My eyes open.
It's still dark, but the sky is much clearer now. I sit up as quickly as I can. I swore that I wouldn't fall asleep. I could have missed it. He may have come and gone because he saw me asleep. I feel a lump in my throat. That's it. I've probably missed my chance now because I had a nap. Anger rages inside of me like a wild beast, untamed and ready to attack, yet tears start streaming down my face. I don't know what to feel; how to react to the fact that I've probably blown all my chances of seeing him; of having the adventures that my family have had; of flying across Neverland with the boy who never grew up. I've blown it all.
The wind picks up.
I'm cold. I'm hot. I'm scared. I'm angry. I'm upset. I'm everything, and it feels wrong. I've never been so annoyed in my life. I take a deep breath. As I breathe out, I try to imagine letting out all the anger and bad feelings, just to see if I have any hope still left in me. He could come… I might not have missed my chance… He might not have come yet… But he probably has. And that's it. No Peter. No Tinkerbell. No lost boys. No Hook. Nothing. The stories my mother and grandmother have told me will live on forever, but I won't have a story. I am the generation that was skipped out… all because I closed my eyes. I don't even remember the dream…
The sky clears.
I turn away from the window. As I sit on the window seat I stare at my cream carpet. This is the only Neverland I'll ever know. An idea pops into my mind. If I can't go to Neverland, I'll bring Neverland to me. I walk over to my bed and pull out the box of matches from under my bedside drawers. I hide them there in case Mother comes in and takes them. I tell her I won't burn myself or be silly, but she doesn't believe me. I strike the match against the side of the box and it lights first time. I carefully light my bedside candle and blow the match out. I place the burnt match back in the box and push the box back under my drawers. There is a little more light in my room now. I remember the other candle on my desk and use my bedside candle to carefully light it. I place the bedside candle back and I now have a room with plenty of light, but not enough for anyone to notice as they walk past my bedroom door. I now create my Neverland.
Stars shine brighter.
I kneel on my bed, looking out to see if there are any mermaids. As I leap of my bed I dive into the cream-carpet-sea. My swimming skills are much better here than in water. The temperature's better too. As I swim I suddenly notice Hook's bed-ship in the distance. I swim further away to my wardrobe-cave and quickly dive into it, shutting the doors behind me. Although everyone else says I'm too old for pretend games, I don't listen to them. I peek through my wardrobe doors and see the ship getting closer until it stops and Captain Hook jumps off the ship onto the sand. I slowly creep out of the cave when he has his back turned and climb aboard his own ship! He sees me and runs towards me, so I grab my hairbrush-sword and I am ready to fight. My sword fighting skills are the best in the whole of Neverland and I defeat him within minutes of starting the battle. I watch as his crew run off back into the sea and swim their way to safety on another island, and-
I see a shadow in the window.