Wendy's Tale

The walk back to Tom’s apartment was slow and fairly quiet. Wendy and Sparkz sat inside Tom’s jacket pocket, whispering quietly to each other. He was trying to explain about the events that had happened. Wendy felt uneasy. She still could not remember this Tom who Sparkz spoke so passionately about. She sort of remembered the Wendys. Sparkz she was sure she had met before and maybe another older Wendy. There were very fuzzy images of this Tom but nothing was clear. She was annoyed that she could not remember him. Their journey at times was a little bumpy. Tom kept stopping to grab Loki’s arm and keeping him moving. They could hear bits of their conversation above the noise of the machines travelling up and down the roads. Tom had called them cars and buses.

“No we cannot go inside there Loki” they heard Tom’s muffled voice through the lining of the jacket pocket.

“Why not? …because we have to get back to the apartment, Wendy might be able to help us and I want her to be at least somewhere she might find familiar.”

They could not make out Loki’s reply but they could hear that he was complaining. Sparkz chuckled. He did not like Loki the same as Wendy did not like Loki. He needed Tom so was having to abide by Tom’s rules and they knew that would annoy Loki.

A little while later Sparkz heard the excited chirps of the Wendys greeting Tom. Sparkz and Wendy emerged from Tom’s pocket to happy chirping and lots of whiskered hugs. The Wendys all fluttered into the living room and excitedly chatted to Wendy. She felt a little overwhelmed by the sudden affection of all the Wendys.
Tom and Loki stood by the Kitchen doorway. Loki looked on with indifference, took his jacket off handed it to Tom and then went to sit in his armchair, scowling. In between the whiskered hugs and chattering greetings Wendy caught sight of Tom. He stood there looking at Loki’s jacket with a distant, sad look in his eyes. Wendy’s heart ached to see him so sad and she felt like she needed to comfort him but he was a stranger to her. She watched as he sighed lightly, he then looked over at Loki, he lowered his head and walked towards another part of the apartment. Her eyes followed him until he was out of sight. Suddenly Sparkz fluttered in front of her chirping excitedly, he wanted to show her around Tom’s apartment as he felt sure that would help her to remember. Wendy patted him on the head and shock he head, she chirped and nodded in the direct of where Tom had gone. Sparkz nodded in reply and flew over toward the other Wendys who had settled into their favourite armchair again. One Wendy tentatively offered Loki the television remote control, he scowled at them. The Wendys giggled and turned on the television, it was now time to watch their favourite game show. Loki rolled his eyes and put his head in his hand.

Wendy fluttered silently in the direction that Tom had gone. Ahead she noticed a door was open. She entered the room. Tom was standing looking out of the window, unsmiling. His face looked so sad. He was resting the palms of his hands on the windowsill. He had opened the window slightly to let in the air. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, taking in a big lungful of fresh air. He held his breath for a few brief seconds then breathed out slowly. Wendy approached slowly and came to rest on the windowsill next to Tom’s hand.

She looked up at his face. His eyes were closed. He seemed to be somewhere far away. She edged slowly towards his hand and gently touched it with her whiskers. Tom let out a little breath and then opened his eyes. He turned his head and looked down. He saw Wendy and a small sad smiled spread across his lips.

“Hello Wendy.” He said quietly.

“I wish you could recognize me. I have missed you so much. I need you more than you know. I’m disappearing Wendy. I can feel it. I feel unconnected. He’s taken them Wendy and we are all connected. I felt fine yesterday but everything seems fuzzier today, not so clear. “

Wendy gazed back up at Tom, she stroked the back of his hand with her whisker. Tom felt so empty. He just wanted to hug her. Wendy fluttered up from the windowsill and hovered level with Tom’s eyes. She looked deep into them. She was mesmerized by his eyes, they seemed to change colour constantly bluey green with hints of hazel. His eyes held Wendy. She saw images in her head. Tom laughing, he and Wendy giggling by a river bank, a man in a hat called Steve, a man with blonde curly hair called Magnus, Tom wobbling and falling over into thick mud again both of them giggling. Then she felt pain and they were riding on horseback to Hiddlesville. The next image was of Wendy being healed by Huggles and the apothecary making her feel better. Then she saw Wendys, hundreds, no thousands of Wendys flying towards Loki Isle with Wendy herself leading the way. Chattering and swooping through the corridors and halls of Loki’s residence, the Wendys surrounding a snarling Loki and saving Tom, then a tearful farewell and a happy reunion. Wendy’s eyes left Tom’s. She knew this man, she knew Tom. It was Tom, her Tom, her very special friend…Tom. Wendy’s eyes lit up and she giggled excitedly and twirled in a circle. Tom, Tom it was Tom! She threw herself at him.

Tom, startled nearly fell over at the force of Wendy’s greeting. The biggest grin broke across his lips and he laughed hard and loud.

“Wendy? Yes, you remember? Oh Wendy, my sweet, dearest Wendy. I have missed you.”

Tom clasped Wendy close to him, his eyes damp. He had never felt so happy. He felt so energized and a warm glow flowed through him. It was like electricity. His whole body tingled.
Wendy could not stop giggling. She nuzzled Tom’s neck as he held her close. She purred and let out little chirps of joy.
Tom lifted her away from him and held her in his hands.

“Loki is here Wendy, the real Loki. He has brought the other from Hiddlesgard here to London and we have to find them. I need you Wendy, we all need you can you, will you help? We don’t have much time.”

Wendy rested a whisker on Tom’s hand and nodded firmly.
Tom’s grin grew wider. Then he stopped.

“How are you? I had no idea you can gone? Where had you gone? Where have you been? Are you hungry? Do you need something to drink?...”

Before he could continue Wendy fluttered out of his hand a rested a whisker against his lips.

“Sowee” Tom mouthed underneath her whisker.

Wendy gave a little giggle and hovered in front of Tom.

“Shall we just go back to the living room?” said Tom smiling

Wendy nodded and together they left the room.

As they entered the living room a mini war had broken out between the Wendys and Loki. He had grabbed the television remote control from the Wendys and hadit held prisoner. They were snarling and growling at him and he glared back at them.

“Um... what’s going on here?” asked Tom confused.

Loki looked at Tom.

“I did not wish to view another game show. They refused to change the screen to something else. So I took the appliance from them. They became displeased as did I.”

Wendy flew over to the other Wendys and started having stern words with them. They listened in silence blinking and then hung their heads.

Tom walked over to Loki and held out his hand.

“Hand the remote control to me please.”

Loki glared back at Tom.

“We have things to do that are more important than arguing over the television remote control . Now hand it to me.” Tom fixed Loki with his own stern stare.

With a sigh Loki handed the remote to Tom. He gave one final defiant glare to the Wendys as he did so.

Wendy fluttered back over to Tom and sat calmly on his shoulder.

Loki raised an eyebrow. “ You two seem surprisingly close all of a sudden. Has something happened?”

“Wendy is back with us. She has remembered and she has agreed to help us find the others.” Tom tickled Wendys whiskers and she gave a little wiggle and a giggle.

Loki tried to disguise his annoyance that Tom and Wendy had now bonded. The Wendy was supposed to lead them to the others but Tom and she should not have remembered each other. This could lead to…complications. HE would not be happy.

Loki felt a twinge of pain in his hand. He looked down at it. He had already been distracted here for too long. At least now as the Wendy had agreed to help they could start searching for the others. He would not have to be here in this room with these things. His patience was starting to wear thin and it had only been one day. He had thought of using magic on them but that would have been fun but not very productive.

He sat in his chair and watched as the Wendys fluttered over to Tom and Wendy. Their excited chirping rang in his ears. He sat there glaring back at the happy scene. He tried to block it out. He didn't want to be near happy things. It was too uncomfortable for him. He had a family once…no he was on his own and it suited him fine. He started fiddling with a loose thread he found on the arm of the armchair while he waited for them to all calm down.
Tom was smiling at all the Wendys clustered around him. He cast a quick glance over at Loki. For all his bravado he looked lonely. Tom could see it in his eyes. He could see he looked uncomfortable. He turned and spoke to the Wendys.

“I’m hungry, it’s lunchtime, I will not come into the kitchen and tidy up after you so who wants to make lunch for us all.”

The Huggles launched into excited chirps, bopping up and down, chattering non-stop.

“OK then I am trusting you not to destroy the kitchen so off you go. Wendy could you supervise?”

Wendy nodded and followed the others through into the kitchen. Soon the normal sounds of Wendy food preparation mayhem could be heard. Tom smiled and shook his head. He then looked over at Loki. With the Wendys now in the kitchen he could talk properly to Loki.

He walked over and sat down in the chair next to Loki and cleared his throat.

“We have not had the chance to talk properly since you arrived.” Tom started. He could see Loki shift uneasily in his chair.

“There have been no other matters to discuss.” was Loki’s short reply. He did not wish to get into conversation with Tom he wanted only to prevent what was happening to the others from happening to him.

There was a noise in off to the side of the room. The Lip Lurkers had woke from their slumbers and fluttered through to the kitchen. They were not going to miss out on the opportunity to eat more biscuits and wanted to keep their secret stash safe from the discovery by the other Wendys.

Tom turned back to Loki.

“So what happens now?” he said.

“Your Wendy has the ability to find the others. She found you in Hiddlesgard yes?”

Tom nodded.

“All she needs to do is concentrate and use her ability and we then follow her to your friends.”

“It’s that simple?” Tom replied.

Loki nodded.

There must be a catch thought Tom. But Wendy had disappeared. Was Loki behind that? Or was the Hiddlesgard Loki involved. He knew he probably could not trust him. He had to be careful and be watchful in case the real Loki appeared.

“So I guess we start after we have lunch” suggested Tom. He got up and headed for the kitchen.

Loki sat in the chair and smirked…