All this happened before, and it will happen again. And if you know all this, you should know that all children grow up, except one. But it wasn't the usual house in Bloomsbury, Edwardian London. This time it happened in America in a home that wasn't quite a home. She sat on the window seal looking into the night sky like many a young lady before her. She was looking for a star. Somewhere it was shining brightly in the sky. 'Second star to the right' she repeated over and over in her head. But there were so many stars in the sky and so many to the right. She began guessing hoping that maybe there would be maybe an extra twinkle or maybe even the shadow of a ship sailing across the sky. But the longer she looked, the more it seemed neither would happen. She twisted the tittle music box key around on her necklace There was a conversation going on in the other room by she tried not to hear it. They had already talked to her, now it was Ben, her older twin brother, and Jeremy, her younger brother's, turn to hear what their foster parents had to say. After a while someone raised their voice a little. Ben was furious but she didn't blame him. It was unfair. A few seconds later when the voices where calmer the door to her bedroom opened. A beam of light stretching into the room as Jeremy came in holding the little stuffed dog he had had since the day he was born. Quietly closing the door he crossed the room to where she sat. She reached down and picked him up onto her lap with a small smile.
"Joni, did you find Neverland yet?" the six years old asked looking up into the same night sky his sister was. Joni shook her head with a smile still on her lips.
"No, not yet Jeremy. But I bet I'm close." She hugged him tight against her. They began searching the sky together; pointing at the places the stars shined brightly and closes. Then he got quiet for a moment. Then with the biggest brown eyes you could ever see he turned a question on the end of his tongue.
"Do you think Peter Pan would let us stay in Neverland? If we could find it? Or would we have to leave there too?" Joni felt tears welling up in her eyes as he sat waiting for an answer. She looked back at the door where the voices had stopped and loud footsteps came towards them.
"I'm sure he would let us stay. " The footsteps where right outside. "As long as we wanted."
The door burst open and slammed shut rattling the whole room. Ben began to pace the room in anger. His two siblings watching him go back and forth. He was fuming. How could they do that to them? He had hoped they were different. But these adults where all the same. As soon as they got comfortable they decided they didn't want them. Just handing them off to another family so they could get their hopes again. He shot a look at his siblings who had turned back to the night sky. They acted like it was nothing. He felt the heat buildup again pushing his heart into this throat. He stopped his pacing.
"HOW CAN YOU SIT THERE LIKE THIS IS NOTHING?" he watched the look on Joni's face sour as they turned to look at him. He was breathing heavily. "YOU REALIZE WE HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER FOSTER FAMILY NEXT WEEK?"
Joni nodded and buried her face in her little brother's hair. Jeremy held his toy closer to him. But their responses didn't make him feel better. He continued his pacing muttering under his breath. A new school and everything. He was still muttering when Jeremy looked back up at Joni.
"Can you tell me another story about Peter Pan?" He didn't know wither he meant what he said next but something inside of Ben snapped.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Jeremy looked at him wide eyed. "YOU NEED TO GROW UP AND REALIZE THAT PETER PAN ISN'T REAL! NEVERLAND ISN'T REAL! WE ARE STUCK HERE FOREVER TO BE THROWN AWAY BY ADULTS UNTIL WE ARE GROWN UP!"
"HE IS TOO REAL!" Jeremy's face was filled with tears as he ran out of the room. Joni stood up her hands balled into fists at her sides. She wanted nothing more than to slap her twin but she didn't. She knew how he felt. She knew he was hurt but what did yelling at Jeremy do?
"Did you really have to yell at him?" She looked him straight in the eyes, a mother like look on her face. Ben looked at his sister with little remorse.
"Yes. He needs to grow up Joanne. It's silly to believe in magic." Joni crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ben he's six! And when did you start calling me Joanne?" She watched him shake his head.
"He's old enough to know the truth. And he's not the only one who still believes. I see you sitting here every night looking for that stupid star." Joni shook her head not letting his words cut her.
"I believe that Neverland exists. I'm not ashamed of that." She began to move towards the door. "I believe it because Mom and Dad use to believe them."
Ben made a face that Joni caught as she turned to face him at the door.
"Why would you believe anything they told you?" She managed a little smile as she opened the door letting light drown the darkness out.
"Because you have to believe in something Ben." She shut the door as she walked out of the room leaving Ben to think.
