The Boy Who Could Fly

chapter eighteen

Since the Brookies' camp was closer, they all ran there to frantically search for buckets. Aimee doubted they'd be able to extinguish the fire, but it was worth a shot. After grabbing every receptacle they could find, they dashed back to the water's edge.

Jack stopped in his tracks when he saw that the fire had already spread to the forest. "We're too late," he said softly, looking more helpless than Aimee had ever seen him. Gone was the overly confident, egotistical leader. In his place stood an afraid boy, who had no way to protect his home from the rapidly spreading fire.

Spot looked close to tears as she took in the sight. "What's going to happen to the camps? To the island? To us?"

"We have nowhere to go." Jack sighed a little. Aimee wanted to comfort them, but she didn't know how. They couldn't all leave the island. They'd have nowhere to go.

"Wait!" Aimee exclaimed, an idea coming to her. She turned to Jack. "Do you think there's enough pixie dust to get everyone to fly?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. Probably, but I'd have to check. Why? There's nowhere we can go, we don't have any money."

"I know someplace. My parents are starting a place...a lodging house for kids who live on the streets. You could stay there," she said hurriedly.

Jack nodded slowly. "That could work." He looked at Spot. "You'll be comin' with us, right?"

"Got nowhere else to go," Spot replied, smiling a bit at the prospect of making it off the island alive.

"Great. Gather all the pixie dust you can find. We'll do the same. And we'll meet you at the beach in an hour," Jack told her. Spot nodded and scampered off back to her camp. "Thank you, Aimee," Jack said sincerely. "You just saved us."

"We need to hurry; come on." Aimee took Jack's hand and headed back to the camp, sprinting as fast as she could. Once they got back, Aimee took it upon herself to explain the plan to everyone else who hadn't heard. She got mixed reactions when the boys learned they'd be leaving, but they all seemed grateful to escape the island before it was engulfed in flames.

As they packed and prepared for the move, smoke drifted over to the Lost Boys' side of the island. The fire was spreading faster than any of them had anticipated, so they picked up the pace. Aimee gathered as much food as she could carry, even though the journey wasn't long. Sally and Les ran through the treehouses collecting as many pieces of clothing that they could. Sebastien helped Jack find every last bit of pixie dust in the area. It seemed like they had enough to carry everyone as far as New York, including the Brookies. The other boys ran around, gathering personal items and tokens from Neverland that they wanted to keep. Almost everyone was able to fashion knapsacks out of bedsheets in blankets.

When their time was up, they began to proceed to the beach. Aimee walked in the back with Jack, making sure no one was left behind.

"Are you alright?" Aimee asked him, since Jack had been usually quiet. She didn't blame him. He was leaving behind the home he had known for a very long time.

"I'll be alright," he responded softly. "Do you have stars in New York?"

Aimee nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes you can't see them very well, but they're there in the sky every night." The thought seemed to comfort Jack as they reached the beach.

The peaceful waves lapping at the shore were a stark contrast to the raging destruction that was about to take over the island. The contradiction intrigued Aimee for some reason.

She didn't have much time to think on it before the Brookies appeared, each carrying knapsacks similar to the Lost Boys'. They looked just as upset as Jack was about leaving their home and entering a brand new world.

"Ready?" Spot asked, approaching Jack.

Jack nodded. "Ready." He handed her a bag containing half his supply of pixie dust. "This should be enough to cover you and your boys. I'll guide us to New York, then I'll have Aimee take the lead."

"Let's do this." Spot and Jack shook hands before Spot returned to her crew. She and Jack began distributing the pixie dust, making sure each person had enough to last them to New York.

When they were finished, Jack nodded once after he got his last glance at the island. "Let's fly."