A Dance with Pirates

Chapter 4

**Hi everyone so I've put a little music video in for you and I would really appreciate it if you listened to it. I'm one of those people who loves to read a story and find songs that go with the theme. This song is called "Slow Me Down" by Emmy Rossum. I thought it went well with Wendy's emotions in this chapter. I also added a picture which is of Mrs Darling's sister who gets mentioned in this chapter. So without further delay: listen, read and tell me what you think.. ;P Btw I don't own the song or Peter Pan.

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"Why should she stay?"

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The sound of her answer resonated in her ears. Gasps were heard from the shocked crowd. As Wendy glanced around the room her eyes fell upon her mother and father's expressions. Her mother lowered her head sadly and her father's face was one of disbelief and, without thinking, she ran.

Wendy ran out the door and into the streets and continued to run. As she ran she pulled the pins from her hair allowing it to fall freely. She ran and ran until she finally reached the park. She pushed the metal gate open and shut it behind her. Wendy hunched over and held a hand over her chest. Her chest burned and her legs ached but she didn't care.

The park was empty and quiet. All she could hear were the faint chirps of the crickets in the grass.

"Oh God," she thought," Oh God what have I done?" She kept seeing her poor mother and father's faces of disappointment, shame and sadness. The answer she had given played over and over in her mind,"No. No. No. No....." She felt sick. Wendy closed her eyes and leant on the gate behind her.

"What have I done?"she said to herself again,"Why do you always have to go and screw things up, Wendy? You can't do anything right and you never will! I'll never be accepted or appreciated. Nobody cares about me!" she held her head in her hands and let the tears flow. And, for the first time in 2 months, the world stopped. It slowed down. So much so that she felt that she was finally able to breathe.

"I just.... I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend. I can't. I can't grow up.."

That seemed to be the only thing that mattered in her life: growing up. It was a constant element. She wanted to forget about it, about the world, about Geoffrey, her parents and especially about growing up.

How could her parents just make this decision without consulting her? It wasn't like arranged marriages were popular these days. She had always disliked her father to a degree but now she loathed him.

Wendy began to slowly walk around the park. By this time she had kicked off her high heeled shoes and held them in her hand. The feeling of the dewy grass beneath her feet and the cool air around her calmed her and she felt less sick. Nature always had a way of calming her down. Even if it was only some grass and a few trees.

Wendy stood still as she spotted a water fountain. She remembered playing here with her brothers years ago. She could almost hear their shrieks of laughter even now..

"Walk the plank, you little girl!" John said in his best pirate voice. Peter and the other boys stood around him pretending to be John's pirate crew. Wendy stood on the edge of the fountain covered in dirt from head to toe.

"Never!" she yelled,"You will have to catch me first, Hook!" With that she jumped off the fountain and began running through the park dodging men and ladies as she ran. The boys followed suit yelling and screaming as they ran. She looked back and laughed at the sight of her brothers who were also covered with dirt and their clothes ruined. Without looking where she was running, Wendy crashed into someone.

"Oomph!" Wendy fell to the ground with a thud.

"Oh dear! Wendy, are you all right?" the woman asked.

The woman was Aunt Anne, Mrs Darling's sister, and her fiancé, Bradley Wiser. Aunt Anne lived in New York and she only visited once a year in the fall. She was the prettiest woman Wendy had ever met aside from her own mother.

"I'm perfectly fine, Aunt. I'm running from Captain Hook and his horrid pirate crew. Have you, perhaps, seen a hiding spot around here somewhere?" Wendy asked sweetly.

"Hmm.." her aunt looked thoughtful,"As a matter of fact there is a hollow tree just around that corner, perhaps you could hide in there."

"Brilliant! Thank you!" Wendy said as she ran off into the direction her aunt had just pointed out.

Anne smiled. "That girl is too boisterous," Bradley said as he lit a cigarette.

"Come now, Brad. She's only 12."

"It's not just her, Anne, it's that whole family."

"Excuse me, Brad, but that is my sister's family you're speaking of!" she said angrily.

"I don't care! That family is not fit for London society. Especially that girl. She'll never find a husband no matter how pretty she may be. She'll end up a spinster with a dozen mangy cats to keep her company," he said taking a long drag from his cigarette. The smoke made Anne cough.

"Bradley!" Anne gasped,"Hold your tongue. People can hear you."

"Damn them! And damn that stupid family! I can't wait to get back to New York!" with that he walked off leaving Anne alone. She sighed and followed after him. Both of them had been completely oblivious to the fact that Wendy had stopped a few meters behind them and had heard every word..

Wendy needed a fresh start, a new life and this memory had given her a fantastic idea: New York. It was perfect! It was a place were women led protests, wore no gloves and could do hard labour without being regarded as inferior. She couldn't belive she hadn't thought of going there before.

But how would she get there? She could go by ship. Getting a ticket couldn't be that difficult, could it? "And what about money?" she thought,"I guess I could live with Aunt Anne for a while until I get on my feet." It wasn't much but it was a plan. And, to Wendy, anywhere was better than London.

With excitement flowing through her veins Wendy dashed out of the park and down the street back to the house to start packing for New York..