John and Michael.

She’d seen her brothers—or, at least, a memory of them. A memory that had been taken from her years ago. That had been just a big, gaping hole in her memory. This was the second time she’d remembered something from their stay in Neverland together. It was so vivid. She could smell the ocean, taste the salty air, and feel the warm sand between her toes.

Why were her memories coming back now? Was it because of Peter? The shadow?

Her brothers were right there. She needed to see them again. She needed to get them back. The memories felt like they were taunting her, holding her brothers hostage, just out of reach.

If she and Peter could just find the shadow, find her brothers and the other missing kids, she could finally get John and Michael back. Everything would be okay.

Wendy’s hand clutched the acorn hanging from her neck. It was warm to the touch. It almost felt like it was buzzing, like a hive full of bees, but very faint.

Peter had given it to her. That was why she had held on to it so desperately, and that must have been why she had kept it for all those years. Somehow, something inside her remembered what it meant.

Wendy frowned and tried to replay everything that had happened in her dream. Peter had looked so guilty when Wendy said she wasn’t going anywhere. Did he know, then, that something was wrong? That he would have to take her back? At what point did the shadow take her brothers, making it impossible for them to go with her?

It’s so you won’t forget about me.

Wendy pressed her hand to her mouth, the words repeating themselves in her head as she stared at the acorn.

The last time Wendy had gotten one of her memories back, she had fallen asleep with the acorn in her hand. She turned it between her fingers. Was this the key? Was the acorn the secret to getting her memories back?

She needed to find Peter and ask him.

After a quick shower, Wendy pulled on a pair of jean shorts and a loose-fitting white tank top to combat the heat. This time, she put on a pair of old running shoes in case she and Peter ventured back into the woods. If she was going to stumble around through trees, roots, and creeks, she needed to be in the right shoes for it. The trek yesterday had left blisters on her heels and toes.

Wendy threw her bag over her shoulder and leapt down the stairs two at a time. When she reached the ground floor, she walked into the living room and found her parents sitting on the couch next to each other, watching the TV.

“Morning,” Wendy greeted them as she crossed the living room, trying to rub the exhaustion from her eyes.