Peter Pan
A Different Wendy
Chapter One
"The story of Peter Pan is a tale about a boy who decided he never wanted to grow up. So he snuck out of his crib late one night and escaped from his home. He lived for a few years in a park near where his parents lived, but he grew older, and his parents had other children and moved away.
"One starry night, when Peter was almost fifteen years old, he saw a firefly flutter past him. It stopped to rest on his shoulder and he saw that it wasn't a firefly at all, but a tiny lady wearing a leaf-stitched dress. She had pale blonde hair and silver eyes, and her skin was nearly transparent, and sparkled and glowed from an inner light Peter couldn't locate. She looked up into his bright green eyes and flew off his shoulder, circling him a few times, inspecting his shaggy blonde hair, lightly freckled nose, and dirty fingernails. She then decided he passed her test, so she flew above his head, he looked up and cocked his head, she flapped her little wings so shimmering dust sprinkled over him.
"Then she landed again on his shoulder and twittered in his ear, 'My name is Tinkerbelle, and I am a faerie from Neverland. Come there with me, and be the leader of all Lost Boys.'
"Peter looked at her confused, 'I'm Peter,' he managed. 'I don't understand what you mean.'
"'Run away for good, Peter, run away to Neverland, where they can't find you and take you away. Where no one can make you do anything you don't want to.' Tinkerbelle explained. 'Where you'll never grow old and become a man, you can have fun and go on adventures forever!'
"'Forever?' Peter questioned.
"'Forever.' Tinkerbelle confirmed, bobbing her little head up and down so dust dripped to the ground and disappeared.
"'But what is a Lost Boy and how could I be their leader?' Peter wondered.
"Tinkerbelle hovered in front of his face and looked into his sparkling eyes, 'A Lost Boy is a boy just like you, a boy who doesn't want to grow up and be ordinary, a boy who wants to have adventures and be a child forever, a boy who doesn't have a family anymore. You can find them and bring them back to Neverland. They will be your companions.'
"Peter frowned for a minute, and then grinned widely, 'Okay, I'll come to Neverland with you. And tomorrow we'll look for some Lost Boys.'
"'It isn't going to happen just like that.' Tinkerbelle snapped her finger. 'We have to do this the right way.'
"'What right way?'
"'Well…' Tinkerbelle scratched her head, her eyes lit up, 'We have to make sure they're real Lost Boys, and not just a lost boy. We'll watch a child for six weeks, and if they aren't claimed by then, we'll take them back to Neverland with us.'
"'But why six weeks?' Peter asked.
"'Because, now are you with me, or what?' Tinkerbelle put her hands on her hips. Peter nodded. 'You're going to be my partner, Peter. Wait, before we seal the deal here, we need to make up a good name for you, just Peter isn't enough. Do you have a last name?'
"'Not that I remember.'
"'Then I'll make one up…..Peter….Peter….Peter Pan! That's it! Are you going to be my partner, Peter Pan?' Tinkerbelle smiled.
"'Yes.' Peter nodded his head enthusiastically.
"'Let's shake on it.' Tinkerbelle said, holding out her tiny hand. Peter held out his pinky for her to shake and the deal was done.
"'Now how do we get to Neverland?' Peter looked around.
"'No silly, it's not here!' the faerie laughed. 'It's the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning!' Tinkerbelle flew up into the air and started to go away.
"'Wait a minute, Tinkerbelle! How am I to get there? I can't fly or anything.' Peter shouted.
"'You can now, all you need to do is think happy thoughts, and a sprinkle of faerie dust, but I already gave you some. Now think a happy thought, and let's go!' Tinkerbelle said impatiently.
"'Think a happy thought. Think a happy thought.' Peter mumbled, 'Having my very own adventures. Not having to listen to anyone. Never growing up!' Peter thought hard, eyes squeezed shut. A minute later Peter sighed, 'Oh, it's no use, Tinkerbelle, I can't do it.' Peter looked down and gasped. He was flying!
"'Come on and catch me, Peter Pan!' Tinkerbelle shrieked as he dove for her, and she led the way to Neverland.
"And that's how Peter met Tinkerbelle, and became Peter Pan of Neverland."
"Tell another one, please, Marie?" A little girl with dark brown curls, just like her elder sisters, begged. Her puppy dog brown eyes wide.
"Yes, do tell just one more." A boy, older than the little girl, but younger than Marie, with messy light brown hair and hazel eyes agreed.
