Her body trembles in my arms, completely unaware of my own shaking because of it. I tighten my grip around her, pulling her closer, not able to get her close enough.

“More than your own, Peter?” she asks me.

This time when I answer her, there is no humor in my tone.

“Without question, Wendy. I’ll always put your life before mine.”

“Peter!”

John’s yell startles us both as we immediately look up. He’s standing at the edge of the cliff. All attackers are slain. A knife clutched tight in his fist. He’s staring in disbelief as Michael starts to tumble off the ledge to the water below.

One glance and I see the mermaids have swum off; the water is still. I tell myself to fly. I tell myself to save him. But as Wendy’s piercing cry assails my ears, I release her and realize as I try to lift myself into the air and can’t, that I’ll never be able to take back what's happened. The nightmare that unfolds quickly changes my world and has the power to take her away from it.

She reaches out to me and clutches my shoulders tight. I can’t believe my eyes as they watch, stare straight ahead in horror. Michael. His body void of any life. Bleeding out. Crushed against the rocks below, caught in the tide that’s relentless, not calming, just like my racing heart. Just like Wendy’s broken one as she screams for me to fly her to his side. But I can’t. For the life of me I can’t, and I don’t know why.

Chapter 18

Wendy

“Surely you know what a kiss is,” she asked, aghast.

“I shall know when you give it to me,” he replied stiffly, and not to hurt his feelings, she gave him a thimble.

“Now,” said he, “Shall I give you a kiss?” And she replied with a slight premise. “If you please.”

She made herself rather cheap by inclining her face towards him, but he merely dropped an acorn button into her hand.

Peter & Wendy

- J. M. Barrie

SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO

A tapping noise startles me awake. Rolling over, I glance at the window and bolt upright when I see his shadow pressed up against the glass. Throwing the blankets off my body, I wrap my arms around me tightly, bouncing back and forth on each foot trying to keep warm as I make my way towards the window.

After the way we left things, I honestly never thought I’d see him again.

The snow glows around him in the moonlight as it thickly falls to the rooftop at his feet. His eyes hold a desperate sadness as I work quickly, with cold hands, to unlock the window. Pulling it open, the chilled air blasts into the room, making me feel sick as it freezes through me, instantly chilling me to the bone.