Second Star to the Fright

by Vera Strange

  “Why do you wanna go out to the marina so bad anyway?” she asked, giving him a suspicious look. “I don’t buy it. My sibling radar is on high alert. What aren’t you telling me? Spit it out already.”

  Her eyes bore into him. Sibling radar was no joke. His sister could be super psychic when she wanted to be.

  “Fine, there’s this cute girl,” Barrie said, his cheeks burning. “And she texted me that she’ll be hanging out by the marina with her friends today.”

  Rita giggled. “Ah, talking to girls. No wonder you look like you’ve seen a ghost. That’s, like, the scariest thing ever, right?’

  “Don’t rub it in,” Barrie mumbled, even though it was a lie. Just the concept of discussing girls with his sister freaked him out almost as bad as Captain Hook did. And it was certainly far more embarrassing.

  “Wow, it’s almost worth giving you a ride just to watch you squirm,” Rita said. “Does this girl have an actual name?”

  Barrie glared at his sister. “No way, I’m not telling you. You’ll never let me live it down. I know how you operate.”

  Rita stared right back at him. She fingered her car keys sitting on the kitchen table. “Then you’re not getting a ride.”

  “Fine. Her name is Wendy,” Barrie muttered. “And that’s all the details I’m giving you.”

  “Oh, Barrie’s got a crush on…W-E-N-D-Y,” Rita said, making a kissy face. “I can’t wait to tell Brooke about this. She’s gonna die laughing.”

  On second thought, maybe he should skate out there. Nothing was worth this. Giving his sister leverage over him was a terrible idea.

  “Do that—and you’ll pay,” Barrie said, regretting asking for help.

  “Goober, you’re not exactly in a position to bargain,” Rita said, firing off a quick text to Brooke. “As I recall, you’re just a kid, and I’m the one with the driver’s license.”

  “Ugh, I hate you,” Barrie muttered. But she was right. She had him cornered. Just the way she liked it.

  “I love you, too,” Rita said, scooping up her keys. “I’ll give you a ride, but just ’cause I’m feeling generous tonight. And I hate that stupid prep class. But this is a onetime deal—don’t make a habit of it.”

  * * *

  “Dude, your sister is driving way over the speed limit,” John said nervously as Rita sped off, leaving them down the street from the entrance to the marina. She’d promised to pick them up in two hours sharp. “And what’s this about you having a crush on Wendy?”

  “Wait, Wendy Derry?” Michael said. “Uh, she’s kinda weird.”

  Barrie sighed. “No, I made all that up so Rita would give us a ride. I was trying to think of something fast…and well…that’s the first idea that popped into my head.”

  “Wendy was the first idea?” Michael said, looking at John with a sly smile. “Uh-oh, ya know what that means?”

  “Wait, what’re you talking about?” Barrie said. “It’s not true—I swear it! I just made that up to convince Rita.”

  “Dude, it means that you actually like her,” Michael said. “Like, if you’re stressed out—and she’s your first thought?”

  “Yeah, you wanna kiss Wendy,” John said, making a puckered face. “Like, if the zombie apocalypse hit, her face would flash before your eyes. That’s how you know it’s true love.”

  “For the record, I don’t like Wendy—or any other lame girls from our class,” Barrie said with a dramatic sigh. “She probably doesn’t even remember me!”

  “See, you do like her!” Michael said triumphantly. “Or else why would you care if she forgot about you?”

  Barrie stormed ahead in a funk. This was the last thing he wanted to think about. He had far more important things to think about. But then doubt crept into his mind.

  Why had he thought up that story for Rita?

  He shook his head, clearing the thought. He didn’t like girls. They talked too much. They giggled at things that weren’t even funny. They smelled like hair spray and baby powder. Basically, they made zero sense. His sister proved that. And they were scary, too.

  “Look, we have more important things to worry about,” Barrie said, skidding to a halt on the sidewalk next to the guardrail that looked over the water. The waves churned and sloshed up against the rocks down below, spritzing his face. “Like how do I get on that pirate ship?”

