A Castle Made Of Dreams

A BLACK FLAG with a skull insignia fluttered in the sea breeze. From high above in the skies, Wallace could see pirates on the ship, dancing to a tune of their own and laughing loud and coarse roars. When he squinted, he could see something squirm on the deck trapped in a fishnet. There was a flash of glistening green, scales reflecting the light of the burning sun that had just started to rise.

There was a mermaid held captive on the ship.

“What are they doing?” He asked, eyebrows furrowed and frowning deeply at the scene.

The mermaid that was caught struggled against the net, tail twisting and turning as it spat hisses at the pirates. However, as though delighted by its demise, the pirates’ sadistic laughter only grew in volume.

“Every once in a while, the pirates will catch a mermaid or two to squeeze information out of her. Once they’re done with that, they strip her of her scales and toss her carcass back for her sisters to see. Pirates aren’t known for asking nicely when in need of information.” Paige’s answer was nearly robotic, an answer that was set in stone as if she had repeated it a thousand times before. Yet, fury seethed in her irises, lit as brightly as a wild fire.

“Are we going to save her?” The young boy spoke up, tugging at Paige’s sleeve. “Like how you saved me?”

The wind around them swirled as the pirate ship grew smaller and smaller into the distance. Paige had steered the broomstick away from the shores and was now headed towards the mountains where a castle sat. She purses her lips, knuckles turning white from how tightly she gripped the broom.

“We’re not.”

Instantly, Wallace was ready to argue. Even though mermaids weren’t the friendliest of creatures by Paige’s description, they’re still alive. Having to sit by and watch as it’s defiled and thrown away like rubbish wasn’t something Wallace could stomach.

But before he could even argue, Paige spoke up again.

“I am. I’m sending both of you to a safe area before I return for her. It’s too risky for children like the both of you to be anywhere near that ship.”

“You’re about as old as I am!” Wallace immediately argued.

Silence followed for a few short seconds. Without words exchanged, Wallace could hear the sound of his heart thumping loudly mixed with the howl of the wind. The air around them grew colder, frost nipping at his fingers as he clenched his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering.

Slowly, Paige turned her head just enough for Wallace to see her lips. They stretched into a thin smile, obviously forced no matter how beautifully enigmatic it was.

“My job is to keep the visitors and residents of Neverland safe. That includes you.”

Wallace wrinkled his nose.

“I don’t need protecting.”

When they neared the castle, Wallace smelled a literal change in the air. The space surrounding the old castle was filled with an overwhelming scent of flowers in spring. It was stronger than any forest Wallace had ever been to, surpassing any flower shop ever set up in his hometown. Although the structure of the castle was old, it didn’t look as rundown as Wallace had expected. Instead, the stone that made up the castle walls looked to be white marble, streaks of fine cream lines running haphazardly down from the roof to the ground.

There was a young girl that stood in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by an abundance of flowers that bloomed in every color Wallace knew. In the middle of flowers that created the colors of the rainbow, she stood out with her hair that was as white as fresh powdered snow. She couldn’t possibly be more than seven-years-old yet her bearing rivaled that of royalty.

“You’re late,” was the first thing the little girl said when the trio landed on the pebbled ground. “You’re supposed to be back before breakfast.”

“Sorry, Juliet.” Paige grinned sheepishly. “I had to pick up an extra on the way.” Hopping off the broomstick, she pointed a thumb back at Wallace before helping the little boy off.

Gently, Paige pushed the little boy in Juliet’s direction.

“You can trust Juliet. She’s the caretaker of the castle where all the other lost boys and girls live. She’ll see to it that you’re taken care of.”

Hesitantly, he shuffled towards the girl that stood at a height shorter than his own. Although she seemed young and was close to his age, the little boy couldn’t help but shiver in fright in her presence. He had never seen anyone as domineering at such a young age.

Thankfully, though, as soon as he neared her, Juliet smiled. She stretched out a hand for him to take, white chiffon dress fluttering in the wind like a pair of butterfly wings. If angels existed, she was it.

Paige watched with a wave as Juliet brought the little boy into the castle hand in hand. When they disappeared behind a pair of giant mahogany doors, she wasted no time before climbing back onto the broomstick.

Then, all of a sudden, she whipped her head around. An eyebrow arched high on her forehead as she stared at Wallace, who still stood in the courtyard a little dazedly, quizzically.

“Well? Are you coming or not?”

Wallace scrambled to move, barely even climbing onto the broomstick before they took off, soaring through the heavens like a bird with newly-found wings. In the skies, the pirate ship came back to view and Wallace grimaced in dread.

Although he was physically fit, he wasn’t too skilled in fighting. What’s more, he didn’t have the abilities Paige had. Despite all of this, there was something that burned bright and hot in Wallace’s heart.

His need to see an end to evil and protect those who couldn’t protect themselves.