After Neverland

Chapter One

A Fearsome Beginning

     Once upon a time, there was a very small bear who should have listened to her mother. If you squinted hard enough in the moonlight, you could see her cowering under a bush. Twigs dug into her fluffy white fur like a child grasping at candies. And her tremendously large eyes were filled with tears that didn’t quite have the courage to fall. You see, this silent bear cub was terribly scared that Something was coming to get her.

     And it was.

     A branch snapped and the bear froze. Yes, the air in the forest was chilly, but that wasn’t the worst of it. You see, she had just remembered the stories Mother had told when the cubs were being particularly naughty. According to Mother, there was a very hungry Something that stalked the forest at night—or was it many Somethings? The forest after dark was no place for bears, let alone very small ones, and they should all come inside the moment Mother called.

     Tonight, this little bear had been even naughtier than usual and had dashed away before Mother could properly dry her fur after bath time. She had slipped between Mother’s legs, leapt from the mouth of their cave, and had run until her legs felt wobbly. The setting sun was now completely absent, the moon was only just rising, and where was the ring of trees that marked her home? The closest thing she could find to a cave was a dark opening beneath a bush, so she dove beneath it and waited.

     A huffing sound shook the very small bear from her memory. As she pinched her pink eyes shut beneath the bush, two giant tears ran down her fluffy white face but didn’t fall to the ground. Even her tears were too frightened to make a noise.

     Then, our poor bear heard a rustling of leaves. She held what little breath she had and listened to the forest around her. The forest held its breath, too, and so she heard nothing.

     The little bear let her breath out slowly, then finally got around to thinking. Had the Something given up? Had it, instead, found someone even smaller and more adorable to pursue? Or had it simply stopped for tea and biscuits? From under the bush, there was no way to tell without having a good look around.

     The bear waited.

     Silence now blanketed the forest like an old quilt—the kind that has been in the family for so long that it knows exactly how to wrap itself around your body to make you feel safe. And so, with a newfound confidence, the fluffy white bear took a deep breath, wriggled out from beneath the bush, and looked around.

     Nothing was there.

     The little bear let out a high-pitched sigh. Then she straightened.

     She should have seen something—a judgmental owl, a tree shrugging its branches, or, at the very least, moonlight. Instead, inky black nothingness filled her view.

     Suddenly, a deep roar sounded from everywhere all at once and the nothingness pounced.

     “Help!” The little bear squeaked.

     But alas, it was too late. The shadowy monster had swallowed her whole.

     And once more, there was silence in the forest.

***

     Oh, I’m sorry. That was quite a fearsome place to begin. I’m sure there are many of you who would prefer to ease your way into stories, and I’d hate to scare you away before we had even really begun. And so, if you’ll allow me, I shall try once more.

     However, for those of you who rather enjoy mysterious creatures who lurk in the darkness, not to worry—there will be plenty for you to sink your teeth into, so to speak. All in good time.

     Let’s begin again, shall we?

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