It's Just A Story
Chapter 1
She was flying, soaring through the air. The wind blowing in her face making her feel free then he was flying beside her, "Wendy." He offered his hand just as she was about to take his hand she was falling. She screamed for him but he never came she was falling in to emptiness.
Wendy bolted upright, "NO!" she screamed, she was breathing heavily and sweating. Just another nightmare she climbed out of bed dawning her robe and went to the bathroom room. She splashed cold water onto her face then dried off, she felt a bit calmer now. She couldn't understand it why was she having the same dream every night? And is the boy flying beside her?
All she knew is that she has been having the same dream for along time and couldn't explain why she felt emptiness in her heart.
Wendy walked quietly back to her bedroom and climbed back into bed hoping she can get a peaceful night's sleep.
"Are you certain you boys got everything?" Mrs. Darling asked as she set her luggage down.
"Yes mother" they replied in unison excitedly. She grinned at them, she noticed that Tootles had mismatched his buttons and knelt down to fix them. She heard Wendy coming down the stairs. "Do you have everything Wendy?" When Mrs. Darling did not get a reply she finished her task and turn to her daughter. From Mrs. Darling saw Wendy eyes were down cast not even pay attention nor hearing that her mother asked her a question.
"Wendy," She said again a little louder this time and Wendy shook her head as if she was lost in thought. "Yes mother, my apologies I was just lost in thought. Yes I'm all packed and ready." she smiled at her mother.
"Splendid now we just wait for your father." Mrs. Darling smiled.
Mrs. Darling looked at her daughter with concern wanting to confront with what might be occupying Wendy's mind but decided to wait till they were in the privacy of the coach.
Just then Mr. Darling walked into the room, grinning from ear to ear. "The neighbors will come by twice a day to check on Nana," he said to Mary, "Well then is everyone ready?"
"YES!" all the boys answered, they were all ready for their holiday, except Wendy.
It's been six years since the Darlings had five new additions to the family, after that night when Wendy, John, Michael, and the Lost Boys returned from Neverland. Mr. Darling at first was worried because expense and the neighbors but he said "Dash the expense and neighbors" welcome the boys into the family.
And since then the Darlings have moved into a much bigger house, thanks to the Lost Boys for bringing their treasure and jewels, and Mr. Darling has been less stern more adventurous and laughing a lot more. He always makes time to play with the boys and thanks to his new position at the bank they are a little more wealthy.
All the Darlings were a lot happier but the same could not for Wendy. Of course she was happy but she felt like she should remember something or someone. Was it the boy in her dream? She thought that would be impossible that the boy in her dreams was someone she made up in her stories.
"And the crocodile swallowed Hook whole, and Peter called upon the fairies to make the ship fly and Peter brought them back home and promised to return to hear stories about him. The End." Wendy concluded her story.
"Again, again, again!" the boys cried. Wendy smiled before she could get a word in Mr. Darling walked in.
"Bedtime everyone." he announced. He received groaning and mumbling in return. " But Wendy was gonna tell us about our adventure again." Michael protested.
"Yes well you all can hear again tomorrow night." Mr. Darling smiled. "Wendy may we see you down stairs for a moment?" he turned out of the nursery. They exchanged confused looks and Wendy made her way down stairs. She joined her mother and father in the sitting room.
"Wendy we feel that it is best if you don't tell that story anymore, it's not good for the boys." Mr. Darling said.
She was confused, "Why ever not? They love that story and it's true because it really happened." she smiled thinking of the big adventure they came back about a month back.
"Yes Wendy we know how you love to pretend it's real, but it's only make believe. You made this story up in your head for the boys. And this Peter character he's just made up for the story." Mr. Darling tried to convince his daughter.
"No he's real! I've hold his hand, I've flown with him. I've ki-"
"That's quite enough Wendy!" Mrs. Darling interrupted.
"But-but the Lost Boys they came from Neverland, you saw the treasure they brought back." Wendy said in anger she could feel tears beginning to form.
"They were lost in the streets and we brought them home with us when returning from the party. And their 'treasures' they discovered in an abandoned jewelers building. Now that is quite enough, after we move to our new home you are to be given a room of your own." Mrs. Darling explained.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Darling didn't have the faintest idea of where the children ran off too nor where the 'Lost Boys' actually came from they all talked of this Neverland place and decided enough was enough.
They loved their children and their new children but the Darlings will no have them living in a fantasy world. It had to end now.
"A room of my own? But what about the stories I tell the boys?" Wendy asked as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"It's time they all stopped hearing stories and focusing on their studies, and you need to focus on becoming a proper young lady." Mr. Darling said as a matter of fact.
