The car crawled to a holt outside a house as flecks of rain began to spatter across the ground. Carter Darling stepped out from the back seat, holding his backpack over his head to block the thick droplets now falling rapidly from the sky above. His white cat Otto stepped out after him and nuzzled his heel. A man walked over and placed a large suitcase next to him. He kissed Carter on the forehead and got back into the drivers seat of the car. As the engine revved into life, a woman's voice called out.
"Enjoy your holiday dear!"
"Enjoy Venice." Carter grumbled to himself as he began the trek towards the front door. Otto sneezed beneath him.
"You said it buddy." He said. The large wooden door loomed a over him, the brass number 14 shone in the dim lights of the street lamps. Carter grasped the large metal door knocker and banged it against the door. He stood there in the rain waiting, letting the water soak into his clothes. His brown hair, now plastered to his face, obscured his vision slightly, making the grimy street more eerie than usual.

The door pulled open revealing the of silhouette of the maid, Ms. Carson. She was a short, plump, American woman. Carter had never been to America, but if they were all as nice as Ms Carson, it had to be the best place on earth compared to England.
"Carter dear! Your early. Come inside dearie, get out of the cold." She said, ushering Carter inside. As soon as the door closed, Otto shook himself dry like a dog and wandered towards the open fire crackling in the entrance room ahead. "He's an odd little cat isn't he?" Ms. Carson asked, taking Carter's bag and jacket and hanging them on the wall.
"Without a doubt." He answered.

He took the towel from Ms. Carson's hand and followed Otto into the drawing room, rubbing it over his head.Sitting on a large armchair in front of the fire, scratching Otto behind the ears was Carter's grandfather John. He placed the cat on the ground and walked towards Carter. Though reaching his mid 70's he still exhibited a sense of childless. He always told everyone it was lasting effects from Neverland. This joke was common place among the Darling family, due to the stories written by his younger brother Michelle. John hugged his grandson.
"How are you my boy?" He asked, gesturing for Carter to sit in a chair opposite his own. He did.
"Good, I guess." He said. "How about you?"

His grandfather looked up from the burning logs in the fireplace. "Quite well, Carter." Ms. Carson walked into the room and placed a metal platter onto the coffee table, before leaving the room. Carter assumed it was occupied by tea and biscuits like it was whenever he came with his parents. Instead, the platter held two glasses, a bottle of Mountain Dew and a bag of salted potato chips. John took the drink and poured himself a glass.
"Mountain Dew?" Carter asked. His grandfather looked at him over the rim of the glass.
"Why not Mountain Dew?" He said. Ms Carson stuck her head into the door.
"The Internet will be installed Thursday fortnight Mr Darling." She said.
"Thank you Beatrice." John muttered, taking a long gulp of his Mountain Dew.
"Your getting Internet in here?"
"I've been meaning to get it for a while." John answered. "I thought with you coming for the summer, now is as good a time as any." John answered.

The two sat in silence and ate the chips. Carter took the last handful and placed it on the ground at his feet. The dull sound of Otto munching away at them was the only noise besides the low crackling of the dying fire.
"Well I think it's time for bed, but first I want to show you something. To keep you occupied while you're here." John stepped out of his chair and grabbed the empty chip packet. He's crumpled it in his hands as he walked towards the entrance hall and tossed it over his shoulder. It flew through the air and landed perfectly in the fireplace. Carter looked at his grandfathers back. John turned around.
"Well come on then, I for one would like to get to bed before midnight."
Carter stood up from his chair and followed his grandfather.

John walked up flight of stairs into an entrance way. A long spiral staircase stretched up towards an even smaller landing. John started climbing and Carter followed.
"We used to have a ladder." He explained. "My parents put these stairs in when they couldn't climb it."
John stepped onto the landing, fumbling around in his dressing-gown pocket as Carter joined him. John produced a large key and inserted it into a lock.
"I haven't been in here for a long time." He muttered under his breath, more to himself than anyone else. The door swung open and John stepped inside.

Carter followed the man in, the smell of old books invading his nostrils. This immediately made sense, for the entire room was lined with bookshelves and filing cabinets.
"Books." Carter muttered, nodding and looking around the room. "A lot of books."
John let out a low chuckle. Carter walked over to desk in the middle of the room and picked up the book. He blew the dust off it. Peter Pan. Shone up at him in large golden letters. His eyes followed down to the authors name.
"Why didn't Uncle Mike use his real name?" Carter asked.
"Guess he thought it was a bit on the nose." John muttered. "He never was one to want attention. At least once he got a bit older. Anyway, read whatever you like whenever you like, I'm going to bed." The old man left the room. "See you in the morning." He closed the door behind him, leaving Carter alone in the room. He opened the dust covered book to page 1...