Story: Forever In Neverland (all chapters)

Forever In Neverland

Chapter One

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Once upon a time...

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    They say there's a world of endless wonder out there somewhere.  It's a place where children can play all day and never grow old, a world without rules.  Ever since I heard of this wonderful place I have wished for it to be my home at every possible chance.  And it so happens that after three years of wishing and hoping for an escape from this world of misery and death... my wish came true.

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    “How can you call yourself a soup kitchen if you don't have no soup?!” I shouted.  The man looked like he couldn't decide whether to feel sorry or not.

    “You should have showed up earlier, we get busier around the holidays.  Kid like you has no right being on her own anyway, why don't you run on home or something?”

    'And be beaten or molested by that drunk... no thanks.'  I turned my head away.  “I can't do that...”  The man sighed.

    “Look, I'm sorry, but we ran out early and there's nothing I can do about that.  If you'd like I could...”

    “Forget it,” I interrupted, not wanting to go through the whole 'I could call someone to help you' routine.  The police would just make me go home and that was the last thing I would ever let happen.  I slammed the empty bowl down on the counter and left, trying not to breathe in the smell of the warm soup as I passed the tables on the way out.  A shiver ran through me as I stepped out into the night, my much too thin jacket doing almost nothing to keep out the winter chill.  “Merry Christmas to me...” I muttered bitterly before making my way to the cheap streets in hopes a finding a warm place to sleep.

    “Somebody help!” a girl's voice cried out from the alley behind a nearby building.  I paused, my brain warring with my heart as stories of street gangs using female members to lure strangers into a darkened ally floated through my mind.  “Please leave me alone... just let me go!”  I gritted my teeth. I'd heard that line enough times in my life to know it was genuine and slipped quietly into the alley, pulling the knife I kept in my shoe from concealment.  Keeping to the shadows as much as possible I made my way around the bend to take in the scene.  Two of them, drifters like me from the looks of them, had a young girl around my age on the ground and backed up against the wall.  'Stupid girl...' I thought, taking in the fine dress and jewelry she was wearing.  Wearing that in a place like this was practically screaming for trouble to find you.

    “Come now miss, from the looks o' what I'm seein' you have the likes to help a few poor sots like us.  Why don't you jus' hand over what you be carrying and we'll leave you on your merry way,” one of the thugs said in a manner that implied anything but what he was saying.  The girl, no matter how foolish she may have been for coming here, seemed to realize this and clenched up as if to flee.  Realizing she would never make it out the alley, I stepped from the darkness and approached them.

    “Let her go,” I said in as menacing a voice any fifteen year old girl could manage.  My sudden presence seemed to surprise them, but it quickly vanished upon seeing me.

    “And why should we let such a fair catch go, little girly?” one of them murmured as he took a few steps toward me, the stench of cheap booze coming with him.

    “Because I'll give you a few new holes for you to piss out of if you don't!” I shouted, pulling the knife from behind my back.  The man's eyes flickered for a second but he kept approaching.

    “Come now, what's a little girl like you going to do with...” his words transformed into a ragged shout when I slashed his outstretched arm.  “Me arm!  You bitch, I'll...” again his words stopped as I approached him, knife at the ready.

    “Get out of here or I'll cut ya in ways that won't heal up so easy!” I shouted, glaring back and forth between him and his partner.  The man's eyes narrowed for a second before he turned and ran off down the ally, his friend following suit behind him.  I let out a shaky breath as my nerves were allowed to loosen.  It wasn't the first time I'd had to use my knife but it never got any less frightening.  I walked over to the trembling girl and offered my hand, a hint of anger shooting through me when she flinched away before I realized I was still holing the knife in my other hand.  “Sorry about that...” I said as I returned the knife to my shoe and offered the hand again.  She paused for a moment before accepting it and allowed me to help her to her feet where she promptly wrapped me up in a tight embrace.

    “Oh, I was so frightened!” she wailed into my neck, I could feel hot tears dripping down from her cheeks.  Awkwardly, I put my arms around her to offer some comfort.  “I was on my way home from my uncle's when those two brutes grabbed me and pulled me into this filthy place.  I... I feared... oh I'd been told of the unspeakable things the homeless are capable of but I never imagined I'd...” I pushed her away from me and glared at her.

    “It's always the same,” I whispered before turning and walking away.  Even risking my life to save someone didn't earn me any respect.

    “Please wait!” she called out after me, hurrying to catch up.  “I don't know what I said to offend you so but I do apologize for whatever it was!”  I sighed and kept walking.

    “Doesn't matter,” I muttered, walking down the block with her on my heels.  It was obvious that she didn't want to be alone after what had happened but a small part of me found it comforting nonetheless.  I'd never had someone with me while I searched for a place to sleep.

    “I'm afraid it does to me!  You just saved me from being savaged by those vagabonds and it won't do to have upset you for any reason.  I must apologize for my rudeness and thank you accordingly for your bravery.  I...” she paused in her ranting when she noticed me checking the allies that we passed.  “May I ask what you're looking for?” she asked nervously.

    “Even us damsel saving homeless girls need to sleep somewhere,” I said bitterly, finally turning to face her.  Her eyes softened as she looked me up and down for the first time, a look of understanding in her eyes when she faced me once more.

    “I'm sorry... that was rude of me before,” she said quietly.  It sounded genuine enough so I gave her a small smile.

    “Look, forget about it, I'm just in a bad mood because I didn't get anything to eat, soup kitchen ran out early.”  

    “Oh you poor thing!” she exclaimed loudly.  It was strange, her voice didn't carry any of the usual pity I normally heard with those words, there was definitely something different about this girl.  “If it wouldn't offend you may I offer to buy you a meal?  It's the least I could do after you saved me.”  I stopped her from reaching into her handbag and shook my head.

    “That's not why I helped you.  I just... I can't stand to see girls treated bad, is all.  I grew up with it. Hell, I live out here to get away from it.”

    “I see...” she said thoughtfully.  “Though I do feel sorry for the way you acquired it I am very grateful for your... chivalry,” she said with a blush.  I found my resistance against the girl weakening as I offered a more friendly smile.

    “Where do you live?”

    “Pardon?” she asked, slightly confused.

    “I maybe could walk you there if you want... pretty girl like you shouldn't be out on her own at night anyway.”

    “You... you would do that for me?” she asked, a warmth that had been missing filling her face.  I gave the girl an admiring look, taking in the dark curls of her long hair, thick full lips, and a body that was just starting to fill out with a woman's curves.  I could have laughed at how different we were if it wasn't so depressing.  My own hair was a sort of dirty blonde color and cropped short by my own hand with my trusty knife, my face was also thin and pale from lack of eating and had a light sprinkle of freckles across the bridge of my nose.  My body was also more angular, thin, and lanky but whether it was from my lifestyle or just how I was born, I couldn't say.  In a way, I was grateful for my somewhat boyish appearance, after all, the prettier you were on the streets the more dangerous it was for you.  It was sad in a way, adding in our levels of wealth the two of us were as different as night and day.

    “Go against my chivalrous ways to let a lady like you travel without someone to take care of her,” I said with a laugh and held out my arm for her, the action adding to her already adorable blush.  Part of my heart fell with the words, knowing that my attraction to girls like her had been a major cause of the troubles in my life.  The feeling was forgotten however as she slipped an arm through mine and pointed off down the street.

    “It's a few blocks that way, I believe, my brave knight,” she giggled, playing along with the little game as we started off towards her home.

    “You know, I'm glad I met you tonight,” I said after a while.

    “Oh?” she asked.  “I would think you would regret it after having your life put in danger by those animals.”

    “You get used to that kinda thing,” I said, smiling sadly.  “I'm glad I met you because I'm usually all alone on Christmas, it feels kinda nice getting to spend some time with a person who don't treat me like rubbish, especially one as pretty as you.”

    “That's the second time you've called me pretty...” she said quietly.  I froze, pulling her to a stop with me.

    “Sorry bout that... it's a habit I had around pretty girls like you.  I don't mean to...”  She giggled again.

    “I'm not upset you silly girl, it's sweet coming from someone like you.”

    “Someone like me?” I asked, somewhat suspicious.

    “Someone who...” she paused and considered her words carefully.  “Someone who has very little to be happy for and yet is still willing to risk their safety to protect someone in trouble.  You have every reason to hate someone like me based on appearance alone because of the way wealthy people likely treat you but you still saved me and then sought no reward.  You're a kind and wonderful person... and you really don't deserve to live as you do.  I...” she stopped again, blinking a few times.  “I just realized I don't even know your name!  My name is Wendy, Wendy Darling,” she said, pulling away and giving me a curtsy.  I laughed and bowed low.

    “Petra Pan, happy to be of service to such a fine lady.”  Still blushing readily, she linked her arm with mine once more and we continued the much too short walk to her family's estate.  Upon arrival I let out a low whistle as I took in the place.  “Wow... I feel out of place just standing in front of it!”  She laughed nervously, pulling away to clasp my hand in hers.

    “Won't you please come in?  I'm certain my family would delight in having you after your bravery!” she said, eyes pleading with mine.  With some effort I managed to coax a fake smile onto my face.

    “I'm sure they would, Wendy, but I've got to get going, don't wanna lose out on a good spot,” I lied, not wanting to hurt the sweet girl’s feelings with the sad truth that her family would throw me out without hesitation.  “You've already done me more kindness them I'm used to, best Christmas of my life!” I said, trying not to choke up as I realized it was true.

    “But... I want to do so much more for you...” she murmured, lowering her eyes.  A crazy thought struck me and I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face as I fished through my pockets.

    “How's about we share a kiss?” I asked, pleased with my own cleverness as I located the small thimble and hid it behind my back.

    “A-A kiss?” she asked, her face immediately going dark crimson as she turned her eyes away.  My stomach fluttered at the sight.

    “Yeah, it's easy!” I said, closing my eyes to keep from getting too caught up on her pretty face.  “We just step forward and...”  Something soft and warm was pressed against my lips.  Stunned, I opened my eyes to find myself face to face with Wendy, eyes closed, her head tilted slightly to the side as she kissed me.  It was the most wonderful moment of my entire life.  Slowly, she pulled away and opened her eyes.  “I... Wendy...”

    “Merry Christmas, Petra,” she said, chewing on her bottom lip nervously.  A hint of concern suddenly entered her eyes when she looked up at me, reaching out gently to brush away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen.

    “Thank you...” I whispered, not daring to say more.  She smiled and rocked back and forth on her heels for a moment.

    “I should probably get inside. They're probably worried sick about me being out so late.”

    “I'm sure they are.  Just glad I could get you home safe to them...” I said, turning around slowly.

    “Petra... I want to see you again!  Can you promise me that we'll meet again?”  There was such honest sincerity in her voice that it pierced my heart like a knife.  I allowed another smile to form and turned to her, holding out the thimble in front of me.

    “What's this?” she asked, peering at the tiny object curiously.

