Hope

4

I ran into the kitchen turning on the lights and found myself dumbfounded to realise that I didn't know what to look for to eat.

I went forward to to the fridge and opened it, expecting to see something delicious inside....

But no—nothing except for an already rotten apple, an empty, crumpled milk carton and two small croissants.

I took out the croissants and started eating them just like that, taking big bites.

But I eventually started coughing and was on the verge to cough the bits inside my mouth too. I cupped my mouth with my hand to stop them from coming out.

Why wouldn't it ? My throat was as dry as the Sahara ! I lifted the heavy water-jug from the tabletop with my paining left hand and gulped down cold water that wet the inside of my throat and tongue, and finally soothed down the burning sensation inside my throat that occurred for my screeching. It was a refreshing and marvellous sensation to fulfill your thirst. There is nothing better than this.

I was so tensed that I almost forgot about my thirst.

I put the jug back on the tabletop, my hand paining more, and when I looked up–'Peter ' was sitting on the chair infront of me. His arms on the table, supporting his cheeks, his face in a mischievous and dreamy grin.

It freaked the bloody hell out of me and a small squeal escaped my lips.

I clutched my chest to stop my small heart from beating frantically.

I'm not liking this anymore ! This boy is giving me small heart attacks everytime ! By seeing him again, my hunger was all gone and right now, I just did not want to face him.

"What on earth is your problem ?!" I yelled at him. But he didn't seem to mind. And with the grin still plastered on his face, he got up from the chair and said sarcastically "Say, I thought you got used to seeing me vanishing and appearing out of the thin air !—So why are you getting scared everytime ?"

I just rolled my eyes at him and passed by him without uttering a word. His eyes were following my movement, confused. I climbed up the stairs, got into my room, forgetting to close the door behind and then hit the bed again, covering head to toe with my quilt. I was so sleepy that I fell half asleep immediately.

I could see a tiny of golden light from behind my closed eyelids. The light was growing bigger and brighter everytime. So my eyelids sprung open on their own–to see a tiny glowing Tinkerbell  hovering inches away from my nose.

I pulled down my cover and sat straight upright on my bed out of shock. I looked left, to see Peter sitting on top of my wardrobe with ease and looking at me with an amused expression.

"What do you want !" I said while rubbing my sleepy eyes, trying to make my voice angry which it couldn't.

"I'm here to take you to Neverland–as you can guess !" Peter said still amused.

I stopped rubbing my eyes and looked at him straight in the eye, horror struck.

He's giving me shocks after shocks and now this ?! 'NEVERLAND '-really ?

Why am I still having a hard time believing in all of this ?

I banged my bed again and closed my eyelids, hoping that they would vanish away magically.

"Please let me sleep" I mumbled in my sleep.

Someone grabbed my right hand and pulled me up with full force. It was Peter.

I stared at him dumbstruck, wanting an explanation why he did it.

'Of course you know why he did it !'

He scowled and said waving his hands up "What is the problem with you Darling girls ?! You girls are so stubborn !"

' 'Darling' ? Wasn't that the surname of my great great grandmother or something ?'

"Do you still think we aren't real April ? Are you mental ? We are too real to be fake !-" he kept yelling.

"It's not that.....I just can't believe my own eyes. You guys are too unreal to be real....." I spoke to him openly for the first time, in a small unsure whisper, my head looking down. I could see Tinkerbell from the corner of my eyes shaking her head and her arms crossed over her tiny chest, which meant that she was rolling her eyes in disbelief or annoyance.

There was silence, so I looked up to see Peter smiling, mostly to himself.

Then he spoke up looking down at me "Jeez April, your mother spoke the exact same words when I first appeared on her window-'you guys are too unreal to be real'.....I miss her you know ?-"

This hit me hard on the chest and tears started welling up in my eyes. I remember mum telling something like this while she told me bedtime stories about Peter Pan....

"-She saw Peter Pan along with Tinkerbell on her window seal ! And she blurted out, 'You people are to unreal to be real'...."

So it was true.....

"Tell me this–is Wendy we all know in Peter Pan stories, was really my great great grandmother, Wendy ?" I spoke to him more openly now.

"Yup ! That's it ! I've got a loooong history with you Darling girls.

Wendy to Jane, Jane to Anna, Anna to your mother, May, and from May-comes you, April....

Tell you what, you all girls were and are the same ! That same curiosity, stubbornness–" he kept saying and I kept listening.

"-but there is only one difference between you and them-"

I raised my eyebrows in shock.

"-that is, after convincing them to come with me, they came. But you April, was the hardest to convince ! You wouldn't even listen !"

"-C'mon ! How many times have you seen us ? But still you are having mini heart attacks by seeing us everytime !" he said laughing, pointing at himself and Tinkerbell.

I sighed, knowing that I really had been silly.

"C'mon April ! We better get going before the sun comes out." he said, motioning me to get up, and then he climbed on the window seal.

When he said me to come with him, a horrible sensation creeped into my veins and my breathing became shallow and heavy.

Was I going to do this ?