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It was snowing lightly. Wendy was standing inside the nursery by the now barred window, but at the same time, she wasn't really there.
Wendy turned to three empty beds in the room, she looked upon her own vacant one and felt sad. She sat upon the edge of her coverlet and saw Micheal's teddy bear on her pillow, Wendy picked it up and hugged it against her bosom; feeling a sharp loneliness fill her.
The whole nursery grew dark and she looked up, a faint scene played in her mirror on the bureau. A laughing child rolling on the floor as a man tickled her; chuckling gladly.
The man looked terribly familiar to Wendy.
She blinked and it was gone, there was only her weary reflection. She looked at John's bed and the same child was there, jumping on the bed; her giggles echoed and she stretched her arms out as she ascended in the momentum if meaning to fly away. A sinister curve of a hook swung at the defenseless child. She screamed shrilly -
Wendy bolted up, screaming in horror. She buried her face into her knees; suppressing tears.
Bizarre nightmares...where were they coming from? Why this?
Wendy realized there was no agony on her side, she moved around briefly to test. She was healed. Wendy dashed to the living area, where Peter examined his flutes.
He looked at her surprised and Wendy spun around, her nightdress twirling at her calves, "I'm healed! Peter! The fairies healed me!"
He mutely nodded and the boys stepped in modestly, he glared at them, "I think they have something to say to you." They said in unison, "O Wendy, we are sorry for nearly getting you slaughtered."
"I was going to kill them, but I need another punishment."
Wendy walked over to a table and held out a bottle, "How about some medicine?"
She grinned evilly as the boys begged Peter finish them off right then and there. Curly cried out, "But Tinkerbell told us that she'd tell Wendy where we were going!" The room grew overwrought and Peter turned to the fairy darkly, "Tink!"
Tinkerbell looked up happily and Peter asked, "Is this true Tinkerbell, you did this purposely so Wendy could get hurt?"
She nodded happily, floating away chiming. Peter's muscle in his chin contracted and Wendy placed a hand on his shoulder, "Do not send her away. She cannot help being jealous."
He turned to her incredulously, "You want me to forget that she wants you dead?"
"If you're so worried about Tinkerbell then talk to her. Stand firmly and state how you feel."
"You think it's that simple? Fairies are very headstrung and sometimes, she doesn't even listen to me!"
Wendy put her hands on her hips, "If you would talk to her sensibly instead of like a brat -!"
His majestic eyes became outraged and Wendy got in his face just as cross, they stared each other down and Peter flew away in a huff.
She snorted and crossed her arms; upset and shaking a little.
The Twins poked their heads in,"Are you both done with your row?" Wendy nodded as the rest of the Boys entered, they all began to eat dinner since it was sunset. She ate very little and they all wanted a story before bedtime.
They all began shouting their favorites.
"Sleeping Beauty!"
"Frog Prince!"
"Snow White!"
"No, Cinderella!"
"Rapenzul!"
"We heard that already, Rumplstillskin!"
"The Brave Little Tailor!"
Wendy shushed them, "I have a new story to tell, so new, that no one has ever heard of it yet." Their eyes glittered ardently as she began the story, "I warn you, this story is not for the weak-hearted."
"Once upon a time, far far away from here, dwelled a woman named Ana. She lived in a cottage in the middle of a forest alone. Even though she had a family of royals and many riches, she prefered to be sacluded in the wilderness. Ana had hair like a raven's wing and skin the color of the first snow of winter. O her eyes were pools of the sun's golden rays."
Tootles sighed blissfully, "She sounds frightfully fascinating."
Wendy smiled and continued on, little did she know, Peter was hiding away; listening to her story.
"Ana was also a magnificent singer; the best in all the land. Her voice was like fairy chimes and a morning dove's coo. Despite all she was, Ana could not find a suitor. No man would marry a woman who preferred a simple life to wealth. One evening, a dark-cloaked man came to Ana's door, saying that he was lost and needed shelter. Being kind-hearted as she was, Ana let the man enter but it was a deadly mistake. The man held out a gun, threatening to kill her and her family if she did not marry him and to sing to him whenever he wanted."
There were gasps.
"She agreed, in order to save her family. The man knew of her talent and treated her like scum. He never showed his face; always kept it conspicuously hidden behind the hood. For many days and nights, she sang songs to him at anytime he wanted. Soon, she had grown extremely fatigued, her voice grew hard and cracked. Ana had enough of him and stood up to the man one day, he killed her with one shot in the head."
Nibs, normally the most happiest member of the boys, grew pale as the others moaned sadly.
"The man buried Ana on the far side of the forest and lived peacefully in Ana's cottage, spending Ana's riches, and harrassing Ana's sisters. But, one eve after eating his morning kill, the man heard a haunting song being sung but no one was there. Thinking he was going mad, he tried to sleep it off but it was no use. The voice was still there. It grew louder and louder in his head, a pale figure swathed in ebony appeared at the foot of his bed; the song got noisier and noisier. At last, he took up his gun and shot himself out of pure insanity. Whereever you may visit upon a forest at night, beware of hearing the haunting song of Ana. Beware of the dark-cloaked man following you through the shadows. It maybe your last time inside that forest. And that, is the story of Ana and the dark man."
The Boys were trembling in fear and Peter, being a nuisance, sang in a high pitched voice:
" Many stars have paled
Yet the skies grow darker still
I have seen you but my vision failed
My darling, for you, I'd kill! "
They screamed loudly and Wendy sighed exasperated, "Peter."
He floated from his hiding place and grinned guilty but not ashamed. Curly said hazed, "I knew it was him all along." They all began complaining.
Wendy shook her head, "Enough, get to bed you lot!"
They trudged relentlessly to their bedding areas. Wendy went into the other room with Peter, saying strictly, "You're going to give them nightmares Peter Pan."
Peter shrugged innocently, "So be it."
He then looked at her outlandishly, murmuring, "Wendy, I should wonder, since you saved me so occasionally and I. . ." Wendy perked up a little and Peter seemed oddly averse, "May I give you a...thimble?" She turned bright crimson, "Oh! You mean...an actual kiss Peter. Well, I guess. . ."
Wendy pursed her lips but Peter made to peck her on the corner of her mouth, she stopped him and said, "Oh no. No. You kiss a girl on the lips Peter."
"Like a grown-up would?"
Wendy smiled, "Like a gentlemen boy would."
That brought a smile on his face and Wendy's heart leapt erratically as they bent forward, but they were shortly interrupted by Tinkerbell who cursed at them both. Wendy silently cussed at her and Peter looked away, "Come on Tink." They flew off as Wendy stood alone by candlelight.
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