Wendy knew that there was no room for arguing. She nodded in agreement then excused herself to bed. Over the years the Darling children began to believe that it was something they all made up in there heads and the Lost Boys believed that they were found in the streets. They forgot about Neverland and everything in it.
The Darling women sharing their own coach and the boys had their own. Wendy and Mrs. Darling stepped into their coach and waited for the boys to fill in the other. Once that was done they were off.
An hour into the trip Mrs. Darling could no longer keep silent. "Wendy, dear, what is troubling you?" Wendy didn't say anything, she looked out the window with a far away glance.
"Wendy?" Mrs. Darling out her hand on her daughter's. Finally Wendy came back to earth. "Oh I'm sorry mother, what did you say?"
"I asked what's troubling you?"
"I just didn't sleep well last night that's all." she reassured her mother.
"I heard you screaming last night." Mrs. Darling said with concern in her eyes.
In fact last night was the first time Wendy's dream has made her scream like that, "Oh I just had a weird dream."
"The one where you are flying?" asked Mrs. Darling. Wendy nodded. She has told her mother of this dream before and her mother was the only one who knew.
"Why do I have the same dream every time I close my eyes? Is there something I'm supposed to know, someone I've known, have I forgotten something?"
"I don't know Wendy. Yes it is strange to have the same dream but it could be normal." Mrs. Darling tried to comfort her, she seemed to accept it.
"I suppose so." Wendy said sadly.
"Come now Wendy, please do try to be cheerful," Mary begged her daughter, "It was awfully nice of Aunt Millicent to offer us to stay with her for our holiday." Wendy looked at her mother and smiled.
Aunt Millicent had money that ran in her family, she wasn't rich but she was well off. She owned a large house in Kensington Palace Gardens, so she wrote a letter to the Darlings expressing that they should take a holiday for a few weeks and stay with her. She had plenty of rooms since it was only her and her son, Slightly.
"I'll try to be cheerful, mother, I'm sorry if I'm not acting like it." Wendy said reassuring her mother.
"Maybe new surroundings will do you some good, and maybe you'll meet someone." Mrs. Darling said sounding hopeful.
Both the coaches had pulled up to Aunt Millicent's house and she came practically running out her doors.
"Dearest George and Mary!" hugging them both. "And there are my niece and nephews!" the children all gave her a group hug, then it was Wendy's turn to hug her. And Aunt Millicent could not believe the young woman see saw.
Wendy had grown into a beautiful young woman and knew that would be suitors would die for her hand. "Wendy my goodness look how you've grown, you are just as lovely as your mother. Your beauty is becoming you." Aunt Millicent beamed as she hugged her niece.
"Boys get your things and Aunt Millicent will show you to your rooms." Mr. Darling commanded, they grabbed their luggage then Mr. Darling said "Race you all inside!" they all whooped and hollered as they ran to beat their father.
Aunt Millicent showed everyone there rooms and told each of them when they are settled they are meet in the gardening area for tea and some exciting news.
Wendy was showed to her room by one of her Aunt's helper, the helper opened the door to a spacious room with a four poster bed with green sheets and a dark green comforter the pillows even matched the comforter. With three flour to ceiling windows the middle window was a door that lead to a balcony. The room was breath taking.
As Wendy unpacked she had a feeling she was being watched which was impossible she was the only person in the room but she shake the feeling, she jumped when she heard someone knocking on her room door.
"Come in." she called.
She saw Slightly opening the door, "Hello Wendy"
"Oh Slightly it's only you." Wendy said. She dropped what she was doing to hug him. "It's so good to see you! How have you been?"
"I've been splendid I'm doing well in my schooling and helping mother. She has gotten me to read War of the Worlds she told me that the book gave her a good scare." Wendy noted how much he's grown almost taller than her, still had some of his boyish features and his voice was a little deeper sounding more mature.
"That's wonderful and I'm so looking forward to spending this holiday with you and Aunt Millicent." she said happily. She turned to finish unpacking when Slightly asked a bizarre question.
"Have you seen him?"
She turn around giving a confused look, "What are you talking about? Seen who?"
"Come on Wendy you know who I'm talking about." Slightly urged.
"No I'm afraid I don't, kindly explain what you are talking about."
"Peter" he whispered softly. Wendy simply chuckled. "Oh Slightly you remember him from the stories I used to tell my brothers and you when you visited. Of course I haven't seen him because he's not real."
Slightly gasped a little and his eyes widened, she couldn't have forgotten, "Wendy of course he's real we all were with him and had an adventure with him. How could you forgotten?"
"Slightly he's just a make believe person in a make believe story, I made him up in my head." she explained wondering why he looked a little offended.
"He's not make believe and neither is Neverland." he said with more force in his voice.