    “It's a kiss,” I said, grinning as the realization struck her.

    “So you meant... and I... oh how dreadfully embarrassing!”  I couldn't help but giggle.

    “Hey no worries, I liked yours much better!” I said, laughing outright as she tried to glare at me and failed miserably due to her blush.

    “You're horrible!” she huffed, turning away and crossing her arms.  Within a few seconds she was already peering at me over her shoulder.  “So you wish to give this to me?  This kiss of yours?”  I shook my head.

    “Nope, we're gonna share it just like I wanted!”

    “How do you mean?” she asked, humility forgotten as she turned to regard the tiny thimble like it was solid gold.

    “Well, I'll give it to you tonight and then the next time we meet you give it back to me and so on.  And this is my lucky charm so I'll be wanting it back soon, you hear!”  She seemed taken aback by my abruptness at first but smiled and nodded as the implication set in.

    “I promise,” she said, reaching out to take it from my finger and clutch it to her chest.

    “Well, I should be off, want to get a good spot and all that...” I said, taking a few steps away from the smiling girl.

    “You be safe!” she called out to me.  I nodded and bowed low before giving her a wink and turning away to walk back to the cheep streets.  I noticed it felt a lot colder without her at my side but I shook the thought away.  Now wasn't the time to be depressed, I'd just been kissed by the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.  This was the happiest day of my life...

--

    So lost was I in my memories of the time I'd spent with Wendy Darling that I didn't notice the piece of wood descending towards my head.  It was strange, I knew that the two men from before were hitting and kicking me but I couldn't feel a thing.  Hell, I couldn't even feel the cold of the quickly reddening snow I was laying in, or even the ground beneath that.  It felt like I was flying, flying far away into the sky.  It was so beautiful amongst the stars... I'd have to remember to take Wendy flying with me sometime.  Flying with that beautiful girl... I'm sure she'd love it so much that she would smile and laugh and it would all be just for me... so that's exactly what I was going to do.

    It's a good thing I went flying through the stars that night, it really is.  If I had stayed I would have had to hear the sounds of a woman screaming upon finding the battered and broken body of a young homeless girl as she returned home.  I would have had to hear the pitying grumbles of the neighbors as they gathered from the woman's screams and the dreadful sirens of the police and ambulance as they arrived.  And worst of all... I would have heard the heartbroken wailing of a young girl as the men from the ambulance collected that homeless girl’s body and took it away... a young girl clutching a small thimble to her chest...

    It's a good thing I wasn't there to experience that sadness because I was on a trip to the place I had wished for years to visit.  A place where happy thoughts can do the most wonderful things...

Forever In Neverland

Chapter Two

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Happy thoughts...

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    I had the most wonderful dreams that night, all of them having to do with Wendy Darling.  Rescuing her from two ogres, escorting her home on a white horse, kissing her under the mistletoe at Christmas time, and my favorite, flying with her amongst the stars.  It had been a long time since I'd had such wonderful dreams...

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    “Gods my head hurts!” I shouted upon waking.  It felt like someone had driven needles into my skull.

    “That's because I bumped your head on the wall when I brought you in.  Not my fault you're heavier than the ones I usually bring over!” a tiny voice said.  It was strange, it almost sounded like the voice was coming from inside my head.  I didn't have time to consider it though.  Panic quickly began to take over as the words sunk in.

    “Who the hell are you and where have you brought me?!” I shouted, failing to be the least bit menacing due to a long groan and an inability to raise myself up properly.  The voice made a surprised yelping sound and something was pressed lightly against my cheek.

    “You... you can hear me?” the voice asked timidly.  Confused and nervous, I slowly cracked open one eye to see what was happening.  There standing on my cheek was a tiny blonde girl, no more than six inches tall, with a set of rainbow shaded translucent wings sprouting from her back.  I closed my eye and laid my head back slowly, certain that I was still asleep.  “Hmm... just an accident I guess... but I may as well make sure,” the voice said as the pressure on my cheek lifted away with a faint breeze.  I was just settling down to wonder when I'd wake up when my eyelid was suddenly jerked open, forcing the tiny winged woman back into view.  “I just wanted you to know that you're a fat ugly beast and you stink like the crap of a sick animal!” the tiny girl shouted, and though her lips were moving the words again appeared in my head and, after they were processed, a flash of anger shot through me.

    “You little bitch!” I shouted, swatting sluggishly at the miniature girl who simply flitted away on her wings to avoid being smacked.

    “You can hear me!  But... but humans aren't supposed to hear me!”

    “How could I not hear you when you're shouting in my head like that?!” I shouted, clutching at the side of my head which had begun to throb at the sudden motion.

    “Inside your head?” she asked, hovering a little closer to me, I cast her a sour look.

    “Yeah, kinda like a whisper or... wait, why the hell am I even talking with some dream pixie thing?!  And why can't this dream be like the others...”  The tiny woman promptly flew forward and kicked me in the nose with a surprising amount of force.

    “I'm a fairy, you dummy, not some air headed pixie!  And this isn't a dream!”  I clutched at my nose and cast her a scathing look.

    “Ow!  That hurt you little...” I paused, slowly shifting my hand to poke my nose, wincing at the pain.  “This... this isn't a...”

    “A little slow in the head, are we?  Didn't think I'd bumped you that hard...”

    “So I... I'm really talking with a six inch pixie girl?”  She put her hands on her hips and glared at me.

    “Fairy!  I'm a fairy!  Jeeze, it's not that hard to remember!”  She then huffed and turned away from me, crossing her arms over her chest.  “And I'm six and a half inches tall, thank you very much!”  I fell back on the small cot and brought my hands up to my head.

    “W-What happened?  Where am I?”  She turned and looked at me skeptically.

    “You don't remember?”  I clutched at the side of my head and tried to think of where I last remembered being.

    “I remember... saving Wendy from those thugs and walking her home.  We talked for a while and she kissed me...” I blushed at the memory of Wendy's lips on my own.  Another twinge of pain shot through my head and the memories began to become hazy.  “I think... I think I remember her calling out to me as I left but it's all fuzzy.  After that I just remember some dreams I had and then waking up here with you.”  The fairy girl was quiet for a long time before answering.  I used the pause to look around myself for the first time, realizing that I must be in a cave of sorts because the walls looked to be made entirely of stone.  Apart from the cot I'd woken up on there were two doors, a desk, a rocking chair, a basket hung from the ceiling, and a set of drapes covering what I could only assume was a window from the faint light coming from behind them.  All of the items looked fairly old and were covered in a thick layer of dust.

    “I had a feeling you'd be different from the others, I've never heard someone as old as you calling out to me...”

    “I called out to you?”

    “They all do, that's how I know who to bring here.  It's been a long time since I've brought over anyone though, I was starting to wonder if there were any more who knew... but then you called out, and louder than I'd ever heard before, nearly vibrated my wings clear off!  When I found you... well, it's probably best that you've forgotten, normally it takes ages for the new ones to forget and they're always happier afterwards.”  I made to speak but she cut me off and continued.  “And you can hear me speak too... you're an odd one alright, I've only heard about humans talking to fairy's in stories... not another one like you to be found here now though.”  I furrowed my brow.

    “You keep saying 'here'... where are we?”  She looked at me confusedly for a moment before flying down to tug at my finger, pulling me over to the curtains.  

    “You're right where you've always wished to be!” she shouted as she flew over to tug at a string, opening the curtains and sending up a cloud of dust.  Coughing and waving my hand to clear it I found sunlight on my face followed by a cool breeze.  Swallowing hard, I stepped forward and looked out the window at the world around me.  My eyes followed a flock of gulls as they dipped down past the window and along the cliff side where the apartment lay.  They flew low along the lightly churning sheet of water before bursting upwards into the sky to drift lazily towards the sunset.  I tore my eyes from the wondrous sight to drift along the ocean coast, finding a thick forest to my left and a seemingly endless plain to my right.  There was a sound like an explosion from the water and I looked just in time to see a massive whale burst from the water only to spread a pair of enormous wings and send a gust of wind so powerful it nearly blew me over as it sped off in the direction of the gulls.  A series of loud squawking noises from my right drew my attention from the winged whale to a pack of odd creatures sprinting across the plains.  They looked like a combination of an ostrich and a giraffe with their bald heads and pointy beaks atop stiff long necks, plump bodies, and short feathered wings.

    “This... this is impossible!”  A sound like faraway holiday bells filled my mind as the fairy girl landed on my shoulder and leaned against my cheek, I realized the sound was probably her laughter.

    “Of course it's possible you silly girl!  Anything is possible in Neverland!”

    “I'm in Neverland...” I whispered quietly, just seconds before my eyes rolled up into my head and fell flat on my back unconscious.

    “Oh dear...”

--

    A quick look around when I awoke was enough to tell me that it hadn't all been just a dream.  The moonlight shining through the open window told me I'd been unconscious for at least a couple hours.  It was strange, my head was telling me that I should have been more afraid but I just couldn't manage it.  There was something so comforting about the room or maybe it was something in the air... but I'd never felt more at peace.

    A quick tiptoe around the room revealed the fairy girl to be asleep in the basket that hung from the ceiling.  She'd traded in the frilly green dress she'd been wearing for what looked like a tea cozy with holes poked in it so she could wear it as a nightgown.  There was something heartwarming about the sight of her snuggled up next to a frayed and worn teddy bear that must seem massive to someone her size.

    I found myself drawn to the window by the sounds of waves lapping against the base of the cliff.  Simply gazing out across the beautiful scenery I knew in my heart that this really was the place my mother had told me about in her bedtime stories.  A place of endless beauty where you could laugh and play as much as you wanted and never have to worry about growing old.  I'd finally found that wonderful paradise and yet... something in my heart told me that I was missing something... like a piece of me had been left behind...

--

    “Wendy...”

    “Hmm?” the fairy girl murmured, yawning and stretching as she floated over to the window from her basket.

    “The girl I saved before you brought me here... I can't stop thinking about her.  Is it possible to go back?”  She landed on my shoulder and sat down to look out the window with me.

    “You really are a strange one, aren't you?  You haven't even stepped outside and you're already wanting to go back.”

    “To visit I mean.  I'd like to tell her where I am so she won't worry when she doesn't see me again.  We'd made a promise to see each other again and I don't want to break it.” I said, turning to look down at the fairy girl, noticing her eyes were downcast.

    “You don't need to worry about that... everybody knows that you're gone.”

    “How's that?” I asked, only to have her shake her head.

    “I can't really explain that but that's just how it is, okay?  Besides, we have more important things to talk about anyway. You need to learn how things work around here.  You should feel lucky that you can have me explain things to you, most of them have to figure it out for....”

    “You didn't answer my question,” I interrupted.  “Is it possible to go back and visit?”  She stood and stamped her foot before glaring at me.

