Pan: The Untold Adventure

Chapter2: Opened Cage

A vicious 'thud' awoke Wendy from her dreaming. She remembered falling, but no more than that crept into her thoughts.
"Good morning, dear." She heard the singsong tone of her mother's voice. Wendy realized the thud was her mother knocking on the door, & it was daylight. The sun was peeking through strips in the grey sky, but could not fully penetrate the thick cold slate of the sky.
"Oh, good morning, mother," Wendy said politely, rubbing her eyes & stretching.
"Why Wendy, you look absolutely exhausted," Mrs. Darling regarded as Wendy stood up & wrapped her robe around her shoulders.
"Oh, no, mother, I'm fine. I was up studying for a while," Wendy replied, which seemed to please her mother.
As Wendy aged, so did her wants & she wanted nothing more than the bittersweet approval of her father & mother. After the trio of siblings ran away, Mr. Darling became fearful they would run once more. In truth, the man loved his children more than anything in the world & he wanted them safe. As long as they tuned into their schooling & kept at home, he knew their safety would be assured.
"I'll see you downstairs, dear," Mrs. Darling said while slipping out of Wendy's presence. With the nod of her head, Mary closed the door.
Hands gripped the edge of her bed as she fumbled with remembering dreams of the previous night. Wendy tried her hardest, but nothing came to her. Light was spreading across the floor. She turned to her window to see the sun was fighting it's way through the thick barrier of what brought cold & bitter rain. She rubbed her hands across her arms as she stepped to the sheet of glass. When she pressed fingertips on the surface, it wasn't cold, but warm.
"How strange," Wendy whispered to herself. It was chilly the night before, & with the sun just straining in, it shouldn't be warm. But for reasons she couldn't fathom, she decided to turn away. What troubles an adult will never trouble a child. & even though she was aging, certain troubles still had no affect on her, but that didn't completely leave her mind.
Downstairs, everyone was enjoying breakfast. Pancakes to eggs to bacon. A wonderful family meal. Wendy took her seat beside John. John had grown into a fine young man, wanting to follow in the footsteps of his father. Very admirable in a young man, yes. His boyish lines had defined into a strong jaw & tightness around his eyes. He had a hearty voice, & a confidence that lit up a room. Wendy was jealous of her brother, for these things came to him naturally. Wendy had trouble speaking outward considering she was no longer allowed to tell bedtime stories, not that anyone wanted to hear them. Her adventurous tales were what Mr. & Mrs. Darling decided was behind the children's abrupt absence those years ago. Still, she missed having the pleasure of adventures.
Michael was piling the tower of pancakes higher & higher on his plate. His freckles had slowly dimmed, but his hair was still vibrant red. He still had a child-like state of mind, but it was being overshadowed by the desire Michael had to be much like John. Both following in their father's footsteps. Wendy was too much like the wind, often unexpected & quickly fleeting. Without meaning to, she distanced herself from her brothers tremendously after leaving the nursery. & she missed them even while they sat at the same table enjoying the same meal.
She continued her day per usual. Piano practice, two hours. Study Spanish and Italian, roughly two more hours. Take a break for afternoon tea while reading poetry with her mother. And once more, more of her school studies until dinner. Wendy's days faded in & out. Often it seemed the sun would seem to hang in the middle of the sky, causing the day to drag on & on. Wendy feared she would never meet with her bed, & when she did, she feared her days would be nothing but endless repetition of deja vu.
Before she even realized, the day had ended. Wendy soaked in a bath overflowing with soft bubbles. For a short time, her worries faded. She relaxed her muscles into the warmth of the water; her skin felt a cool tingle from the smooth ceramic of the tub.
Wendy tugged the silver chain around her neck, & the acorn in her hand gave her a sense of comfort. Still, the comfort she felt sent a disturbance throughout her. She hadn't truly had a chance to consider the options, or even think of where she came across the wooden jewel. So many thoughts, so many questions intwined themselves around her brain. Giving up the fight for the evening, she decided to let her mind a rest. She completed her routine of drying herself, then dressing. As she passed her brothers' bedroom, she paused. She wanted badly to knock & tell them goodnight, but a part of her couldn't bear to do so. Oh, how she wished she could tap her knuckles on the cool wood of the door, & enter an entire different world, a small one she shared with her siblings. But things were not that simple anymore.
I just need some rest, Wendy thought. Yes, then I'll be good as new.
Even though the honey haired beauty longed for rest, she knew it would be hard to achieve that night, for upon entering her bedroom, she found her room dark...

... & the large window was open.

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Okay, so I know this is only chapter 2 & I really haven't written much, but I thought I would say a brief hello to the couple of people I've seen comment & for those who have read, & I hope will like to continue reading. I apologize this has taken me quite a while. Due to my home life, it isn't always easy to find time to reunite with my writing, but I'm hoping to change that. I'd like to update starting maybe once a week? I'll try to get a groove in. Anyway, for those reading, thank you, & I hope you enjoy my world I'm building for my Peter & Wendy.
-C