The Lost Girl

Chapter 2

Believe

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I head upstairs early before dinner ends. It's my week to pick stories, and I want to read Peter Pan tonight. I change into my pajamas and brush my teeth quickly. I get down on my knees and look under my bed at our stash of storybooks. Most of them Sara and I find discarded on the side of the street just sitting there destined to pick up dust and dirt. We even have multiple copies of some of them because sometimes we can't stand how sad some of them look. I'm glad Miss. Gretchen lets us clean the books when we find them. She may not like fairytales, but she hates dirt and germs and we won't let any of our books get thrown out into the street again.

I take out Peter Pan and sit on the edge of my bed. As I wait for Sara I flip through the pages, looking at the pictures. I shut the book when I see Sara walk in yawning. She plops on my bed next to me grabbing a furry blanket.

"It's my turn to choose the book tonight," I remind her, "so we're reading Peter Pan."

"Okay, " Sara replies simply, wrapping the blanket around us.

We begin to read the book together, and as other girls file in, they give us looks of disgust. Sara doesn't notice, but that's only because I'm distracting her with our book. She's cuddled up next to me, her head on my shoulder, holding the book up and turning the pages while I read. I have one arm wrapped around Sara's shoulders and the other clutching the blanket around us. As I read the book, I feel oddly loving towards her; like a mother's love.

"The End," I whisper calmly so only the two of us can hear. I close the book and put it on the floor. We're quiet for a moment and I realize everyone is already asleep.

"Anna? Do you believe in magic? Do you believe in Neverland?" Sara says softly, looking up at me.

I hesitate. Sure I believe in magic. That's easy. But Neverland? I'm not so sure. That would be saying that fairytales are real, but I know they're not. A small voice in my head suddenly becomes stronger. But what do you believe in your heart Anna? I believe that Neverland is real, I answer the voice.

I believe. I believe!

"I believe! Yes, I believe in magic and I believe in Neverland!" I whisper to Sara with a powerful glint in my eye.

"Okay," Sara smiles and gets up.

"Close your eyes," she tells me, her back still turned.

"What?"

"Close your eyes," she repeats and turns towards me.

I look at her and see a stern face staring back at me. I close my eyes.

"Now, think of your happiest memory," Sara tells me after a few moments. Her voice suddenly sounds small and more petite than usual.

'What is my happiest memory?' I ask myself. I think for a second. I feel my body recalling a memory, urging me to move how I did. I know.

"Got it," I say softly. I feel something that feels like glitter rain down on me. It's lighter than glitter though. I can't exactly put my finger on it.

"Now keep thinking about that memory with your eyes closed," Sara says, "and jump." I swallow. I think, at that moment, in the back of my head, I realized what was about to happen.

I jump. And I don't come down.

"Sara?" I ask for confirmation, my eyes still closed and a little frightened.

"Open your eyes Annabelle."

The hope inside me grows and grows. I want it to be real. I so want it to be real. I slowly open my eyes from closed, to a squint, to halfway, and then I know for sure what's happening. I open my eyes wide and my mouth pops open. My heart beats faster. My breathing gets heavier.

I'm flying. Oh my gosh.

I turn around somehow. Sara. Sara is a fairy. Woah.

"Sara, is that you?" I ask as Sara the fairy lands on my palm to my amazement.

"Yeah," she blushes, shying away.

Sara the fairy is really pretty. She's wearing a simple blue dress with blue flats. Her wavy brown hair is down. Her wings are covered in what I think is the stuff she sprinkled on me. She has wings. Oh gosh.

Before I can say anything more, she grabs my finger and trys to tug me towards the window. I fly over- fly over?! -and open the window for her. Sara flys out into the night and gestures for me to follow.

I swallow the lump in my throat and take a deep breath. I put my hands on the sides of the windows and push myself out after Sara.

Don't look down, don't look down. I look at the stars. They shine unusually brightly tonight considering we live in the city.

"Come on Anna!" she flies back to my spot by the window, "Just follow me. Second star to the right," she points at a particularly bright star, "and on till morning!" Oh my gosh.

I giggle, and Sara bursts out laughing. Sara flies ahead and I follow. I let out a yell of joy and that just makes us laugh harder. I follow Sara's shimmering glow which guides me for most of the time, but I once I get the hang of this new form of travel, I just follow the second star to the right. I don't think anything will wipe this giddy smile off my face.

I'm still trying my best to ignore the amount of space between me and the ground. I finally have to look down. Oh my gosh. As I soar above the city that has never loved me, I realize how beautiful the city is from a bird's eye point of view compared to my usual point of view on the ground. I don't ever want to come back. Oh my gosh.

I'm going to Neverland.

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So that's Chapter 2! Please vote, comment, and tell your friends if you liked it! This is a bit earlier than I expect to continue publishing, so please don't set your standards too high. I'll try to publish at a rate that's not ridiculous though. I'm really excited about this new project even though I know I am nowhere close to one of the better writers on Wattpad. Thanks for giving The Lost Girl a read!

-Rachel