    “Fine, I'll tell you!  Remember those stories I mentioned about the human that could talk to fairies?” I nodded.  “They say there was a young woman that managed to come here by accident which had never happened before or since.  They say she was able to talk to the fairy that watched after the place she had come to, which is this very room I might add, but that for some reason she went back to the other world at some point.  Some of the stories say she came back to live here eventually and others say different but nobody really knows if any of it's true to begin with, it supposedly happened a really long time ago.  Although I'm guessing there's some truth to it somewhere because I'm standing here talking to a human myself... one who unfortunately is stubborn as a mule!”

    “Sorry about that... this is all just so overwhelming,” I relented, not wanting to agitate her any further.  Her face softened a bit before she lifted off my shoulder and flew towards her basket.

    “I'm sorry too. This is a new experience for me as well.  But let's not let it get in the way of things, there's lots of stuff you need to learn.  I need to get changed but you can wait for me outside if you want, just don't stray too far!”  Not knowing which door to take I simply picked the closest one but paused before opening it.

    “I just realized I don't even know you're name... um... fairy's do have names right?  My name's Petra Pan in case you didn't know.”

    “Of course we have names... although I don't really like mine.  How about you just call me Tinker Bell?”

    “That's an interesting one, how did you come up with that?”

    “I like to fix and mend things, mostly old pots and whatnot so... Tinker.  I've actually got a pretty big collection.  Oh, that reminds me!  Make sure you don't open the...”  Too late I'd already opened the door only to be consumed by a tidal wave of various pots, pans, and other oddities.  “...closet.”  I could hear that familiar sound of faraway bells as I struggled to pull a particularly large kettle off of my head.

    “And I'm guessing the last part comes from that pretty sound you make when you laugh?” I muttered after freeing myself.  She paused where she hovered in front of me, hands still on her sides from laughing so hard.

    “What do you mean?”

    “I hear this adorable sound in my head like a bunch of little bells ringing from faraway when you laugh.  Figured that's how you got the last part of your name.”  She turned away from me then and it was hard to tell but I could have sworn she was blushing.

    “Well... I don't know anything about that...” she murmured before turning back around to look at me worriedly.  “You're not hurt are you?  That looked really funny but it must have...”  The closet, it would seem, had a little humor left in it as a small tea cup managed to roll off of a high shelf and bump Tinker Bell from behind as it fell, sending her flying over my head with a yelp.  A thin mist of golden dust trailed after her as she flew by, drifting down to settle over where I was sitting.

    “What's this stuff?” I managed to ask through my laughter before breathing in some of it and breaking out into a fit of sneezes.

    “What stuff?” she muttered as she flew around in front of me, casting a glare at the closet as she rubbed her butt, red faced with embarrassment.

    “I don't know, this weird dust stuff came off you when the cup hit you... it's tickling my nose like crazy!”  She paused in her rubbing to stare at me incredulously.

    “You could see my Fairy Dust?!”

    “See it?  Hell, I'm choking on it!” I shouted before sneezing again, noticing a faint hint of sparkles in the air I'd let out.  “Why?  Is that bad or something?  It's not poisonous is it?!”  Tinker Bell didn't seem to hear me, instead placing her head in her hands as she hovered slowly away.

    “Oh... nothing about this is right at all!  No memories of how she got here, she can speak to fairies, and now she can see Fairy Dust...”

    “Hey, that last question was kind of important!” I shouted after her but received no response.

    “If she can see Fairy Dust then maybe she can see the Gateways!  Oh this isn't good at all!”

    “Well this is just great!  I've been here one night and I've already been poisoned or something!  Some paradise this is...” I muttered, making my way over and throwing myself down on the cot.

    “But even if she can see them it won't do her any good if she can't fly...”

    “Flying...” I whispered to myself, closing my eyes and picturing a dream I'd had the night before.  A surge of elation coursed through my body as the memories consumed me.  The wind whipping through our hair as we flew hand in hand through the clouds. The sheer elation of being weightless combining with the thrill of seeing the ground rush by beneath us to create a sense of sheer joy that I would never forget, even if it was just a dream.

    “Oh no...” she murmured, her tiny mental voice wavering in my mind.

    “What?  What's wrong with me now?” I asked, opening my eyes to find myself inches away from the ceiling...

   

Forever In Neverland

Chapter Three

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Shadow of despair...

--

    If you had asked me but one day before I would have happily told you that I had never before wished myself dead... that I could no longer do.  It should have been my life that was taken on that night, not hers.  She was so brave, independent, and overwhelmingly selfless.  With all my wealth and popularity I had never managed even one of the things a girl with nothing but the clothes on her back had been able to become.  She deserved so much better then she had and because of me she would never have the chance to lay claim to it... because of me, she was dead...

--

    “It should be me lying in this grave...” I whispered, tracing the words on the marble headstone with my fingers.

Petra Pan

My Savior...

    Nobody had believed what she had done of course, they figured it was simply a child's passing fancy.  I'd had to scream and cry for hours to get my father to purchase the burial plot and the headstone but it was the least she deserved.

    “I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit yesterday,” I said quietly, removing a wilting bundle of roses and replacing them with fresh ones.  “I've been busy with school and my music lessons and what have you.  Between you and me it's all rather boring,” I whispered, giggling to myself at the image of her rolling her eyes.  “You'd find me strange, wouldn't you?  Sitting here prattling on about nonsense...”  I smiled at a passing memory.  “You were in my dreams again and they were even stranger then before.  You were learning to fly from this hovering orb of light and...” I giggled, “I dare say it wasn't going so well.  You kept bumping into this or that and falling on your bottom!  Like all the dreams I have of you I awoke feeling so light at heart that I felt I too could leap into the sky.”  I paused for a moment to imagine the two of us soaring through the clouds together.  Sometimes I wonder if you dream about me as well... it's silly, I know.  You probably have much more wonderful things to do then fretting away your time thinking of the foolish girl you rescued.  Although I would be happy to call myself foolish if the kiss we shared still put a light in your heart as it does mine...” I finished, dabbing at my tears with a hankie.  I could hear the faint crunch of leaves behind me.

    “Wendy dear, it's time to be off,” my mother said quietly, I didn't even have to look at her to know how uncomfortable she was, they simply didn't understand.  I sighed and collected the small metal thimble from the base of the stone.  

    “You've had it for two days now so I'll be taking it with me tonight, that's only fair right?  We did promise to trade it whenever our paths should cross.”  I placed a gentle kiss on the headstone before standing and brushing myself off.  “Goodbye my sweet savior... when next I visit I hope to bring you a wonderful gift...” I whispered, smiling as a gentle breeze took up to caress my tear stained cheek.

--

    “Wendy, I was wondering if I might... what the devil are you wearing?!” John asked incredulously, taking in the torn and soiled clothes I was currently garbed in.  I stormed over and pulled him into the room and shut the door behind him.

    “You must promise me now, John, on your love for me as siblings that you will not tell mother and father what you have seen!” I shouted, clutching him about the shoulders.  I hated myself for the fear I saw in his eyes but I had no choice.  I knew I'd push myself into madness if I went any longer without acting.  After a time, his eyes softened.

    “This is about that girl that got killed, isn't it?” he asked somberly.  I nodded, tears burning in my eyes.  “What mother and father say isn't true then, she really did save you like you say?” I nodded again, pulling him into an embrace.

    “The ones who killed her are still out there and I cannot stand the thought of them being free after what they've done!”

    “But Wendy...”  I pulled away and pressed a finger to his lips.

    “Don't worry, I'm not going to confront them directly, I just need to find them and then phone the police.  Now, do you swear not to tell mother and father?”  The boy considered it for a moment and then nodded.  “Oh thank you, John,” I whispered, kissing him on the forehead before pulling away.  “Tell me, how do I look?”  He looked me slowly up and down while rubbing his chin.

    “The clothes look right and filthy but you're all prim and proper,” he said, pointing at the mirror on my desk.  I gave myself a quick inspection and noted the cleanliness of my face and hands really didn't match the clothes.  With some trepidation I scooped some dirt from a potted plant and rubbed a bit of it on my cheeks and hands before turning to face him once more.  “Better?”

    “Hm, maybe... I've got it!  I'll be but a moment!” he shouted, slipping out the door to run off down the hall.  A trickle of fear that he might be running to fetch mother wormed it's way down my spine but was forgotten when he returned, holding the old page boys cap he'd worn as a paperboy.  “To cover your hair,” he said, slipping it over my head and helping me tuck my hair in.  The effect, I noticed after turning to look myself over, was astounding.  I was virtually unrecognizable.

    “Oh thank you so much, John!  It's perfect!” I shouted, swooping down to kiss his cheek which he wiped away with mock irritation.  I made my way over to the window and prepared myself for the climb down the trellis.

    “Wendy...”  I turned to see him wringing his hands nervously.

    “Yes?”

    “You fancied this girl... didn't you?”  I smiled.

    “Yes, yes I do...” I said before swinging out onto the woodwork and making my way to the ground.

--

    The walk to the local soup kitchen was short but it was an experience I would not soon forget.  The way people avoided me or cast foul looks simply because of the way I was dressed, it was like stepping into another world.  You must of have been so lonely...  Deep down I felt a bit of warmth in my heart for having done this.  In a way it felt like I had drawn closer to her, even if just a little...

--

    Despair set in the instant I stepped through the doors, nearly fifty people sat at the tables or waited in line for their serving.  In my mind it had been the simple matter of walking in and pointing out the vile creatures that had taken Petra from this world.  The thought that they might not even be here today, or may have left the city entirely was almost crushing.  The idea that I might be letting her down by giving her murderers the justice they deserved began eating away at the courage I had gathered.  The choice to flee was taken from me, however, when someone shoved me forward from behind.

    “Move along there, some of us is wanting to eat,” a grizzled old man muttered as he shouldered past me to stand in line.

    Swallowing hard, I took my own place behind him, casting my eyes at the gathered crowd in hopes of sighting my targets.  I was practically trembling as the line continued to shorten and before I knew it I was collecting my own filthy bowl and waiting not three people back from receiving my ladle of soup.  When it was my turn the man serving it set the ladle down and looked at me crossly.

    “Now what's a young one like you doin' here?”

    “Excuse me?” I asked nervously.

    “It's not safe you being out so young, lost one your age not long ago.”  My stomach tightened.  “Murdered on a busy street and not a lick of care put into finding the one who done it.  Is that what ye want for yerself?”  I had to grit my teeth from shouting out that I was doing just that.  “For the good of your soul, drag yerself home and forget this nonsense.”  I took a deep breath to steady myself.

    “I don't have a home.”  The man's eyes softened a bit.

    “If you like I could call someone that could maybe help you out, find a warm place for you to sleep?” he asked.  Before I could answer the person behind me nudged me in the ribs.

    “Don't listen to the lies, kid.  He'll just call the police and make 'em send you home or lock you up.”

    “Bah, shut it you, I'm only doin' what's best.”  An idea struck me.

