One day I sat despondently looking out over the island thinking gloomy

thoughts when a warm cheerful breeze swept swiftly over the island leaving me with a glowing

feeling. "Peter!!!! It's Peter!!! Pan's back!!!" I hear Tinkerbell shout. She shot up into the sky

from her small house in a blaze of sparkling fairy dust. This created an enormous reaction from

the Lost Boys. They came running wildly from all parts of the tree shouting loudly. Suddenly I

heard a crowing from above the Tree House, a cocky self-assured sound that rang clearly

throughout the tree. The sound sent a strange warm shiver down my back and I ran down to

where the Lost Boys were gathered at the base of the tree. I stopped at the sight that met my

eyes. There in their midst stood a boy with a mass of wild red hair topped by a jaunty cap and

clad in a green shirt and dark ragged pants. "Peter Pan" I breathed. It was indeed the long gone

leader of the Lost Boys who now stood triumphantly in their jubilant midst. He was already

regaling the boys with farfetched tales and did not seem to even care or realize that he had

been gone for years and years. The chattering quieted down as I walked forwards. David walked

over to me and put his arm around me. "This is Karen, Peter. The girl we have been telling you

about." Peter swept off his hat and bowed low before me. Now that I was next to him I saw

that Peter was slightly younger than David but stood around the same height as him. He had a

young face with brilliant eyes that twinkled with mischief. "How do you do fair lady?" he asked.

"Very well kind sir" I answered. "And how do you like Neverland?" questioned Peter. "It is a

wonderful place and I like it very much here" I responded. Abruptly Peter lost his fancied air

and announced loudly, "A feast!! In honor of my return!" and bounded off to our long table.

The dishes were set out and we enjoyed a bountiful meal with exotic dishes that only Peter

could have imagined. The Lost Boys did not appear to be unduly worried that their leader had

gone and left them for nearly seven years and had just now returned (for seven years was how

long I had been in Neverland and Peter had apparently left just before I had been shipwrecked).

I found this very odd and I asked Sam why the Lost Boys were not troubled over Peter's long

absence. He replied saying that Peter had often left for long periods, but he did admit that this

had been the greatest length of time that he had ever been away. David had immediately

returned Peter his sword on his arrival and now carried my father's great broadsword across his

back. I smiled happily at the sight of the Lost Boys in their festive spirit. I now knew that I could

leave. Peter's return would be enough to distract them from my leaving, even though it was

going to be very difficult for me.

That evening after supper I sought out David. I asked him to come and talk with me privately.

We walked in the moonlight until we reached an overlook at the top of a waterfall, a favorite

spot of the Lost Boys. I sighed heavily as I looked out over the beautiful view. I was going to

miss Neverland. "So, are you going to finally tell me what you have been moping about?" David

asked. I laughed and replied "You don't let anything slip by you, do you?" "Well I try to keep up

on what everyone at the Tree House is doing. So, what HAS been causing you to act so

droopy?" My shoulders sagged and my voice dropped as I answered, "David, I have to leave

Neverland. I can't stay here forever. Hook was right, I don't belong here in Neverland. I love it

here but my world is far away and I think that it is time for me to grow up." David stood silently

for several minutes before speaking. "No, Hook was wrong. You do belong here." "But, I have to

leave! I can't stay here permanently! Maybe you misunderstood what I was trying to say." I said

quickly. "I understand. You can't stay forever, that's okay. What I am trying to tell you though is

that you belong wherever you are." David declared. "When are you planning on leaving?"

"Sometime soon" I said miserably "With Peter's return I figured that his homecoming would

help ease my leaving." "I see" David replied. "Uughhh, the longer I put it off the worse it makes

having to leave! How am I going to tell the other boys? They will try to stop me from leaving

and I can hardly stand the thought of going away." I said disconsolately. David stood silently

again, and after a long while he spoke, "I'm coming with you." "What??!!" I blurted out. "I am

going to leave with you." David repeated, "Not every boy stays in Neverland forever you know.

