Part IV - 22: Slightly

"Slightly, this is quite a surprise."

"Yes, Mr. Mayor, and I apologize for taking up your time, but a pressing opportunity has come up."

"Please, have a seat," the mayor said, gesturing to a plush armchair situated on the other side of his desk. He was smiling, but Slightly could tell that he was annoyed at the interruption.

"I spoke earlier today about having a dedicated place for orphans to go, a place where they could belong."

"Yes, I remember."

"Well, after the competition, I, ah... recalled a location that already exists which would serve that purpose perfectly. It's called Neverland. It's about 150 hectares, contains desert, jungle, and forest landscapes, as well as a large body of water, and it's equipped with programs for learning and creation. It's available for use, pending some internal rearrangements and authorization from the city."

The mayor sat forward, his eyes wide. "Where is this place? It can't possibly be in London."

"It's beneath London, actually. There's a secret entrance on Barrie Street."

The mayor laughed in disbelief. "That's impossible! It sounds like a fairytale!"

Slightly hesitated for a moment, unsure how to proceed, but then he remembered what had gotten him there in the first place.

"Mr. Mayor, are you aware of the foreign elements that have appeared around the city?"

The mayor put his hand on a large envelope on his desk. "I've been informed, but we assumed they were just the work of a prankster."

Slightly shook his head. "Those organisms are native to Neverland. They found their way up to London as a result of a mistake I made."

"You made? You mean you've been to this place?"

"Of course. I've lived there for the past 9 years."

The mayor stared at Slightly. "How can this be? If such a place exists, how was it built?"

Slightly shifted uncomfortably. "It was created by two criminals. One is dead, and the other will soon be serving out the rest of his sentence in prison," Slightly reported, hoping Captain Hook was really going to turn himself in. "In addition to providing a place for orphans to learn, Neverland can function as an amusement park for the general public so that it can sustain itself."

The mayor sighed. "Slightly, I really liked you, but all of this is just insane. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Slightly began to panic. "But, Mr. Mayor, please! I can prove that Neverland exists! Let me take you to see it."

The mayor laughed. "That sounds terribly unsafe." He considered Slightly for a moment, and then picked up the phone on his desk. "Here's what we'll do," he announced, "I'll send two of my assistants with you."

The mayor spoke to someone on the phone, and a minute later a young woman and a large man with a neck like a tree trunk stepped into the office.

"Slightly, this is Clara Woodbury and Fred Brooks. They'll accompany you to see this Neverland place. Clara, if it's real, please report back to me immediately. Fred, if this young man tries anything fishy, you'll take care of it."

"Yes, sir," his assistants said in unison.

Slightly tried not to be nervous as he walked down the street with Clara and Fred. He knew Neverland was real, of course, but what if something went wrong when he led them down the manhole? What if Tink attacked them? What would happen then? They turned onto Barrie Street and Slightly bent down and lifted the manhole cover.

"You want us to go down there?" Clara exclaimed, inspecting her high heels and tight skirt.

"Don't worry," Fred assured. "If it's dangerous, I'll handle it."

"I'm not so much worried about danger as I am about dirt," Clara replied, wrinkling her nose as she followed Slightly down into the manhole.

They climbed down the ladder rungs and landed on the iron grate that Tink had put in place. Thankfully, nobody attacked them and their view was only slightly obscured by the bars. There was silence for a few moments as the group stared down at the glorious scene below them. Clara put her hand on her heart and Fred began to cry. Finally, Clara fumbled for her phone and called the Mayor.

"Sir, it's real. And it's magnificent."

*****

Slightly ran to the location in Hyde Park where the Silver Mountains were supposed to be. He hoped that he wasn't too late. If Peter had already retracted the mountains, then people might wander down the hole, and he didn't want anyone finding Neverland before the mayor had made his announcement.

The mountains weren't hard to find. Two shiny peaks had grown above the trees, and a large group of reporters and bystanders had gathered there.

"The metallic structure seems to be getting larger, and there is still no information on how this came to be or why it's here."

"I know why it's here!" Slightly yelled to the reporter as he jumped in front of the camera. "It's a glimpse of a fantastic attraction that will be opening soon! The Mayor of London has called a press conference and will be announcing details in just a few minutes."

The crowd stared at him and the reporter cleared his throat. "This young man claims the growing metal structure is a publicity stunt. Can you tell us more?" The reporter asked, putting the microphone in front of Slightly.

"Well, I'm one of the people responsible for opening this new park. I spoke to the mayor a few minutes ago, and he'll make an official announcement at a press conference that will be taking place very soon."

There were some murmurs of surprise and speculation.

"I did hear something about a press conference with the mayor," one of the cameramen commented. "Maybe we should head over there."

The reporters packed up and left, and the crowd lessened considerably. There were only a dozen people standing around when the ground began to tremble and the Silver Mountains were quickly sucked back into the ground. Most of the people nearby ran away in fear, but a few stayed and marveled at the huge hole that had been left behind. But before they could do much investigating, the police, per the mayor's instructions, showed up and made a barricade around the area.

Slightly let out a sigh of relief and began walking out of the park. He passed a man on a bench that was watching the press conference on his mobile.

"This exquisite attraction has been in construction for over a decade, and we're pleased to announce that it will open in three weeks."

Slightly wanted to keep listening, but someone was calling his name.

"Tom! Tom Williams!"

A peculiar sensation washed over him as he realized that the woman was calling him by his real name. He watched the woman approach. She was large and rather intimidating and she looked familiar. He suddenly remembered that she had been in the group of girls chasing him after the competition, but there was another memory from years ago that was scratching at his subconscious. Behind the woman was a tall, blonde girl who might have been 15 or 16, and as she drew closer, Slightly gasped.

"Tom! We've finally found you!" The woman cried, wrapping her solid arms around him and nearly lifting him off the ground. When she finally released him, Slightly was speechless.

"Oh dear, I didn't mean to frighten you. You might not even remember me!"

"A-Aunt Caroline?" Slightly asked in disbelief.

The woman clapped her hands together. "How marvelous! You do remember me!"

Slightly turned his gaze to the blonde girl, who was standing nervously beside his aunt. "Abigail?" He whispered.

The girl nodded and her blue eyes filled with tears. Slightly rushed forward to embrace the sister he hadn't seen in 10 years.