The thing that woke Toni up was the crick in her back. The thing that made her sit up was the cool summer's night breeze that was blowing gently over her. She looked about, trying to focus her eyes in the moonlight room. She had fallen asleep on the window seat, and the thin cushion had been no replacement for a real mattress.
She stretched, and her hands hit the window doors—somehow during her nap, the unlock window had blown open.
She tried to remember just why she had left the window unlocked, and it took her sleeping brain a few minutes recall. "Peter," she mumbled through a yawn. She had hoped Peter would come.
She got up, and—in case the breeze woke Emily up—closed the window's doors. Though her hand still hesitated at the thought of locking it. It all was rather foolish…
Toni shook her head hard. What was she thinking? Of course it was foolish, a whim of hers that had never died, but she couldn't bear the 'what if'. What if Peter came, and found the window locked?
Her hand abandoned from the lock. 'Let me have my whim,' she mused.
She shuffled across the room and glanced at Em, who was still sleeping peacefully. Emily's dolls sat primly on their shelves, looking down at Toni—royalty reigning in a realm of pink with white ruffles. Her response was another yawn.
She continued her shuffle out the room and to the bathroom sink. She leaned over the sink and turned the faucet on. She cupped the cool water in her hand, and brought it to her lips, drinking deeply. Splashing a little on her face to wake herself up, she closed the faucet and the light, and retreated back to Emily's room.
The chime of the hallway grandfather clock made her jump in surprise. She turned to look at it as it continued its solemn declaration, pronouncing it was the tenth hour. Emily had gone to bed at nine, and Toni wondered how long she had been asleep, and why. She didn't remember being tired before, and she often stayed up the whole night when babysitting.
The house was unnervingly still, and Toni continued on back to Emily's room. For some reason she was nervous, jumpy—and it almost felt as if she was anticipating something.
She returned to Emily's room, and entered. The window was open again, the white curtains softly billowing into the room with the soft breath of the breeze.
Toni snuck over to Em's bed to make sure she was alright. But Em was still asleep.
Toni's eyes drifted around the room, her pulse quickening. She scolded herself to clam down, but something had changed. The summer night had changed—and what was that soft twinkling she heard?
Her heart knew—hearts often do, even when the brain might tell them something else.
"Peter?"
It came out only as a whisper, but it was heard. A small ball of light that seemed to ring like little bells zoomed out from behind one of Em's dolls, and circled around Emily's dollhouse. And sitting at—more like floating over—the tea table, was the one and only Peter Pan.
Just like she had always imagined! Even in the moonlight she could see the green of his clothes, the red of his hair, and the white of his impish smile.
Toni first gaped—but then burst into a smile, and stepped forward eagerly. Her wish had FINALLY come true! Oh, how she wanted say something, to greet him!
But Emily's toy chest was in the way.
And Toni—in a sense—went flying.
*how do ya all like it so far? Thanks to everyone so far for your great reviews! I really appreciate it *grins* and I KNOW this chapter a bit short.
Oh, and in case you're interested, I drew a picture of Toni and Emily. Nothing professional, mind, but if you'd like to see my character design for them, tell me and I'd be glad to email them to you! (though I'm happier with my character design of Em than with Toni…oh well! *grins*)
Anywho, kept those reviews coming! And I'll try to keep writing…
*~IMP~*