I tried to hide my excitement as I stepped forward to meet my favorite Disney character. He looked just as I had envisioned him, the face might have been a little rounder than I had imagined- but still very close. Peter Pan’s pointed ears stood out against his vibrant red hair. He smiled at me, “What’s your name?”
***

I sat up in bed- this was getting weird. Something about that memory was significant, I had been thinking about it in my sleep ever since my family and I had arrived home from Florida a couple of weeks ago. My eyes scanned the room I had claimed. I passed the mirror and stared at my reflection; Dark brown eyes gazed back at me, seeming to illuminate the picture. The hair was brown also, layered and at the shoulders.

I continued the surveillance, stopping only to stare at my Disney memorabilia: the snow globe, the Tinker Bell pins, my signed volleyball, the framed collage sitting against the wall.

Lying back down, I grabbed the stuffed doll I slept with every night- Minnie Mouse dressed as Tinker Bell. Tinker Mouse, I called her. I knew the name was tacky and childish-but I loved it, nonetheless.

With her tucked under my arm, I closed my eyes and remembered. Remembered how, three days after meeting Peter Pan, we saw him at Typhoon Lagoon- out of costume. His hair had been just as red, his ears just as pointed; the only difference was that, instead of the dark green tunic and hat, he was wearing light blue swim trunks. I remembered how I had noticed that he seemed to looking for something when I had followed him that sunny day. I remembered how he seemed taller. I remembered how, while eating in Tomorrowland, we saw a boy, with bright blue eyes and sandy, blonde hair, staring at me. I remembered how my mother had teased me about him being “Tootles” trying to send me messages from “Pan”. I remembered how, walking through the turnstiles on our last day at Magic Kingdom, the music to “You Can Fly” had been playing. Remembered how, no matter where we saw the Peter Pan character, his feet never seemed to be entirely on the ground.

Unable to escape my thoughts and memories, I climbed out of my bed and walked to the little “nook” in my room. It was where I kept my endless supply of books; it also had the best view of the sky. I had spent some of my best nights sitting on the window seat, looking at the stars, trying to find the one that was second from the right.
I opened the window, feeling the cool, night air on my face. Grabbing a soft, fluffy blanket, I started naming constellations.
Before long, I fell asleep, thinking of a single star that sounded like a bell and that seemed to steadily be coming closer. The star that seemed to be following a long, slender shadow…
***

I woke when something fell. I opened one eye and found the volleyball lying on the floor by the window seat; before I fell asleep, it had been sitting by the table- on the other side of the room.

Suspicious, I got up and, grabbing the ball, crossed the room- gently putting it back where it belonged. I looked around, about to go wake my parents, when my eyes landed on a leaf resting on the carpet. Holding it to eye level, I became puzzled- the leaf was covered in pixie dust.
***

I knew it was still night. Sighing, I rolled away from the wall- exposing myself to the rest of the room. I opened my eyes only to find myself face to face with a boy. It took all of my strength not to scream. Surprised, and embarrassed by the closeness, I leaned back- hitting my head on the frame of the open window. “Crap,” I murmured.

The boy moved closer still, mumbling something. His eyes poured into mine.

Trying to escape his gaze, I moved around his lean form. “Um, excuse me?“

He followed me, just as close and I, putting my hand on his shoulder, pushed him away. Surprised at how easily he was propelled backwards, I looked at his feet- they were a foot from the floor. I gasped, and thinking that the bed was under me, sat down and fell.
Obviously having quick reflexes, the boy got behind me and grabbed my waist. I managed to thank him, but noticing I wanted to tack his name on the end, he added, “Peter. Peter Pan. Second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning.”
I exhaled.
Bells chimed from within his hat, a light glowed. Rolling his eyes, Peter removed the cap to reveal a pixie, sitting on a nest of red hair. “That’s Tink,” he said.
That’s when Tinker Bell started talking- in English. I stared at Peter.
“Tink’s smart, she picks up on things,” he replied vaguely.

Trying to follow the normal introduction rules, I introduced myself: “I’m Katie.”

“Oh, I know.” Noting my questioning look, he went on. “Did you think I just come to random peoples houses?“

“And you know me… how?”

He smiled, “But we’ve met before, once upon a dream.” Peter laughed, “Princess Aurora loves that line- catchy, huh?” I didn’t reply. “C’mon- Disney World? Where dreams come true? Like three weeks ago? By the ‘Pirate’s of the Caribbean’ ride? Um… and you followed me- at Typhoon Lagoon?”

I replied without thinking, “I wasn’t following you!” I remembered everything- of course. I just couldn’t believe this was the same guy.