  Barrie pointed across the marina to the Jolly Roger, which was docked in its usual spot by the gates to the maritime museum. It was late and already closed. There was a main building that housed the museum, but the pirate ship had its own entrance over by the water.

  “Let’s go check it out,” John suggested, pointing to the ship.

  Together they jogged over and hid near the ticket booth. If you bought a ticket to the museum, it granted you access to both the main museum and the pirate ship. The gate that led to the Jolly Roger’s gangplank was chained shut. The ship was dark since it was after hours. The skull and crossbones flag flapped in the stiff breeze whipping off the ocean.

  Barrie swallowed hard. The gangplank swayed and buckled as the waves churned under it. He was still afraid of the ocean and whatever lurked under those dark waves.

  “So, how do we get onto the ship?” he asked, feeling his stomach twist.

  He scanned for the security guards, spotting one ambling down the sidewalk in front of the main museum building. His gut jutted over his belt. He didn’t look very formidable. But he could always summon help. And the Jolly Roger was right in his line of sight.

  “Right, I count just the one guard over there,” Michael said, following Barrie’s gaze toward the security guard by the main museum. “I bet it’s just that one rent-a-cop.”

  “Yup, and that lock on the gate,” John said, pointing to the hefty padlock. The metal gate to their right blocked the entrance to the gangplank that led to the Jolly Roger.

  “How do I get past the gate and onto the ship?” Barrie said, following the guard’s movement back and forth in front of the museum. “Without him noticing?”

  The guard was positioned where he was sure to notice anything awry by the marina. From his vantage point, he could keep an eye on both the main museum and the ship.

  “Okay, it’s just like that time we snuck into the skate park after dark, remember?” Michael said. “We’ll distract the security guard, then you can jump over the gate.”

  “Oh right, the old ‘our parents forgot to pick us up; we’re helpless lost kids’ routine?” Barrie said, remembering how it always worked like a charm on security guards. They wanted nothing more than to prove they were useful. They loved helping lost kids.

  Barrie smiled at his friends. All three had slipped back into their Lost Boys mode. This wasn’t the first time they’d snuck into a place where they didn’t belong.

  “Yup, it’s genius,” John said. “Don’t tell me—you invented it?”

  “Yup, sure did,” Barrie said. “It was my idea the first time we tried it.”

  “Jeez, I still don’t remember you,” Michael said. “But I sure missed you.”

  “Yeah, glad you’re back,” John said. “When you notice the guard is distracted, vault the gate. Just move fast. Not sure how long we can keep his attention away from the ship.”

  “But only if you tell us first…” Michael added with a wicked grin. “How badly do you want to kiss Wendy Derry?”

  “Shut up,” Barrie said, smiling in spite of himself. “I don’t like her.”

  They all laughed.

  Barrie waited while his friends approached the guard. He could see John even working up some fake tears to sell their “lost boys” story. He watched while concern spread over the guard’s face. He turned his back away from the pirate ship. This was his chance.

  As soon as the security guard turned away from the marina, escorting Michael and John toward the main museum building’s entrance, presumably to help them contact their parents, Barrie leaped out of his hiding spot. Of course, Michael and John wouldn’t give him t
heir real names or phone numbers. Eventually, the guard would catch on—and be very unhappy.

  But it should buy Barrie enough time to get onto the ship. He sped up to the gate, then clambered up the metal bars before flipping over the top and landing in a crouch. All those days perfecting tricks at the skate park were good for something. Not to mention all that time spent sleuthing around like the kid detectives in his mystery books, pretending to solve cases.

  Barrie glanced back toward the main museum. The guard was still occupied with Michael and John. He’d pulled out his phone to call for help. But Barrie had to hurry; as soon as their parents didn’t pick up the phone, the guard would catch on to their prank. And Barrie would get busted.

  He bolted away from the gate and down the gangplank. It swayed under his feet. Suddenly, his sneakers slipped on the wet wood. He plunged toward the side. He grabbed onto the rope railing. It seared his palms. His face was only inches from the water.

  Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

  That strange noise echoed up from the water.

  All of a sudden, a dark shape darted past. It had a long, spiny tail.

  Barrie tried to scramble back from the water, but his feet slipped again, almost sending him overboard. The wood was too slick. His heart hammered. He was terrified of the ocean.

  Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

  The shadow was still circling under the gangplank.

  Finally, Barrie yanked himself back to his feet, using the rope railing. That was close. He still didn’t know what was lurking in the water—and he didn’t want to know.

  One thought shot through his head.

  If I get through this, then I’m spending the rest of my life on dry land.

  With his heart pounding in his chest, Barrie sprinted the rest of the way down the gangplank, stowing away aboard the pirate ship. His feet pounded against the slick wooden deck.

  Overhead, the masts loomed like wooden spikes, while the skull and crossbones on the black flag stared down at him. He passed the plank that jutted out over the ocean. Just looking at it gave him chills. The ocean seemed hungry beneath it.

  He could hear Captain Hook’s voice in this head.

  I’ll make ye walk the plank!

  He glanced around nervously, scanning the shadows for the pirate. So far, the ship appeared deserted. All he had to do was sneak back down into the captain’s cabin—and put the hook back where he found it in the secret compartment. Then, all of this would stop.

  It has to stop.

  He gripped his backpack straps in determination, feeling the hook’s weight inside. He’d known it was wrong to steal it, but he’d done it anyway. He couldn’t believe how foolish he had been to think that never growing up sounded like a good idea.

  Of course, all the sugary treats and extra television time had been great at first. Not to mention getting out of his chores and homework. But the excitement had worn off fast and things had turned sour. This was the only way that he could keep his friends and make Captain Hook stop.

  I’ll fix it, he thought as he raced down the deck. Even if it’s the last thing I do.

  He had almost reached the stairs that lead down to the captain’s cabin. Relief rushed through him, but then he heard something that made him skid to a halt.

  Thump. Thump.

  Barrie glanced back. A tall, dark figure stepped out onto the deck. His beady eyes bored into Barrie. The rest of his face was dark—cast into shadow—but there was no mistaking who it was.

  His voice thundered out.

  “Blasted idiot, how dare you sneak onto my ship!”

  Captain Hook unsheathed his sword. His other hand ended in a stump, where the hook should have been. He slashed at Barrie. The sharp metal whizzed by his head as he dodged it.

  “Mr. Pirate…I mean, Captain Hook…sir…” Barrie stammered, backing away with his hands raised. But Captain Hook lurched at him, slashing at Barrie with the sword.

  Whoosh.

  Barrie ducked away, backing up more. “Look, I brought your hook back! Just please, make this stop. It was wrong to take it. I want to grow up after all—”

  “Bloody thief and liar!” Captain Hook said.

  “But I’ll give your hook back,” Barrie said, backing away. “I never should’ve taken it. And then I’ll leave your ship for good. I’m really, really sorry—”

  “Think you can make a fool of Hook?” Captain Hook snarled at him. “You’re not the first boy to play a prank on me—but you will be the last. I want my revenge!”

  Clearly, the pirate doesn’t want to be reasonable, Barrie thought.

  With that, he turned and ran as fast as he could toward the stairs that lead down to the interior deck. Maybe if he put the hook back in his cabin, then it would break the curse and the pirate would stop attacking him. The hook was what the pirate wanted, right?

  Barrie sprinted down the steps. He took them two at a time, almost tripping and falling flat on his face. Behind him, he could hear Captain Hook’s heavy boots pounding the deck—thump, thump—and his sword swooshing through the air.

  Captain Hook was getting closer.

  Barrie hit the bottom of the stairs, right as the ship rocked under his feet. Through the windows in the side, he could see that a big storm was sweeping into the bay. The winds had picked up dramatically, driving the waves and making them churn.

  Lightning pulsed in the sky, lighting up the ocean and making it look wild and dangerous. The ship swayed more, lurching dramatically sideways.

  Barrie had to struggle to stay upright, grabbing on to the wall. His eyes locked on the door at the end of the hall. He could just make out the outline in the dim light.

