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The mermaids had stopped protecting the borders of Neverland. “What’s the matter, Tink?” Peter chased after the small bouncing ball of light.
Jumping from stepping stone to stepping stone in Mermaid Grotto, he tried to keep up with his friend. The waters seemed darker than they
ever had before. Deeper. Peter stopped hopping and balanced precariously on one of the rocks. He stared down into the depths.
Something flashed by far below.
“I guess I’ll have to dive in.” Peter ignored Tinkerbell’s frantic protests. He stripped off his jaunty hat, and jerkin. Folding them neatly and
leaving them piled on the ground.
The water was cold. Colder than he had ever experienced before. He and the Lost Boys had swum in these waters for as long as Peter could
remember. But it had never been this cold. He’d played tag with the mermaids and he’d listened to their songs. He was surprised the
Lost Boys weren’t here now. Hadn’t they agreed to all come swimming this afternoon?
But the Grotto was quiet. Gone were the playful tunes. No. Not quiet. Not quite. There was still a song burbling up from somewhere beneath
but it sounded off somehow. Discordant. More like chanting than singing.
Diving down, Peter felt the growing pressure in his lungs. And there at the bottom, he found the Lost Boys. Frozen in their forever screams.
There was something else too. Something massive and rotten. Great gills pulsating with the in and out of the tide.
“Dagon. Father Dagon,” the chanting warbled through the murk filled waters. The mermaids had found new games and new appetites to
amuse themselves.
“You’re it!” smiled one.
Her teeth seemed very sharp indeed.