Part One: Alice
Across the star-smattered horizon, where the breeze is cool and refreshing, there sat a small, elegant figure perched on a flat rock in the twilight. Her blonde hair was paler in the heavy dusk, and her forget-me-not-blue eyes held the light of the stars in them, preserving every precious bit. The girl slid her feet out of her shoes, sighing faintly, and plucked a rose from the grass, twirling it slightly between her fingers before setting it afloat in the pond. Ripples spread rapidly across its glassy surface, eventually buffeting the long grass on the other side before slowing into nothing.
"Oh, I wish that I could be this way all the time and forever." She said softly to herself, her tone wistful.
"ALICE?!"
A voice suddenly pierced the serene atmosphere like a dagger.
"Alice Pleasence Liddel, you get inside this instant!"
"Coming, mother." Alice sighed, her small form a dark silhouette against the vivid sky as she stood up and trudged inside. The excited light in her eyes was quenched, just like that.
Alice was twelve years old, a pretty girl with her thick blonde hair and stunning blue eyes. Her mother, a kind yet strict woman, only wanted the best for Alice, which is why she forbode her daughter from going out into the night to go stargazing. Alice used to sing wonderful, melodic songs about the sky at night when she was still allowed to see it. However, the day that her mother stopped allowing her, something in poor Alice broke, and she stopped singing.
Why did Alice love to sing under the twinkling stars? Well, they quite simply reminded her of the gorgeous, expansive sky in Wonderland that she had seen so long ago.
Wonderland. The land that had held a special place in Alice's heart since her first and only visit five long years ago. Alice's sharp memory had taken in every moment of her time in Wonderland, from the hatter ridiculing her about being impolite, to the white rabbit with his pocket watch, and stored it somewhere special within her where she wouldn't- couldn't ever forget.
Unbeknownst to Alice, she wasn't alone those days when she sang her tunes of sheer bliss. Usually she had an audience in the form of one levitating boy. But of course, the girl didn't find out until quite a while later, or else there would be no story at all!
Alice reluctantly walked inside, her head hanging. She peered at her mother's face tentatively from beneath her eyelashes, then glanced down at her feet again.
"Alice, Alice." Her mother chided. "You must learn to be a proper lady. The time will soon come when you will have to leave this-" Alice's mother gestured around them," –and become a woman who takes care of herself! Goodness, Alice, if I allowed you to stay up all night just to stare at a few fickle stars, then you would be terribly drowsy all day!"
Alice frowned and began to object," Oh, but mother, I wouldn't be up all of the night-!" but her mother cut her short once again.
"Dear Alice, you're going to have to learn to… grow up."
Alice's eyes shone with the tears that she was trying to restrain. "But I'm only twelve! Oh, I wish that I didn't have to grow up!" She exclaimed passionately, falling back onto the sofa. She buried her face in the worn fabric as a single tear slid down her face and plopped onto the soft sofa cushion.
"Well, you do." Alice's mother said firmly, nudging her daughter into a sitting position. "Now, I'll make you some warm chamomile tea, and you can forget all about this dreadful mess."
As Alice's mother disappeared behind the kitchen door, Alice stood and hobbled to her room, her eyes beginning to overflow. She flicked her light switch out, closed the door behind her, and padded over to the window seat.
"I don't want to grow up." She said stubbornly, thrusting open the window and sitting down. The breeze cooled her face, and out of habit, Alice began to do something that she had nearly forgotten.
Alice sang for the first time in years.
"Oh, sky, tell me your secrets-"
A faint rustling could be heard, and then a slight clatter, as if someone was lighting on the roof.
"Of freedom and beauty-"
A slender, shadowy figure pressed itself to the wall, just outside her window.
"Oh, sky, tell me your secrets-"
Alice's eyes were becoming alight again with the long-forgotten happiness of singing.
"How I wish to be joyful and free!" she finished, her voice soaring, just loudly enough that the figure outside of the window could hear.
Suddenly, a boy with reddish-brown hair wearing an elegant hat with a red feather tucked into the brim peeked over the window, his warm brown eyes meeting her blue ones.
"OH!" Alice exclaimed in shock, falling off of the window seat. The one thing that the boy wasn't perceptive enough to notice as his eyes scanned her face was the delight in her voice.
"I'm Peter! Peter Pan!" the boy proclaimed in a self-important manner, sitting cross-legged on Alice's windowsill. He took off his hat and bowed elegantly to her. "I'm sorry that I scared you."
Alice curtsied back to the boy with equal elegance, standing. "I'm Alice, but you may know that already."
"I listen to you sing sometimes when Tink and I 're visiting the Mainland." he said matter-of-factly, flipping to float upside-down, his face a few inches from hers.
"You listen to me sing?" Alice asked, coloring slightly. She fiddled with her hair self-consciously and then inquired," Why are you floating, Peter?"
It was just then that Peter realized that Alice wasn't reacting in horror or shock to his unnatural ability. A bit unnerved, he replied," All you need is faith, trust, and... pixie dust!"
"Oh, can I fly?" Alice breathed, her eyes glowing with delight.
"Sure you can!" Peter exclaimed, plucking a tiny, shimmering insect from the air and sprinkling Alice with fine, golden dust.
"Oh!" Alice cried as she began to hover. She clutched Peter's hand, convinced that she would fall.
Peter laughed at Alice's surprise. "You won't fall." he said confidently. "It's easy!" Peter flew a rapid circle in the air, forgetting that Alice was still holding onto his hand. Alice, shrieking in glee, exclaimed," Flying's so wonderful, Peter! I don't know how I could live this long without experiencing it!"
"ALICE?" a voice called.
"Peter, hide!" Alice hissed, promptly sitting back down on the window seat. Peter, hearing the telltale thump of an adult's feet on the stairs, dove out the window and pressed himself flat against the wall outside. He lowered Alice's window silently and quickly, knowing that her mother would surely reprimand her if it were left open.
"Alice, here's your tea." her mother said wearily. "Goodnight, dear."
"Goodnight." Alice whispered as her mother departed, the mug of tea untouched in her hand. She slid open her window and peered around, probing the night sky with her eyes.
"Peter?" Alice whispered, afraid that the flying boy had left without saying goodbye.
"Alice?" Peter imitated her, hanging upside down by the window beam.
Startled, Alice nearly dropped her tea.
"Peter, you'll come back tomorrow, won't you?" Alice asked, sitting up on the window seat.
"Of course!" Peter grinned. He pulled an acorn out of his pocket. "Here, take this."
"An... acorn?" Alice asked, confused.
"A kiss." Peter corrected.
Alice was about to blush when she realized that he probably didn't know what a kiss was.
"Oh, er, thank you." Alice said, not sure how to react. "Here, take this... kiss." She pulled a silver thimble out of her dress pocket and placed it in his palm. It glimmered in the dim light.
"Bye, Alice." Peter said, grinning as he flew out the window.
"Goodbye, Peter." Alice said, her heart melting a bit for some reason.
Alice didn't close the window, though. She just stared at the stars and thought: Adventure.