CHAPTER SIX
Wendy was dragged into her house. She was furious, "Why did you take me?"
"For your own good. We can't have you telling the police about our threats to Jake or your father's bad behavior."
"I was happy for a while!"
"Go up to your room and stay until we call you to sort this out. Don't expect to escape, your door will lock when you close it."
Wendy scowled and ran up the stairs straight to her room. She slammed the door behind her and heard a click. She could have gone out another window, but she didn't care anymore. She was sick of the fact that every time something good happened to her, something bad happened that made her just as unhappy as she always was.
She walked over to her dresser and looked in the mirror. Her hair was tangled more than ever and she was still wearing her jean skirt and pink t- shirt and sweater. She went into the bathroom and ran the water until it was the right temperature, then undressed and got in.
"God Wendy, get a hold of yourself," she thought out loud, "You can get through this."
Wendy grabbed the shampoo and piled it in her hand, then washed and rinsed her hair. She did the same with the conditioner. After she was a little calm- baths always calmed her down a bit- she slipped out and wrapped herself in a towel.
When she was dressed and had blow-dried her hair, Wendy looked in the mirror. She gasped at the sight of her pure white face. This is what her unhappiness had caused her, though she had never been so pale. After she put on all her make-up, it wasn't noticeable anymore.
Wendy heard a knock at the window and she ran into her room. It was Peter! She unhooked the latch and he floated in.
"Gosh, your parents sealed that thing pretty good. Glad I had Tink with me."
"They sealed the window? Typical of them."
"I- I came as soon as Tink found out what happened. I'm glad you're okay."
"Okay isn't exactly the word."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, sorry. I'm glad to see you."
Wendy kissed him quickly on the lips and pulled away."
"Well, you will be gladder. I have come to rescue you."
"Rescue me?"
"Yah, rescue you."
"Wendy, I am coming in."
"Peter hide."
Wendy closed the window and sat on her bed. Peter hid under it, "Fine. Come in."
Her mother walked in and stopped in front of her
"Now, why did you leave?"
"I thought I explained this to you already."
"Well I don't exactly understand."
"You want to know why? It is because I don't feel safe in this house thanks to you. I don't want to live in a broken home anymore."
Wendy's mother struck the side of her face with an open hand, "This is hardly a broken home young lady."
Suddenly the bed shook. Peter flew out from underneath and stepped in front of Wendy, who was grasping her cheek.
"Peter?" Wendy's mother fell back in shock.
"Why hello. It's been a while, hasn't it? Eighteen years to be exact."
"Peter, why have you shown up now after all these years?"
"Don't think I am here because of you. I am here for Wendy."
"B- but Peter, we were in love."
Wendy's eyes widened, "Peter..."
"No, I wasn't in love with you Anna. You were way too dull and grumpy. You mother was my friend, but you... You were just a person that refused to let me go. Now, I am taking your daughter. I met her yesterday by the way, and I think she is worth more than this. You and John make her feel like dying, yet you don't even see it."
"Wendy, is this true?"
"Yes mom. In fact, you have no idea what dad does to me. He pushed me down the stairs, he hit me, and so did you. It is true mom, he was just denying it, and being the person you are, you believed him instead of your own daughter. I called you guys my parents, but really you aren't even close. I am going with Peter, and if you bring me back once more, I will just run away again."
Before she said anything, Wendy walked over to the window and opened it. Peter took her hand, and began to lift her, but she stopped him and walked over to her mom.
"Mom, I know you can be a better person, please try. I love you, even if you don't love me, Good-bye."
Wendy hugged her mother for the first time in years and ran to the window, where Peter took her up into the sky.
Wendy found herself in familiar surroundings. It was the tree house.
"Wendy, that was very good of you. Not many people are that mature."
"Thanks."
"What's wrong? You look troubled."
"I'm confused. How did you know my mom and my grandma?"
Peter looked at the floor with a mysterious look on his face, "I think there's something you should know. I am fourteen, but just not... it's hard to explain."
"Well, try...?"
"Ok, well, you know why I am here...but you don't know how long it has been..."
"And..."
"Well, it has been about fifty years..."
Wendy's mouth dropped, "But you're fourteen..."
"Yes, I am, but you see, in Neverland, you don't get older, not even in spirit or anything, so basically I am fourteen, just like you, but I have been fourteen for fifty years."
"So you're actually like sixty four?"
"Well, if I was still mortal, but since I'm not, it is no different. Get it?"
"Hardly. But how are you still my age?"
