Almost there... Almost...
Yes!
Having secured the apple in my palm, I tightly wrapped my fingers around it and pulled hard down. The fruit easily detached from the branch as it bounced up again, causing a rustling noise. Resting on my whole feet again and not just the toes, I breathed out and smiled. I would just have to save that for later. Going to the kitchen would be out of question, because of the personnel. Be that as it may, taking into account the current turmoil due to the incident in the library, it was impossible to guess where any of them would be in the mansion.
There was also Peter's involvement I had to consider, as well. He would soon try to strike again and I had to be prepared. Keeping my plan from him would be essential for this game to work in my favour.
Burying the apple in my pocket, I continued my way around the mansion through the garden; the fact that it was almost surrounding three quarters of the house was going to be helpful in order to reach my room. The only obstacle here was the fact that my bedroom was on the second floor.
As I was crouching down under the rectangular window of the study room, I heard the sound of something smashing against the wall. I flinched and almost fell back in fright. I assumed it was a glass bottle, considering that soon followed my father's voice.
"Where the hell could she have gone off to, Lenore? Nobody saw her leaving or exiting the mansion!"
"Dear, calm down. She couldn't have just left. Elise is too stubborn and might just be hiding somewhere in the house to scare us. She's too incompetent to make it out there all alone, anyway."
Curling my fingers into balls, my subconscious urged me to keep going. However, part of me wanted to eavesdrop on my parents' conversation a bit longer, thus I remained glued to my hiding spot under the slightly opened window.
"You're right. That insolent child only knows how to complain and quarrel. Never has she obliged to anything. Why is our child so problematic, Lenore? Why can't she be like others of her age? I thought she would turn out to be a graceful young lady, not a manerless savage!"
... I pressed my lips together, shutting close my eyes. Maybe that was enough. I had heard enough.
I gulped, a sudden burning sensation scratching my throat. Problematic. That was how they viewed me. My own parents were considering me as a burden, incompetent. It wasn't that I was not aware of their frustration with me before but, hearing them uttering those words to each other made them more painful. It felt strange, so strange, and I felt the gap between me and them splitting even farther apart.
An abrupt, slashing current of air bursted through the window as it forcefully pushed it open, alerting both my parents and cutting their conversation short.
"What? That was strange, the window just..." my mother's tone suddenly dropped as she must have looked perplexed by the sudden sharp wind.
Footsteps marching toward the window made me instantly creep around the corner and hide myself there just in time when my father's face appeared in the window. I placed my hand over my mouth, realising how a single mistake could have me spotted in an instance.
"What on earth was that? The windows don't open inwards so how..." his voice trailed off, my eyes narrowing slightly when the realisation hit me.
Peter.
He had already made his move. He wanted me spotted again.
"Wait, Lenore, come here."
"What's wrong?"
YOU ARE READING
The Boy Named Peter Pan
Fanfiction"Would you follow me anywhere, then?" I smiled, tracing my fingers along the book as I studied the carved letters. His sudden silence set my heart racing and I felt, surprisingly so, nervous to hear his answer. But I knew if I played along, he would...