    “I'll think about it... but I'd like to eat first, if that's okay?” I asked, hoping with all my heart he'd go along.  A surge of elation flowed through me as the man nodded and filled my bowel with soup.

    “Good on you!  I'll be here when you finish.”

    I thanked the man and turned to look for a seat, finding one a few rows in on the opposite side of the line. I settled onto the bench and grimaced at the greasy cabbage soup in front of me before casting a quick look around to see the others devouring it happily. I made a note to ask father to donate some money to this place when I returned home, it was cruel that this be their only source for a warm meal.  I mimed eating a few spoonfuls as my eyes darted from face to face in search of the two that I sought. As the minutes drew on my hope was dwindling and I began chastising myself for being so foolhardy.  It was right as I was about to leave that I heard a voice I would never, ever, forget.

    “What say we do a lil'... shopping after the meal, eh Roger?”  I turned around slowly to see the backs of two men seated on the bench behind me.  My heart was threatening to beat itself free of my chest as my mind warred with the possibility that I might be wrong.  The taller one turned then and there could be no mistaking the scarred cheek and piercing blue eye of the man that had attacked me... the man I know stole Petra's life.  I stood, barely resisting the urge to leap on him and claw his eyes from his face, and made way up to the man serving the soup.

    “Ah, ready for me to phone the...” the man began but paused upon seeing me trembling with barely concealed hatred, hands balled into fists.

    “Petra... the girl that was murdered... her name was Petra.”

    “Ai, it was, but how do you...”

    “The men... those monsters that murdered her are sitting right over there.  Please... for the sake of that sweet girl that deserved so much better then what she had... phone the police and tell them to hurry.”  The man opened his mouth as if to speak but stopped short upon seeing the iron hard look I was giving him.  He closed his mouth, nodded, and stepped into a back room.  I leaned forward and gripped the counter so hard my knuckles were white, praying they would arrive in time.

--

    “What's your name, lad?” the lead officer asked me, confusing me for a moment until I remember how I must look.  I thanked my lucky stars that it was the same officer that had questioned me before.

    “Wendy Darling.”  The man squinted in disbelief.  “You questioned me before... about the girl that was murdered near my father's estate.”  The man peered at me closely for a moment before his eyes widened in shock.

    “By the saints, what are you doing here, girl?!  I doubt George Darling would allow his only daughter to go...”

    “I found them!” I interrupted.  “None of you believed me but I found them!  The ones that murdered her, they're here, right over here!  Just like I told you before, a man with bright blue eyes with a scar under his right one with a short fat man who's missing a piece of his left ear!  You have to arrest them!”  The man gave me a long hard look before nodding.

    “If this turns out to be a prank...”

    “It's not, I swear!  They're sitting right there at the far table!”  The officer nodded at two of his fellows and stepped into the main area.

    “We're conducting a search!  Anyone caught trying to leave will be arrested immediately, is that understood?!”  The room was silent but for the clicking of their boots as I followed along behind them to the table where the two of them sat.  “You two fit the description of suspects in an attempted robbery and a murder investigation.  You'll need to follow me to answer some questions.”  A rush of nervous excitement rushed through my body, it was really happening, I'd done it.

    “That's them... I'll never forget those faces for as long as I live!”

    “What's this little pisser on about?” the taller of the two muttered, I never seen this kid in me life.”  I glared daggers into the man.

    “Check his left arm, there'll be a scar on his forearm from where she slashed him.”  The man's eyes narrowed as his sleeve was pulled up to reveal a thick scar right where I'd said it to be.

    “Search them at once!” the officer ordered.

    “This is rubbish, I got this diggin' through the bins at...”

    “This one has a knife!” one of the searching officers announced, my heart fell at the sight of it.

    “You stole it from her!” I shrieked, barely restraining the urge to hurl myself at him.  The man sneered.

    “I've had that knife for years, this little git's off the rocker!”

    “There's something carved into the stock, looks like... P.P.”  Trembling, I reached up and removed the cap, letting my hair fall free around my shoulders.  The man let out a growl, recognition filling his eyes.

    “You little bitch!  Should have slashed you up when I had the chance!” he roared, throwing off the officer holding him and lunging at me.  All my hatred and nervous excitement combined together in a surge of adrenaline I used to kick him as hard as I could between his legs.  He let out a gurgle and toppled over clutching himself.  

    “Her name was Petra Pan... and she was a thousand times more deserving of life then shit like you!” I shouted, spitting on his face before turning away, never wanting to lay eyes on the man again... not even to see him hang.

--

    Nearly everything had settled down in the days following the arrest.  Mother and father had greeted me with a mixture of apology and chastisement, sorry for the way they had treated me yet disappointed that I would take such a risk.  The police had also apologized for not believing me, and after the trial they'd even let me take home Petra's knife after being informed of how I'd cared for her resting place.  In the end the only thing that hadn't sorted itself out were my feelings.  The sense of guilt and shame at being the cause of her death still ate away at my conscious.  As the weeks went on it was becoming unbearable, the sweet and happy dreams I had of her only adding to my despair...

--

    “You'd think me strange, wouldn't you?” I asked to the knife in my hand.  “Being so distraught over a girl I'd known but an hour... but I cannot help the way that I feel.  You changed me that night... showed me the emptiness that I did not know had laid claim to my heart and continue to fill that lonely pit in my dreams.  If only I could but understand why I still think of you every moment whether I wake or sleep.  I thought my guilt would leave after I found them... after I made them pay for what they did to you... but my longing has grown only stronger!  Were we fated to be together only to have it torn asunder and left to dangle?  Are you still out there somewhere wishing as much as I to be at your side... or to fly together hand and hand through the sky?  Or am I just a silly girl who cannot let go of a fleeting hint of romance?” I sighed and laid the knife on my dresser so I could ready myself for bed, pausing upon noticing a bitter chill had crept through the room.

    “If you do not wish to remain in this world...” a man's voice whispered slowly, “I would delight in removing you from it.”  The hair on the nape of my neck rose on end as my eyes darted between the bolted door and the locked window, finding both of them undisturbed.  Trembling with a fear so deep it sucked the air from my lungs I turned slowly to face a cloaked and hooded figure standing at the foot of my bed...

Forever In Neverland

Chapter Four

--

Naked bonding...

--

    Upon realizing that I'd been about to bump my nose on the ceiling, the memories of the dream had vanished and I dropped like a stone back onto the cot.

    “It just never quits with you, does it?!” Tinker Bell scolded as she hovered over the bed.  “You've been here less then a day and you're already breaking rules left and right!”

    “Well I'm not doing this stuff on purpose!” I shot back irritably as I rubbed my now sore backside.  Tinker Bell paused and chewed on her lip for a moment before hovering down to land on my chest.

    “What were you thinking about when you were flying?”

    “What the hell does that matter?”

    “Just answer the question, dummy!” she shouted, tapping her foot impatiently.  I quirked an eyebrow at the fairy girl for a moment before sighing and leaning my head back.

    “I dunno... I was just remembering a dream I had is all.”

    “What kind of dream?”  I started to protest again but paused at the sound of her cracking her knuckles.  Remembering how hard she could kick I decided not to press my luck.

    “A dream about Wendy, we were flying through the clouds together.”

    “So it was a happy dream then?”

    “Happiest I can ever recall having.”  Tinker Bell tucked her chin in her hand and began to pace around my chest.  After a while she paused and turned to me.

    “Do you think you could remember it again?”

    “I don't think I'll ever forget a dream like that, it felt so real...” I said, smiling at the memory of it.  She let out a deep sigh and stomped up to lean on my chin.

    “Guess there's no way around it then... I swear you'll be the death of me!” she shouted, flying down to tug a finger.  She managed to pull me off the bed and proceeded to drag me towards the door I hadn't opened.

    “No way around what?  Where are you taking me?”

    “Outside.  I'm going to teach you how to fly...”

--

    Three days of crashing into trees and falling on my ass passed by in a miserable haze.  I quickly learned that aimlessly drifting while relaxed and conscious, controlled, flight were completely different things.  To make matters worse even my dreams seemed to be working against me.  It was becoming harder and harder to pick out my happy thought from the dreams of Wendy miserable and alone... or worse, being haunted by some shadowy figure...

--

    “Hey, Tink, why are you even teaching me how to do this?” I managed to groan, glancing at her basket from the cot.

    “Would you rather I left you to float randomly without any control over it?” she muttered.

    “That's not an answer.”  I heard her sigh before her head peaked over the rim.

    “A couple different reasons.”

    “Like?”  She sighed again and flew down to land on my chest.

    “Convenience for one.  We're going to be covering a lot of ground once you start to get involved with things around here, being able to fly will make you a lot more useful.”

    “What else?” I asked, putting my hands behind my head and scooting back a bit to get more comfortable.

    “Well the next one's kind of a surprise I'm saving for tomorrow so you'll just have to wait on that one,” she said, smiling mischievously.  I rolled my eyes as she lay down on my chest in much the same position I was in.  “Then there's curiosity of course.  I've never even heard of a human that could fly, not even in the old stories.  You're a mystery, Petra... but a welcome one,” she murmured quietly with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.

    “I'm happy then... you know, that I'm not such a bother.  You sounded so frustrated before.”

    “It's not every day a girl who can talk to you, see Fairy Dust, and fly drops into your lap!”  

    “I'd hope not, girl your size would be smashed flat if I fell in your lap.”  She uncrossed her legs and dug one of her heels into my chest.

    “Oh shut up you, you know what I meant!”  I grinned and tickled her side with the tip of my finger, giggling at the sound of faraway bells in my head.  She managed to break away and hover out of reach, glaring down at me with rosy cheeks from her unwilling laughter.

    “Easy now, Tink.  I'm grateful, I swear!” I said, scooting backwards in mock fear.  Her glare gradually broke into a smile and she floated back down to my chest.

    “You're horrible!” she huffed, crossing her arms and turning away from me.  The memory of Wendy doing the exact same thing brought on a mixture of  joy and sadness.

    “Didn't even have to steal a kiss from you...” I said quietly

    “W-What?!” she stammered, her blush deepening several shades.

    “Nothing, just something I remembered.”  Tinker Bell looked at me curiously for a moment before laying down fully on my chest.

    “Did you love her?” she asked after a while.  I smiled.

    “Well I only knew her for about an hour but... maybe.  I can't get her out of my head even when I'm asleep, it's like we're connected or something.”  I let out a long, slow, sigh.  “I wish I could see her again... even if just for a little bit to tell her what's happened...”

    “That's one rule you shouldn't break even if you could... it's dangerous to cross to the other world, even for a fairy.  For you it would probably be suicide.”  I noticed a sort of dreamy quality had entered into her voice and realized she was falling asleep.

    “I really am grateful, Tink.  I'd be lost without you.”

    “I'm grateful too, Petra... it's been so long...” she let out a long, sleepy, yawn, “so long since I've been able... to... laugh...” she murmured, just before drifting off.  I frowned as my mind pieced together all that I knew about the fairy girl.

