The Boy Named Peter Pan

Chapter 1: Between Words and Papers

– THIRTY DAYS AGO –

~ • ~

Everything was sad outside.

The rain drops were desperately trying to slip through the cracks of the window, but failing to do so. Clouds upon clouds blocking the sun as if wanting to keep it from showing to earth, to warm it up as it did during summer. Even the vast forest looked ominous in that kind of weather, dangerous, if I dare to say. And it wasn't, because I had been so many times there with father, that I knew it as well as the palm of my hand.

My house.

The empty, lifeless mansion on the outskirts of the city.

Even the sorrowful nature outside could be considered more exciting than this hollow place.

And if these silent walls weren't enough, my parents were absent all afternoon. Apparently, Mrs. Larissons and her tea parties were the event of the year, since any high-class, arrogant rich individual would not dare to miss them. To me, they were just dim-witted and, I could not but be relieved when I was informed I wasn't obliged to go along with my parents there.

Perhaps the isolation of the familiar rooms of our house were more entertaining than a rich-to-the-bone old lady and her hairy  jumpy little dog.

The cracking and sizzling of the fire made me flinch a bit, only because it had been so quiet until then. The fireplace in my personal bedroom was by no means as magnificent as the tiled fireplace with mahogany surround in the living room with the high vaulted ceiling, but still, it provided what I was lacking the most.

Warmth.

And in my minutes of bare exasperation, I wouldn't expect to hear out of the blue a very bizarre and out of place sound.

Ching ching ching.

"What..." I muttered to myself and sat up, taken aback.

Was that... a cat bell?

No, that couldn't be it; there was no cat in the entire house. At least none that I was aware of. Mother had strictly forbidden any type of animal entering the house, but never bothered to explain why. But then again, no one ever questioned the Duchess' orders, excluding father. The maids were terrified of her and her strict requests, who usually came out harsh and bland. To be honest though, I was terrified of her too.

Contemplating whether I had indeed heard the tingling sound of a cat bell or not, I decided to stop thinking irrationally and blame my excessive need of something exciting happening for once. Then again, if that indeed was a cat bell, then that meant one of the maids had brought one secretly. Could it be Moette?

... No, I most doubt it. Regardless of her love for cats, she wouldn't go against mother's rules either.

And just I was about to accept the fact there was never a sound to begin with, it happened again.

Ching ching ching.

... It rang again.

And it was more vibrant and clear this time. I turned my head towards the closed door, since it sounded from the corridor right on the other side of it. No way. It couldn't be possible. Did it really ring? Was I not just imagining things? Was all this time alone making me paranoid about things?

I was soon about to find out.

I carefully tip-toed towards my door in order to stay quiet in case it happened to jingle again. And I successfully did so when I turned slowly the doorknob and pulled it. The door creaked briefly and I peeked in the corridor, but found no breathing soul there. The maids would have probably been relaxing since my parents were away and I didn't especially liked to play the tyrant with them, it was not in me to do such thing. But anywho, the corridor was empty. All doors on the floor were shut closed but, however, the only sound I could faintly make out was the light footsteps of someone pacing around downstairs.