Anyways now that Peter is back the Lost Boys won't need me to lead them. It would be hard for

me to go back to not worrying about everyone since I have been in charge for so long." I said in

surprise, "But David that's crazy! You haven't been in the real world for who knows how many

years and what if Peter leaves again? The Lost Boys need a reliable leader." David answered,

"Look Karen, I get all of that, but it's time for me to leave just like you said. Your right, I have

been here a long time. More than you would ever guess in fact and that's why I should leave

now with you." "You really mean to go with me?" I asked. "Yes I am going to go with you! I can't

let you go running off into the great unknown all by yourself! Some wild animal will try to eat

you or you will be carried off by a tribe of man-eating cannibals and someone will have to

rescue you." David said laughing. "And I suppose that might as well be you, eh David?" I grinned

up at him. "That's right!" he replied with false offence. Laughing together we wandered

leisurely back to the Tree House. We decided not to tell the Lost Boys that night and instead

wait until the next morning.

At breakfast the next day we broke the news to the boys. Grandchildren I don't think that I

have ever seen so many sad faces. The Lost Boys were completely dismayed that David and I

were leaving. Pip and Tuck ran around the table and hugged me. "You can't leave! I won't let

you." said Pip. "I will miss all of you so much, but it's time for me to go home." I replied. The

Lost Boys finished their breakfast in gloomy silence after our announcement. Peter took the

news the best but it made him grumpy that someone had made a big decision without

consulting him first. Sam was the hardest hit of all of the boys. Both of his best friends were

abandoning him. "When are you planning to leave?" he asked. "Not till the end of the week."

David answered. "Well if you're not leaving until then we are going to make this the best week

you two have ever had in Neverland." Sam said determinedly. Sam was right. The Lost Boys

gave us the greatest week of our lives. We went swimming, hiked all over the island, visited the

Indians, and had other memorable adventures. Peter and Tinkerbell even set up a fantastic

treasure hunt for us and the Lost Boys and showered us with incredible gifts. As the time for us

to depart drew close the Lost Boys decided to do something extra special for David and I. The

Lost Boys took my great wooden chest that they and David had carved for me and filled it with

special items to help us remember them. They created a false bottom for the chest and filled

the space with rare mountain flowers and precious jewels along with many gold coins. In the

rest of the space above the false bottom they carefully packed David and I's few articles of

clothing. They also put in small things like wood carvings, ribbons for me, and a dagger for each

of us. They even wrapped up some seashells and a sea star for us. Finally the day we were to

leave we took both of our swords and carefully laid them on top of everything else. I took a

piece of paper stolen from the pirates and had each of the boys write their names on it and a

note. Some of them could not write so instead I had them dictate to me what they wanted to

say. To this day grandchildren I still have that paper and perhaps sometime I can show it to you.

We had decided that we were going to leave after the noon day meal on Friday. That day we

enjoyed a delicious luncheon with the Lost Boys for the last time. We sat around the long table

telling stories about past adventures that we had gone on together. We made the lunch last for

as long as we could but eventually our time was up. As David and I made our goodbyes to each

of the Lost Boys I finally broke down and cried a little. Up to that point I had been dry eyed but

as I bid Sam farewell my eyes betrayed me. Peter and Tinkerbell had been busy preparing to

take us back as they were going to be our guides since we were flying. Just as Tinkerbell was

sprinkling fairy dust over my wooden chest Sam blurted out "I'm coming too! You guys are my

best friends and I can't stand to see you leave." Needless to say David and I were overjoyed

that Sam was going to come with us and we waved enthusiastically to the Lost Boys as we flew

away above them. Peter led us on one last parting flight over Neverland and each of us tried to

find our favorite haunts and make a picture of the beautiful island in our minds one last time.

Then Peter was off and away streaking up high into the clouds and we were hard pressed to

follow him. We flew long into the next day and it was not until late afternoon when we made it

to our destination. Our new home was America, my birthplace and the country that we agreed

would be the best place to make our new life in.

Making our way in the high tech world of the future was not easy grandchildren, for the time in

Neverland does not pass the same way as it does here. I had been gone from America for over

200 years and things had changed greatly. We made do however, and each of us was able to

find a place for ourselves in the new world. Sam became a doctor and worked hard for many

years at his profession. David and I eventually got married and moved out into the country

where we farmed. I also spent some time as a school teacher, but no matter how busy we were

we always made time to see Sam and we spent many happy years together as friends.

"Whoah...wait stop Grandma!! You mean to say that Grandpa Davy is.....is... the David from

your story??!!" "That is exactly right Jeanette! Your grandpa came from Neverland just like I

did." "Well then where is Sam?" "Why grandchildren you know our neighbor Mr. Bell! That's

Sam." "So my whole life I have had a grandpa who was a Lost Boy?" "Yes, Joshua, David was

one of the Lost Boys." "Coooool....... I know two Lost Boys!!" "That you do Joshua, that you do."