“Ha. Anyway, I went to Orlando a couple of months ago, hoping to get a job as, well, myself while I tried to restore the Pixie Dust supply. You see, Hook and the other pirates have been capturing fairies and destroying them- causing a major lack of Dust back on the island. They want power. This problem is so major that I have been getting older and growing. Unlike everyone else back home, I’m not supposed to get older- no matter where I go, so this has to be big.”

“So,” I began, “your story is… Well, what I mean is why are you here…in my bedroom? What do I have to do with anything?”
He started to look around the room, “Tink forced me to find someone to help me. She would have preferred a boy; Tink gets jealous when girls come around. But you stood out. I need someone I can trust to assist me in saving my home. Assist as in do what I say, no questions asked.”
I was offended, “Well, I’m sorry- I can’t help you. Goodnight, Peter.”
He was appalled that I had rejected him. ‘Well fine- I don’t need you, anyway.’’ He turned on his heels and flew out the window.
Tinker Bell was reluctant to follow, but knowing that it was her responsibility to watch over Peter, she too left…eventually.
“Here,” she had said. She put a small bottle in my palm. It was a sparkling, purple liquid; the bottle was sealed by a cork and wrapped in the most beautiful patterns of thin metal. “This is Never Solution, it will take you to Neverland; but, it cannot take you back, if you change your mind. It can only be used once and this is the only remaining bottle so use it wisely. This is obviously very valuable and, if I could, I would give it to someone way more important than you but, with the lack of Dust, I don’t have enough to get you there by flying. All you have to do is drink it.”
“Why are you giving me this?” I asked her.
She sighed, annoyed, “Because Peter chose you! If I had a say, which I don’t, you wouldn’t be the person chosen, trust me. I think you are-”
“Tinker Bell!”
Tink gracefully moved to the window, and just when I thought she had gone, she appeared before my face again; “Just step through.”
“What do you mean?” I asked her.
“When the time comes, you’ll know.”
And then she was gone.
***
I sat on my bed for a long time that night. I felt guilty for turning Peter down- this was obviously very important to him. I wanted to help with all my heart; it had been my dream to go to Neverland ever since I was a little girl. The thing was I didn’t know if I could. I didn’t know if I could be flying on a magical island while my parents stood, crying over an empty bed.
“I don’t know who I am anymore,” I murmured to myself as I reached for the piece of paper that, instead of my head, would be found on my pillow come morning.
***
I changed out of my pajamas, into a daytime outfit- something green; I figured that would be best, in the long run, to blend in. Grabbing one of my parents’ old Peter Pan books, I scribbled a map of Neverland on my arm. Confident that I was ready, I pulled out the Never Solution, yanked off the cork with my pitiful excuse for nails, and tipped the bottle up until the surprisingly warm liquid dripped into my mouth- leaving me wanting more. That “solution” was the best thing I had ever tasted, like pie on Christmas morning or turkey at Thanksgiving.
Suddenly, a galaxy appeared in front of me; stars littered my room. I reached out to touch one and a world materialized. Oh! I get it! I thought. I grabbed another and continued sifting through the different stars until I found one that matched the map on my arm.
Remembering what Tinker Bell had said, I stepped through to what would have been the other side of my room, but what was now the home of a certain flying boy.
***
I landed in salt water, an ocean. The fall had taken a tremendous amount out of me and I started to quickly sink. I was just off the coast and had to force myself to swim to shore. Soon enough, I was able to crawl on the rough sand but before I was entirely out of reach of waves, I involuntarily collapsed, and hoped the tides would carry me the rest of the way.
***

Water rushed up my nose and in my mouth, it danced around my body. Rolling over, I coughed and coughed until the seawater had been drained from my lungs. From there, I inched my way to the dry sand, greedily gulping humid, but wonderful, ocean air. My eyelids shut, and when they reopened a boy, of about twelve or thirteen with bright red hair and light brown freckles, was smiling down at me,

Bemused, I asked him, “What’s so funny, Peter?”

In response, he just rolled backwards from his sitting position in the air- laughing uncontrollably.

