his past, but he thought about the past he did know. About life at St. Barnaby’s with the likes of Mr. Calhoun, Mrs. Theedwheck, and Rex. Achance at something better had to be worth the risk. It had to be.
“Going back isn’t an option,” Jack told Jazen. “I’m ready. I’m in.”
“Then what are we waiting for? It’s time for you to take the wheel.”
Jack’s eyes became saucers. “You want me to drive?” he asked.
“You have to drive! You think I trust that big blue knucklehead to get us there?”
“I heard that!” Blue shouted.
Jazen laughed a little. “Besides,” he added, “how can I make sure you believe if you’re not the one driving us in?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said, a little nervous. “Machines and I don’t usually work well together.”
“Oh, I think you’re doing okay,” Blue said, giving Jazen a wink.
“We haven’t sunk yet, have we?” Jazen asked.
Jack followed Jazen to the captain’s wheel where Blue was steering the ship. Blue stepped aside, but he kept one hand on the wheel. “You believe, little man?” he asked Jack before letting go.
Jack thought about it. Just the idea alone made him smile. “I do,” he said. “I believe in the Imagine Nation.”
“Then take us home,” Blue said, bowing in deference to the ship’s new commander.
Jack grabbed the wheel, and the ship lurched to the port side as he took the helm.
“Whoa!” Jack said as he pulled the Vision back, righting the ship. She was a big boat. “Which way?” he asked.
“You tell us, Captain,” Jazen replied.
“Captain,” Jack repeated with a smile. “This morning I wasn’t even allowed on a school bus!” This was by far the coolest thing Jack had ever done. Jack looked out at the ocean before him. They wanted him to find his own way to the Imagine Nation, and he had no idea where to start.
“Just follow your feelings,” Jazen said. “We trust you. Trust yourself.”
Jack closed his eyes and let his heart tell him which way to turn. It wasn’t long before he had a heading that felt good. When he opened his eyes and looked around, something felt different. The water seemed cleaner. The air seemed fresher, even happier, if that was possible. The Vision was surging over the waves, and Jack knew it was time to kick things up to the next level.
“How do you make this thing go faster?” he asked.
Jazen sat down and buckled up as Blue pointed toward a lever. “That one, but—”
Jack threw the lever to go full speed ahead, hurling the Vision toward the horizon and sending Blue straight into the back wall. Jazen laughed from the safety of his chair.
“—But you might want to take it easy at first,” Blue grumbled as he got up.
Jack had never been happier. The boat was going so fast, it was almost flying, and it wasn’t breaking down! What’s more, he seemed to be on the right track. After a little while, Jack started to see all kinds of clues that they were nearing the edge of the normal, ordinary world.
“Thar she blows!” Jazen yelled, pointing off the starboard bow at one such clue.
Jack turned to see a giant blue-green dragon surface next to the Vision and soar through the air. It was a long, winding sea serpent with scales, fins, and a beautiful woman riding it. She had aquamarine skin and a glittering, bright gold dress. She kept pace with Jack’s ship fora time, then waved good-bye and dove her mount back down below the waves.
As they sailed on, they passed pirates, mermaids, and talking fish. Jack felt like he had crossed a line drawn between the normal world and the imaginary. Everywhere he looked, his own eyes confirmed that even if something was imaginary, that didn’t mean it wasn’t real. The walls between the possible and the impossible were breaking down, but the weather turned uglier the farther Jack sailed.
Storm clouds started rolling in like angry spirits blocking out the sun. Jack could see them in the waters ahead, but he didn’t turn away.
“Going back isn’t an option,” Jack told Jazen. “I’m ready. I’m in.”
“Then what are we waiting for? It’s time for you to take the wheel.”
Jack’s eyes became saucers. “You want me to drive?” he asked.
“You have to drive! You think I trust that big blue knucklehead to get us there?”
“I heard that!” Blue shouted.
Jazen laughed a little. “Besides,” he added, “how can I make sure you believe if you’re not the one driving us in?”
“I don’t know,” Jack said, a little nervous. “Machines and I don’t usually work well together.”
“Oh, I think you’re doing okay,” Blue said, giving Jazen a wink.
“We haven’t sunk yet, have we?” Jazen asked.
Jack followed Jazen to the captain’s wheel where Blue was steering the ship. Blue stepped aside, but he kept one hand on the wheel. “You believe, little man?” he asked Jack before letting go.
Jack thought about it. Just the idea alone made him smile. “I do,” he said. “I believe in the Imagine Nation.”
“Then take us home,” Blue said, bowing in deference to the ship’s new commander.
Jack grabbed the wheel, and the ship lurched to the port side as he took the helm.
“Whoa!” Jack said as he pulled the Vision back, righting the ship. She was a big boat. “Which way?” he asked.
“You tell us, Captain,” Jazen replied.
“Captain,” Jack repeated with a smile. “This morning I wasn’t even allowed on a school bus!” This was by far the coolest thing Jack had ever done. Jack looked out at the ocean before him. They wanted him to find his own way to the Imagine Nation, and he had no idea where to start.
“Just follow your feelings,” Jazen said. “We trust you. Trust yourself.”
Jack closed his eyes and let his heart tell him which way to turn. It wasn’t long before he had a heading that felt good. When he opened his eyes and looked around, something felt different. The water seemed cleaner. The air seemed fresher, even happier, if that was possible. The Vision was surging over the waves, and Jack knew it was time to kick things up to the next level.
“How do you make this thing go faster?” he asked.
Jazen sat down and buckled up as Blue pointed toward a lever. “That one, but—”
Jack threw the lever to go full speed ahead, hurling the Vision toward the horizon and sending Blue straight into the back wall. Jazen laughed from the safety of his chair.
“—But you might want to take it easy at first,” Blue grumbled as he got up.
Jack had never been happier. The boat was going so fast, it was almost flying, and it wasn’t breaking down! What’s more, he seemed to be on the right track. After a little while, Jack started to see all kinds of clues that they were nearing the edge of the normal, ordinary world.
“Thar she blows!” Jazen yelled, pointing off the starboard bow at one such clue.
Jack turned to see a giant blue-green dragon surface next to the Vision and soar through the air. It was a long, winding sea serpent with scales, fins, and a beautiful woman riding it. She had aquamarine skin and a glittering, bright gold dress. She kept pace with Jack’s ship fora time, then waved good-bye and dove her mount back down below the waves.
As they sailed on, they passed pirates, mermaids, and talking fish. Jack felt like he had crossed a line drawn between the normal world and the imaginary. Everywhere he looked, his own eyes confirmed that even if something was imaginary, that didn’t mean it wasn’t real. The walls between the possible and the impossible were breaking down, but the weather turned uglier the farther Jack sailed.
Storm clouds started rolling in like angry spirits blocking out the sun. Jack could see them in the waters ahead, but he didn’t turn away.
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