Grow up, Peter Pan!

Winnie's Dead.

“It is a curious thing, the death of a loved one. We all know that our time in this world is limited, and that eventually all of us will end up underneath some sheet, never to wake up. And yet it is always a surprise when it happens to someone we know. It is like walking up the stairs to your bedroom in the dark, and thinking there is one more stair than there is. Your foot falls down, through the air, and there is a sickly moment of dark surprise as you try and readjust the way you thought of things.” 

-Lemony Snicket

*

Peter’s hand slammed across the girl’s mouth, cutting off her scream. “Sssh! Are you trying to wake up the whole neighborhood?” He didn’t recognize her, he had come back to look for Winnie and see how she was doing. After Hook had cursed Winnie, he swore to stay away from the Darling girls, but he couldn’t any longer. He was stricken with guilt- none of the darlings had ever come back home harmed before, and he failed himself when he allowed Hook to hurt Winnie. The girl grabbed Peter’s arm and dragged him into the room. She didn’t realize that Peter was a fifteen year old boy weighing just a little over 100 pounds. She soon toppled over but was able to reposition herself so that Peter was beneath her, straddled between her thighs. Her hand enclosed around his neck.

This was definitely not Winnie. Winnie was kind and gentle- this girl acted more like an animal!

“It’s you!” She growled. Her hazel eyes narrowed into slits. It seemed like she was aiming to hurt him. Out of his breast pocket, Peters small little fairy friend fluttered out. She shined as bright as the sun blinding the girl.

“Tink!” Peter smiled in relief as the girl released Peter to cover her eyes. Peter then shot up into the air and flew outside once again to safety. He crossed his arms and laughed in triumph.

“You fiend!” The girl just wouldn’t stop yelling. It made Peter wonder just what she could have thought Peter had done to make her so angry with him. On the other hand he had come for someone else not her, and her eminent anger towards him was not his first priority.

“Where’s Winnie?” He asked. “I came to see Winnie Darling.”

The girl who now appeared to be crying grabbed another book and aimed it for Peter’s face. He floated a little higher and grabbed it with his feet. He couldn’t help but give her a smug smile. She threw another book at him, which he caught with his bare hands. Peter began to get annoyed. Just what was her problem?

“Look. I just need to find Winnie. Do you know where she is?”

“Look below.” Her voice cracked, defeated. Maybe Winnie could explain to him later who the girl was. Right now, Peter decided to float down to where the girl had directed him. He stopped just a few feet above the small grave.

No.

Here lies Winnie Darling: Wife, Sister, and Mother.

“And now I sleep, forever dreaming of Neverland.”

1944-1988

“No, no, no, no!”  Peter fell to his knees and began weeping. Winnie couldn’t be dead. She was barely passed forty! This is why Peter hated growing up, it was nothing but a trap and all those who decide to grow experienced nothing but pain. “Winnie, no.” He cried. He didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye. Suddenly, the pieces began to make sense and he realized just how that girl knew. Those rosy cheeks, the honey suckle blonde hair; it was all just like Winnie’s. The only thing that was different was her fierce hazel green eyes. Still, she was almost a perfect match to Winnie. He looked at the books the girl had just thrown at him. They were all about him. They held almost all of their adventures, even the ones all the way up to Wendy.