The Pan of Neverland

Chapter 2: Gone Boy

Softly calling out, "Liza!" James Jones pull his key from the doorknob, attempting a noiseless entrance. However, his fumbling fingers betrayed him, and the keychain slipped from his grasp, landing on the marble floor with a loud clatter. Startled, he halted in his tracks. Just behind him, his wife, Lilith, collided with him, the force enough to knock them both off balance. Their friends, entering the foyer behind them, unknowingly joined the chain reaction of stumbling bodies.

James managed to steady himself and catch Mrs. Jones, but Robin, who had been right behind her, hit the ground hard and rolled onto his shoulder, feigning injury with dramatic flair. Laughter erupted from the group, filling the air and shattering the serene tranquility of the grand foyer. Their joyous cackles, tinged with a carefree lilt, reverberated throughout the space, bouncing off the elegant chandelier and the intricate artwork adorning the towering walls.

"Liza!" James called out again when the laughter quieted.

Lilith quickly tapped him to correct his mistake. "Psst. It's Eliza, James," she said, hiccupping twice in quick succession. Realizing his error, James nodded and mouthed a silent thank you to his wife.

"Eliza! We are..." he began to call out but was interrupted by the approaching footsteps. Eliza appeared, frantic and disheveled, her face twisted in terror.

"Oh, Dr. Jones... I went... The attic... There was a boy..." she managed to choke out before tears began pouring down her face. James comforted her, drawing her into an embrace and urging her to calm down. After a moment, he held her at arm's length, looking into her tear-streaked face.

"Now tell me, where are the boys?" he asked with a serious expression. Eliza sniffled and wiped away her tears; her eyes were still red-rimmed and puffy.

"Gone..." she managed to say amidst the tears. "The window... There was some boy... At the window."

The quiet hum of a police car's engine broke the stillness of the dimly lit street, tinged with a subtle shade of green that night. Two officers emerged, their footsteps crunching softly in the thin layer of snow as they made their way up the front stoop. Their casual stride indicated the late hour and the monotony of their routine.

"You called the police?" Robin stood up, his expression filled with slight worry. "Surely, they're just hiding in the attic somewhere. Let me check." He ushered his wife, Sarah, further inside the house, a sense of urgency driving his movements.

"Alex, Alex!" Robin shouted into the upstairs nothingness as he ascended the first steps of the spiral staircase. The high-pitched, nasally sound of his voice echoed off the walls and throughout the house.

"I didn't know... I couldn't... I looked all over," Eliza confessed, her voice still shattered, filled with frustration and concern.

"You did the right thing by calling them. Let me handle this," Dr. Jones assured her.

As the officers approached the open door, their footsteps muffled by the thick welcome mat, they peered inside. "Good evening. Is this your residence, sir?" inquired a heavy-set policeman.

"Yes, officer. Thanks for responding. We just got home ourselves, you see. Our babysitter called you. She claims the boys are missing, but I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. They're probably playing a prank on her, refusing to go to bed. You know how mischievous boys can be. She might be overreacting a little." Dr. Jones explained, attempting to downplay the situation and suppress the creeping worry in his mind.

"James!" Lilith Jones interjected sharply.

She pointed to something dangling from a streetlamp across the road, fifteen feet above the ground. Instantly, he recognized it as Roger's beloved green jacket; he would know it anywhere. The sight of it immediately changed James's demeanor.