The Boy Who Would Never Grow Up
2003 and 1953 movie version starring Jeremy Sumpter (2003) & Bobby Driscoll (1953) as Peter Pan and Rachel Hurd-Wood & Kathryn Beaumont as Wendy Darling.
Wendy sat in her new room and stared out into the stars that glittered like tiny fairies over London. It has only been a month since Wendy and her brothers returned home from Neverland but it felt like years. Wendy and the boys told their mother all about their wondrous adventure off in Neverland. Flying, being captured by Hook, nearly dying, and fighting pirates. Just all except her love for Peter Pan. But, alas, Wendy knew he would forget all about her and she'd never ever see him again. She knew it was just a one-time thing and so she pretended none of it ever mattered. Mary was quite busy with her work but she still knew that her beautiful daughter was hiding something. The guilt and unsettling look in Wendy's eyes have been growing since her return. Mary knew she needed to make time to discover what was wrong with poor Wendy.
Wendy still never moved from her place from her seat at the window. "Forget them, Wendy. Forget them all. Come with me. We will never, never have to worry about grown up things again." Tears rolled down Wendy's cheek as she thought about the boy she knew that she cared for and loved. Mary quietly entered the room,
"Wendy, dear?" When she saw her sweet child's face she rushed over to her and hugged her tight. Mary kissed the top of her head and spoke to her, "Please, Wendy, please. Tell me what's bothering you. It hurts me to see you so broken!" Wendy poured herself into her mother's arms she told her about her feelings for the boy who would never grow up.
Wendy felt awful but Peter didn't feel any better. In fact, he felt worse. Peter misses his Wendy very much. She was his smiles of smiles. She was his miracles of miracles. She was his happy, happy day. Never Land can never be the same without her in his mind. He was so depressed that he never ate. The lack of joy from Peter has caused Never Land to slowly crumble and fail. Never Land was Peter. So, Never Land reacts how Peter feels. If Peter is upset, Never Land is done for. Basically Never Land is crumbling right now and no one, not even Peter, has realized it yet.
One sunny Never Land afternoon, Peter was sitting on a rock by a river bank (in the woods) breaking sticks in half then throwing them on the ground. Then he'd break another and repeat the same action. Tinker Bell had been looking all over Never Land for him. She stopped mid-air and scratched her head to think where he could possibly be. She scoped aerial above the forest to see if he was there. That is where she found Peter sitting –looking depressed- on the same rock. Tinker Bell closed her eyes and shook her head. Then, Tinker Bell slowly fluttered down to him leaving the same old trail of pixie dust.
"Hi there, Peter…how are you doing?" She said with sympathy behind him. "Are you feeling OK?" Tinker Bell repeated to get his attention. Peter only responded with a sigh.
"You know what, Peter? It hurts me to see you like this. Can you at least smile for me?" She asked him flying in front of his face. When he finally looked up at her, she slid her finger across her lips indicating for him to smile. He only sighed and looked back down to the ground, drawing lines in the sand with a stick. Tinker Bell stopped and thought about what she could do to make him feel any better. Peter had the dignity to look at Tinker Bell again. He finally spoke, "I'm sorry, Tink, you don't deserve to put up with my attitude like this. It's just…well…I really miss Wendy. She was so…so…" Peter thought about the word he could use. Tinker Bell chimed in, "…So different?" Peter sat up straight on his rock, "Exactly! And Wendy is just so…"
"Pretty?"
"Beautiful!" Peter exclaimed daydreaming about Wendy and showing his first smile in weeks. Tink giggled to see Peter like this. "You sure do love Wendy, don't you?"
"Very much so!" Peter said excitedly. When his smile slowly faded, "It's not like I can tell her though. Nevertheless see her."
"And how do you know?" Tink said placing her hands on her hips. Peter looked at her as if she was the stupidest thing in the world. "What do you mean 'how do I know'? She's not here in Never Land, that's how I know. I'll never see her again."
"You will if you have faith, trust, and just a little bit of pixie dust."