Chapter 1

They are all the same. All of them.

They have romantic dreams about Neverland, sometimes about me. But they always go home, and I never see them again.

They're all like…like Wendy. She flew home with her two brothers and all the Lost Boys. My Lost Boys. She left me alone with Tinkerbell.

It's not that I don't like Tink. She's nice—most of the time. But fairies can only feel one emotion at a time because they are so small. So when she feels something, it's all-out, over-the-top emotion. This one-emotion stuff can get tiring sometimes.

Wendy, the Lost Boys, John, Michael—they were real people with many emotions at one time. Sometimes when Wendy was talking, I'd just watch her face as emotions flowed across it. When she left, I couldn't help but feel lonely.

Maybe that loneliness is what brought me back to Earth. The feeling of needing someone real nearby.

I don't know exactly where I ended up. Maybe in that place they call America. I just don't know.

I flew past the houses, just wandering the streets.

The world had changed so much since I had been here last. The air was thicker. There weren't many open spaces. I felt sorry for this changed world. They spent so much time building up that they didn't see the beauty of the sky. So much time building out that they missed the beauty of the landscape.

Tinkerbell, who flew beside me coughed. I turned me head to look at the little, golden fairy. She looked a little sicker than usual. Her usually glittery sparkle looked dull. "You okay, Tink?"

Tink's reply was in the form of a sneeze. She must be getting sick from all the non-believers. There must be more of them than there used to be…

"We won't stay here much longer," I replied, flying towards a random house.

The house was small. It's old, blue paint was peeling, and a couple shingles were missing from the roof. The small windows were covered by dark curtains.

The house made me feel sad for some reason. It just seemed like a lachrymose sort of place.

I flew around the house, looking for an open window or something. Finally, in the back of the house, I found a window that was slightly open. Inside, I could see a girl sitting with her back against the wall, writing. Her hair was long and brown, just like Wendy's had been, except this girl had pulled hers back into a ponytail. The girl's eyes were a brilliant green, like two emeralds. She wore a pair of faded jeans and a t-shirt with a poem written on it in fancy lettering. I scanned the words:

"Don't wish,

Don't start,

Wishing only

Wounds the heart…"

--"I'm Not That Girl" from Wicked

Suddenly she looked up. Grabbing Tink's small body gently in my hand, I flew swiftly up onto the roof. Tinkerbell, who was beating on me and letting out a series of annoyed squeaks, tried to pull herself out of my hand. "Tink, shh!" I whispered quickly. She frowned at me and crossed her arms across her chest.

I heard the girl's window open. I slid silently towards the edge of the roof, trying to get a better look at the girl. I could see her looking around, seeming confused. Then she sighed. "Why couldn't you be real?" she muttered, looking up at the stars. "Come take me away."

Sighing, she retreated back into her room, but she left her window open.

I sat, confused about what she had just said. Who did she mean? Why did she want to leave? What was so bad in her life that made her want to leave?

Tink's coughing brought me back into reality. Her light dimmed slightly, and she shivered.

"Okay, okay. Let's go," I muttered.