CHAPTER 22: LONG TIME, NO SEE
The cool wind pushed its icy breath onto Wendy's back as she entered the unfamiliar room of her forgotten past. She gazed at the paintings of the wall, of smiling children and laughing adults... or at least they seemed to be laughing.
The room was crowded with furniture and objects, which used to mean a great deal to Wendy, but now it seemed empty and gloomy. She eyed an eerie jack-in-the-box looking up at her and drew herself back from fear.
Peter came up from behind Wendy and drew her hand to his. He turned the girl around and noticed a tear filling her eye, her bottom lip quivering.
"What's wrong?" he whispered in his irresistible voice. Wendy backed away, knocking over a dusty china doll, breaking the face with the heel of her foot.
"I don't remember this." Wendy moaned. "Any of it." Inside, Peter felt happy, but felt sad for Wendy, after seeing her expression. Instead of leading her away, he looked down at her toes and hugged her protectively.
The sound of the breaking china doll woke up Wendy's younger brothers, Harry and Ben Morgan. Immediately, they ran through the door, turning the overhead light on quickly.
"Wendy!" they both cried, frozen. Wendy and Peter looked at them confused, and let go of one another.
"Wendy, you're back!" Harry cried with joy, running over to his older sister and wrapping his arms around her legs in a hug. Wendy looked down at him, confused and afraid.
"Who are you?" she slowly asked. Ben walked over to Harry's side, and glared at Peter.
"Mother! Father!" Ben cried, crossing his arms. "Come quick!" Within moments, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan ran in through the door, gasping for breath. Mrs. Morgan's brown eyes watered with tears as she stretched open her arms and ran to her daughter.
"Wendy! My God, Wendy!" she screamed, tears streaking her cheeks as she tightly hugged Wendy.
"Who are you?" Wendy asked, bewildered, backing away. Peter's attention was on Wendy and her mother, not noticing Mr. Morgan with his gun pointed at him.
You see, Mr. Morgan was not the kind of man who would use a gun. He was a man of literature and science, not a shooter. But in those days, every home owned a gun for extra safety. Ben and Harry ran to the door, terrified.
"Wendy, it's me! Mother!" Mrs. Morgan pulled Wendy away, also noticing the gun. "Don't shoot him, George!" she called, worried for the boy. Wendy looked wide-eyed at Mr. Morgan, then the gun, then Peter as Mrs. Morgan tried to drag her away.
Suddenly, crying with the most sadness, she screamed, "Peter!" reaching her hand out to him. Peter looked at her, feeling scared and alone.
"Wendy!" he called out, frozen with fright. He had left his sword at home, not needing to use it when visiting London.
"Peter!" Wendy cried hoarsely. Mrs. Morgan picked up her daughter by the waist with some trouble, carrying her out the door.
"You stay away from my daughter!" Mr. Morgan warned in a loud tone, having a fierce face and a stiff chin. He slowly approached Peter, who backed away into a corner. "You cannot run!" Peter was too frightened to fly, and wouldn't dare leave without his Wendy.
"She is not yours!" Peter cried bravely, tears overwhelming him. "She is mine!"
"No she's not! You've brainwashed her, that's what you've done!" Mr. Morgan spat. "I mean it! I'll shoot!"
"NO!" Wendy screamed like a dying bird, fighting hardly.
"Come on!" Mrs. Morgan gasped, pushing Wendy into a room and sat at the door, holding it shut.
"Let me out!" Wendy cried. "You must!"
"No, I will not!" Mrs. Morgan said scornfully. "He's better off dead! He kidnapped you!"
Wendy looked at the window, then reflected for a moment. She obviously didn't remember anyone from her past, therefore she only missed dust. At the time, she hated her so called "family" and wanted to leave. She turned to her mother and made a giant war cry, running into her, and opening the door. Mrs. Morgan fell to the floor, her eyes closed.
Wendy ran into the room just as the bullet sounded. She stopped in her tracks; her hand reached out to the corner in which the action was taking place. Then she ran over to the area, noticing that Mr. Morgan missed, and was trying again.
"Peter, come!" Wendy pleaded, running to the window and extending her hand again. Peter took it within seconds, and together they flew, out of London for the rest of eternity.
Swearing they'd never return, Wendy looked back once more at her shattered memories and feelings. It was nothing in view but Peter and the full moon ahead, and the stars.
Ben, Mr. Morgan, and Harry all went to the window, staring at her in shock.
"Goodbye again." Harry whispered, holding onto his teddy-bear.
