"Grandma.....did you, did you die???" Joshua, wherever did you get an idea like that? If I had

died I would not be here telling you this story now would I? "Well I suppose not" Good. Now I

will get back to my story. I remember very vaguely waking up and realizing that I was on the

shore of a beach, but I was too weak to move or cry out for help as I was badly hurt and I

quickly blacked out again. The next thing that I remember was waking up next to the remains of

a campfire. I had lost a lot of blood but I had more strength then when I was on the beach. 

Along with the fire, I had another strange realization that someone had bound my wounds. I

slowly sat up, taking a good look at my surroundings. I was in a small clearing in the jungle, but

still close enough to the edge of the trees so that I could still see the ocean and the silvery sand

of a beach. My first thought was that I had been taken by the pirates, but I quickly discarded

that idea when I realized that no pirate would have taken the time to bandage me and care for

my wounds. My next thought was that I had been saved by island natives and this seemed to

me like a much truer possibility, but I was fearful of what they would want to do to me. With

the loss of blood and shock to my system my brain was not thinking clearly, so in a foolish

moment, I decided that I would get up and try to sneak away and hide somewhere. I rose

unsteadily to my feet while the ground seemed to move and sway around me. I stood blinking

for a minute and then as my disoriented mind began to collect itself I wearily began to totter

away from the clearing and into the forest. As my thoughts grew clearer I first realized that I

still had my sword, which came as a shock to me, and that I needed to find not only a good

hiding place, but a shelter as well. I also was hungry, with a pain that I had never felt before,

and my need for water was turning into an all-consuming thought. It was not long though

before I began to suspect someone was trailing me. I had expected this but I had hoped that it

would not happen so soon. I continued to stubbornly stagger on however until I came to

another clearing. This one had great rocks jutting out of the ground around it and the bushes

grew so thick around their bases that a man could stand unseen in them. I took full advantage

of this cover and waited exhausted in the shrubs to see what kind of pursuer was after me.

It did not take long for my hunter to catch up to my hiding place. My follower surprised me

greatly when he passed, as he was only a boy around my age with wild spiky black hair and dark

eyes all dressed in greens and browns. Not super tall, but not short either, with skin tanned

from days out in the sun. He walked warily into the clearing but kept on right past me, intently

staring at the ground searching for any signs of my passage and disappeared into the jungle. At

this point I knew I was stuck. I had no energy to go any farther at least without food and water,

so I resolved in my befuddled state to stay and try to force the strange boy to give me food and

take me to shelter. I knew that he would soon be back to try to pick up my trail again, and I

realized that he would surely find me. Moments after I had resolved this, here came the boy

into the clearing this time more alert than he had been before. When he turned his back on me

to again search the ground I drew my sword and stepped out of the bushes. At the sound he

whirled around and pulled out a sword of his own, much faster than I thought was humanely

possible. As bad of shape as I was in I mustered my courage and said "Don't come any closer!

I'm hurt and in terrible need of food and water. If you try to harm me I will fight to the death!!"

At this the boy lowered his sword and laughed. "Harm you! Why would I do that when I just

carried you from the beach and bandaged your wounds? I want to help you, not hurt you." At

this statement my resolve began to waver but I still said threateningly "I promise that if you

make any attempt to mischief I will fight you." This statement however, did not have much

weight to it as at that moment my body betrayed me and my knees began to buckle, forcing me

to lean forwards and use my sword as a crutch. As I began to fall the boy quickly sheathed his

sword, came to my side and lifted me up. He offered me water, which I gratefully drank, and

apologized that he had no food with him. He declared that he would take me back to his home

and get someone who could better treat my wounds. At first I resisted this saying that I didn't

even know where I was or who he was or where he was taking me. Again he apologized saying

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself, but the jungle is dangerous. My name is David, and this

island is called Neverland. I am taking you to the Tree House." I said "My name is Karen and I

have never heard of Neverland, but if this Tree place can help me I suppose that I must go

there." David then declared that it was a long distance to the Tree House and wanted me to

lean on him so that I could walk easier, but I refused this offer. I was stubborn and even though

I was badly hurt I slowly followed after him. I don't believe that we had traveled over a mile

when my strength finally gave out. I had stopped to rest and was leaning against a tree when

my knees gave out again and everything went dark.

My next memory was waking up in a bright and cheery room made out of what appeared to be

bamboo or some sort of light colored wood with lopsided open windows. I found myself lying

on a low bed, with a mattress made out of some unknown material, and a few raggedy blankets

covering me. I moaned, as I moved slightly taking an inventory of all of my body parts, making

sure that I was still in one piece and then slowly pulled myself into a sitting position. I heard a

squeak from the door way, and was surprised to see a small boy with curly brown hair and

freckles standing with his mouth agape, holding a tray with a covered bowl on it. We stared at

each other for a minute and then the boy turned around and hollered, "SHE'S AWAKE!!!!! SHE

WOKE UP!!!! EVERYBODY COME QUICK!!!" Well you can imagine all of the things that ran

through my mind grandchildren, it was very alarming to hear this and even more alarming to

hear the cries of other voices and the pounding of feet all headed towards my room. Very

quickly my room, and the door way, filled to my great surprise with boys!! Boys of all sizes from

quite small children to boys close to my own age spilled into the room until even the door was

full of faces peeking in. Each boy was wearing something completely different, whether fancy

clothing or patched up rags, however, none of their clothes were new and every boy had some

sort of adornment. Head bands and feathers seemed to be the most popular, but many also

wore bracelets of shells, bone, and rock. Why there must have been at least twenty some odd

boys decked out strangely trying to get into the small room. All of them were chattering

excitedly to each other, and to me, with questions like "Who are you?" Why are you dressed so 

funny?" and "You sure sleep a lot!" By this time I was feeling immensely bewildered and was

wondering who in this mass I could possibly talk to, since all of them seemed to speak at once.

