For the record my name is Camille R. Charleston but I have been called Camo since I was six years old. It starts the way any nickname starts...with a story. When I was little I had dreams of flying but these weren't typical dreams. I would wake up with major wind hair, the taste of salt in my mouth and memories of a magical place. My brother used to have horrible nightmares and would come to my room for protection but could never find me. When he went to get my mother she would always find me sleeping in bed. My mom says I just blend right in. They first started calling me "Camouflage" but it was too long, so Andy, my older brother (yes he is older than me and still came to me for protection), called me Camo.
The last time I had one of those dreams was when I was 10 years old. The boy who would help me fly and his fairy came to get me as usual. Peter was his name and Tink was the fairy's name. We flew up to Neverland and met up with the Lost Boys. They had been extremely anxious lately and that was the day I found out why. The Lost Boys wanted to grow up. I didn't understand why they would and I still don't get it. Peter had never looked as sad as he did then when he said, "If the boys go then I have to go." I remember crying and telling him that we couldn't grow up. He made a promise to me that he would come and find me again someday and we would go back to Neverland and play and mess with Hook. But that was almost 7 years ago.
After Peter dropped me off at my house that night I cried myself to sleep. I waited every night for weeks to see if he would show up and tell me the boys had been kidding, that we were going back, that he would never grow up but eventually I just gave up. I pushed it behind me. The year I turned 15 my brother was hit by a drunk driver and paralyzed from the waist down. None of my friends wanted to be friends with me because I never had time because I was helping Andy. I was sad most of the time because of Andy being in so much pain and depression. It hurts to see the ones we love struggling and no matter how hard we try to help them, some things they just have to do for themselves. He needed help all of the time even if he didn't want it. That was the point where I had completely forgotten about Neverland, Peter, the Lost Boys, Hook, the adventures, how to take care of myself, how to love anyone other than my family, how to be adventurous, how to take risks and most importantly, I had forgotten how to fly.
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Date: February 13, 2013. Time: 11:35 P.M. Location: My Bedroom.
I was fast asleep in my bed and had been for about an hour and a half until I heard my windows shaking. I sat straight up in bed, therefore hitting my head on the shelf hanging directly above me. I cursed but then quickly forgot about my minor injury when I heard the lock on my window shake then click. I quickly ran to my door to scream for help but a hand covered my mouth and turned me around. At least, I thought it was a hand. There was no one there when I turned around and my window was closed and locked. I flipped on my light switch and that's when I saw the shadow. But not just any shadow. A shadow without someone attached to it. I thought back to the pills I had nabbed from Andy's cabinet and vowed never ever to take them again because this was some trippy shit. I tried to grab the shadow but it slipped from my grasp. What the hell was I even doing?
"You can't catch him Camo." A voice said from the corner of my room. I gasped and tried to let out a shriek but the shadow rushed to cover my mouth. I tried to focus my eyes on the figure in the corner and was surprised to find that it was a boy, not just any boy but a very attractive boy who looked to be about my age, maybe a bit older. He was so familiar but I couldn't put a name to his face.
"If he lets you go will you scream?" The boy said walking over to me. His eyes were full of color and sparkled with mischief. I just stood wide eyed. A look of complete hurt swept across his face.
"You don't remember me." He stepped away from me. "Camo, what's my name?"
The shadow dropped its arms and went to join the boy who it belonged to.
"I...I took something...you aren't real. I'm going to bed now." I stuttered trying to process everything. I went over to my bed, which is where he now was sitting and expected to go right through him like a dream but he was real. I gasped when I realized that what I was seeing wasn't from the pills and scurried to the door but tripped.
"You don't remember any of it. Do you?" He asked but didn't even look at me.
"Remember what?" I requested.
"Neverland. Hook. The Lost Boys. The Mermaids. Tinkerbelle. Neverland. Me. You don't remember it." He stated shaking his head. "I promised I would come to get you when we went back. And well, we're going back." He turned to leave out the window.
You know that feeling when something just clicks? You've been trying to solve an impossible word problem for a good five minutes then something just clicks. I experienced something similar to that. Memories of adventures and childhood filled every corner of my mind.
"Peter?" I whispered. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to me with a smile.
"What do you say Camo? You up for another adventure?" He stretched his hand out towards me. "I'll even carry you there so you don't have to fly by yourself. The boys are waiting."
Even if you asked me today why I went I couldn't give you one reason. It may have been the way Peter looked at me, how I had thought I may have still been dreaming or maybe because I wanted to get away. All I knew is that I was going.
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Date: STILL February 13, 2013. Time: 11:56 P.M. Location: My closet.
I went into my closet and shut the door then changed from my oversized t-shirt and boxer shorts into some jeans and a low cut v-neck. I slipped on some socks and tennis shoes then let my hair down out of its pony tail. I looked in my mirror and decided to put on just a bit of makeup. I hadn't realized before how dead I looked for an alive person. I quietly stepped out of my closet. Peter looked up from arguing with his shadow and seemed taken back.
"What is it?" I inquired.
"You really grew up." He sighed with a smile.
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