"Excuse me?" I asked.
He chuckled "It's been a while hasn't it?" He stated.
He started to walk towards me, pushing my back further into the wooden windowsill behind me. He drew closer and closer, each step outlining his features with every movement. With one step between us, he reached behind me and grabbed an envelope. He thrust it towards me, with a gentle movement as the yellow stains that graced its exterior danced in the nearly forgotten light of the dust, which encased the envelope. He cast his head down, not looking me in the eyes.
"There is one thing I can keep, which is a promise" He glanced back at me, smiling mischievously.
I held back, refusing to take the letter, but he held it there unrelenting, I gave in and took it. Wendy Darling was written in cursive letters on the front of the envelope.
"But, but this is my mum's handwriting, how could you…" But I couldn't finish, his gleeful smiled extended wider and wider with each word I spoke.
I turned away from his smile and towards the envelope, sliding the old parchment of the back of the letter open, however a letter or note was not hidden inside, but an acorn. An acorn attached to a golden chain, lay curled in the envelope, upon my hand, but I didn't know what to do.
"My one promise" He laughed, "The pain it causes it probably why I kept it"
"What, what are you talking about?" I asked.
He looked at me curiously, before sitting down in a chair behind him, the soft carpentered chair with gold plated buttons and edges swooned under the weight of him. He started to laugh, harder and louder until he almost ran out of breath.
"You don't know he asked?" He still questioned me with a curious look strewn across his face "I can't believe he doesn't recognize you" He chucked again.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" I yelled, I had had enough of this game.
"Come, sit" He gestured to a matching chair next to him, I edged away from the window sill, hovering momentarily before sitting myself down in a chair opposite him.
"Now, my darling, I wonder if you still like stories as much as you used to?" He asked.
I gripped the arms of the chair around me, digging my nails deep into the thick fabric.
"Once upon a time, long, long ago…"
"NO! I don't want to hear that! I am not a child! Just tell me what is going on!" I yelled.
He looked at me fleetingly stunned, but his childish grin greeted his face once more.
"My name is Captain James Hook of the Jolly Roger, or as you know me, James" He smiled once more, this smile stretched from ear to ear, his eyes glittered even brighter with every second that ticked by.
"But, but you can't…"
I felt myself dive deep into the chair, sinking further and further without help, without anyone.
"Your mum's boyf…boyfriend…?" He nodded in response.
"I think you have missed something though" He said "That acorn, do you know where it is from?" I shook my head, hesitantly.
"Maybe I should show you"
He stood up slowly, walked over and grabbed the acorn from the envelope on the table beside me. I reached out to stop him, but he grabbed my wrist and held my hand away from the envelope. He straightened up, the acorn hanging from the necklace in his hand, and walked towards a door to the far side of the room.
"You should come see this," He said.
He opened the old wooden door and stepped outside the room. I felt a deep breath escape my lips, and relief flood me, my eyes brimming with tears from the fear I had hidden.
"Come on darling"
I knew I shouldn't follow him but I couldn't stay here, I knew that at least. I edged slowly closer to the door, peering my head from outside the door, turning around the corner. He stood at the far end of the corridor, pleasure and glee crossing his face, before he turned around disappeared around yet another corner. I ran my fingers over the walls, sunken moss and water soaked through the walls, slide over my fingers, grime lacing my fingers as I moved them away from the wall. I took the corner and stood close to the edge of the corner wall, shivering under the cold. In front of me, he stood, but behind the bars, Peter sat, on his knees, his hands cuffed behind his back. His once brown hair was tossed and stained with blood and soot. His head graced the floor, tears tarnished his cheeks.
"Look up Boy!" He demanded.
Peter's eyes slowly edged up, they however grew wider as they creep up and towards my eyes.
"Wendy! Wendy what are doing here? Quick get away!" He screamed.
"Oh Boy! Quiet! Don't talk to my daughter in such a tongue!"
"What, daughter...?" He looked at me questioningly.
"Yes, Peter Pan, meet my daughter Wendy Darling, the daughter of my wife Mary" He smiled with merriment.
"Do you remember this? I'm sure you do," He asked.
The acorn slipped out of his hand, the chain hanging from one of his fingers hidden by his black gloves.
"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT? THAT IS WEN…" Peter stopped "That is Wendy's" He whispered.
His face had once again found the ground.
James turned back to me "See darling, doesn't it make sense. Don't you see the pain?"
He reached out his arm to touch my elbow but I pulled away loosely.
"Get away from me" I screamed.
I ran from the corner, from James and Peter. I ran down the corridor and ran up the stairs on the left. I burst through the double doors, emerging onto the deck. I felt the sweet but salty air crush against my skin, the wind run through my unfastened hair. Questions leaped from my mind, question after question unanswered. I spun around, again, and again, and again, until I felt it, the uneasy dizziness take over my body, hitting the deck hard. I saw his boots, those black boots shining in the light, glaring into my closing eyes. However, the darkness disappeared, it did not come. I saw the boots move and shuffle around me, with another pair of shoes, sneakers. They danced around me, the pairs of shoes. Back and forth, in front then behind, I only saw the shoes as I could not lift my head up enough to see the faces, but I heard the swords, the clashing sound of the metal, so familiar. Then an arm scooped down and under my own arm, before pulling me up upon my feet. I looked around dazed, with Peter's smile flash before me in bemusement. I felt him tug at my arm, instructing me to follow him, but I heard no words, just the muted movement of his lips and the tug of his hand against my arm. I followed willingly, not knowing where I was going and why I did not stop to question my own actions. I just wanted an answer, that's all I needed. We neared the edge of the ship and Peter jumped up upon the railing of the ship, bending down and stretching out his hand towards me.
"Come on, let's go" A smiled danced upon his lips.
I shook my head "I can't, I need to know what is going on Peter," I stated.
Peter looked past my shoulder and I turned my head, James had gathered his strength and was slinking towards us, bracing a sword tipped in blood.
"Wendy, listen carefully", He bent down towards my face and whispered in my ear "You must trust me"
He grabbed my arm and pulled me up upon the railing. I tried to pull his hand out of mine, his face overlapped with a stern focus of determination. I tried to pull his hand away, prying his fingers away from mine, but losing my balance. I reached out to his hand, the tips of his fingers brushed past mine but they slipped away. I felt the rushing air surround me and the edge of the ship, with Peter standing tall upon it, disappear slowly, becoming more distant as I fell. The cold of the air brushed past me, working its way through my t-shirt. I closed my eyes in fright and crossed my arms, gripping them tightly and feeling my own nails dig into my bare flesh. I waited for it, the splash, the taciturnity of the ocean water ripple under me, but it never came. Instead a thud, an indifferent landing against a solid surface shuddered through my body, forcing my eyes open. The blue sky above dotted with clouds blurred my vision before it came into focus, the place I had known which I had forgotten, Neverland.