Sorry for the slow update guys, sadly my uni connection went down. Still, its back now...
Thanks for all the reviews, absoloutly fantastic.
Wendy had never flown without Peter before and at first it was a daunting experience. She had no guide now, and the starlight was blinding as she soared higher, always expecting to see Peters beautiful smile or hear his crow. There was nothing. She flew further, quicker than she'd ever done before, ranging ever higher and further away from London until the entire expanse of England lay before her. Her imagination could take her no further.
How had he done it, she wondered, how had Peter managed to take them through the fog to Neverland? Where was the fog? Where was that mystical route and why couldn't she go any further than this? She was finally realising the true extent of how he abandoned her, there was no way to Neverland without him, without that fantastic imagination.
Still, she pressed onwards, trying to force herself higher; towards the stars that had obeyed Peters every word. A lack of air defeated her. Then she drove herself eastwards in an attempt to gain such speed as to puncture the reality that lay between Neverland and the world. Again she failed, and now she could see the great curve of the sun beginning to rise above the earth's rim. No longer was it just a cheery star, but instead a great fiery ball that threatened to roast her skin.
Disheartened she drifted downwards, heading back towards the north of England. It was summer, she realised, and the corn meadows where a psychedelic gold. She settled in one of them and amid the long, bristled stalks fell into a near instantaneous sleep brought on by the rigours of the day before.
When she woke the sun was setting over the golden meadow. How many hours she had lain there she did not know, but she was beginning to feel hungry. She tried imagining herself some food and when that failed she set off into the air once more, eager to find a nearby village where she could steal some food.
It must have been some sight when she dropped into the centre of Kettlewell, a small girl dressed in a ripped, bloodstained dress. She was utterly famished by now, and on the edge of despair about the likelihood of her finding Peter. Thus she headed straight for the local bakery and gorged herself of hard bread and buns after entering through the top window.
And then she was off, back into the skies in an attempt to find her Peter once more. She tried various methods, almost methodically going through her ideas one by one. At times she would merely fly around crying his name in a vain hope he would be nearby to hear it, at other times she would attempt to imagine herself into Neverland or shout wordlessly at the stars for some support.
This continued for several days, sleeping in fields during the day and attempting to find Peter at night. Finally however, she had to admit defeat and slowly made her way back to London, her spirit crushed. She had no hopes now, no dreams except for a vague spark that one day Peter would come back for her but she knew in her heart that he wouldn't. Peter had probably already forgotten her, his memories stolen away in a burst of adventure and violence.
She sat on the bell tower opposite Number 14, looking down at the terrace with sadness in her eyes, By returning there she knew she was sacrificing all her freedom, every chance she had at eternal youth. A return to pretty dresses and petticoats, but she had no choice. Where else could she go?
Slowly she floated down towards the open window, aware of Nanas barking and running footsteps. She had a moment of freedom left before it would be snatched away from her and she wanted to enjoy it, before re-entering the comfort of society. With that moment gone she stepped forward and ducked slightly to enter the room, her white nightgown fluttering about her in the breeze.
It was so odd to be back, to be standing amid her room again. It all seemed so small and dull now, as compared to the fantastic comforts of her Wendy House back in Neverland. The dolls now seemed so much less real than they had done before, merely lifeless china figurines. The real world seemed dark and dull in comparison to the beauty of Neverland and she didn't wonder for a moment why Peter had made his choice.
The door burst and the Darlings, accompanied by Nana, burst into the room. They showered Wendy with kisses and love, while Mrs Darling slowly closed the window behind her, before leading her into the dining room. There they discussed various issues, why she wouldn't have to go too finishing school if she didn't want to, that she could marry who she liked, that they would do everything they could do to make her home as perfect and as wonderful as possible.
And slowly, little by little, the magic around Wendy faded away, little points of fairy dust slowly dripping one by one into the carpet. She didn't notice it at the time, but the adults did and the nodded at each other and continued their talk.
Finally, when Wendy's imagination was finally spent and she was almost collapsing into her food they decided to bring in their main surprise. It was almost morning outside, with the chirping of the birds mingling with the sounds of iron-rimmed wheels banging over the cobbles. In the kitchen the serving girl was preparing breakfast in her normal, unimaginative way and they could feel the veins of the city slowly beginning to throb once more. Now, if ever was the time to show Wendy.
"Wendy, dear," said her mother, "There's something that we need to show you." They led her upstairs, towards the pinnacle of the house, to a small attic room which had always been full of confusion. Originally it had been intended as a bedroom for John, but when that idea had fallen into disuse it had simply become a dumping ground for the family's rubbish.
When they opened the door she found that the room had been whitewashed, and within it a small brass bed had been placed. A small lump was curled on it, covers drawn tight up to his impossible neck. His hair was light, and when he turned over, still deep in sleep, Wendy gave a small gasp. It was Peter.
And there we go, another short one I'm afraid but hopefully chapter 9 will be a bit longer. the good news is that Chapter 8 is already written (growing up) and will up tomorrow. Hope you all enjoyed this one and will keep reading. I'm not certain that the quality of english in these last two chapters was quite as good as in the previous ones (it just didn't flow naturally) but that appears to have been rectified in the next two.
Thanks,
BrooklynRed x