"Oh, Violet, it's past your bed time, you know that. And you shouldn't be encouraging her, Ethan." Marie, with her long dark brown curls, and golden brown eyes and loving face, chided her younger siblings.
"Please, Marie, please!" Ethan pressed.
"Fine, one more story." Marie smiled. "Which one do you want me to tell? Cinderella? Snow White? Sleeping Beauty? Or how about the one about Captain Hook and his crew of nasty pirates?"
"Tell the one about Wendy." Violet suggested.
"That one again?" Ethan and Violet nodded vigorously. "All right then, it really must be your favorite. Here it is:
"Peter Pan had gathered together his group of Lost Boys. He couldn't have every one he wanted, but he put together a pretty good team. There were seven Boys, not including himself. They all came willingly and Peter was glad to have them. They made their hide-out and home in the middle of a forest in Neverland, so Captain Hook and his bloody pirates couldn't find them.
"Now every night, before Peter went to sleep, he would fly to London and listen to a blonde haired girl named Wendy Darling to tell a story to her two younger brothers. She was very good at it, and would get into the story so much, she would even have different voices for each character, and shout when they shouted, and fought when they fought. Some of her stories were even about him.
"On this particular night, Wendy had told the story about Peter cutting off Captain Hook's right hand, and that is why he now uses a hook for a hand. Peter waited until the end of her story, hiding just outside of the big window in their nursery which they always kept open. When he was sure she had dimmed the candle and was sleeping, he flew softly in and hovered above her bed to look down on her slumbering figure. She was a wonder to him, he never understood what it was about her, but he wanted to hear her stories all the time.
"Peter was going to wake her up and ask her to come to Neverland with him, but Tinkerbelle flew in at full speed and scared away his shadow. 'What'd you do that for, Tink?' Peter hissed. Tinkerbelle motioned that she didn't like Wendy. Peter shook his head, 'Well I don't care, I'm taking her back to Neverland to be the Lost Boys' storyteller. Now I have to go catch my shadow.'
"Peter finally caught his shadow and pinned him down, but he couldn't get him to stick. Peter began to cry softly. Then he heard a quiet voice from above him, 'Why are you crying?' Peter stood up quickly, steeping on his shadow so he wouldn't get away, and saw that it was Wendy. She was sitting up in her bed. 'Who are you, boy?' she asked him.
"'I'm Peter Pan.' He said. Wendy looked delighted.
"'I knew it was you! I just knew you would come!' She hopped off her bed and shook her brothers awake, whispering, 'Michael, John, wake up, Peter Pan is here!'"
Marie stopped suddenly at the sound of harsh footsteps coming up the stairs. "Oh no! Get into your bed, quick!" She tucked in Violet, kissing her softly on the forehead. "Good night, sweetie."
She ran light footed over to Ethan's bed and pecked him on the head too, "'Night, Ethan." Then she hopped into her own bed and ducked under the blankets, pretending to be asleep just as a woman appeared in the doorway.
"What do you children think you are doing awake at this time of night? I hear you! I'm not deaf! There will be no more storytelling for you, Miss Marie. You are leaving this orphanage in the morning, I don't care if you don't have anywhere to go, you're leaving. You'll spoil the minds of my sweet children if I don't get rid of you soon. Your brother and sister are getting adopted next week; you'll be out of here long before then, though. Actually, I forgot to mention Ethan and Violet had an older sister. They just might have adopted you too. I guess you'll never have a family. Oh well." A drunken voice teased. "Pretend to be asleep if you want, but I know you can hear me, and I also know you'll be crying your eyes out the minute I go back downstairs. Have a nice last night, Marie dear."
The ladies evil laughter could be heard echoing down the hallway, and then it disappeared as she returned to her bottle of Chardonnay.
Marie pulled the covers off her head and gulped. Where was she going to go? Miss Winglet might be drunk, but she was used to it, and she wouldn't forget what she said. If she said Marie would be out on the streets tomorrow, that's exactly where she would be sleeping tomorrow night. Marie turned on her side and looked up at the twinkling stars, wishing as hard as she could that time could be stilled so she could live forever on this one night, so that she would never have to face the world tomorrow morning. She knew for tonight she was safe, but beyond the light of the moon, she had no idea what was waiting for her. Where would she be this time tomorrow? Would she be sleeping in a dirty alley? She didn't want to know.