Chapter Three – Come away with me
Yes I guess I gave this chapter away in the title – SORRY!
"Who wants to know?" He replied in a very cheeky manner, grinning. I placed one hand on my hip and looked him straight in the eye.
"Well, I for one would want to know the name of the mysterious person who is standing in my room," I shifted all my weight to one leg and folded my arms, "Also aren't I allowed to know the name of the boy who just saved my life?" The boy stared for a while as if pondering what I just said. He then put his knuckles on his hips and finally said:
"I suppose that you do a have a point, and I am being very rude, my name is Peter, Peter Pan," I was overjoyed he was the mysterious boy that never grew up in my Aunt Wendy's story, the one who took her away, taught her to fly and to believe. I always would imagine myself in my Aunt's shoes at that age and pretend that I was flying high in the night sky along side of him, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect that I would actually happen. I moved my hand to my mouth at the first initial shock then my mouth curled into a wide smile and I drew my hand away.
"My name is Wendy, Wendy Darling," the look on Peter's face when I said my name was Wendy Darling cannot be explained. It seemed as if he had found something that he had been searching for, something he had been searching for, for a very long time. I looked at him with bewilderment as his eyes lit up and his stance soften, "Are you okay?" What a positively stupid question to ask, I thought to myself after. Then his look change as if to say 'It cannot be true', he shock his head and looked at me then said:
"You can't be Wendy Darling, it is impossible. You are nothing like her – he eyes are blue and hair is different," he looked me over to see if there was anything else wrong with my appearance. I felt quite insulted and glared at the Peter.
"I am indeed Wendy Darling and if you would like me to prove it," I said turning my back to him. I walked over to my chest of drawers and opened one of the smaller top drawers. This drawer held an assortment of things – mainly valuable to me in some odd way. I found what I was looking for and carefully eased it out of the drawer not wanting to rip it. It was an old piece of paper with stains and was turning brown. Parts of the edges were frayed but the writing was still clear. I turned back around after closing the drawer and look at him waiting impatiently. I read aloud, "Born June 28th, to proud parent's Katherine and Jonathan Darling is the baby girl Wendy Maive Darling. See its all there in black and white I am Wendy Darling," I thrusted the piece of paper in front of his nose. Peter sighed.
"Not the Wendy Darling I know," I could see his eyes glaze over, and small pools of water formed in the lower eye lid. He hung his head so I could no see the tears rolling down his face. A sudden pang of guilt rose in my heart as I her him stifle his sniffs. I threw the piece of paper onto my bed and brought my arms up to my chest, fiddling with the thimble in my fingers. I took a step forward and he took a step back,
"Don't cry boy, don't cry Peter. I am sorry; I didn't want to hurt you feelings. Please, please stop crying," there was a sense of urgency in my voice and I could feel my eyes starting to sting with tears – when I saw other people cry I felt like crying too, like I was sharing their pain. I plunked onto my bed and turned around crying into my pillow – what was I so worked up over? Peter must have noticed that I too was now crying and stopped because all I could here was my own pathetic sobs. He walked over to where I lay in a heap on the bed and softly poked my shoulder with is index finger. He kept poking me until I looked up from my pillow and acknowledged him. He had a caring smile spread across his face. He sat down at the edge of the bed and I sat up so our eye's met. I returned his smile and he broke out into laughter, I soon joined him.
"What were you crying about silly other Wendy lady?" Peter said stopping his warm laughter, I stopped to the looked at him and my face went pink slightly and I looked down and played with the thimble in my fingers again.
"I was sad that you were crying Peter boy. I thought that I was the one that made you cry because I was being rude and obnoxious to you about being Wendy Darling, it made my insides chill and my eyes sting with tears," I looked back up at him, he really didn't seem to care anymore then I remembered something – something in one of Aunt Wendy's story books. "Wait, your Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up?" I said thinking out aloud he looked at me and chuckled.
"Uh, yes I am I said that my name was Peter Pan ear-" I put my hand up to silence him. The thought over again what he had said about me not being Wendy Darling – then it hit me, Wendy Darling was my aunt and this was Peter Pan, the boy who took her away to Neverland. I look up at him with the word 'excitement' practically written over my face. Peter gave me a queer look and tilted his head to the side.
"Wendy Darling, you're talking about Wendy Moira Angela Darling," I said jumping off my bed and stood in front of Peter looking down on him, he slowly nodded his head still looking at me strangely, "Do you know who she is? She is my Aunt!" I exclaimed then listened for any stirring from the room next door – none came. Peter looked at me and stood up with shock in his features.
"She's your, your Aunt?" he said wide eyed, then said "What's an Aunt?" And with that he began to cross his legs and float in the air so that is eyes were level with mine.
"Well, um, an Aunt is a member of you family, like a brother or sister. Aunt Wendy is my father's older sister, my father – John," I added noticing his quizzical look, "She is grown up now – if you wanted to know. She was here a few days ago – for my birthday, she gave me this night-dress," I twirled around but Peter didn't seem to care, a look of disappointment came over his face as he let his feet touch the ground.
"Wendy, she, she grew up?" he voice was thin a croaky unlike the warm full one I had heard earlier. Just after he spoke a little ball of light flew in and it made a tinkling sound. As it came closer I noticed that it was not just a ball of light, but the tiny form of a woman. She left a trail of golden dust in the air behind her that soon faded away. She seemed to be dancing and jumping in the air. Peter saw this and gave her an evil look; she just turned her back to him and kept dancing.
"Why is she so happy?" I said laughing, "She is a very interesting creature, is she a fairy," the little ball of light turned and nodded at me. Peter still had a grave look on his face and the warmth had gone out of his eye's – I thought he was going to cry again, "Oh Peter please don't cry again!" I said defensively. He shook his head and looked at me smiling weakly.
"Oh no, no. Won't cry, just she grew up," he looked to the ground; I walked over and lifted his chin:
"She is still young inside but you won't find her here, she lives in France," I took a step back he looked at me, I guessed is question, "France is a place very far away," he shrugged at my answer, then let out a heavy sigh. "I don't think she will forget you – it's just...it was time for her to grow up," he looked at me with much distaste.
"Don't even mention growing up," he growled then lightened up, "but you are right. I guess it is time for me to stop pursuing Wendy," he looked at me and bowed again, "Come on Tink lets go home the boys will want to hear the stories I heard tonight. It was nice to meet you other Wendy lady," he floated of the floor and over to the open window, I didn't want him to go I had so much more that I wanted to find out.
"Wait, what do you mean the stories that you have heard?" I asked in a desperate attempt to keep him talking. He turned around and stood on the window sill looking at me.
"From you of course! I have been listening to you tell those boys in the next room stories for years, then I go home and tell the Lost boy's them," he said as if he was proud of himself. I heard a little tinkle and the fairy seem annoyed maybe she wanted to go home. I knew I couldn't keep them waiting so I turned around and climbed into bed my pillow still wet from the tears.
"Goodnight Peter boy, it was nice to meet you," I said and closed my eyes. I felt a hot breath on my cheek and slowly opened my eyes to see Peter hovering above me I smiled and whispered, "What are you doing?" He flew back and sat hovering at the other end of the bed.
"Have you ever heard over Neverland?" he said grinning waving his hand, shooing away the fairy. I slowly sat up and said,
"No, maybe it was in one of Aunt Wendy's books but I cannot remember," Peter looked at me and in a story-tellers voice said:
"It is a place of dreams. It's an island second star to the right and straight on till morning. With mermaid's – not the one's you read in children's books who are happy and playful, but they are evil mystical creatures, who will drown you at any chance," as shiver went down my spine. We both leant towards each other slightly as he continued, "and Indians. Wise people of Neverland – not very helpful though. And then there are pirates. Cunning and blood-thirsty, sailing the Black Mist and lead by the vilest, notorious villain of all Thaddeus Eiye," I gasped in shock – the villain of my stories was real! "And then there is the fact that adventure is around every corner and you never, never have to grow up," he emphasized the last part of his sentence.
"Never have to grow up," I repeated under my breath then looked at him, "But Never must surely be far too long a time to be young – when you are grown up there are so many more things that you can do," I said but glazed over again at the thought of adventure around every turn, and never growing old would be a wonderful bonus.
"You do have a point other Wendy but not growing up is so much more fun!" he said.
"You are right Peter," I said smiling, he then clapped his hand's and flew to the ground muttering 'Oh the cleverness of me,'
"I have a great idea," he said smiling, "I have a brilliant idea other Wendy, come away with me! Come away with me to Neverland," his eye's were sparkling I could see he wanted me to so much.
"Why on earth would you want me for," I said, I mean I was just the 'other' Wendy.
"Because you're a lady – a story-telling lady and Neverland need's someone like that, someone proper," he said looking at me. I was very flustered indeed – proper, I certainly didn't want to be labeled 'proper'. But then I thought of what Peter had said about Neverland, then remember a description in a story I read by my aunt, of the crystal blue lagoon's, and the shady parts of the Neverland forest, and the twinkling light's of fairies, and the three moon's in the night sky, and the white sandy beaches, and the home underground. I was looking forward to the home underground, I had so many images of it and to see it in real life – oh that would be a treat. I smiled and stood up and said:
"To live my life in Neverland would be a wonderful adventure," said stepping towards him.
"To live would be an awfully big adventure," he replied smiling, "So are you coming, please say yes – after all the lost boys need a mother," I just laughed.
"Alright, I'll come, but I want you to promise that I won't get stuck at the house cleaning and cooking I want to be able to have adventure's too!" I said laughing, he joined in a nodded his head, "Alright, lets go. Wait," I turned around and picked up my dressing gown and slipped it on, "Don't want to get cold," I was still clasping the thimble in my hand – I hadn't let it go.
Peter called for the fairy she reluctantly flew over, "Tink this is Wendy – but a different Wendy, not the Wendy you know, "then he looked at me, "This is Tinkerbell, she is my fairy," he then dropped his voice and said, "She has lots of mood swing's or is angry," I giggled. I heard the tinkling of bells come from the fairy – the sounded angry, "It's ok Tink, just make Wendy glow alright – I'll have a word with you later," he muttered the last bit. Tink flew over the top of my head and shook fairy dust so that it covered my head and shoulders. The dust that I saw was in fact tiny clumps of golden flakes that shimmered in different light. "Now just think of one happy thought and keep it, then you will fly through the heaven's with the wind on your back and the cloud's below you," he said taking my hand's feeling the thimble and smiling. Soon I felt my feet rise from the ground, my heart was pumping faster than ever, I was flying. Well not quite yet but hovering at least! "Now, will you fly with me?" Peter said letting my hand's go slightly, is cheeky eye's lighting up.
I grasped them again and answered, "Yes Peter, I will come back, I will come back to Neverland," and with that he let one hand go and lead me out the window. I looked back on my room and whispered to myself "Good bye old life – hello Neverland."