"Slightly it's just a story none of it was real, John, Michael, and I simply ran away for a day or two. You and the other boys were discovered in the streets. Now if you'll excuse me your mother is expecting me at tea." she said as finished packing and marched past him not bothering to look at him.
Little did they both know someone else heard their conversation.
Everyone gathered for tea in Aunt Millicent's lovely garden, it bloomed with white, yellow, and pink roses along with other beautiful flowers. Once she was caught with how everything was with the Darling family she had an announcement to make. "To celebrate the start of the summer holiday I'm having a ball tomorrow night!" she announced excitedly. There gasps of excitement and the twins asked "What's a ball?"
"It's a grand party where people dress up in there finest and come to dance, gossip, and to have fun." Mrs. Darling explained.
"And I've got the theme: Masquerade! I have a party planner coming to the house to decorate this afternoon, I met with last week lovely gentlemen I must say. I want to take Mary and Wendy out shopping for dresses today." said Aunt Millicent with a smile.
"Well that would be a splendid idea!" Mr. Darling exclaimed, "While the women shop I'll take the boys out and tomorrow we'll go shopping for our costumes."
"Excellent!" Aunt Millicent grinned.
The streets were busy with people walking and coaches and carriages making there way. It buzzed with sounds of people's chatter, the clip clop of the horse's hooves, the smell of food. It all sounded a hum to Wendy not paying any attention, she was too busy thinking of her and Slightly's conversation earlier that day.
They walked into a dress shop that was specifically for balls and parties and other occasions.
"Welcome!" the store owner greeted warmly, "What can I do for you ladies?" She asked, she was a middle aged woman, with long black hair and big brown eyes that complemented her friendly face.
"I'm having a ball tomorrow night and I want my niece to have the perfect dress." Aunt Millicent said putting her hands on Wendy's shoulders. Wendy gazed around the room some the dresses were beautiful.
"I think I have just the thing." the store owner grinned. She went to the back bring out a beautiful looking dress.
"Go try it on, dear." Mrs. Darling coaxed.
Wendy took the dress and went into a changing room, once the dress was on Wendy could not believe how beautiful was on her. Her mood had changed dramatically.
She came out of the changing room hoping mother and aunt Millicent would approve.
"Well what do you think?" Wendy asked twirling slowly so they could get a good look. The dress was a dark blue and had silver flower like designs through out the dress, it hung off the shoulders, hugged her bodice to show her slender figure, the bottom half had sort of a poof. It was perfect.
Aunt Millicent and Mrs. Darling gasped they knew that dress complemented Wendy's natural beauty.
"Wendy, my dear, you look absolutely stunning! This dress is certainly for you." Mrs. Darling beamed. Turning Wendy to the mirrors to make her daughter see how stunning she was.
"The dress is gorgeous." Wendy said. Completely awe struck.
"I insist on purchasing it, and your dress too Mary whichever dress you chose." Aunt Millicent insisted.
"But Aunt I couldn't let you-" Millicent's hand shot up stopping from Mrs. Darling.
"I will hear none of it, I'll purchase your dresses for you and as well as my own, no arguments." And that was the end of that.
The women came back from the house hours later carrying shopping bags from their day in town. They came home gossiping about things they noticed in town and tomorrow night's ball.
They all met for dinner and they shared the day's events, Wendy had completely forgotten about Slightly's odd behavior. In fact she made sure not to make eye contact with him during dinner.
The Darlings made their good nights to Aunt Millicent and one another and went to their rooms, all anticipating tomorrows night.
Wendy dressed for bed and as she did she was rather happy, she hummed to herself as she prepared for bed. Coming out of the bathroom she made her way to the bed, and although the room was dark with only the moon for light she could make out a small object on her bed.
As she got closer she saw that the object was a long stem red rose. Who could have possibly put this rose here? she wondered. Wendy stroked the soft petals with her fingertips then bringing it to her nose, it's fragrance filled her senses. But how did it get here? She wondered if one of her brothers brought it in here or one of the servants, but she couldn't understand why if they had.
Setting the rose on nightstand she climbed into bed before she fell completely asleep she realized that Aunt Millicent didn't have red roses in her garden.
The stranger watched, hidden from view when she took the rose, he smiled when she touched it ever so gently with her fingertips. After she fell asleep he quietly sneak out her balcony door stealing one more glance at her before shutting the door. He had been hurt that she thinks everything Slightly told her was only make believe.
What upset him more is that she believed he wasn't real and just another character in her stories, well he'll have to do something about that.
He was satisfied that accomplished what set out to do but that was phase one, phase two was already in motion. Just as he was thinking the next part of his plan a small ball of light rush into his face.
"Hello Tink"
This is just for reading entertainment, I do not own any of the characters. Please do enjoy my new story and leave reviews! :)
