Panic

Interlude Five

Interlude Five

            John looked out the window of his room.  They were at the inn, and had been there for nearly a week.

            “Are you hungry?” Michael asked.

            “Sorry?” John asked, turning to his brother.  “Oh, no, thank you.”

            “You’ve been preoccupied,” Michael said, coming to sit next to John.  “Are you alright?”

            “Yes,” John said mindlessly, then stopped.  “No,” he amended.  “I’m not alright.  And I’m willing to bet that you aren’t either.”

            Michael sighed.  “It’s true, I don’t really know what to do right now though.”

            “I thought once we left we’d have made some progress,” John said.  “I really did think we’d be closer to finding her.”

            “We know where she is, that’s not the problem,” Michael said.  “The problem is that we have no way to get to Neverland.”

            “Someone wants to come to Neverland?” a small bell-like voice asked.

            John whirled around and looked towards the sound of the voice.  “Who’s there?”

            In a spray of greenish gold sparkles, Tinkerbelle appeared.  “Well, John Darling, it’s been a long time indeed, hasn’t it?”

            “Tinkerbelle?” Michael asked.

            “Of course,” she said with a grin.  “Who else do you know that dressed in green and can do magic?”

            “No one,” John said, returning her grin.  “But what are you doing here?”

            “You want to come to Neverland,” she said.  “It’s my job to take you there.”

            “Tink,” Michael said.  “Is Wendy alright?”

            “For now,” she said sounding serious.  “But she’s in a terrible danger.”

            “Danger?” John asked, jumping up from his seat.  “See Michael, I told you we ought to go after her.”

            “I never said we shouldn’t,” Michael argued.

            “Yes, you did,” John said.  “Something about not antagonizing her or something crazy like that if I recall correctly.”

            “Can you take us there?” Michael asked.

            Tinkerbelle looked offended.  “Of course I can!” she exclaimed.

            “But we’re grown men now,” Michael continued.  “Can you take grown-ups to Neverland?”

            “If it is Peter’s will,” Tinkerbelle said, bowing her head.

            “Peter?” Michael and John said together.  They looked at each other.

            “Yes, Peter,” Tinkerbelle said with a charming little smile.  “You need to come back.  Without you, we’ll get totally slaughtered.”

            John and Michael exchanged a look.  “Alright,” John said.  “We’ll go with you.”

            Tinkerbelle smiled and covered them with pixie dust.  “Second star to the right,” she began.

            “And straight on til morning,” John and Michael joined in.