Suddenly David's face appeared among the crowd and he quickly pushed his way forwards.

"Quiet down everyone!!" he said. "Where is Pip? I thought he was supposed to be bringing her

food??" "Here I am!" called the boy who was apparently named Pip. "And I've still got her food

too." This exchange quieted the crowd of boys enough for another child to exclaim "And I have

her drink!!" Both boys pushed their way through to me where I was presented with the bowl

and a flagon. "Wait , wait Grandma!! What's a flagon?? I've never heard of a flagon before."

"Well Jeanette a flagon is a kind of large cup, usually used for drinking wine." "Oh, well okay

then," Now back to my story. The two small boys had brought me a bowl and a cup but both

were empty. I was upset and puzzled and cried out "There's nothing in them!" "Course there's 

nothin in them!" said Pip "You have to imagine that its' there and then it will be there." I

thought that this was the craziest thing that I had ever heard and said so, but at this all of the

boys started back up with their chatter throwing out helpful hints about imagination. Even

David was smiling and nodding in agreement with their statements, so with a sigh I closed my

eyes and tried to think of my favorite soup and a cup of cold frothy milk. Suddenly the bowl

warmed in my hands and I opened my eyes. The bowl was full of soup and my cup filled with

milk! I stared at them in shock for a moment and then sputtered "I don't understand! That's

impossible!" At this the boys started babbling "Its' magic!!" now grandchildren I don't think

that I would normally have been able to will my imagination to think of food so strongly but

was starving and this gave me an added incentive to believe that the food was real. I couldn't

understand what had just happened, but my growling stomach was telling me that I should stop

wondering why and start eating instead. The soup was delicious! And the milk was sweeter and 

more refreshing than any I had ever had before. It was a wonderful feeling to have a warm and

full stomach after my long fast. Once I had finished the meal I began my own round of

questions. "Where am I?" I asked "And how long have I been asleep?" "You have been sleeping

three days" David answered "And you are in the Tree House of the Lost Boys." Three days! I

thought to myself. Good Grief!! "Have you Lost Boys been taking care of me that entire time??"

I asked. "Yes and no" David said "I found you on the beach with a plank of wood stuck in your

side and your left shoulder out of socket. I fixed your shoulder and pulled the wood out. Then I 

bound up your side as best I could and then took you back to my camp. I left to go and tell the

Indian's Wise Woman that I had found you and that she needed to get to the Tree House as

soon as possible. When I came back you were gone, so I trailed you until I came by you in the

rocks. After you passed out again I carried you the rest of the way to the Tree House. Wise

Woman came and treated you, fixing up your side much better than I had done. It was touch

and go for a while. You lost a lot of blood and we were afraid that you wouldn't make it, but I

guess the Neverland magic helped to see you through." Magic again. I still was not sure that I

believed in magic even after my meal but my doubt was stricken in an instant when another

person came into the room. Actually she came through one of the windows, a small bright and

shining ball of light whizzing around the room only to stop and land on the tray that so recently

held my meal. "Ha! Your' awake!! I told these silly boys that you would make it but they

thought I was crazy. Whose the crazy ones now huh??" "What are you?!" I exclaimed. "Don't 

you know a fairy when you see one?? I'm Tinkerbell by the way and I'm the one who really

saved you. David would have never known that you were there unless I had told him." the

apparent fairy said smugly. Again I was at a loss for words but managed to somehow get out a

"Thank You" to which Tinkerbell answered "Your welcome!" After this exchange I then asked

"So where am I again?? And what is this place?" "You are on the island of Neverland!" said Pip

"And we are the Lost Boys and this is our Tree House. In Neverland you never grow up! We 

always stay young and all we do is play and have adventures." "That's right! David interjected,

"We are all of the kids who never want to grow up and our leader is Peter Pan, but he is gone

right now so that leaves me in charge." "But Peter gave you his sword!" a small voice belonging

to my cupbearer said. David replied "I know Rags but I am still going to believe that Peter is

going to come back some day." This quieted them momentarily until one of the Lost Boys said

"Now you know about us, we want to hear about you!" This was backed by a resounding chorus

of "Yes let's hear it!" "Tell us a story!" I could not refuse them grandchildren, they had saved

my life after all, so I told them everything about my past. I told them the good things and the

bad things but when I reached the end about the pirates taking the ship and killing my father,

my control left me and I began to cry. This sent the boys into a great tizzy and I had numerous

hankies shoved in my direction and mutters of "Please don't cry!" and "I would have showed

them pirates if I had been there!" After I regained control of my tears, I yawned and said "I am 

very grateful to all of you for rescuing me but I hurt horribly and I am so sleepy." This

statement acted like a shock to David who immediately began ordering everyone out of the

room even Tinkerbell was asked to leave until only he, Pip, and another boy stood in the room.

"This is Sam" said David "He is going to protect you and Pip here will get you anything that you

need." Sam was tall but looked younger than David with curly blond hair that stuck out over his

ears and big blue eyes. Sam said, "We should probably change your bandage before you go to

sleep again since you might not wake up until tomorrow." This seemed like a wise decision so

between Sam, Pip, and I, we managed to reapply a fresh bandage to my wound. Then I slept.