  “Scurvy brat, I’ll have my revenge!” Captain Hook yelled down the stairs.

  Barrie darted down the hall, past the painting of Hook, and reached the door to the captain’s cabin. He could still hear Captain Hook’s voice chasing after him.

  “I’m not leavin’ this harbor until I get my revenge,” the pirate yelled. “You can’t make a fool of Hook!”

  The sign on the door still read CLOSED FOR REST-ORATION. But Barrie didn’t care. He wrestled with the bronze doorknob, desperate to get away from Captain Hook.

  But it didn’t budge—the door was locked.

  Just then, the ship rocked violently as another wave hit it. Barrie fell to his knees. Panicked, he tried to stand up.

  Thump. Thump.

  His eyes fell on a pair of black boots as they stepped into view.

  Barrie looked up to see Captain Hook’s shadowy figure stretch over him. He raised his sword overhead, then brought it down.

  “Caught you, scurvy brat!”

  Then everything went black.

  Barrie woke up with a start—and he was surprised to still be alive.

  Where am I? he thought in a daze.

  It took a minute for him to recognize his surroundings and for everything to come back to him. The last thing he remembered was Captain Hook’s sword swinging down at him.

  Then blackness.

  The pirate must have knocked him unconscious with the blunt end of that sword. That was the only reason Barrie was still alive. The room was dark, but outside the ship, the storm continued to rage. Bolts of lightning pulsed, lighting up the room at uneven intervals.

  When the next one hit, he scanned the area. He was in the captain’s cabin, sitting in a tall-backed wooden chair.

  In the next flash of lightning, he spotted the rusty hook. It lay on the desk in front of him, nestled back in the velvet-lined box. It rested on top of an old maritime map that depicted an unfamiliar world, marked with strange locations.

  Mermaid Lagoon. Skull Rock. Hangman’s Tree.

  Barrie scanned the map, but none of the places looked familiar. Then the cabin fell dark again. He tried to get up—but his arms wouldn’t move. He looked down. He was bound to the chair by scratchy, thick rope. He struggled against it, but the ropes held him in place.

  Suddenly, the ship swayed and rocked on the wav
es. His eyes darted to the window. Fear surged through him. They’d set sail, heading for the open ocean. He could still make out the marina behind them, but it was growing smaller.

  Panic seized Barrie’s heart. Not only were his chances of escaping getting dimmer with each passing second, but he was also deathly afraid of the ocean. It had been his greatest fear for as long as he could remember, ever since Rita had made him watch that stupid old killer shark movie when he was a little kid.

  “No, let me go!” Barrie yelled, struggling against the ropes, even though it was hopeless. They wouldn’t budge.

  That’s when he heard footsteps behind him. Thump. Thump.

  He tried to look back, but he couldn’t turn his head enough. The rope held him fast. The next pulse of lightning lit up the cabin—casting a long shadow over him.

  Captain Hook.

  The pirate paced in the shadows. His heavy footfalls echoed in the cabin.

  “Wh-where are you taking me?” Barrie stammered. “Please, let me go—”

  The violent rocking of the ship in the storm cut him off, making his stomach lurch. Bile flooded his throat, singeing it and making his mouth taste sour.

  He jerked his gaze to the window. They were moving fast, but the marina was still visible. That meant he still had a chance to escape. But the further away they got, the less likely it was that he could make it back. Had Michael and John seen the ship set sail? Had the guard? Maybe someone was coming after him.

  “We’re going to a special place with a special name,” Captain Hook said, still pacing in the shadows. Suddenly, a dagger arced down, stabbing the map and impaling the desk. Barrie jerked his head back.

  The dagger had speared two words—Never Land. It looked like the dagger that had been jammed into his front door.

  “Wh-what’s that…place?” Barrie choked out.

  Nothing about it looked friendly. Even the names of the places looked ominous.

  “Oh, it’s for lost boys like you who don’t want to grow up,” Captain Hook snarled. “Just follow the second star to the right and straight on till morning.”