“It would be delightful to report that they reached the nursery in time

. . . but then, there would be no story.”

– Narrator, Peter Pan

“Saengie, could you please turn the volume down. I am trying to do my homework and I can’t concentrate with all the noise in the background.”

The little girl pouted, turning her head slightly toward her left, keeping her right eye glued to the screen so that she wouldn’t miss anything that was being played and would have to rewind it all back to watch what she had missed because her brother was calling out to her.

“But Peter Pan is almost ending! Let me finish the show first, please, Oppa!” she begged her big brother who was trying to finish his homework in the study room where she had been watching her all-time favorite show, Peter Pan, for the tenth time ever since their dad had came back from a business trip in London a week ago. She could not stop watching it and knew every sentence, every word, every moment, every song and every single detail by heart — which was a surprise for an eight-year-old girl.

He chuckled softly and nodded. He knew how much his little sister loved to watch the show and she would cry if she didn’t. Besides, it was almost ending, anyway. “Okay, okay, continue watching,” he said and turned back to his homework with a little smile on his lips.

She turned back to the screen just as Wendy Darling was waving goodbye to Peter Pan back in her home in England before the credits started playing.

“Goodbye, Wendy!”

“I’ll always remember you, Peter Pan!”

 She sighed dreamily, wondering what it would be like if she was in Neverland. She would get to fly and play with Tinkerbell, Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys. She would swim with the mermaids in the Mermaid Lagoon all day as well, if she could. They were so pretty. She would help Peter Pan defeat the evil Captain Hook and maybe even take in the poor Mr. Smee, who always seemed to be getting into trouble with the evil and bad Hook. Suddenly a song began to play and she reverted her attention back to the television, just as the words of the song began so she could sing along with the words.

Her brother smiled softly as he listened to her.

“The second star to the right

Shines in the night for you

To tell you that the dreams you plan

Really can come true

The second star to the right

Shines with a light that's rare

And if it's Never Land you need

Its light will lead you there”

While the song was playing, she scrambled over to the window, to peer out through the glass up to the night sky, where she saw stars. She frowned, searching for the Second Star to Right, just like how the song had said. She couldn’t see two stars that were brighter than all the other stars in the sky that night. But nevertheless, she sat on the window seat and looked up to the sky, wishing that she would fly to Neverland right now.

She didn’t realize she had fallen asleep but when she woke up, she felt her brother carrying her back to her room. She buried her head in his chest. “Oppa . . . I want to go to Neverland and meet Peter Pan and Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys,” she murmured softly, gripping tightly onto his shirt.

He chuckled. “I thought you already were, when you fell asleep,” he lightly. He set her down in bed and kissed her forehead. “Saranghae, saengie. I hope you dream of Neverland tonight. But make sure you go with me, all right?”

“You can be Peter Pan! I’ll be Tiger Lily!”

“I thought you wanted to be Tinkerbell.”

She paused for a moment, tapping her chin lightly as she always did whenever she was thinking too hard. “I want to be both Tiger Lily and Tinkerbell.”

He burst into laughter. “Silly, how are you going to do that, huh? How are you going to be two people at the same time?” he wanted to know, shaking his head.

But his little sister’s eyes just gleamed. “Magic,” she replied, in a way that seemed like the answer was very obvious.

He ruffled her hair affectionately. He didn’t want to argue with his sister, not that he could, even if he wanted to. She always had a good comeback which would render him speechless like it did now. “Sleep, saengie. I think Umma plans to take us somewhere in the morning so get plenty of rest.” He smiled softly down at her.

“Where are we going?” she wanted to know, peeping through from under the covers. She giggled and squirmed when he tickled her sides.

He stopped, before she squealed and was completely awake. It was already nine in the night. Time for her to sleep. “Molla. I have to ask Umma that.”

He made sure she was covered properly to keep warm even though it was a hot summer season that year before he switched the lights off in her room and went down the stairs to the kitchen where her dad and mother were inside, discussing about where to take the kids to the very next day.

“Darling, why are you still up?” his mother wanted to know, looking up as he entered through the doorway. She smiled at him. “Are you done with your homework? Is your sister asleep yet or is she still watching Peter Pan?”

“Saengie asked where you are taking us tomorrow,” he asked, sitting his thirteen-year-old self down on one of the stools around the counter. He looked at his dad, who was flipping through the newspapers. “And I am done with my homework. Saengie had fallen asleep so I carried her back to her room. She was watching Peter Pan earlier.”

