Samuel Smith clomped up the stairs to Peter.
"What?" He demanded, not knowing if he had heard correctly. John, Wendy, missing? How? Where? When? Why?
"John and Wendy are gone!" Peter said and Samuel knew he had heard correctly.
"Where would they go?"
"I don't know!" Peter said, growing worried. Where were his sister and brother?
"I don't know where they went, either. Peter, come on, we have to find them!" Samuel said and Peter followed his father close behind.
"Where do we go first, Dad?" Peter asked.
"You check the schoolyard and any other places you think they might have gone." Samuel said. "I'm going to search the courthouses." Peter nodded and ran off.
I highly doubt John would go to the schoolyard, especially after Mr. Williams told on us. Peter thought as he ran, but he did as his father told him.
"John! Wendy!" He called, but no one answered. "Oh no." Peter muttered to himself. He ran back to his house, where he found his father.
"They weren't there!" He said between puffs of breath.
"Why would they run off like this?" Samuel asked.
"Why do you think, Dad? Because you enrolled John in law school! Dad, you know John hates to be bossed around and law school would kill him! He'd disobey every rule to make a point and they'd kick him out! You know that! That or he'd escape!" Peter said, growing angry himself at his father for putting his brother through that. "And Wendy probably went with him to make sure he says out of trouble!"
"What have I done?" Samuel asked.
"You made a mistake, Dad. Come on, we have to keep looking!"
Then he and Peter ran off for the north side of London. Little did they know, but John and Wendy were headed for the east side.
...oOo...
"Where are we?" Wendy asked.
"East London." John answered, glancing over his shoulder. "Stay close. It's pretty dangerous over here." Wendy immediately moved closer to her brother and Star.
"John, I'm starting to think running away wasn't such a good idea." She said.
"Why?" John asked, stopping.
"I don't know. We're a good day's walk from home now. And it's dangerous for kids like us to be out here." Wendy answered, looking at the ground. She hoped John wouldn't think she was chicken!
"Well, we've come too far to turn back now." John said. He kept walking. He himself, though he wouldn't admit it, was also beginning to question whether running away was a good idea or not.
"Hey, you, kids! Where do you think you're going?" A voice boomed. John and Wendy froze and Star growled in the back of her throat. John turned slowly and found a London policeman coming towards them.
"N-Nowhere." Wendy stuttered.
"Uh huh. Where are your parents? Don't you know how dangerous it is over here?" He asked. John narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.
"We don't have any parents." He said.
"No parents, huh? Then come with me!" The officer said. He went to grab John to take them away, but John ducked and started to run.
"Wendy! Run!" He called. Wendy kicked the man in the shin and ran. Star bit him on the leg as well and she too began to run.
"Come back here!" The man called. He soon was upon John and Wendy.
"John, he's gaining on us!" Wendy cried. The man finally lunged and tripped John.
"Let go of me, you big lug!" John said angrily. But the man hauled himself to his feet and dragged John up with him.
"I said let go of me!"
"You're both coming with me whether you like it or not!" The man growled and John kicked and tried to punch, but the man seemed unphased by the eleven year old's attempt to escape.
The man led John and Wendy to a large building. The sign above the door read:
East London Orphanage
Oh great. John thought. What have I gotten us into?
"Wendy! When we get in here, whatever you do, don't tell them who you are!" John whispered behind the man's back to Wendy.
"Why?"
"Just don't!" John whispered back.
The man led John and Wendy through the door and spoke with the headmaster. He shut the door in Star's face.
"No pets." He grumbled. Star ran and hid in the bushes nearby.
"What are your names?" The headmaster asked.
"Uh…" Wendy said, glancing at John, who shook his head.
"We aren't going to tell you!" John said defiantly to the headmaster. "That's none of your business!"
"Tell me your name, boy." The headmaster commanded.
"I don't have to and neither does my sister." John said back.
"Fine then. You'll be called by whatever names we give you then. You'll be called John." John was about to tell him that was his name already when he stopped. There was no way he was telling this man anything. That would only mean that he was willing to give in.
"And you," Headmaster said, pointing to Wendy, "Will be called Jan." He motioned for a woman to come forward.
"Jenna, take Jan to the girls part of the orphanage. I'll take John." He said and John reluctantly followed. How was he going to help and protect his sister if he was clear on the other side of the building?
...oOo...
"I don't know what to tell you, Samuel. We've searched everywhere and have found nothing of either John or Wendy. It's been three days, Samuel, we need rest." Samuel Smith's friend Tom said.
"But we can't give up! I've asked all the kids at school if they've seen them and if they'd help us and none of them have seen or heard from them!" Peter said.
"Now, Peter, we aren't giving up!" Samuel said.
"Yes you are! This is your fault! If you hadn't enrolled John in law school, hadn't planned to send him away, this never would have happened!" Peter screamed at his dad.
"Peter, I know what I did and I know that it's my fault!" Samuel said.
"You promise we aren't giving up?" Peter asked.
"Promise."
A/N- Well, John just got himself into a scrape he isn't sure how to get out of. Remember how in the movie when Pocahontas goes to see him how he said,
"Ive gotten out of worse scrapes than this..."
And then remember how he said to Peter and Wendy:
"I can escape from any scrape I get into and I always will be able to..."
Kinda ironic, huh? Anyway, with Christmas only 2 days away, I'm taking a break! Christmas break, that is! Everyone have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and be safe and take care! God bless!
Happy Holidays!
-Robin
PS- By the way, I noticed the other day that John, Wendy, and Peter are names from Peter Pan... Huh, that's weird! I haven't seen that movie in years!