Never Land

To Evelyn, everything felt like a dream, but how could it not? She was flying through the sky, one hand locking on her brother’s, while the other held onto the strange boy called Louis. It was like something out of a children’s book, and it seemed so impossible, but it felt so real.

As they whipped through the sky, headed straight for the stars, she felt Niall tightening up behind her. He had always been the logical type, so she could only imagine what was going through his head, and terror was probably on the top of that list. It ]was terrifying, but it was so exhilarating at the same time, and if it was a dream, Evelyn never wanted to wake up.

“Close your eyes!” Louis shouted in front of her. She felt a small bit of worry, out of fear of what would come next, but when he looked back at her with a smile on his face, she did as he said, and let her eyes fall shut. She was almost positive Niall would have his closed as well, because as scared as he was, the last thing he wanted to do was look at the ground to see all the people like ants below them.

A rush of cold air fell over Evelyn that was so icy it numbed her fingers, but just as quickly as it washed over her, it was replaced by a soft warmth, like the sun beating down on a summer day. It wrapped around her entire body, and she couldn’t help but feel like she was on the beach, with her toes in the sand.

With the warmth, came the feeling that they were descending, slowly and easily to the ground. She wanted to open her eyes and look – to make sure they weren’t crashing to their death – but Louis had told her not to, and for some reason she didn’t understand, she trusted him.

“You can open your eyes,” he nearly whispered, his smooth voice hitting Evelyn’s ears and taking her out of her spell.

Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for whatever she was about to see, whether it was the wonders of a far off land or the disappointment of a London alleyway. Niall’s gasp behind her forced her eyes open before she was ready, and the second she opened them, she joined in his gasping.

Below them laid a large body of water, tousled with waves, that seemed to go on forever in all directions but one – the spot where the waves crashed against a body of land unlike anything Evelyn had ever seen.

Covered in trees, the island was like a small jungle, aside from the beach at the water’s edge. It was beautiful, magical, and terrifying all at the same time. Who knew what could be lying inside that thick brush.

“I need you to keep your legs bent,” Louis said, shouting so both she and Niall could hear. “The first landing is always the hardest, so don’t expect to stay on your feet.”

“What do you mean landing?” Niall asked, shouting above the roar of the wind.

Louis chuckled, before giving a soft smile to Evelyn. In response, he darted through the sky, carrying Evelyn and Niall with them. They were headed straight to the island, with much more force than either Evelyn or Niall was prepared for, and before Evelyn could let out the scream that was building inside of her, Louis slowed down, and they landed against the beach’s sand with a soft thud.

Evelyn had just barely hit the ground, doing one gently barrel roll, when Louis stepped from his place a few feet away to help her up. As he held out his hand, she latched onto it, and he brought her easily to her feet.

Niall was a few full tumbles away from the two of them, as he had an even more difficult time standing than Evelyn did, but he stood on his own, brushing the sand from his jeans.

“What on earth is this place?” Niall called, as he took a few steps to stand next to his sister.

“I told you,” Louis said, smiling between him and Evelyn. “It’s Never Land.”

His eyebrows furrowed, Niall looked as though he didn’t believe, but he wasn’t able to question any further, as Louis was already walking towards the forest, an eager pep in his step.

“Should we follow him?” Evelyn asked, as she looked over at her brother, with her teeth tugging at her bottom lip.

“Come on, now!” Louis shouted. “Follow me.”

Niall gave a soft roll of his eyes, before looking back at Evelyn. “Guess we don’t have much of a choice.”

Chuckling, Evelyn rolled her eyes back at her brother, before latching onto his hand. He had never been one for adventure, but if anything could change that, Never Land could.

Their feet pushing against the sand, they followed behind Louis until they met the edge of the forest. He looked back at them, that same grin covering his face, before he pulled back a curtain of twigs, leaves, and brush.

It only took a few steps through the thick forest before it felt as though a path cleared and they could walk without worrying about being whipped in the face by wayward stick, though Louis did his best to keep that from happening.

From the worn down dirt beneath their feet, it became obvious that they were stepping on a well-traveled path – one that Louis knew well – and Evelyn couldn’t help but wonder where they were headed. Before she could ask, Louis looked back at her, an eager grin on his face.

“Are you ready?” he asked simply.

The two of them nodded, Niall more hesitantly than Evelyn, and Louis rounded one quick corner, so he was out of their sight. Evelyn wasn’t sure if they were supposed to follow him, so she stood still, and only waited for a few seconds before his head popped around the corner.

“Come on, then,” he said, reaching for her hand. He wrapped it around hers, and she quickly grabbed Niall, as Louis pulled her around the corner.

Another small gasp fell from Evelyn’s lips, and Niall’s quickly followed. In front of them was the most intricate tree house either of them had laid eyes on. Made of wood, sweat, and hard work, the tree house was nicer than many of the homes in London, and Evelyn wondered who had built it.

“What is this place?” Evelyn asked, the wonder and intrigue clear in her voice.

Louis smiled, as he pulled her forward a few more steps. “This is my home.”