    “You must have been so lonely...” I whispered, tugging the neckline of my shirt out from under her body to bring it up over her as a makeshift blanket.  “Goodnight, Tinker Bell...”

--

    I woke to find a cool ocean breeze tickling my face and, upon cracking open one sleepy eye, a veritable feast of fruits and vegetables on a plater atop the desk.  Curious, I felt my chest for the fairy girl and found her missing.

    “Tink?”  I questioned to the empty apartment, receiving no response.  Shrugging it off, I rose to a sitting position and crossed my legs.  Focusing to rid myself of the butterflies that began to flutter, I focused my thoughts on Wendy's smiling face and gently lifted free of the bed.  I couldn't help but smile at the sheer liberation that weightlessness offered.

    “You're getting better.”  My eyes snapped opened in surprise and I dropped from the air, thankfully landing on the bed rather than the stone floor.  The sound of Tinker Bell's laughter filled my ears.  “But you still have a ways to go,” she giggled.

    “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up while you can.  Once I can fly like you I can tickle you as much as I please!” I shouted, shaking my fist at her.  She smiled at me for a moment before turning her face away and lowering her eyes.  “Something wrong?”

    “I... I wanted to say I'm sorry for last night.  It was wrong of me to fall asleep on you like that,” she murmured.

    “Is that why you brought me this?” I asked, nodding toward the tray of food.  She nodded shyly.  “You didn't have to do that, Tink, it didn't bother me at all.  You don't exactly weigh a whole lot, ya know?”  She chewed her lip a little before turning to face me.

    “You... you're really not upset?”

    “Not in the least,” I said, grinning broadly when she offered me a small smile.  I took a seat at the desk and sifted through the pile, finding a few familiar looking pieces amid the new and sometimes obscure looking vegetation.  “A girl could definitely get used to this though, I haven't eaten this good since before mom left!”  She fluttered down to the table and picked up a berry the size of her head.

    “Really?  What kind of stuff did you eat?” she asked before taking a large bite and chewing slowly.

    “Cabbage soup mostly, but sometimes they gave us bread.”  Tinker Bell wrinkled her nose and swallowed.

    “Sounds gross, did nobody else in your family like to cook or...” she paused upon seeing the look on my face.

    “I didn't have a family, I'd been living on the streets for a couple years.”

    “I'm sorry... I didn't know.”  I gave her a small smile.

    “Don't be, I chose it because it was the better option.  Besides, if I hadn't I never would have met Wendy... and maybe I wouldn't have met you either!”  The grape fell from her hands and she nervously picked it back up.

    “No... you probably wouldn't have,” she said sadly.

    “But I am here, Tink, and unless you plan on making me leave or something I'm here to stay.”  The fairy girl gave me a shy smile and nodded.

    “I'd like that, Petra, I really would...” she said as the two of us settled in to enjoy our breakfast.

--

    Finding myself in the depths of the forest was more frightening than I had imagined.  I'd been surprised when we hadn't stopped at the rim to practice flying as usual and to make matters worse, Tinker Bell was being unusually secretive about where we were going.  The interior of the forest was dark and creepy with an ever present moaning sound from the trees swaying in the wind.  Then there were the little bits of movement I'd catch out of the corner of my eye from time to time.  From what little I'd seen of the varied animals that inhabited Neverland, I really wasn't looking forward to happening upon the ones that hunted them...

--

    “This is murder!” I gasped, leaning on my knees and gasping for air.  Tinker Bell came to hover in front of my face and stuck her tongue out at me.

    “Guess you should learn to fly a little faster then, now shouldn't you?” she teased before flitting off through the trees.

    “If only to wipe the smug look from your face you little...”

    “And here we are!” she shouted from up ahead.  I lifted off my knees and wiped my brow.  I'd always prided myself on keeping fit but the hike through the forest had taken a brutal toll on my already battered body.  The sight of a few waning cracks of light from ahead just barely brought enough relief from the gloomy forest to motivate me to push through the remaining distance.  The beads of sweat running down my body seemed to double instantly as I stepped from the forest and into a thick cloud of steam.

    “The hell is this?” I called out through the mist, frowning as my clothes sucked onto my body from the moisture.

    “It's a hot spring, silly!” she shouted happily as she flew into view and landed on my shoulder.

    “This was your big secret?  I don't see what this has to do with flying...”

    “We're just stopping here on our way to where we're going, dummy!”

    “Uh huh... and why exactly are we stopping here?” I asked suspiciously.  She lifted off my shoulder and hovered in front of my face.

    “Take a wild guess,” she giggled before flitting off through the haze.

    “Hey!  What's that supposed to...” I paused for a second before leaning down to sniff at my shoulder.  “Oh... I see... hey wait a second!  You saying I stink that bad!” I shouted and started after her, the sound of bells greeted me from the mist.  “I'll get you, you little...”

    “Careful not to fall!” she called out an instant before I stumbled and flailed head first into a pool of steaming water.

    “Hot! Hot!  Shit that's hot!” I shouted after bursting to the surface, hopping around like a mad woman.  The sound of her laughter brought me back to my senses, my eyes narrowing when I discovered her rolling around on the edge of the pool holding her sides.  I peeled off my wet clothes and tossed the trousers onto the rocks but paused a moment with my shirt before grinning and lobbing it at her, the material fanning out to land on her like a giant wet blanket.  I threw my head back and crowed with laughter as she struggled to free herself, a long series of her choice curses filling my mind.  Finally throwing off the soaked material she locked me with foul glare.

    “You dummy!  You could have killed me with... with your... your...”  I paused in my mirth to see her staring at me with a vacant look on her face.

    “Something wrong?” I asked, just as a cool breeze wafted through the area and reminded me of my nudity.  With a yelp I covered myself and sank down into the water.  “Enjoying the view, were we?” I asked, cocking one eyebrow at the still stunned fairy girl, she shook her head to clear it.

    “I'm sorry!  It's just... I've never seen a naked human before...”

    “And?” I asked, somewhat self consciously.

    “You really do look just like a fairy... only bigger and without the wings of course,” she said, blushing brightly.  I offered a shy smile and motioned with my head.

    “Aren't you gonna join me?”  She shook her head nervously.

    “Fairy's don't swim so well, our wings get water logged and we sink.  It's... I'm kind of afraid of the water.”

    “Well I'm not going to just stand here and let you drown or something!  Come on in, the water actually feels really good!”

    “I've always wanted to go in the hot spring... you promise you'll save me?”  I thought about making a sarcastic remark but decided against it, this was obviously something that really bothered her so I simply smiled and nodded.  Chewing on her lip, she reached for the bust of her dress but paused and looked at me.

    “Go on, turn around!”  I put my hands on my hips and looked at her skeptically.

    “Oh, so you're the only one allowed to be curious?”  She simply glared at me for a moment so I shook my head and turned around.  After a moment I heard the quiet drip sound that signaled she'd entered the water and turned to witness the adorable sight of her wading towards me.

    “Wow, this really is nice!” she squeaked excitedly.  “Up until now I've only sat on the edge and...” her eyes went wide as she started to tilt backwards in the water as her wings weighed her down.  I quickly reached out to scoop the thrashing fairy out of the water.  “Help!  Help me I'm...” she paused upon realizing she was free from the pool and lowered her eyes ashamedly.  I thought for a moment on how to remedy the situation and grinned before breaking into a fit of giggles.  “I know it must seem stupid to you but it really...” she paused upon seeing me pointing at her with my free hand.  “What's so funny?”

    “Naked fairy,” I said, breaking into outright laughter as she looked down, shrieked, and quickly crossed her arms and legs to cover herself.  She tried her best to glare at me through her blush before losing out and turning away.

    “Did Wendy know how big of a pervert you are!” she shouted ruefully as I lowered her enough to allow her to wade in the pool while still supporting her.

    “She would have if I was lucky enough,” I said, still chuckling to myself as I settled into the water.  Looking around, I realized the breeze from before had cleared away a good amount of steam to reveal that the hot springs sat near the edge of a plateau overlooking the ocean.  “Absolutely stunning!” I exclaimed as my eyes drank in the sheer majesty that Neverland had to offer.

    “You really think so?” Tinker Bell asked shyly.

    “Of course I think...” I paused, realizing she thought I'd been talking about her.  Grinning mischievously, I lowered myself in the water so we were eye to eye.  “Oh yes, even prettier than the dolls the really rich girls used to tease me with.  Looks like I showed them, eh?  So much prettier and she can talk and fly and do all kinds of adorable things!”  I'd never in my life seen anyone look as pleased with their self as Tinker Bell did just then.

    “No wonder that Wendy girl took to you so quickly... you're quite the charmer, aren't you?”

    “I guess I am!” I said with a laugh, only to stop as a distant sound caught my attention.  “Is that... drums?” I asked, catching the steady, thumping rhythm and following it out over the ocean to a small brown dot.

    “D-Drums?” Tink asked, her voice quavering in my mind.

    “Yeah, I think there's a ship out there!” I exclaimed, squinting to take in the approaching vessel.  Sure enough the sails and bulk of what must have been a gargantuan ship came slowly into view.

    “Lift me up, I need to see!” Tinker Bell shouted, flailing at the water to try and break free of the surface.  I quickly scooped the fairy girl up and pointed to where the ship had been... only to find my finger tracing upwards as the ship lifted from the water to drift into the sky in a slow, lazy circle.  “Oh no!  What are they doing here?!”  Her panic quickly became my own and I found my heart thumping in my chest in rhythm with the drum beats.

    “What is it Tink?  Who...” the question died on my lips as the drums suddenly ceased, the world around us falling silent for several seconds before an unbearably loud wailing sound tore through the air as a massive, swirling black hole punctured the sky.  Clapping my hands over my ears, I watched the ship sail heedlessly into the opening which quickly closed behind it, leaving the sky as clear and empty as it had been moments before.  I sank into the water on weak knees, forgetting the need to keep Tinker Bell afloat.  The fairy girl sputtered and thrashed her way over to latch onto my arm.  I looked down in a daze to find her staring up at me with terrified eyes, lower lip trembling.  “What... What just happened?  W-Who was that?”  She closed her eyes and hugged tightly to my arm.

    “Pirates...”

Forever In Neverland

Chapter Five

--

The lost children...

--

      It was quickly becoming obvious that Tinker Bell would only reveal things to me when she was good and ready.  I saw no reason not to trust her judgment but I'd always been a bit of a curious girl and seeing something like that ship sailing into the sky had me itching to know more.  Then again, so did everything else in this new and exciting world...

--

    “I have a present for you!”  Tinker Bell said excitedly, obviously wanting to change the subject.

    “A present?”  The fairy girl nodded happily and flew to the side of the pool to quickly dress herself.  Back in her frill cut green dress she snatched up my soaking wet clothes, impressing me once more with surprising strength.

     “Just need to take care of these first!” she chirped.  My eyes went wide as she promptly flew over and tossed them off the cliff.

    “The hell are you doing?!” I shouted, frantically exiting the pool and skirting up to the cliff face.  I was just in time to see them hit the surf below and vanish beneath the froth.  I spun around and fixed the fairy in a full on glare with my hands on my hips and my foot tapping away impatiently to complete the image.

     “Oh relax, you dummy, I told you I had a present, didn't I?”

    “Being naked in a strange place wasn't what I had in mind!” I shouted irritably.  She rolled her eyes and flew off behind one of the larger rocks that littered the area, returning with what looked to be an enormous folded leaf.  “What's this?”

     “Opening it might be a good way to find out... maybe I did bump your head a little too hard...”

    “Oh shut up,” I grumbled, swatting at her with a laugh.  I sat down on the stones cross legged and found myself more excited than I would have expected given the situation; it'd been years since I'd been given a present.  I undid the tiny bow, which looked to have been tied with some type of stringy vine, causing the leaf to unfold in my lap.  “Oh, Tink... they're beautiful!” I gasped, eyes wandering over the silky green tunic with matching skirt and boots, all with the same zig-zag frill cut as Tinker Bell's dress.

     “I made them for you last night,” she said shyly, landing on the ground in front of me and idly nudging a pebble back and forth with her foot.  “Try it on and see if it fits so I know if I need to make any adjustments.”  Nearly squealing with joy, I quickly pulled on the outfit and found it incredibly soft and warm to the touch.  I hopped up and down a few times and did a quick spin to test the measurements, finding all pieces fit me like a glove.

    “Oh it's perfect, Tink!  And this material is just wonderful, it feels like silk but it's warm like wool.”  She floated up in front of me and clasped her hands together.

     “I wove some Fairy Dust into the threads so it'll never stain or fade and it'll even protect you somewhat from minor injuries.  I was going to make you one like mine but seeing how you were dressed I figured you might prefer a two piece.  So... do you like it?” she asked nervously.  I felt myself on the verge of tears from the sweet gesture.

     “It's the most wonderful thing anyone's ever given me...”  Unsure of how trying to kiss her cheek would work out, I simply leaned forward and nuzzled her with my own.  “Thank you so much...” I whispered before pulling away, a blush mirroring her own on my cheeks.

     “It really suits you, Petra.  You can talk to fairies, you can interact with Fairy Dust, and you can even fly like fairies do... it's only fitting that you dress like one too.”  It was then that a rather embarrassing thought struck me.

    “I'd forgotten about the flying...”  She blinked a few times.

     “Something wrong?”  I rubbed at the back of my neck uncomfortably.

    “Can't help but notice you didn't give me any underwear... if I start flying anybody could just...”

     “Under... what?” she asked curiously.  I looked at her skeptically.

    “You know, underwear, panties, skivvies, whatever you want to call them?”  She showed no signs of understanding.  Cocking one eyebrow, I looked the fairy up and down to try and figure if she was joking with me or not.  Finding nothing from her deadpan expression I shrugged and reached out to lift up the hem of her dress.

     “Pervert!” she shrieked, slapping me hard enough to send me reeling backwards.  My heel caught on a rock and I found myself tipping back over the rim of the pool.  I shut my eyes tight and braced myself for the blast of scalding water but after several seconds passed and no surge of heat came I nervously felt around with the tip of my boot and found no ground beneath it, I was flying.  “Boo!” Tinker Bell shouted suddenly, nudging me hard on the shoulder.  “Hey!  You didn't fall!  Quick, open your eyes and see if you can hold it!”  I slowly opened one eye and then the other, finding myself drifting gently backwards over the surface of the water.

    “It... it feels so easy all of a sudden!  My happy thought is right there but it's kind of in the back of my mind like you told me it should be.”  Concentrating on the air around me, I lifted myself upright and drifted easily over to the edge of the pool.

     “Do you think it's the clothes?  Maybe you just needed a little extra Fairy Dust or something?” she suggested.  Something was definitely different but I wasn't sure if it was the clothes or not.  They did make me feel lighter which was a distraction that had bothered me before but I felt it was somehow deeper than that.  Chewing my lip as I thought, I began to pace around the area, barely taking notice whether I was on solid ground or stepping through the air over the water.  Suddenly it hit me and I couldn't help but smile.  “Petra?”

    “It's my happy thought... it's different.”

     “What do you mean, different?”  I closed my eyes and brought the image up from the depths of my mind, instantly filling me with warmth and a seemingly endless surge of joy.  An image of Wendy and me flying hand in hand... with a golden fairy circling around us.

--

     Unfortunately, being able to fly and being able to fly well were two different things entirely.  My experimentation on the way to wherever Tinker Bell was taking me showed me that I still had a lot of practice before I could make any of those wonderful dreams come true...

--

     “Well I'm out of thread so you'll just have to learn to cross your legs when you lift off.”

    “Wouldn't have to if someone hadn't thrown my clothes off a cliff!”

     “Fine, I admit I got a little excited but there's nothing to be done about that now so let's deal with it later, okay?”

    “Sure... but I still think there's more of a pervert in you than you...” I paused upon seeing Tinker Bell had stopped and was looking upwards at a massive wall of trees.

     “We're going to fly from here, it's important that you make the right kind of entrance.”  I looked at the size of the trees in front of us and swallowed hard, the idea of flying over them not sitting well with me in the least.

    “What do you mean?  What is this place?”  Tinker Bell's eyes fell and she was quiet for some time before turning to look at me.

     “This is where the lost ones live, we need to enter properly so you're not attacked.”

    “Wow, Tink, thanks for putting me at ease.  I'm not worried at all now,” I muttered, casting nervous glances at every shadow.

     “Oh relax, you wimp,” she said with a grin.  “If it'll make you feel better I'll hold your hand.”  I cast a glare at the smug little fairy and gently lifted off the ground.

    “Fine, but if I fall and die I'm gonna come back and haunt you!”

     “No...” she said sadly as she flew up next to me, “you wouldn't...”  Before I could question what she'd meant we cleared the top of the trees.  I found myself wobbling slightly in the air as my view expanded beyond the sheet of green pine.  My eyes took in what looked to be a large cluster of elaborate, and often impractical, tree houses connected by bridges and little 'islands' of flooring placed on the larger branches.  “I helped them build it the best I could, it wasn't easy what with not being able to speak to them and all,” she said as we landed in a large central area where all the paths converged.

     “Tink... you mean this is...”  The question went unasked as the village's residents took notice of our entrance and stormed from their houses.  Within seconds I had about two dozen odds and ends weapons being pointed at me.

     “This is where the others I've brought to Neverland live...” she said sadly before proceeding to knock away several of the sticks and pans that were drawn on me.

    “You said I was the oldest you've ever brought... but I wasn't expecting this...” I said, taking in the crowd of children surrounding us, the oldest among them couldn't have been more than ten years old with some of the younger ones looking to be around five.  “They're all little kids...”

    “Little kids that'll lay you flat if you so much as move, Pirate!” a girl, the oldest from the looks of it, shouted at me.

    “Pirate?” I asked, trying not to giggle at her false bravado.  The girl's knees were practically knocking together.

    “All grown-ups are Pirates, everyone knows that!” she shot back.

    “But she don't look like a Pirate... and I never heard of no Pirate that could fly off a ship,” a boy standing next to her muttered.

    “And she came with the pixie, too!” another one shouted.  Again I had to bite back laughter as Tinker Bell let out an aggravated groan, they must have been calling her that the whole time.

     “Tell them that the fairy brought you over a few days ago, and just know that if you so much as hint at the word pixie you'll be sleeping outside for a month!”  Grinning, I turned and raised up my hands to the assembled crowed.

    “I think we got off to a bad start.  My name is Petra Pan, I was brought here by the pix...” Tinker Bell shrieked and dove down to bite my ear as hard as she could, “...I mean fairy!” I yelped, tugging her off and showing her to the children.  “That's what they're called, fairies, and they really, really don't like to be called pixies as you've just seen!” I said with a grin, several of the younger ones giggled.

    “No wonder she was always knockin' me on the head!” someone from the back of the group shouted, producing even more laughter.  I cast the fairy an accusing look.

     “Oh don't even start!  You don't know how insulting that is to a fairy!” she huffed.

    “How do you know all this?” the first girl asked, seemingly even more worried now that she was losing some favor in the crowd.

    “She told me herself.  Her name's Tinker Bell, by the way.”

    “No way, nobody can talk to her!  You're lying!”  Tinker Bell wriggled free of my grasp and flew up to land on my shoulder.

     “Tell her that her name's Sarah, and she still cries when she skins her knees if she's alone.”  With a laugh I relayed the message, the girl's eyes going wide at the words which sent another wave of giggles throughout the rest of them.  After a moment the girl lowered her stick and looked me up and down.

    “You dress like her too... you some kinda fairy girl or something?” she asked.  I remembered what Tinker Bell had said back at the hot springs and let myself lift off the ground a few feet, making sure to keep my legs tightly crossed.

    “I guess you can say that.”  A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd, growing more excited by the moment.  Several of the children began tugging on Sarah's skirt and whispering to her until eventually she stepped forward and motioned for everyone to settle.

    “Um... everyone wants to know if... if you wouldn't be bothered... if you would stay and have dinner with us, fairy girl?”  I held back a giggle to avoid insulting the effort she'd put in and landed so I could give a short bow.

    “I'd love to.”

--

     After agreeing to eat with them I was bustled about the little tree house village on an impromptu tour.  I discovered that despite the odd appearance and arrangement of the little houses, the village was remarkably well built and sturdy.  Furthermore, the trees provided a sort of natural barrier around the place making it practically invisible from all angles but straight above, Even the ladder they used to come and go was hidden beneath the ivy that grew around the base of the trees.  I found this information to be both astounding and disconcerting.  I knew that Tinker Bell must have made it like this for a reason.  What I didn't know is what they needed to be hidden from...

--

    “Where are you off to, Tink?” I asked as she lifted of my shoulder and made for the trees.

     “I'm just going to go pick us some fruit.”

    “What do you mean?  Aren't we going to eat what they're making?”

     “Trust me, you'll want it.  Just pretend until I get back!” she called out as flitted away.

    “What the hell are you...” I stopped, noticing she was already out of earshot.

     “Come on fairy girl, it's almost ready!” a little boy said, grabbing at my hand and pulling me eagerly toward a side of the little village where a long table  was set up.  Already there were dozens of covered dishes waiting on the table with several more being added as I was seated at one end of the table with Sarah at my right, still on her feet as others scrambled for a place to sit.

    “Is everybody here?!” she shouted over the noisy mass, receiving a resounding 'Yes!' in response.  “Then lets eat!”  The tray covers were all removed in a single motion to reveal steaming platters of... absolutely nothing.  Seemingly unaware that there was nothing to be had, the children all began to dish their plates with gusto, gabbing away as if this was the most natural thing in the world.  Suddenly remembering what Tinker Bell had told me, I reached out and grabbed an imaginary piece of food and pretended to take a bite.  The boy seated opposite of Sarah leaned over and nudged my arm.

    “Ish goodsh, righ?” he slurred over a mouthful of pretend food.  I nodded enthusiastically until he went back to his own plate and sighed.

    “You can't see it, can you?”  Sarah asked quietly, I turned to see her set down what looked to be a sandwich from how her hands were held so she could look at me fully.  “It's hard for me too sometimes... I'm a fair bit older than the others.”

    “What's hard for you?” I whispered back.  She looked at me confusedly for a moment before smiling.

    “To imagine of course,” she said before picking up her make believe sandwich and taking another bite.

     “Heads up!” Tinker Bell's voice sounded just seconds before a large sack of fruit was dropped onto my plate.  “Enjoying the meal?” she asked with a giggle as she hovered in front of me.

    “I... I don't understand, Tink.  What's going on here?” I whispered, noticing Sarah listening in on my half of the conversation.  The fairy snatched up one of the grape sized berries which I took to be her favorite and settled back against the crook of my elbow.

     “It's a lot like how happy thoughts work if you think about it.  In Neverland the mind has a lot more power than it does in the other world and imagination is a big part of how the mind works.”  She looked out over the assembled children, all happily chatting and eating away, and smiled.  “Ask yourself... who has more imagination than a child?”

    “So it's real because they believe it's real?” I asked in amazement.

     “To them it is, and that's all that matters...”

--

     The hours following the meal were an interesting lot.  Most of the time was spent meeting the children while Tink told me what she knew of them.  It was a strange and comforting experience all at the same time.  After the days spent alone with Tink it had almost felt like we were the only people in the world.  

    As night was fast approaching, I helped Sarah shuffle the little ones off to bed until eventually, the three of us were alone.  The girl's tough facade faded away completely when I relayed a message from Tink about how proud she was of how the girl had taken care of the younger children.  It was a tender moment I wouldn't soon forget...

--

    “Petra... I need to ask you something important...”  Tink murmured into my ear.  I slowed to a stop and held out my hand for her to land on.  “I was wondering if... if you wouldn't mind...”  I smiled.

    “Of course I'll help you take care of them, Tink.”

     “Really?!” she squeaked, flying forward into my chest in a makeshift tackle hug, pushing me back several feet in the air.

    “I can tell that Sarah's stretched pretty thin and it must have been so frustrating for you not being able to help as much as you'd want.  Honestly, I'd be happy to.”

     “You're the best, Petra!  I knew I could count on you!” she shouted, flying up to kiss me on the cheek before settling on my shoulder as I lifted off again, flying slowly and low to the ground.

    “I'm curious though... why aren't we staying there with them like Sarah offered?”

     “I think it'd be best if they didn't come to depend on us too much, they've got a pretty good balance going and I don't want things to fall apart.”  I nodded at her reasoning, letting the sound of the wind settle over us for a long while before speaking.

    “You'll tell me things when you think I'm ready, won't you?”  She didn't answer for so long that I thought she might have fallen asleep.

     “I'm sorry if it seems like I'm keeping secrets... I really am.  It's for the best though, believe me,” she murmured.

    “I do believe you, Tink, I just need to know that I won't be kept in the dark forever.  That's just how I am.”

     “I promise Petra, I'll tell you anything and everything if I think you're ready to know about it.”

    “That's all I ask.”  We settled into another easy silence that lasted until our apartment came into view.

     “Um... Petra?” she questioned nervously as she floated out in front of me.

    “Yeah, Tink?”

     “Do... do you think I can sleep with you again?”  I couldn't help but chuckle at the fairy's shyness.

    “Am I really that comfortable?”  She blushed and turned away.

     “You're really warm... and your heartbeat kind of lulls me to sleep.  My teddy bear is nowhere near as comfortable...”  I smiled and nuzzled her with my cheek.

     “Consider it your new bed... just don't thrash in your sleep, you might  kick something sensitive.”  It took her a moment to catch on but the look on her face when she did was priceless.

     “You're such a pervert!”

--

     I lay awake for several hours that night, and not for the reasons I would have expected.  Something was wrong, I could feel it.  It was like this all encompassing sense of dread that I just couldn't relieve myself of and I was certain it was the dreams causing it because everything else was going so wonderfully.  I couldn't explain how or why but I just knew Wendy and I were connected somehow and the dreams were the key to it all... for better or worse.  The idea that Wendy really was being threatened by some shadowy figure was horrible, but even more so was the idea that I was helpless to do anything about it...

Chapter Six

--

Ghost in the wind...

--

      It was strange.  I was certain that it\\\'d been weeks since my arrival in Neverland but it felt like mere days had passed.  Tink had tried to explain to me how time flows differently depending on how many Gateways are opened to the other world but it didn\\\'t make a whole lot of sense.  I decided it best not to get caught up on such matters and instead dedicated myself to my flight training.  This too, was strange for it felt like I was being guided into doing so.  It was almost as if my instincts were driving me to it, telling me that it would be necessary for some greater purpose.

    Along with this newfound motivation, unfortunately, came the now familiar sense of dread.  Every single night, without fail, the dreams of the shadowy figure haunting Wendy would come to me.  Even worse is that they were becoming increasingly more terrifying as time went on.  It was almost as if every night brought it one step closer to her.  I would have gone mad if not for Tink always being there to offer comfort me when I woke screaming in the middle of the night.

    Tinker Bell... she was such a blessing in my life.  She was like a mentor, a parent, a sister, a best friend, and in some ways... something more.  From what I could gather from what she\\\'d told me and what I\\\'d learned from the Lost Children she had probably been even more lonely than I had.  The knowledge that I could bring her as much happiness as she brought me was like a never fading beacon of light in my troubled mind.  I knew deep down in my heart that no matter what happened, Tinker Bell would always be at my side...

--

    “I think we need to add a little something to our diet,” I mused outwardly, kicking at the sand of the beach.

     “I told you not to eat the weird fruit you found in the forest!  Any tummy aches you get are your body\\\'s way of telling you to listen to me,” she said in her scolding tone of voice as she landed on my shoulder.  I laughed and nudged her with my chin.

    “I feel fine thank you very much... although I don\\\'t recommend whatever that was, it left an awful aftertaste in my mouth.  I\\\'m just saying that fruit and vegetables are fine and all but maybe we should add a little meat or something, what do you think?”

     “I think you\\\'re nuts!  You\\\'ve seen the animals around here, they\\\'d squash someone your size like a bug, imagine what they\\\'d do to me!”  I couldn\\\'t help but giggle at the excitable way she was bouncing in the air.

    “I was thinking more along the lines of fish.  I\\\'ve seen lots of them small enough that the mighty Tinker Bell need not fear them.”  She made an indignant noise and turned away from me.

    “Do you even know how to fish?”

    “Don\\\'t have a clue,” I said with a shrug.

    “Me neither... so it should be lots of fun trying!” she shouted happily, all irritation quickly forgotten.

    “Great minds think alike!” I chimed in with a laugh.  “We\\\'ll need a fishing pole though... or maybe just a net, what do you think?”

    “Hmm...” she murmured, crossing her legs and tucking her chin into her hand to ponder.  “Why not both?  I think I\\\'ve got all the materials I need and you know how I love to work with stuff.”

    “You\\\'re the best, Tink!” I shouted, darting forward to give her a quick kiss on the cheek that reached from her brow to her shoulder.

    “And where exactly are you going to be while I\\\'m busy doing all the work?”

     “You know damn well you\\\'d be swatting at me left and right if I tried to  help,” I muttered, rubbing the back of knuckles were she\\\'d rapped me last time.  “Crazy obsessive pixie...” I said with a grin, darting backwards into the air when she charged at me.

     “I swear one of these days...” she threatened.

    “Bah, you love me too much to do anything too terrible to me!”

     “And you\\\'re lucky for it, believe me!” she shouted back, already I could hear the jingling of her laughter from our familiar banter.

    “I think I\\\'ll go out and do a little scouting if you must know.  Saw a big group of some pretty blue ones while we were practicing earlier.  Blue things are usually pretty tasty, right?”

     “I\\\'d call you crazy if I didn\\\'t have to agree,” she said with her musical giggle before her mood shifted.  “Just be careful out there, you know how I worry...” she murmured quietly.  A bit of a chill ran down my back as I recalled how frantic she\\\'d been after I\\\'d gotten lost while out practicing on my own.  It\\\'d taken several days to get her to calm down enough to let me go off without her even for the smallest amount of time.

    “I know, Tink... I\\\'ll be careful.”  She hovered closer and spread her arms so I could nuzzle her with my cheek before we flew off in opposite directions.

--

     My search for any large groups of fish had ended with little success so I instead found myself drifting aimlessly over the surface of the water, allowing my fingertips to skim the surface.  I truly loved flying, there was no greater release to be found than soaring weightlessly through the air and at times like this it could also double as a sort of meditation.  It was amazing how well the mind could wander when it didn\\\'t have to concern itself with all the burdens that came with being rooted to the ground.  

    Like most times when I entered this mindset I found my thoughts drifting to Wendy and how close the shadowy figure had gotten to her in my nightmares.  She needed me, I don\\\'t know or care how I knew this but I was certain of it.  The problem came when I thought about how I would go about rescuing her.  Visiting the other world was one of two subjects that I knew next to nothing about because Tink wasn\\\'t comfortable in discussing them just yet.  Unfortunately, I was about to crash headfirst into both of them...

--

    “Ow!  Damn it!  Who the hell put a...”  It was as if an icy hand had taken hold of my spine as my eyes swept across the side of the ship I\\\'d just bumped into.  My happy thought vanished at the sound of stomping boots from above and with a breathless yelp I crashed into the briny water below.  Luckily, some semblance of self preservation kicked in at the memory of Tink telling me to run and hide should I ever encounter a Pirate.  Instead of paddling my way to the surface I pushed myself down and underneath the ship, just barely catching sight of the murky outline of someone peering over the railing as I did so.  I waited there, panic stricken, until my lungs could take no more and slowly rose up to breach the surface, relieved to find nobody looking down on me.  The urge to flee into the skies was held in check only by the fear of being spotted and, as the minutes passed, only by the tight grip I had on the chain of the anchor.

    “Getting to be that time, lads!” a brash and arrogant voice sounded above me.

    “Ai ai Captain!” a chorus of voices shouted.  My decision as to whether I should flee or not was taken from me as the chain began to rise.  I managed to back away from it in the water, only to have the anchor itself snag on the bottom of the ship and twist the chain around my ankle.  I had to clap my hand over my mouth to keep from screaming as I was hoisted upside down out of the water, coming to a stop a mere three feet from the deck with my leg pinned against the side of ship.

    “Set the pace!” the first voice called out.