Down the hall in another room Joni found herself at the door to a closet. She could see the light from his flashlight coming from underneath it. She knocked twice. A moment later the door opened a little and she let herself in. Jeremy sat in the dark with his flashlight on a shoe box. He had tear stains on his face. Joni sat down and let him move to sit on her lap. He sniffled and wiped his face on his arm.
"Ben's wrong." Joni didn't say anything, letting him think what he wanted. She agreed of course but she didn't want any more fighting. She looked down at the box he had now sitting in his lap. He eyed it but didn't open it.
"Is that the box you found of mom's?" He simply nodded. He continued to look at it. Jeremy had found the box right after mom and dad disappeared but they couldn't bring themselves to open it. They sat in the dark closet staring at the box. It was how they got over things that happened around them. Her and Jeremy. Ben didn't have trouble getting along since he had sports. That's why he hated moving around. But all Joni had, was her stories. And Jeremy refused to talk to anyone other than his older twin siblings. The box was the last part of home they really had. It smelled like mom. It had stains from dad's shoe polish all over it. That was enough for them…usually. But they missed having a home even more now that Ben was drifting away. Without another word or even a hint of one, Jeremy grabbed on to the lid hesitating only slightly. Giving Joni one last look he opened it.
.
.
.
They exchanged looks of awe at the contents of the box. Inside was a small group of photos all black and white, a small head piece made of white lace laying on top of dog collar with a dog tag on it, a small doll in a green hat, and lastly a silver music box. Jeremy reached for the doll turning it over in his hands. Joni took the chance to start with the photos. The first which looked oldest was a family photo. A woman with kind understanding eyes sat with a young boy on her lap. Behind her was a man, who she assumed was the woman's husband. On one side of him stood a girl with curled hair, not much older than herself. On the other side was a young boy a year or so younger than the girl yet older that the one on his mother's lap. He wore glasses and looked pleasant instead of smiling. Then in the bottom sitting at the mother's feet was a dog wearing a piece of white lace on top of her head as a maid would. She took up the lace in the box and compared it. It was identical. Placing the lace back, Joni flipped to the next picture. This one was a little younger. This time the family all stood. The mother had kind eyes like the woman before and a warm smile but curled hair like the girl in the previous picture. The man wore an army uniform and held a young boy who reminded her of Jeremy. Then down in front was a girl with short hair and somewhat of a whimsical smile and next to her a dog like the one before but only wore a dog collar with a dog tag. She began to reach for the collar when something stopped her. She turned the photo over in the light. On the back was a date and some names; Edward, Wendy, Jane and Danny 1946. She turned back to the first photo, flipping it over; George, Mary and their 3 children Wendy, John and Michael. Wendy. She knew that name from somewhere…and John and Michael. But from where? She read the names over and over trying to think when Jeremy's voice startled her.
"It's peter pan." He whispered to no one unparticular gazing at the face of the doll. Joni looked at it closely. It showed its age being a dingy color from years without light. One of the button eyes were beginning to fall off and a few holes could be seen where a moth or two got ahold of it.
"It might be." She said absently as she looked through the rest of the pictures. But the names from the first two pictures bothered her. Then from the corner of her eye she caught a book that looked as if it had been taken very good care of. The hard cover was painted in gold the title one she knew well. Peter and Wendy. She turned to the front cover. Written on the inside was…
To Wendy Moira Angela Darling,
Thank you for the story. I hope I portrayed it well.
Have fun on your next adventure with Peter.
J.M. Barrie
Joni couldn't believe it. This stuff was Wendy Moira Angela Darling's. The girl from the peter pan stories. She looked down at Jeremy who had a smile on his face. It felt like it was contagious as she felt a smile slide onto her own lips.
"Jeremy, I think this stuff was Wendy's. The girl from the Peter Pan stories." She pointed at the girl from the first picture. "See here she is with her family," She looked at the second picture. "And this is her when she grew up."
Jeremy looked at the pictures wide eyed.
"So this is John and Michael. And this is Nana!" He pointed at characters in the picture. He continued to excitingly examine the pictures as Joni turned to the music box. She looked it over and examined the curves and lines. It was locked. But with the flashlight shining just right something caught her eye. Her Necklace. The music box key her other gave her. With a small hope fluttering in her heart she took the key from her neck. And with a small turn the music box opened with the light sound of music. Inside glowed with a gold light that cover the darkness. An old fashion powder puff sat drench in the gold glitter. Jeremy's eyes widened in excitement.
"Joni…Is that?" Joni smiled and whispered.
"Pixie Dust."