His mother frowned thoughtfully. “I was actually thinking of taking the two of you out to the beach tomorrow,” she replied.

He perked up. “Really? Awesome!” He pumped his fist into the air and gave a loud whoop in glee — but quickly covered his mouth before he could make any more noise to disturb his sister. He glanced behind his shoulder, thinking she would come down any moment to complain that he was being too noisy again.

His dad frowned and put the newspapers aside. “The beach? That’s a dangerous place to go to, sweetie,” he said to his wife. “Don’t you remember what happened two years ago when the whole bunch of kids were swept away by the tides? I don’t want my kids to be swept away, especially the little one since she’s so small and can’t swim.”

“I’ll make sure nothing bad happens to Saengie, I promise, Appa,” the little boy argued, putting on his protective-brother mode.

“Promise is an awfully big word,” his father replied.

“And I’m an awfully big boy,” he argued innocently.

His father only half-smiled although it looked somewhat like a grimace.

His mother smiled and ruffled his hair gently, knowing that he would keep his promise, before she turned back to her husband. “Oppa, I think it’ll be fine. I checked the weather reporter. They said that it would be a good day to go to the beach. Besides, our son can swim and it’s a hot summer day.”

“I tell you no,” the man objected sharply.

“I think it’s a good thing for our daughter to get out of the house and stop watching those Peter Pan shows,” she argued back patiently. “It’s kind of your fault for bringing so many Peter Pan shows for her to watch. Now her head is filled with Neverland, fairies, and Lost Boys. Goodness, Oppa, she wishes she could fly.”

As the husband and wife argued about taking their kids to the beach the next morning, the little boy sat in between them, wondering if it was a good idea for him to tell his parents that his little sister had been talking about Neverland and maybe even possibly be dreaming about Peter Pan and the Lost Boys at this very moment as they fought.

“Fine!” the man finally exploded. “But don’t come to me, crying, if something happens to the kids. I hate to tell you ‘I told you so’ and you know that.”

He breathed a sigh of relief as his mother leaned over the counter to peck his father gently on the cheek. He hated it when their parents argued.

“I will, sweetheart, don’t you worry.” She turned back to see that their son was still there. She looked alarm. “And shouldn’t you be sleeping?” She shooed him away gently. “Go now, dear. You’ve got a long day ahead of you. We’ll be leaving early in the morning so that you kids can spend more time at the beach, so go to sleep now.”

He hopped off the stool and saluted his mother. “Yes, Umma. Good night, Umma. Good night, Appa!” He ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room while both his mother and father laughed lightly at the little boy’s enthusiam. He was feeling rather giddy that they were going to the beach.

They were going to have the time of their lives! Woohoo!

The next morning when the sun was still rising, both little children woke their mother up and ushered her into the car to the beach where they talked non-stop about the fun they were going to have once they were there.

The moment they reached the beach, their mother spotted a friend and went over to talk to her while the little boy and the little girl immediately made a beeline toward the ocean but not before applying sunscreen and being warned not to swim too far out (and for the brother to take care of his little sister).

The two of them were playing together in the ocean as their mother chatted away fervently with her friend on the shore, keeping a watchful eye on the both of them even though she knew her son would take care of her daughter.

“You know,” their mother’s friend said to her, “you better make sure your kids don’t wade out into the ocean. The tides at this time can get pretty rough. The last time it was rough, a bunch of boys were swept away two years ago. Some said they drowned, others said they swam and swam for miles until they were lost in the sea, too fascinated to come back. Whatever the case was, they never returned, leaving their family to grief in their absence.”

She nodded. “Don’t worry, my son is a good swimmer,” she replied calmly. “I know he will take care of his little sister.” She glanced down toward something beside the other woman. “Is that the latest beach bag? I heard it’s limited.”

“Oh, yes, it is . . .”

While the two of them carried on chatting, the little boy and little girl were having the time of their lives by the water, their joyous laughter could be heard miles away. Anyone who saw them that day could tell that they were enjoying themselves.

“Oppa!” the little girl of eight shrieked gleefully as she splashed water at him. “Look! Water!” She cupped the water in her hand and watched in extreme fascination as it trickled down back to the vast of water before her very eyes.

This was so fascinating.

