Opening Closed Windows

Prologue; Looking trough a keyhole.

Everything had changed after she had left Neverland. His Wendy had left him. And not only had she left him, she took everything that had ever meant anything to him. Although he would never admit it out loud of course. He preferred to think that he had left them in fact. That made everything a lot easier. But then again, why did he made the choice to come here?

There he stood, at the foot of the Big Ben, looking up at a place that never before had seemed so daunting before. To live was an awfully big adventure, but still Peter Pan wasn't sure that it was worth all the trouble. Rain fell down on his small form relentlessly and within minutes he was soaked. To live was an awfully big pain in the ass at times. Peter combed through his hair while sighing in frustration and for a moment closed his eyes.

He had kept his promise to Wendy. He had come back for her, every year again. But she did not seem to remember him. They had all forgotten him, just like his mother had when he had left. The only difference was that there wasn't another boy in his bed. He never had a bed in the Darling-house. He had given them a place in his house and they had closed the window on him!

Peter's hands clenched into fists and he sunk to the ground. He wrapped his arms around his knees and hid his head against them. His shoulders shook with grief and a sob crossed his lips before he could stop it. The rain had chilled him to the bone, but he didn't seem to notice it anymore. Rain was mixed with tears but Peter couldn't seem to stop the stream of tears rolling down his cheeks and disappearing in his pants.

There he was, seventeen years old, not yet realizing what it meant to grow up but, already considered to be nearly mature. At the best of times Peter felt like he was looking trough a keyhole, trying to figure out what life was all about. Up till now it felt like a stone lying on his stomach. It was a heavy, yet hollow feeling that he couldn't seem to rid himself from.

Peters hiccupping breath slowed down and as he found himself being able to breathe normally again, only then he noticed that the rain had stopped. His face was tearstained but as the boy with the brown hair stood, noting in his appearance showed any weakness. His eyes where twinkling and an arrogant smirk was plainly visible on his face. It was very apparent that Peter Pan had just made a very important decision. He was looking so happy with himself that anyone who might knew him expected him to crow like a rooster.

The teenager refrained from that which might have surprised the Lost Boys, had they still been with their fearsome leader. But they had not seen him for nearly six years now and all of them had started to grow up rather fast. It wouldn't take look before they could not remember anything about Neverland. Not the Indians, not the Mermaids and not even the Pirates, whom they had fought on countless occasions and nearly always defeated!

That was the reason Peter decided that the time had come to shake the Lost Boys awake. To open the closed nursery window and make them remember Neverland. To make them remember him! He had only chosen this because everything was different without them, he didn't do it for anybody else. That was what Peter told himself, but perhaps that was his biggest pretend yet.