"But I haven't the slightest idea that would make such a young man take his own life."
These were the words of Sir Weasley Prescott on a bleak winter evening, a week before Christmas Day. He sat beside the dead body of young Benjamin Tucker, a lad who had once taken care of Mr. Prescott's sickly daughter. Beside him was Ms. Agnes Tucker and her two daughters Caroline and Sarah. Finally, the butler, Mr. James Waltz, whose position was in front of the doors of the bedroom, he was the man who discovered Benjamin outside his broken window hanging from the closest branch of the close grown oak tree.
"I know we should've torn that dreary tree down but, oh, how Ben would protest to his fathers words of cutting it down-it was his favorite tree, you know, for he always hid in its deep branches. He'd jump out from time to time and scare whomever was below his hiding place. If only we had cut it down," Ms. Tucker sobbed on the bed spread in a violent reckless matter. Of course her pain would be the worse of them all, for a child is told to take pieces of their mother's hearts when they are born and this stands true for Agnes.
"But why," Mr. Prescott insisted to ask again."What would make a young boy such as himself want to die that way?"
His mother cried harder and quietly excused herself from the room. Caroline, being the eldest, smiled and followed her mother's footsteps. Sarah stayed behind and sighed, looking out the window.
"I know why he did it," she spoke meekly.
Mr. Prescott and Mr. Waltz sat up straighter, both intrigued by such news.
"Why?" They asked in union.
"That boy, who always came around...he confused him sir. Said his name was Peter Pan, that old fable. And when he couldn't fly he fell and died-quite simple really," she sighed and closed her eyes as if dreary from the story.
"Miss Sarah," Mr. Prescott inquired further, "did you ever meet the boy? This Peter Pan you speak of?"
Sarah tightened her fists around a clump of her dress,"Mr. Prescott, Peter wasn't real in the sense of visibility and able to be felt. Peter was another side of Benjamin. A different person entirely. On the days Peter didn't show, Benjamin would be awfully moody and wouldn't speak to a soul. I am the only one who knew this, however, so the bond between my brother and I was much stronger than that of my other sibling and mother."
"Boy George," Mr. Waltz muttered. "You mean to say Ben had a split personality and one day it led him straight to his demise? Is that the reason why the boy was so bipolar? One day he would be playing in the northern woods and the next he was terrified to leave the house. I just assumed it was a phase he would pass through with ease."
"His personality indeed caused him troubles but I assure you it was Benjamin that day. I had talked to him that morning and he seemed a bit off so I believed that it was a day without Peter and thought nothing of it, seeing how the boy experienced this often. Hours later I heard mad screaming and listened through the door, rather unladylike of me, and I heard him saying to Peter he wasn't going to do it. What the 'it' was ended up being an attempted flight. I cannot express the sorrow I felt that day," Sarah sighed and looked out the frosted window.
"Something doesn't quite add up," Mr. Prescott said at last after a few minutes of silent thought filled moments. "Miss Sarah, you say you were the only one that knew of Benjamin's peculiarities. Why is it, if you don't mind me asking, that you never told anyone of the house? Surely something could've been done to rid Ben of his second person."
"I tried to once, but no one seemed to believe me. A second personality seemed preposterous to the household. Besides, Ben and Peter only trusted me. Peter had twisted Ben into thinking that everyone in the house was playing on an opposing team. I honestly have no clue as to why I was the lone exception."
A heavy silence sat upon the room, invading the minds of its inhabitants until the weight was felt throughout their every nerve.
"Ben had told me once," Sarah and Mr.Prescott looked upon Mr.Waltz, his face glazed over with a memory. "He told me that if I were trapped inside my brain I too would.want to escape the world just to daydream. He only said this because I had seen him scolded by his mother for not listening to her and just wandering throughout his mind. Ben may have been Peter but I assure you that Peter was not Ben. Peter was cruel and harsh and disrespectful. He offered no kindness or kind word of advice to elders. He wasn't Ben."
Sarah nodded in agreement. Mr.Prescott rose from his seat, the others doing the same out of respect. He looked at them apprehensively, and spoke with strength, "It seems our mystery is solved. A boy with a spilt personality struggled to contain it all decided it was best to leave this world. I am dreadfully sorry for your lost and I hope our next meeting will be under brighter lighting."
"Goodnight Mr.Prescott, have a safe journey back home," Sarah bowed politely and Mr.Waltz lead Mr.Prescott to the door which opened and shut with mighty creaks and groans.
Never has a house slept so quietly since.
