeing his friend, wrapping his little arms around the boy's neck. "Hi!" he greeted in a chirp.

"Hi," the boy responded with a chuckle. He looked over to Mikey who now stared in awe at him. "You must be Mikey. Nice to meet you," he grinned.

Mikey's eyes widened, his face covered in amazement and delight. "How do you know my name?!"

"I know a lot of things," the stranger smiled, ruffling the boy's brown hair. "Having fun?"

"Yeah!" Mikey nodded fervently.

"Good," he said. "I'll talk to you later." Turning and stepping past the children, his eyes fell upon Wendy's back. She was so enraptured in the colors, the music, the breeze surrounding them, that she didn't even hear the boy's soft, smooth voice as he spoke with the others. His lips began to stretch slowly, the corners of his mouth turning up. His eyes sparkled with an excitement he couldn't bear to hold back anymore.

Leaping up, he landed comfortably on the lion beside Wendy's horse and gracefully twirled over the head, landing before Wendy.

~NEVER-NEVERLAND~

Wendy had been looking out over the park as the carousel had begun to pick up speed. She watched as the colors and lights began to blur a bit, the cheery music of the ride filling her ears. A breeze ran through the poles and animals of the amusement, lifting her hair and toying with it.

"This feels strange, somehow,"she thought to herself. "Part of me feels like this place isn't safe…the other part of me feels like…like I belong here…"

A swishing sound caught her attention, her eyes catching sight of a shadow stretching out over the floor. A lithe body seemed to flip off of the lion beside her, as if from nowhere, and landed calmly between the two poles before her that kept the carousel stable. Raising his head, their eyes locked, a gasp escaping her lips.

He was a handsome young man, somewhere between the ages of 15 to 17. There was just something about his sun-kissed face that made him appear young and old at the same time. His emerald orbs seemed to peer straight into her soul, capturing her cerulean eyes in his gaze. His hair was an earthy brown hue, his bangs wild and unkempt, some falling over his forehead and into his eyes, some swaying off to the side, others still were blown back and seemed to stand on end when the breeze was strong enough. His hair was shoulder-length, pulled back into a ponytail, an eagle feather twirling in the breeze. His cheeks were smeared with dirt and there was a juice stain under his chin. Along his left temple, trailing down his cheek was a thin pink line, a scar forming.

His clothes were indeed strange. He wore a tunic of skeleton leaves, slightly open at the front, showing off his chest. His leggings seemed to have been woven by some unique brown threads, torn holes at the knees and other miscellaneous spots. His boots were deerskin, just like the ones the Indians wore at this park, with no beading or embellishment. At his waist was a thick leather belt, a sword strapped to his left hip, a small pouch upon his right. A knife's hilt could be seen sticking out of his inner right boot. Lastly, hanging a little loosely over his frame and on his arms was a worn old coat. The red cloth had faded to weak velvet hue, but the golden thread designs at the hem of the coat and sleeves still glistened. His leather wristbands were thick, causing his calloused hands to look thin and long as he wrapped his fingers around the bars.

His torso leaned forward, his face still inclined towards her. She held her breath, almost expecting him to jump out and grab her. There was something about him…something wild and feral, and yet innocent and sweet in the way he took her in. Blush came to her cheeks as she realized they had been staring at one another, her head dipping downward, her dark curls obscuring her face.

A smile grew over his lips once more, and his eyes seemed to be on fire, causing her to raise her head again, just to see his magical countenance…

The lights of the carousel flickered for a moment, going black for a second before turning themselves back on. Wendy gasped, her hand to her mouth.

He was gone.