The Lost Boys

The Accident...

In the beautiful city of London, everything seemed shrouded in absolute silence; only the sound of raindrops echoed in that vast metropolis. The imposing Big Ben clock was slowly approaching midnight.

With tranquility, we can contemplate a charming residence filled with cheerful laughter from a beautiful family. Angela Darling, a kind woman with brown hair and eyes as deep blue as the ocean, stood beside her husband, Gabriel Darling, whose dark hair matched his brown eyes and radiant smile. Gabriel enveloped his wife with his strong arm as they both watched the TV screen in front of them. However, there was another person present: sitting on the floor, a handsome boy with fair skin and dark hair, resembling his father. Small freckles adorned his delicate face, and his eyes, also brown, were lighter and kinder. With a playful smile, revealing white teeth and a rosy lip, he answered to the name of Charlie Darling, the couple's son who appeared to be around 13 years old, watching TV with them.

The enchanting family enjoyed a fun comedy movie on that rainy night, bursting into contagious laughter with each moment. However, this joy had to be interrupted by the unexpected ring of the home phone. Calmly, Gabriel disengaged from his wife, got up from the couch, and walked to the small table next to the TV where the phone rested. He picked up the phone and answered the call.

- Hello? Who's speaking? - said Gabriel, remaining calm. - Oh... alright, alright... we'll be there in 5 minutes...
Gabriel hung up the phone and returned to his wife and son, saying:

- Darling, they're calling us at work, and it seems urgent. We have to go there now.

- Oh, okay, dear. I'll get ready, and we'll go - Angela spoke calmly and delicately.

- Awww... but I wanted to watch the movie with you guys... - expressed Charlie, looking down with a small pout on his lips.

Angela smiled calmly, touching Charlie's head and caressing his dark, delicate hair. Charlie just looked at her, sighed, and smiled, understanding even without his mother saying anything.

And so, the house began to bustle. Angela prepared in her room, adjusting her outfit and grabbing a coat from the large wardrobe. Gabriel was already ready in the living room, organizing some papers and putting them in his briefcase, just in case they were needed. He observed the rain intensity increase through the window beside him, feeling a strange pang in his chest, but he ignored it and continued his tasks.

Meanwhile, little Charlie was in the upstairs bathroom, brushing his teeth while wearing his white pajamas, smiling non-stop. He stopped brushing his teeth, washed his face, dried it with the nearby towel, exited the bathroom, and bumped into his mother, who looked at him tenderly.

- Come on, Charlie, it's bedtime... - she said, holding the 13-year-old boy's small hand and guiding him to his room.
Charlie's room was filled with toys and books of all kinds, from fantasy to romance; the boy really loved reading and discovering new stories. Angela laid Charlie on his bed, covering him with his soft blue blanket, and calmly sat beside him.

- Charlie, you know our house is the same house where your great-grandmother Wendy and her siblings lived, right? - Angela spoke, touching her son's knee.

- Yes, Mom, I know - said Charlie with his characteristic smile.

- Well, then... - Calmly, Angela bent down and retrieved a large book with a brown cover and golden details like little stars from under Charlie's bed. Its title was written on the cover: "The Adventures of Peter Pan."

- You know this book, right? - Angela asked.

- Yes, Mom, it's the book great-grandma Wendy wrote! But I could never find it anywhere because they were all sold out... - said Charlie, excited, looking happily at the book in his mother's hands.