Secrets of Neverland

It was in the middle of the night the time dreams normally come out to play and she had been sleeping well for once. Then a pain spiked through her leg making the light brown haired young adult sit up and scream as she made a grab for her right knee.it almost felt as if it was being crushed under something, not the she knew what that felt like. Layla grounded her teeth as tears streamed down her face. This was the fifteenth time this month that it had striked as she slept. All she could do was cry until the pain lessened to an echo.

Layla peered around the room trying to get her mind off her knee. The soft fading yellow wallpaper of the room made her sigh softly in relief. It is her grandmother’s house she is in not her parents. If they had heard her crying then she would have gotten in trouble. She still even at nineteen could not understand why they got so mad about something she could not control. Sometimes she believed she could like they said and just wanted attention.

She planted softly gritting her teeth as another wave of pain washed through her. “My goodness Layla you should have called me. It hit again didn’t it?” her grandmother says from the door frame. Layla had not noticed her opening the door. Her grandmother came into the room softly asking this with a sad look in her eyes. The nineteen year old looked away and nodded her head not wanting to look at her grandmother.

“I did not want to wake you. I have caused this family enough trouble.” Layla mutters looking to the sheets not wanting to meet the blue eyes of the older woman standing now next to her bed. She could feel tears burn at the corner of her eyes she felt so guilty she had woken up her grandmother and caused more trouble.

“Your parents are fools. I can’t believe my daughter has done this. You can not control what is wrong with you. It is worry and anger over your sister dying that they act like this. It is still foolish though.” her grandmother says angrily she knew none of this was pointed towards her. It was pointed at her mother and father who disowned her at ten years old kicking her out of the house. Luckily her grandmother took her in and gave her lots of hugs and cuddles she needed during this time. Layla could not help but look up with a shy smile. Her grandmother smiled back and handed over some medicine. “I hate seeing you like this. It tells me how it will be when you are older… I know a place you can go, a place where you will stop aging, a place where your pain will be gone, a place among others who may be like you.” she says softly standing up from Layla’s bed.

She gave her grandmother a long look that was puzzled. She watched her beloved grandmother shuffle around the room and look for something. “Gram such a place does not exist. If it does it exists in a child’s dreams. I am too old for such things.” Layla says with a soft growl as she tries to slide her legs over the bed to stand up. The pain made her suck in her breath and hissed softly. She glared down at the gnarled and warped knee with disdain.

“Not true Layla. Such a place does exist and it is closer than you think. Look out the window see the Northern star? Look to the second star to the right . If you go past that straight on until morning you will reach such a place.” Her grandmother says pointing to the star outside the window. Layla looked with wide eyes as she saw it. She had seen this star often and looked at it whenever her grandmother told her a story.

“Neverland.” Layla breathed out the word that seemed sacred to all children. “I thought those were just stories you use to tell me to help me sleep at night when I was little.” Layla says tipping her head looking at her grandmother. She smiled and leaned really close to her.

“Can I tell you a secret?” her grandmother asked softly. Layla nodded as If she was five years old again and her grandmother was going to tell her a grand story. “Neverland is real as you and me. I know that your mother and father never believed me once, they thought they were too grown up. It’s true though I have proof.” she says standing up and pulls out a necklace from the drawer of a nearby dresser. Hanging on it is a soft green crystal that gleamed and glittered as if it held magic inside it. “This is a Neverland Crystal. It will help take you there.” she says with a smile as Layla takes it and pulls it over her head and smiled at her grandmother.

Then she felt dizzy as the world swam around her eyes. She closed them tight to keep from losing her stomach. The whole world seemed to spin even behind closed eyelids. Everything felt so topsy turvy for a few minutes before it all stopped.

When it did Layla heaved a sigh of relief and opened her eyes. A panic jolted her as she saw instead of a white roof some haphazard wood boards thrown together were over her head. She sat bolt up and looked around. There is a big bay window just to her left about ten feet away. She took big deep breaths and settled down as much as she could. Layla then looked down and the bed was huge so big she could practically have three other people sleeping comfortably in it. The covers are a soft blue in color and soft to touch. They looked well worn and dingy from many washings.

Layla looked around, the room is really big too it made her room at her Grandmother’s and her parents house combined look like a walk in closet. The whole room was filled with light though all her eyes meet were non lit candles. She blinked a few times registering this fact in her brain. It had been night, dead in the middle of night what seemed like a few minutes ago. Her dark blue eyes grow wide when she realized where she is. “Neverland. Gram was right it is real and I am here. Did she send me here? Poor Gram must have she spent so many months watching me in pain. All she wanted was for me to no longer hurt.” she says then looks at her knee.

A warped and gnarled thing her right knee is. It no longer looked normal, her pants had been cut to just above it so that it can easily be tented to. The flesh was sensitive and prone to infection if the slightest cut is found. All she could see is its twisted shape. She then realized she is no longer in pain.