Angry, I stood up with my hands on my hips and, grabbing his shoe, pulled him to eye-level. “I came, didn’t I?”
With one final laugh, Peter shut himself up, “Your right, you,” he snorted, “came.”
“Forget me! I’m gone if I’m going to be treated like… like a circus sideshow!” I turned to walk away.
He grabbed my arm. “I’m sorry, that was rude.” The, to my great annoyance, he smirked.
“What are you smirking about?”
He grinned, and it wasn’t just a regular grin- it was one of those crazy, all teeth grins that drive normal people nuts. “You would’ve come anyway. Girls just can’t stay away from me.”
I glared at him. “You are so full of yourself!” I left and, this time, he didn’t try to stop me.
“They always come back!” he hollered.
I replied with a sarcastic, “Ha, ha.”
He crowed, a famous Peter Pan, hands on hips crow, then resumed his annoying laughing.
Shaking my head, I repeated what I had told him earlier, “You are so full of yourself!”
***
It rained all night, and not just a drizzle- tonight it poured. I found refuge in a cave, built a fire, and ate the blueberries I had managed to find while searching for a place to sleep. Normally, I wouldn’t get near blueberries, but I was hungry and I knew they were edible. I would have liked to have some meat but, try as I might, I had never been very good at archery. I fell asleep by the dying fire, however, my sleep was interrupted by the sounds if tiny fairy bells.
“Tink?” I whispered. “Tink, is that you?” Nothing. “Tinker Bell!”
I followed the now faint “bell speak” until I reached a bright clearing. When I got closer, though, I realized that the clearing wasn’t lit by one big light, but by many tiny lights. Moving lights. Fairies.
I was watching one in particular when something dark came over it. A sack. The fairy had been put in a sack. Confused, I looked at the figures whom I had ignored before, pirates. Pirates capturing fairies. You see, Hook and the other pirates have been capturing fairies and destroying them. I recalled what Peter had told me the night before in my bedroom.
Then, only briefly stopping to look at the map on my arm, I took off at full sprint towards Peter’s hideout in Hangman’s Tree.
***

Though I started calling his name as soon as I was out of the pirates’ hearing range, I found Peter inside the hideout. The Lost Boys were, unsurprisingly, lost. Peter was sitting on a throne with a jeweled coronet sitting crookedly on his head. His feet were resting on a wooden desk; his hat lying on a stool across the tiny room. When I arrived, Peter was intently playing that Andean flute of his. He stopped briefly: “They always come back.” He smiled triumphantly.
“Peter!” I cried. “You’ve got to come, quick!”
He jumped up. “What?”
“Hook! Fairies! In the meadow!”
He started to fly out of the tree house- his particular exit being a hole in the ceiling, a hollow tree. His body had nearly disappeared when I called his name.
He flew back down, annoyed. Then, obviously realizing my problem, he grabbed my hand and pulled me skyward.
***

“C***-a-doodle-do!”

“Be quiet, they’ll hear you!”

Peter rolled his eyes at me, “Awww, Ol’ Hook had it comin’. This’ll be the best game there ever was!”

He let go of my hand and I grabbed his shirt to keep from tumbling out of the sky.

He smacked his head with the palm of his hand, “Peter, what were you thinking? Bringing a girl into this?” He smacked his head once more, turned and smiled hugely at me.

I inhaled the breath that was going to tell him that this wasn’t a game, but his dancing smile stopped me. I blushed, embarrassed, and turned my head. “Tinker Bell!” I called. I needed some form of distraction. “Tink!”

Suddenly, my vision changed to that scene in the meadow. “Oh my gosh.” I said quietly. “Peter, where is Tinker Bell?” We stopped flying.

I saw the flash of recognition in his eyes. Trying to get under his gaze, I nearly silently said his name.

He looked at me with solid determination in his eyes, ‘If it’s a war Hook wants, it’s a war he’ll get.”

We plummeted downward- to the flowered floor of the fairy meadow.
***

We landed ever so lightly on the damp earth; and I spotted Tink immediately- her light shown brighter than all the rest. I pointed her out, flitting about- helping other fairies. All of a sudden, a darkness came upon her- a sack, then a cage.

That’s when Peter interrupted. He drew his dagger and immediately started slashing at Hook’s men. He got two instantly, catching them off guard; dueling up to three at a time, always coming out on top. Eventually it was just Hook and Peter. Boy and man. The remaining pirates had escaped with their little treasures, Tink included.

About that time, I realized that my foot had fallen asleep under the bush I was hiding behind. I shifted my weight and a twig broke. Hook’s lobe seemed to vibrate as the sound echoed within his eardrums.

The captain smiled, “Ahh, I see we have a guest.”

A horrified expression crossed Peter’s face as two giant figures formed from the shadows- leaving me no escape.

My hands were pinned and my head was jerked back by Hook’s men.

“Another little lady on the island, eh, Peter?” He spat on the last word. “I thought you had learned your lesson last time. What a shame- and such a pretty young thing too.”

“Leave’er alone, Hook, it’s me you want,” stated Peter.

He smiled crookedly. ‘”True, true. But I am always looking for someone else to feed to that crocodile. And, I believe, she will do very nicely.” Hook snapped his dirty fingers- once, twice. A net fell over the struggling form of Peter Pan, he was knocked unconscious.

