Chapter One
This is just a one-shot that I feel I must write.
The room was pale and shadowy, no true colour evident anywhere. Cobwebs and a layer of dust on everything, a young woman sat alone in the dust facing a large, roaring fire. She sighed heavily and rose to her feet at a painstakingly slow pace, her long brown hair cascading down her back, she crossed to the window. Slowly, slowly she eased it open, remembering. She had not been here in this place for so long, and still she wondered if she had made the right choice entirely. Although her husband said that choices couldn't simply be right or wrong, that on the whole they were a mixture of sometimes being more right and sometimes more wrong.
Quick as a flash she looked out the window, it was the same familiar sight of the stars and the city skyline. After her brothers had died, Mrs Darling had been insistent that they all move back here to this place. The woman knew why, she could see quite easily how lonely a place this house could become. She herself couldn't wait for this room to be occupied, filled with people again. It looked so desolate and depressing all covered in cobwebs. At least the window was open now she thought, before realising that the boy of her childhood had already come and gone. He had probably left when he saw the window closed never to return. Or else he had never come back in the first place! Her blue eyes filling with tears the woman returned to the fire place and sank to her knees staring into the flames.
It was as she sat there her cheeks still wet from tears that there was a thud on the ground, but she didn't turn her head. She already knew who it was.
'Wendy, Wendy you left the window open! You waited, you didn't grow up!'
She sighed again at the sound of his voice still exactly the way she remembered it, but she didn't turn around. The boy came closer, smiling his pearly white teeth grinning in excitement and joy.
'Aw Wendy are you still angry with me? Cos you know I'd never mean to upset you!' as if this settled the matter completely the boy held out a grubby hand to her straight back. Noticing almost immediately how dirty it was, he rubbed it vigorously on the side of his clothes. Considering that they consisted of leaves, a couple dozen alighted to the floor.
'Wendy, Wendy' he said more desperately 'Come with me to Neverland Wendy'
'Wendy' smiled at this, her eyes still stinging with tears.
'I can't come to Neverland Peter, I can't fly.' the boy frowned and then laughed as if it was all some kind of game.
'Of course you can Wendy, all you need is some fairy dust and happy thoughts and we'll be on our way!' he pulled at her arm trying to get her to face the window.
'No Peter no! just go, leave me…' and finally Peter managed to pull Wendy around and what he saw made him take a step back and fall to the floor.
'No, no, no Peter, you see now' she sobbed her voice choking with tears.
Peter stared dumbfounded at her, she was old. She wasn't Wendy anymore she was a woman and as he looked at her he began to shake his head still sitting on the dusty floor.
'You're not Wendy!' he shouted 'You're not her!'
And the woman who was very beautiful just not young started ashamedly to speak, 'Peter I am her, I'm Wendy. I grew up' she said softly looking disgusted by the idea, but suddenly her voice got stronger, 'I got married to a wonderful man Peter, and had a wonderful daughter…'
As she said this a girl appeared in the shadow of the doorway, a girl who looked ridiculously like Wendy.
'Mama' she said 'Who is that boy mama?'
Peter got to his feet and walked to her, his feet leaving a dusty trail on the floor. He smiled contentedly at the young one, the real Wendy. The woman in the corner began to sob again. She watched as Peter Pan bowed to another girl, her daughter, and the girl curtseyed back.
'I'm Peter Pan' he stated cockily, and the girl laughed daring to believe it was all real.
'I'm Jane-' but the boy with sun kissed hair interrupted,
'Wendy'll do just fine' and the girl smiled slightly staring past the boy, into her mother's sky blue eyes.
Suddenly the room was filled with a sparkling light and the girl was lifted off her feet, as her mother watched, remembering. The girl laughed again and shouted out,
'GOODBYE!'
Then they were gone, out of the window flying hand in hand. Wendy watched them go hoping against hope that Peter would turn and smile or wave at her. Or simply say goodbye, but of course he didn't. Wendy turned back to the dusty old room, and pulled the stuffy old armchair to the window. Her mother had sat in this chair, and Wendy sighed realising what her role was finally. It was time for her to wait. Before sinking into the chair she took one last look around the room, and saw the leaves from his clothes, from Neverland. She scooped them up and sat in the chair the leaves clasped in her hands, each one flying out the window as she fell further and further into sleep, the wind claiming them.