Tears of relief streamed down her face as she realized the blessing her grandmother had given her.Layla squeezed her eyes shut for a long minute to cry happily. She opened her eyes once again and leather bound book with small squares that went around the whole outside near the edges of the book. Each square looked like it contained a tiny m,w, or wave like design. In the exact four corners stretched what looked like a leaf of some type stretching to the inside. She never seen a leaf like it before some kind of vine seemed attached to it and lay over some of the squares leaving about three with nothing. On the reverse side of each leaf looked to be an odd triangular shape inside is what looks like it may be a mirrored version of each leaf.

The title of the book made her pick it up and stare in wonder it read simply “The Secrets of Neverland”.

Layla stared at the tomb in her hands, curiosity and fear mad war on her face. She did not know if she should open it or not. She wondered if who ever lived in this house will come back and be mad at her for being in their bed. This made her place the book on her lap and eye the door wearily. She was not sure she could explain to any one how she got here. She didn’t even know where in Neverland she is.

Her grandmother had told her about many places in Neverland like Pixie Hollow, Grand Oak Tree, the Tribal lands, Mermaid Lagoon, and Captain Hook’s Pirate’s cove. Her grandmother had told her that Neverland is way more vast than that no one knew exactly how far she reached.

A knock came to the door startling Layla and the book in her lap to hit the floor as she stared at the door in fear. “I-I am sorry I didn’t mean to be sleeping in your bed.” she says fear in her voice. A soft laugh of a boy reached her ears.

“It’s not my bed it never was. It’s your bed now Layla I have been waiting for you. May I come in?” the voice male and still had the squeak of youth if she had to guess he was about twelve thirteen at the most.

“Who are you? How did you know my name? Come in if you must at least then I can see you.” Layla says with a gulp. The door slowly opened revealing a boy dressed in leaf green from head to toe. He had laughing blue eyes and messy dirty blonde hair. His face had smudges of dirt he seemed to wear rather proudly. A charming disarming grin that would capture most young girls hearts was upon his face. Layla looked him over slowly deciding how much of a threat he was when their eyes meet. There was a knowing mischievous twinkle in his eyes almost hidden by the laughter. “Peter Pan!” She gasped with disbelief a small frown graced his face.

“Careful Layla some of us here in Neverland rely on belief.” he says as a bell like sound filled the air and a small girl with wings and a trail of dust following her landed on Layla’s shoulders with a smile. She had bright corn blonde hair tied in a bun almost on the top of her head. She was in a leaf green dress and her eyes were blue. She smiled softly at Layla as she patted her cheek.

“Oh wow Tinkerbell how lovely to meet you.” Layla says offering her pinky to the fairy who shook it with a grand smile.

“Welcome to Neverland Layla. You are now Mayor of the lost Children Village treat them well.” Peter says with a broad grin. Layla whipped her head around and stared wide eyed at the boy her mouth hung open for a moment. Then she looked rather like a fish out of water for a minute or two before clear in her throat.

“T-thank you Peter this is such an honor. I will treat them very well I promise.” She says with a bright smile back. Peter picked up the book she dropped and handed it to her.

“As mayor you must know all the secrets of Neverland. It will be your choice as you learn each secret whether to share them or not. Be wise who you do share with though. There are many who will use this for bad and try to end Neverland.” he says placing it back in her lap as Tinkerbell flew up making what sounded like agreement bell tones as she nodded her head vigorously.

“Hook.” Layla says her brows crunching together as a look of contempt and disgust crept across her face. She could not re a

Ly want to understand why anyone would want to end Neverland. It made her upset to think about it not being here anymore when a child needs it.

“No.” Peter says softly to her shaking her head. Layla looks up confused her head tilts in question. “There are far worst characters then that silly old codfish.” he says with a small smile.

“Who?” Layla asks puzzled her nose scrunching up as she looked thoughtful. She could not think of a worst character then Captain Hook. As far as she knows he is the only enemy of Peter Pan. She is definitely confused now.

“That’s for the book to tell you not me.” Peter says as he turns to leave waving goodbye. Layla waved to him and Tinkerbell as they left. Her eyes went back to the book in her lap. Her fingers twitched as she reached for the cover of the book.

Then drew her hand away just as fast her heart going a mile a minute. Fear had spiked through her mind making her shake her head with a sheepish smile. Why and how could she ever be afraid of what looked like a very old book. She traced a finger over the title of the book before taking a deep breathe.

One...Two...Three.. and it was open and the page was blank. She let her breathe out as disappointment filled her. She turned the pages anger and sadness filled her as each page is empty as the last. She glares at the empty book and turned back to the first page once again. Her breath caught in her throat as surprise grips her. Slowly words began to write themselves across the page. She watched in wonder as she read the single sentence on the page.

To gain the first of many of secrets you must give a secret.