“Store Mr. Peter Pan in a cage below decks. Keep the young lady here with them pixies- she’s no threat to us.”

A club came over my head and everything went black.
***

“Katie! C’mon, stupid- wake up!”

My head hurt, but I forced my lids open- everything was blurred. When my eyes focused, I realized that I was in a dim room…filled with cages. A bright light drew my attention- Tinker Bell.

“Spin around so I can untie your hands,” Tink commanded. She sprinkled a pinch of Dust on the thick rope. “Now get up and unlock the cage- they’re fairy proof. The keys are over there.” I got up dizzily and retrieved the keys- unlocking at least a hundred little cages. By the time I was finished, my head was cleared and I was the one telling them what to do.

I divided the fairies into groups and sent one group to lock Hook in his cabin, one group to find the location of his treasure, (two more groups to help move it inland), and one last group to help me free Peter. “Divide and conquer!” I told them, trying to come up with something leaderly to say. “Now, go, and hurry!” Tink translated the commands and the room quickly grew darker with the lack of fairy fixtures.
***

On the way to Peter’s cell, my head nearly exploded with an idea, “Sink the ship,” I whispered. I turned to the fairies following me. “Your dust makes things fly, well float, right? Does that mean you can make things sink too?”
Tinker Bell came forward, “Katie, we are fairies not magicians.”
I kept thinking… “Well, can you sound-proof a room?” Tink gave me an are-you-really-as–stupid-as-I-thought-you-were look. “Right, fairies, not magicians. Well, if this is going to work, we need to find Peter- fast.”
***

Peter was still unconscious when we found him. He didn’t wake up until all of the chains holding his body to the wall was relinquished.

Tink and I told him our plan to sink the ship and, with his direction, we found the weapon room…

“Just a little higher.” The fairies were struggling to hold the cannonballs up and I could tell they wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. “And drop!” The cannonballs fell with amazing speed, piercing the decaying wood of the Jolly Roger. Water immediately came pouring through.
“Now we escape!” Peter cried, excitedly.
He grabbed my hand and we flew until we found a good view of the sinking ship on Scull Rock.
Perched upon the rock, we could literally see the panicked look on the once fearsome pirates’ faces- making me feel a little sorry for them. That is until the Mighty Captain Hook climbed the main mast; Peter and I laughed until our sides hurt.
“I’ll get you for this, Pan!” Hook screeched.
“I believe I have heard that line before,” Peter chuckled. “C***-a-doodle-do!” he crowed.
Suddenly, Tinker Bell confronted us, “Katie, the Fairy Queen would like to speak with you.”
We followed her to that same flowered clearing- where we faced the Fairy Queen.
She addressed me. “I do not wish to take up too much of your time,” the fairy also spoke English, “but I wanted to show my gratitude towards you for freeing what was left of my kingdom. I was also locked in one of those cages and I noticed how you treated each fairy with respect, even Tinker Bell, who at times can be rude and outspoken.” She glanced at Tinker Bell and produced a small pouch. “Captain Hook and his men still have most of our Dust, but our supply is slowly being replenished. We all wanted to show how grateful we are for your help by granting you with a never-ending supply of Dust. It takes a great amount of strength to create one of these- strength we did not have while locked in cages. You may now visit us and Neverland as often as you choose, especially if you need our help. So to you I bequest this, Katie the Great.” She and ten other fairies tied the pouch around my neck.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “But I must get home; my family will be missing me.”
The Queen smiled, “Leave if you must, but remember: time moves much slower there than it does here. A week of your time is a year of ours. Thank you, once again. Now go, with my blessing.”
She kissed my cheek...and Peter and I flew away.
***

Peter and I flew over many landmarks: Pirate Cove, Skull Rock, Mermaid Lagoon, Hangman’s Tree, but, little did we know, as we flew over the NeverSea, a once terrifying pirate was glaring at us from the rock he was beached on. “I’ll get you for this, Pan.” Hook sneered. “You and the blasted girl.” He clutched the velvet pouch he was holding above the water… the fairies’ missing Dust.
***

I flew through my window, followed by Peter, then Tink. I made Peter promise to take me to Neverland twice a week to teach me how to sword fight and all the other “skills I should know.”

Then we laughed, again, remembering Hook hugging the main mast, wondering if he had survived the sinking. Peter insisted that he had finished him off, though I wasn’t so sure.

And finally, we said our goodbyes; Tinker Bell told me I really wasn’t that hideous and Peter said that he was really glad that I got the chance to assist him.

Then, with one final goodbye, they left. I sat and watched them from the window seat. I watched until I could only see the shadow of the most legendary Peter Pan.