The Bird and the Map
Pretty Odd
The shadowed figure, Peter thought, looked remarkably similar to the symbol marking the women’s bathrooms. As his eyes adjusted, the figure became clear. It was indeed a girl and she was in fact wearing a dress. It was blue like the sky on a clear summer day. Her hair was blonde and curly. Peter’s first thought on her appearance was that she was pretty odd. It wasn’t until much later that he would come to think she was exquisitely beautiful.
“Do you think you’re dreaming,” the girl asked as she squatted down beside Peter who was still lying face-up on the ground. She looked only a bit concerned. Peter couldn’t figure out what the other look was that was hiding behind her cheeks.
“Wha-at,” he muttered confused.
Then her look turned to an obviously worried expression. “Oh dear, did you hit your head when you landed?”
She reached her hand out as if she were going to touch his head, but her hand hovered there right above it. As Peter sat up, her hand went back to her side.
After her question, Peter raised his hand to his head and tossled his red hair a bit to shake out the dirt.
“Hm, no, I don’t think so,” he replied finally.
The girl repeated her first question. “Do you think you’re dreaming?”
This time, Peter answered without hesitation, a little annoyed and confused at the repeated question. “No, I do not think that I am dreaming.”
He stood up then, standing only a few inches taller than the girl. Tossling his hair once again, he gave the girl a one-over up and down before shoving out his hand, putting on the best boyish grin he could muster and said, “Hi, I’m Peter. Peter Pan. What’s your name?”
The girl only smiled, looking a bit surprised and maybe even a little impressed at his apparent lack of shyness. She took his hand and shook it gently. “Alice. I’m Alice,” she answered in that sing-song voice of hers.
“You don’t have a last name?”
“Not that I can recall. I’ve always just been Alice.”
They smiled at each other. Then, Peter shrugged his shoulders. “So, what is this place,” he asked her as he looked around seeing things that had only ever existed in his adventures and dreams and wondered if he should think he was dreaming after all.
Alice’s eyes remained on him.
“This is home,” she replied matter-of-factly. The way she said it reminded Peter of how he felt during Christmas: such a sense of belonging and warmth with family all around, knowing that one is loved.
“Come on,” she said, “I’ll show you.”
She started walking along a path that Peter would have sworn wasn’t there just a moment ago, but he followed anyway.
“Do you think you’re dreaming,” the girl asked as she squatted down beside Peter who was still lying face-up on the ground. She looked only a bit concerned. Peter couldn’t figure out what the other look was that was hiding behind her cheeks.
“Wha-at,” he muttered confused.
Then her look turned to an obviously worried expression. “Oh dear, did you hit your head when you landed?”
She reached her hand out as if she were going to touch his head, but her hand hovered there right above it. As Peter sat up, her hand went back to her side.
After her question, Peter raised his hand to his head and tossled his red hair a bit to shake out the dirt.
“Hm, no, I don’t think so,” he replied finally.
The girl repeated her first question. “Do you think you’re dreaming?”
This time, Peter answered without hesitation, a little annoyed and confused at the repeated question. “No, I do not think that I am dreaming.”
He stood up then, standing only a few inches taller than the girl. Tossling his hair once again, he gave the girl a one-over up and down before shoving out his hand, putting on the best boyish grin he could muster and said, “Hi, I’m Peter. Peter Pan. What’s your name?”
The girl only smiled, looking a bit surprised and maybe even a little impressed at his apparent lack of shyness. She took his hand and shook it gently. “Alice. I’m Alice,” she answered in that sing-song voice of hers.
“You don’t have a last name?”
“Not that I can recall. I’ve always just been Alice.”
They smiled at each other. Then, Peter shrugged his shoulders. “So, what is this place,” he asked her as he looked around seeing things that had only ever existed in his adventures and dreams and wondered if he should think he was dreaming after all.
Alice’s eyes remained on him.
“This is home,” she replied matter-of-factly. The way she said it reminded Peter of how he felt during Christmas: such a sense of belonging and warmth with family all around, knowing that one is loved.
“Come on,” she said, “I’ll show you.”
She started walking along a path that Peter would have sworn wasn’t there just a moment ago, but he followed anyway.