"It's magic. I don't know how to explain it, but when you go into Neverland, you are free, and freedom gives you the power to be able to do almost anything and well, this is one of those things. See- this is hard- well, I was learning Neverland's past from the fairies, and they told me how Neverland became to be what it is today. A very long time ago there was a boy who had a wild imagination. With his imagination, he escaped the deepest depths of reality. It came to a point where he was sick of reality because he was bored with it and he hated the responsibilities that came with growing up. So, with his great imagination, he created a world where you would never have to deal with the responsibilities of mortal life."
"And that world was Neverland right?"
"Well, not at first. This boy's imagination became so immense that it slowly drove him insane and eventually he became evil. At first, an evil man controlled Neverland. This man was Hook and the boy created him from he evil part of his mind."
"Go on..."
"When kids began to come to Neverland, Hook was forced to the water, where he lived with other evil people. They were pirates...evil pirates at that, and all they wanted was to rule all of Neverland."
"Ok... he isn't here still is he?"
"No actually, that's where your grandma comes in..."
Peter went on and on about how him and Wendy's grandma defeated Hook and how they fell in love but she didn't want to leave home, "...She was too attached to her parents and friends. It was the last I ever saw of her, the day she decided to go back. Though I did sometimes check up on how she was doing, it was never the same."
"Wow, that sounds a bit familiar. So you are really like sixty four years old then."
"Yah, are you scared by that?"
"A little.
"Don't be, I am still the same as any other fourteen year old, it's like I stay fourteen forever and never really change..."
"Wow, so can you die?"
"Well, I don't know to be honest, I just have to wait and see, or live forever. Wendy?"
"Yes Peter?"
"Will you stay in Neverland with me?"
"Forever?"
"Well, yes..."
"Gosh Peter I-"
"We could live together forever and always. You could teach me about how the world has changed and I could teach you about what it was like fifty years ago."
"After only this short of a time you want me to stay? You don't even know me."
"Wendy I know you more than you think."
"Oh yah, like what do you know about me huh?"
"I know that you hide from reality because you are scared to death of it. I know that you can't stand to wake up every morning because you think it's going to be bad. I know that you don't know what your purpose is anymore. I know you live life like it's a nightmare. I know you want everything as perfect as it was. I know you don't know how lucky you are to have a life that you can make mistakes in, that you can feel pain in. I know so much you don't even know about yourself."
"How?"
"Your eyes give it all away."
Peter slightly lifted Wendy's chin and kissed her, "What do you say? Will you stay?"
Wendy was dragged into her house. She was furious, "Why did you take me?"
"For your own good. We can't have you telling the police about our threats to Jake or your father's bad behavior."
"I was happy for a while!"
"Go up to your room and stay until we call you to sort this out. Don't expect to escape, your door will lock when you close it."
Wendy scowled and ran up the stairs straight to her room. She slammed the door behind her and heard a click. She could have gone out another window, but she didn't care anymore. She was sick of the fact that every time something good happened to her, something bad happened that made her just as unhappy as she always was.
She walked over to her dresser and looked in the mirror. Her hair was tangled more than ever and she was still wearing her jean skirt and pink t- shirt and sweater. She went into the bathroom and ran the water until it was the right temperature, then undressed and got in.
"God Wendy, get a hold of yourself," she thought out loud, "You can get through this."
Wendy grabbed the shampoo and piled it in her hand, then washed and rinsed her hair. She did the same with the conditioner. After she was a little calm- baths always calmed her down a bit- she slipped out and wrapped herself in a towel.
When she was dressed and had blow-dried her hair, Wendy looked in the mirror. She gasped at the sight of her pure white face. This is what her unhappiness had caused her, though she had never been so pale. After she put on all her make-up, it wasn't noticeable anymore.
Wendy heard a knock at the window and she ran into her room. It was Peter! She unhooked the latch and he floated in.
"Gosh, your parents sealed that thing pretty good. Glad I had Tink with me."
"They sealed the window? Typical of them."
"I- I came as soon as Tink found out what happened. I'm glad you're okay."
"Okay isn't exactly the word."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing, sorry. I'm glad to see you."
Wendy kissed him quickly on the lips and pulled away."
"Well, you will be gladder. I have come to rescue you."
"Rescue me?"
"Yah, rescue you."
"Wendy, I am coming in."
"Peter hide."
Wendy closed the window and sat on her bed. Peter hid under it, "Fine. Come in."
Her mother walked in and stopped in front of her
"Now, why did you leave?"
"I thought I explained this to you already."
"Well I don't exactly understand."
"You want to know why? It is because I don't feel safe in this house thanks to you. I don't want to live in a broken home anymore."
Wendy's mother struck the side of her face with an open hand, "This is hardly a broken home young lady."
Suddenly the bed shook. Peter flew out from underneath and stepped in front of Wendy, who was grasping her cheek.
"Peter?" Wendy's mother fell back in shock.
"Why hello. It's been a while, hasn't it? Eighteen years to be exact."
"Peter, why have you shown up now after all these years?"
"Don't think I am here because of you. I am here for Wendy."
"B- but Peter, we were in love."
Wendy's eyes widened, "Peter..."
"No, I wasn't in love with you Anna. You were way too dull and grumpy. You mother was my friend, but you... You were just a person that refused to let me go. Now, I am taking your daughter. I met her yesterday by the way, and I think she is worth more than this. You and John make her feel like dying, yet you don't even see it."
"Wendy, is this true?"
"Yes mom. In fact, you have no idea what dad does to me. He pushed me down the stairs, he hit me, and so did you. It is true mom, he was just denying it, and being the person you are, you believed him instead of your own daughter. I called you guys my parents, but really you aren't even close. I am going with Peter, and if you bring me back once more, I will just run away again."
Before she said anything, Wendy walked over to the window and opened it. Peter took her hand, and began to lift her, but she stopped him and walked over to her mom.
"Mom, I know you can be a better person, please try. I love you, even if you don't love me, Good-bye."
Wendy hugged her mother for the first time in years and ran to the window, where Peter took her up into the sky.
Wendy found herself in familiar surroundings. It was the tree house.
"Wendy, that was very good of you. Not many people are that mature."
"Thanks."
"What's wrong? You look troubled."
"I'm confused. How did you know my mom and my grandma?"
Peter looked at the floor with a mysterious look on his face, "I think there's something you should know. I am fourteen, but just not... it's hard to explain."
"Well, try...?"
"Ok, well, you know why I am here...but you don't know how long it has been..."
"And..."
"Well, it has been about fifty years..."
Wendy's mouth dropped, "But you're fourteen..."
"Yes, I am, but you see, in Neverland, you don't get older, not even in spirit or anything, so basically I am fourteen, just like you, but I have been fourteen for fifty years."
"So you're actually like sixty four?"
"Well, if I was still mortal, but since I'm not, it is no different. Get it?"
"Hardly. But how are you still my age?"
"It's magic. I don't know how to explain it, but when you go into Neverland, you are free, and freedom gives you the power to be able to do almost anything and well, this is one of those things. See- this is hard- well, I was learning Neverland's past from the fairies, and they told me how Neverland became to be what it is today. A very long time ago there was a boy who had a wild imagination. With his imagination, he escaped the deepest depths of reality. It came to a point where he was sick of reality because he was bored with it and he hated the responsibilities that came with growing up. So, with his great imagination, he created a world where you would never have to deal with the responsibilities of mortal life."
"And that world was Neverland right?"
"Well, not at first. This boy's imagination became so immense that it slowly drove him insane and eventually he became evil. At first, an evil man controlled Neverland. This man was Hook and the boy created him from he evil part of his mind."
"Go on..."
"When kids began to come to Neverland, Hook was forced to the water, where he lived with other evil people. They were pirates...evil pirates at that, and all they wanted was to rule all of Neverland."
"Ok... he isn't here still is he?"
"No actually, that's where your grandma comes in..."
Peter went on and on about how him and Wendy's grandma defeated Hook and how they fell in love but she didn't want to leave home, "...She was too attached to her parents and friends. It was the last I ever saw of her, the day she decided to go back. Though I did sometimes check up on how she was doing, it was never the same."
"Wow, that sounds a bit familiar. So you are really like sixty four years old then."
"Yah, are you scared by that?"
"A little.
"Don't be, I am still the same as any other fourteen year old, it's like I stay fourteen forever and never really change..."
"Wow, so can you die?"
"Well, I don't know to be honest, I just have to wait and see, or live forever. Wendy?"
"Yes Peter?"
"Will you stay in Neverland with me?"
"Forever?"
"Well, yes..."
"Gosh Peter I-"
"We could live together forever and always. You could teach me about how the world has changed and I could teach you about what it was like fifty years ago."
"After only this short of a time you want me to stay? You don't even know me."
"Wendy I know you more than you think."
"Oh yah, like what do you know about me huh?"
"I know that you hide from reality because you are scared to death of it. I know that you can't stand to wake up every morning because you think it's going to be bad. I know that you don't know what your purpose is anymore. I know you live life like it's a nightmare. I know you want everything as perfect as it was. I know you don't know how lucky you are to have a life that you can make mistakes in, that you can feel pain in. I know so much you don't even know about yourself."
"How?"
"Your eyes give it all away."
Peter slightly lifted Wendy's chin and kissed her, "What do you say? Will you stay?"