Layla grew puzzled what did this mean? Did the book mean she must add a secret that belonged to her to it? She was not really comfortable with it at first then realized it is a magic book and only certain people could read it anyway. Then she was puzzled what secret she could possibly give that could even match a single one here. Though it never did say it had to equal a secret just that it had to be a secret.

She was trying to figure out what to write. There was so much she could make secret from those in Neverland but, she did not think this is what the book meant. It must have meant a secret that no one not even those in the world she came from knew.

After a while she came across an answer. She looked around and found a pen in her pocket and chuckles softly of course she slept with it there she would have never noticed because of the pain anyway. She flipped to the last five pages and began writing down her secret.

Her tongue stuck out from her teeth as she wrote down her secret. She wrote slowly and carefully wanting it neat as can be. Layla knew pen could not be erased and was not sure if the book worked differently. She did not know if it would let her correct mistakes.She did not want to take the chance and have a bad error in her secret and not gaining one in return.

She finished looking it over slowly adding any punctuation as needed. After being satisfied with what she wrote she nodded and set her pen down. She wondered what she should do now that she has written her secret in the tomb. After some time though she closed it so she can once again gain access to the first pages. Once it was closed the book lifted a foot into the air and hung there for a minute or so. Then it glowed brightly, so brightly she could not look anymore.

With a cry of pain she threw her arm up over her eyes and closed them tight. The light was so bright it had started to make her eyes hurt and burn from looking at it. The light was bright enough to get through that but not enough to hurt anymore. After a while the growling started to dull down slowly. After what seemed like an hour it was a soft glow that surrounded the brown leather book in what looked like a halo.

Layla stared in awe afraid to touch it as it glowed softly on her lap. She stared at it her jaw hanging open just a bit, then the glowing stops and the book sits on her lap as if nothing ever happened. She reached a hand out stopping barely a hair’s breadth from the cover.

She lightly pressed just the very tip of her finger against the leather. It felt rough against her skin but cool to touch. After a few testing taps she determined it was safe to open.

She gulps softly as wraps her fingers around the front and slowly opens it. At first nothing appeared and it was blank except for that single paragraph. She puffed a bit of an air out of the corner of her mouth shaking her head. A soft chuckle escapes her mouth as she turns the page to the next one and waits.

Many have wondered and pondered how Neverland came to be. There are many ideas and theories on it. It is most likely that not a single one of them are right. Neverland did not begin how you might think it does. It sadly has a much darker beginning with happier results. This book in your hands not only tells you how it began but the many secrets of Neverland. Take care with the sharing of this information.

Layla slowly read that first paragraph remembering that earlier today that Peter had also warned her about sharing the secrets of the book. Maybe that was why it required a secret in return. The book knew or seemed to know if you gave away even one secret from the book then you would have to reveal them all even your own. This makes who ever got this book more careful about sharing.

Then she wondered how Neverland did come to be. It made her puzzled and thoughtful. This may be the biggest secret in the book. That confused her she thought the biggest secret would be near hers. Then again Neverland seemed to have no rhyme and reason to it that she could figure out.

She glanced back down at the page to see if any more was written but it remained blank. Maybe it gave her small bits at a time for her to think over. This was a lot to think about in such a short time. She came to Neverland and became mayor in only a few minutes. The book must know this too.

Layla closed the book deciding she needed time to take this in and explore her new home. First things first, getting the strength to stand up and limp around. With a sigh she set the book on a nearby nightstand and gritted her teeth as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. She closed her eyes waiting for the soft echo of pain to follow. After a minute or two crawled by and nothing happened she looked down puzzled.

Her right knee still looked warped and twisted enough to turn a normal person’s stomach just a little. She looked away feeling a tad sick herself. No matter how many times she saw it the knee still looked awful.

Layla scooted towards the edge of the bed and took a deep breath as she placed weight on it. Again she waited for a spike of pain to hit her making her sick once again like it has done every time before. After a few more minutes passed and nothing happened she slowly stood up. She almost toppled over from not adjusting to the left to balance herself. She gave a soft laugh at herself as she stood up. Not even an echo of pain came from the act. Joy radiated from her it had been about three years since she could even stand right. Even longer since she actually could walk.

She looked at her clothing and decided it was best to look for something to change into. After all she did not want to expose any kid to her knee. It was not a pretty sight to see. She hobbled over the dresser and began to look through it until she found a nice pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The here plain as can be the shirt is red and the jeans a dark grey in color. She then hobbled around opening one door after another until she found a bathroom.

She stared at herself in the mirror. She reached up and touched her short spikey light brown hair. She had just gotten it cut. It was about an inch or two long and spikes up, the bangs were layered and tossed to the left. Her dark blue eyes lit up as she looked over her face.

Layla pulled away from the mirror then changed into her knew clothes. Then walked out of the bathroom. As she walked out to the main door of her new room, she paused at the frame before looking over her shoulder at the book briefly then limped out the door. She was sure that she could read more and there would be more to read. Right now it is time to see what home looked like.