    “Ai ai Captain!” the crew shouted once more in unison.

    At the sound of the first drumbeat my heart nearly leaped from my chest and I began thrashing and clawing at my trapped leg.  Unfortunately, due to the snag in the chain, the anchor, and me along with it, were not properly secured and as the ship lifted free of the water it swayed outward only to send me crashing back into the side.  The weight of the anchor crushed the air from my lungs and the impact itself brought my senses into a swirling mess.  We were circling now, the swaying of the anchor addling my already dizzy mind.  The last semi-clear thought I had... was of just how much Tinker Bell would be worried... then came the terrible screaming sound and the black pool of unconsciousness.

--

     “Petra...” Tinker Bell gasped, dropping the twine she\\\'d been working with to clutch at her chest.  She quickly flew over to the window, every fiber of her being telling her that something was wrong, just in time to see the Pirate ship drifting away into the darkness...

--

    “Tink...” I groaned upon awakening, instantly regretting it as the mere motion of speaking sent white hot pins and needles through my head.  I slowly opened one eye and waited for my blurry vision to settle enough to give me a view of my surroundings, not for a second believing what I saw when it did.  I brought my arms, which were hanging above my head for whatever reason, down to rub numbly at my aching eyes so I could take in the scene once more.  Sure enough it was as I\\\'d first seen, an upside down view of Big Ben not twenty meters in front of me.  I looked down, or in this case, up to find myself dangling from an anchor chain by one leg.  The memories came flooding back and it took every last ounce of my willpower not to panic.

    Slowly, I raised myself up against my protesting body to work at the chain holding my ankle.  With the ship hanging in the air it was a simple matter to free myself but my newfound freedom offered a challenge of its own, I was still hanging high over the city and was scared out of my mind.  Desperately I tried to bring up Tink\\\'s lessons into my mind as my numbed fingers clung desperately to the anchor chain.  As it was, my strength failed first and I found myself slipping free into the air.  The biggest flaw in my flying, that of holding onto my happy thought in a panicked state, reared it\\\'s ugly head as I plummeted downward.  I closed my eyes to avoid the sight of the ground seemingly rushing up to meet me only to have an obscure thought drift through my mind of its own accord.  

     I was back in the other world and in London no less... Wendy was waiting for me.  The feeling of weightlessness washed over me and I opened my eyes to find myself not ten feet from the top of a tree and my immediate death.  Swallowing hard, I lifted off into the sky and flew in the direction of Wendy\\\'s  home.  A surge of energy washed over me, bringing warmth and feeling back to my strained and battered body.  I doubled my pace, flying faster then I ever had before as images of the shadowy figure danced across the back of my mind.

    Even in my rush I couldn\\\'t help but notice the remarkable clarity of the city beneath me.  At first I wondered if it was simply my new viewpoint from above but quickly dismissed it.  No, this was something else, it was like all my senses had been improved upon.  Back when I was on the streets I\\\'d often wondered if I needed glasses even if I could only laugh at the thought of being able to afford them.  Now it was like I could see every little detail of the objects I passed and from much farther distances.  Before, what would have seemed like bleak and empty streets now felt vibrant and full of energy, it was like new life had been breathed into me.  I would have to remember to ask Tinker Bell about it when I returned.

    Barely a minute passed until I arrived at the estate where Wendy lived.  A surge of emotions filled my body at the sight of it.  At first came joy at the memories of the kiss we shared, then elation from the image of taking her into my arms and leaping into the sky to share the wonderful euphoria it could offer.  When that had passed a trickle of dread passed through me at the possibility that I had been forgotten as a passing fancy after being apart for a month without word.  When that too had faded... came fear... fear at the thought of what I might find when I looked into her window, the same window I\\\'d been looking through every night in my dreams.

    With my heart threatening to beat it\\\'s way from my chest, I alighted along the side of the manor near her window.  I mustered every bit of courage I could and steeled myself for whatever lay waiting before pushing away from the wall to peer into her room...  Nothing.  She was simply standing there, arms around her waist as if to ward off a chill.  The adrenaline drained from my blood at the sight of her safe and sound and I quickly ducked back away from the window to chew at my lip.  I\\\'d been so certain that I would find her being threatened by the shadowy figure that I hadn\\\'t put any thought into what I might do otherwise.  Quickly deciding that it would be best to avoid startling her, I landed on the ground and paced for a moment to collect my thoughts.  Coming up with nothing, I found myself nudging a few pebbles with one of my boots only to have the idea strike me.

    Picking up a small handful of the rocks I gently tossed one against her window and waited.  When no response came I tossed another and then another again with no result.  Frowning, I prepared to toss another only to have it slip from my fingers at the sight of her in the window.

    “W-Who\\\'s there?”  I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and took a few steps forward.

    “Hello, Wendy... I came back to see you,” I said quietly.  There was a long pause and for a moment it seemed as if she hadn\\\'t noticed me before she responded.

    “If you\\\'re trying to have a laugh off of me, you\\\'ve done it!” she shouted bitterly, sounding almost on the verge of tears.  I lowered my head and wrung my hands together.

    “I\\\'m sorry, Wendy... I know I said we\\\'d meet again soon but the most wonderful thing happened!  I was taken by a fairy to a place called Neverland!  It\\\'s such a beautiful place and you can live there forever and never grow old or anything!” I shouted excitedly, pausing upon noticing she was staring at me with same hurt expression as when she\\\'d shouted.  “You probably don\\\'t believe me but I can prove it you,” I said with a grin, lifting gently off the ground and hovering up towards her.  “I\\\'ve wished for this moment since the first time we met,” I said, barely containing my nervous energy as I offered her my hand.  “Would you like to fly with me, Wendy?”  She stared at me with empty eyes for a moment before turning away and sighing.

    “I\\\'m such a fool...” she whispered before turning around and stepping away into the room.

    My happy thought vanished so quickly at the realization that I barely had time to catch myself on her window to keep from falling.  I managed to pull myself up into the room behind her only to fall to my knees, pressing my face into my hands as the bitter tears began to fall.  She couldn\\\'t see me...

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    I now knew the reason why Tink became so sad whenever I mentioned visiting Wendy, as well as why she never had the heart to tell me.  Not since the day before meeting Wendy had I been so depressed.  All the nights and days I\\\'d spent dreaming and wishing of spending time with her now felt like a cruel form of self torture.  I\\\'d been so certain that there was something more, that we were connected in some way, but I guess it was all just the wishful thinking of a silly girl with a crush.  I may as well have been dead to her...

    By the time my sobbing had ceased, I found Wendy sitting at her desk brushing her hair in her nightclothes.  I stood on shaky knees and walked to her side to lean on the back of her chair.  She looked older then I remembered, a little more worn, but still so pretty that I couldn\\\'t imagine ever wanting to look away...

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    “There was so much I wanted to say to you, Wendy, and even more that I wished to experience.  I could have shown you the most beautiful sights you\\\'ve ever seen as we flew together, hand in hand, through the sky... but I guess it really was just a dream.”

    I paused for a moment to absorb as much of her beauty as I could, only to have something else catch my eye.  There sitting on her desk, was the knife I\\\'d carried with me all those years on the streets, the \\\'P.P.\\\' I\\\'d etched into the stock catching in the lamplight.  It was strange, I know I should have been confused that she had it but I could only feel a flow of warmth deep in my chest.  I could feel hot tears building up in my eyes as I leaned close to whisper into her ear.  

    “I might have fallen in love with you if we\\\'d had more time together...” I reached out caress the stock of the knife, “but this will have to take care of you in my place.”  I leaned in and pressed my lips to her cheek, closing my eyes to savor the warmth of her skin before slowly pulling away.  “Goodbye Wendy...” I whispered before making my way to the window and leaping into sky.  If I had stayed but a few moments longer I would have seen her press her fingertips against where my lips had been and the tear rolling down her cheek... as well as the cloaked figure that materialized from the shadows.

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    A wave of relief washed over me at the sight of the Pirate\\\'s ship still hanging over the waters near Big Ben.  At the very least I wouldn\\\'t be trapped here to wander like some kind of phantom.  I lowered myself down to the ground to avoid being spotted by anyone still on the ship and settled in to wait in a nearby neighborhood.  My only hope was that the ship would need to pick up speed before entering the Gateway like it did coming from Neverland, that would give me enough time to fly up and grab hold of the anchor to hopefully hitch a ride back home.  The fact that I knew next to nothing about the Pirates had my stomach churning with worry and it was only with great effort that I didn\\\'t allow the thoughts that the ship might take me somewhere else entirely to take root.

    The only positve feelings to be had in the situation came, oddly enough, from my brief visit with Wendy.  Seeing that she had my knife somehow told me she knew I wasn\\\'t coming back for better or worse.  Maybe that was the reason I\\\'d felt so drawn to come back here, to get some form of closure.  If I could only get back home safely I would be grateful for having come here, even if not under the best circumstances.  If Wendy was safe I had nothing to regret about my past and an endless lifetime of happiness to look forward to in my future.  I wouldn\\\'t be alone either, I\\\'d have the children to look after from time to time and Tinker Bell always at my side.

    “Tink...” I murmured, feeling a pain in my chest from being so faraway from her.  It was almost as if I could feel her worry feeding into mine.  “I swear if I make it back to you I\\\'ll be a hundred times more careful no matter where I go!” I shouted to the sky, only to yelp in surprise and duck behind a lamppost as my eyes caught sight of something falling from the side of the ship.

    Leaning over to peer around the edge of the post I caught sight of what looked to be a large blanket fluttering down to land on a nearby rooftop.  Confused, I stepped around the pole to get a better look only to duck back as the cloth suddenly rose from where it had landed in the shape of a tall cloaked figure and then sink into the home through the roof.  

    I cautiously made my way towards the building and lifted up to the window nearest where the figure had entered, finding myself gazing into a child\\\'s room... and the most horrifying sight I\\\'d ever witnessed.  I tried to scream out but found no breath in my lungs as the cloaked figure, standing near the bed where a boy no more then twelve years old lay wide eyed and trembling, raised a short sword over it\\\'s head and drove it into the boy\\\'s chest.  There was no scream nor spray of blood as I had expected, the blade seemed to pass through flesh as if it were air... but the boy felt it.  His body went stiff for a moment as a pale, gently throbbing, light seemed to flow up the blade and into the cloaked figure that held it... then he lay still.  

    I tore my eyes away and sank to the ground to clutch myself around the waist, vomiting pure bile as the sound that could only be that creature letting out a long, crooning call of jubilation clawed it\\\'s way into my head.  I wanted nothing more then to lay there and try to tear what I\\\'d just witnessed from my memory but a heart wrenching realization would not allow me such comfort.  I\\\'d seen a similar cloaked figure far too many times in my dreams to ever forget...

    “Wendy!”

Forever In Neverland

Chapter Seven

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A moment frozen in time...

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The demon's throat...

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