The cool wind pushed its icy breath onto Wendy's back as she entered the unfamiliar room of her forgotten past. She gazed at the paintings of the wall, of smiling children and laughing adults... or at least they seemed to be laughing.
The room was crowded with furniture and objects, which used to mean a great deal to Wendy, but now it seemed empty and gloomy. She eyed an eerie jack-in-the-box looking up at her and drew herself back from fear.
Peter came up from behind Wendy and drew her hand to his. He turned the girl around and noticed a tear filling her eye, her bottom lip quivering.
"What's wrong?" he whispered in his irresistible voice. Wendy backed away, knocking over a dusty china doll, breaking the face with the heel of her foot.
"I don't remember this." Wendy moaned. "Any of it." Inside, Peter felt happy, but felt sad for Wendy, after seeing her expression. Instead of leading her away, he looked down at her toes and hugged her protectively.
The sound of the breaking china doll woke up Wendy's younger brothers, Harry and Ben Morgan. Immediately, they ran through the door, turning the overhead light on quickly.
"Wendy!" they both cried, frozen. Wendy and Peter looked at them confused, and let go of one another.
"Wendy, you're back!" Harry cried with joy, running over to his older sister and wrapping his arms around her legs in a hug. Wendy looked down at him, confused and afraid.
"Who are you?" she slowly asked. Ben walked over to Harry's side, and glared at Peter.
"Mother! Father!" Ben cried, crossing his arms. "Come quick!" Within moments, Mr. and Mrs. Morgan ran in through the door, gasping for breath. Mrs. Morgan's brown eyes watered with tears as she stretched open her arms and ran to her daughter.
"Wendy! My God, Wendy!" she screamed, tears streaking her cheeks as she tightly hugged Wendy.
"Who are you?" Wendy asked, bewildered, backing away. Peter's attention was on Wendy and her mother, not noticing Mr. Morgan with his gun pointed at him.
You see, Mr. Morgan was not the kind of man who would use a gun. He was a man of literature and science, not a shooter. But in those days, every home owned a gun for extra safety. Ben and Harry ran to the door, terrified.
"Wendy, it's me! Mother!" Mrs. Morgan pulled Wendy away, also noticing the gun. "Don't shoot him, George!" she called, worried for the boy. Wendy looked wide-eyed at Mr. Morgan, then the gun, then Peter as Mrs. Morgan tried to drag her away.
Suddenly, crying with the most sadness, she screamed, "Peter!" reaching her hand out to him. Peter looked at her, feeling scared and alone.
"Wendy!" he called out, frozen with fright. He had left his sword at home, not needing to use it when visiting London.
"Peter!" Wendy cried hoarsely. Mrs. Morgan picked up her daughter by the waist with some trouble, carrying her out the door.
"You stay away from my daughter!" Mr. Morgan warned in a loud tone, having a fierce face and a stiff chin. He slowly approached Peter, who backed away into a corner. "You cannot run!" Peter was too frightened to fly, and wouldn't dare leave without his Wendy.
"She is not yours!" Peter cried bravely, tears overwhelming him. "She is mine!"
"No she's not! You've brainwashed her, that's what you've done!" Mr. Morgan spat. "I mean it! I'll shoot!"
"NO!" Wendy screamed like a dying bird, fighting hardly.
"Come on!" Mrs. Morgan gasped, pushing Wendy into a room and sat at the door, holding it shut.
"Let me out!" Wendy cried. "You must!"
"No, I will not!" Mrs. Morgan said scornfully. "He's better off dead! He kidnapped you!"
Wendy looked at the window, then reflected for a moment. She obviously didn't remember anyone from her past, therefore she only missed dust. At the time, she hated her so called "family" and wanted to leave. She turned to her mother and made a giant war cry, running into her, and opening the door. Mrs. Morgan fell to the floor, her eyes closed.
Wendy ran into the room just as the bullet sounded. She stopped in her tracks; her hand reached out to the corner in which the action was taking place. Then she ran over to the area, noticing that Mr. Morgan missed, and was trying again.
"Peter, come!" Wendy pleaded, running to the window and extending her hand again. Peter took it within seconds, and together they flew, out of London for the rest of eternity.
Swearing they'd never return, Wendy looked back once more at her shattered memories and feelings. It was nothing in view but Peter and the full moon ahead, and the stars.
Ben, Mr. Morgan, and Harry all went to the window, staring at her in shock.
"Goodbye again." Harry whispered, holding onto his teddy-bear.