Her thirteen-year-old brother protectively watched over her, making sure she didn’t waddle too far out into the ocean. Umma had said not to let her swim that far out. Speaking of their mother, he turned back to see that their mother’s back was turned to them; it mattered not because he could take care of his little sister. He turned back to his dongsaeng — just as something wet and slimy was thrown onto him. He gagged and threw whatever it was away, shrieking, thinking it was a sea creature. With his sister’s laughter in the background, he saw that she had thrown seaweed onto him.

“You looked like Peter Pan from Neverland!” she giggled. She looked up to sky, toward the blazing sun. She covered an eye, squinting to the brightness. She pointed to the sun. “Second star to the right, and straight on to morning! Oppa, let’s find Neverland!”

Her brother was about to comment when salt water greeted him, clouding his vision with a stinging pain for a moment. His sister had decided to splash water in his face and some of the water had gotten into his eyes, bring along a stinging pain.

“Yah! Saengie!” he chastised, temporarily blinded.

She giggled. “Soweee!” she cried cutely and he instantly forgave her. How could he not resist those adorable, round eyes?

But the pain did not go away just yet, it seemed to be stinging even more. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get rid of the stinging salt water when suddenly a huge surge of wave crashed over him unexpectedly, making him to stumble for a bit. “Aahh!” he exclaimed, spluttering the water out, trying to wipe the water off from his face. He rubbed his eyes again. “Saengie, are you okay?”

. . .

There was no answer.

“Saengie?”

Again, there wasn’t any answer from the usual tinkling voice that normally rang in his ears like a sweet, softly lullaby.

His vision cleared and he looked around him.

He saw nothing but the waves, and heard nothing but the waves greeting him solemnly.

“Saengie?”

Splish . . . splash . . . splosh . . .

Only the sound of waves answered.

He got annoyed, his eyebrows furrowing. “Saengie, come out. It’s not funny.” He didn’t think it was very nice of his little sister to play hide-and-seek with him, especially when he was supposed to look after her. But when he didn’t see her anywhere, panic started to rise. Fear gripped his throat. “S – Saengie?” he croaked. “Saengie, eodi ka?! Saengie!” He craned his neck to look for her, not caring about the waves as it silently crashed onto him.

He had to find her.

“Oppa . . .”

He froze.

“Help . . .”

He turned his head to where the sound of her voice was coming from and saw a little head bobbing up from afar, distance out at the sea.

“Saengie!” He looked over his shoulders to the shore and saw that his mother was trying to rush over, panic clearly written all over her usual beautiful face. “Umma! Saengie is in trouble! Help her, please!”

He turned back to see the little girl’s head sinking down, like how his heart was sinking down because he realized he didn’t keep his promise to his father and mother in protecting his little sister from the rough, wild tides.

With only the thoughts of saving his little sister, he lunged forward and dived under the ocean, ignoring his mother’s screams of agony.

“No!”

A huge wave dragged him down along with it and his arms flail about to regain the balance he had lost. He had to struggle to fight against it, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. He tried to pry his eyes opened. It stung a lot when he did, as he was underwater, but he saw a little body a few feet ahead of him, trying to reach the surface. He tried desperately to reach out, to call her name, but only bubbles escaped from his mouth when he opened it to speak. He pushed himself toward her — and was pushed back by the waves, and was covered in darkness once again.

It was almost as if the waves didn’t want her to be saved.

His little sister looked up to him in the midst of struggling to breathe underwater. Her eyes were wide and it almost looked as if she was screaming “HELP ME!” to him. Panic was clearly written on her face as the little girl desperately tried to save herself.

He tried again, but the waves pushed back. He was getting tired, but something in his mind told him that if he gave up now, he would regret it for the rest of his life. Again he tried to push forward, but again the waves pulled him back. He was running out of breath; he swam back up to the surface to take a deep breath before diving back down — to see a lifeless body floating away from him . . . far, far away . . . away from his grip . . .

Saengie! No!

 Suddenly he felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his waist. He struggled against it, with only thoughts of saving his sister in his mind, but the arms were stronger and soon he felt himself being dragged further and further away until he was back on the shore with his mother . . . and his little sister wasn’t.

Saengie . . . I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. But maybe now you can be at Neverland.

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Um. Um. First chappie's up, whaddya think? And anyone can guess who the brother is? xD I'm not giving you any hints except for the fact that he's in...EXO xDD well, obviously hahaha. No, no hints B| you'll find out when you find out (: