Ch 2
Her head pounding, Natalie felt herself rise out of unconsciousness. Her mouth was dry and she couldn't see. She felt someone prop her neck up and the feel of the rim of a cup to her lips. She started to move away, and then realized it was just water. Greedily she started drinking while someone chuckled.
"There you are dearie. Best thing for you, right now." An old woman's voice cackled. Once she was satisfied, Natalie opened her eyes to see a robust woman in her forties with red hair tucking her in and wiping up the water she spilled.
"Mom?" She asked groggily. The woman laughed again.
"Bless me! No, dearie. I'm Maggie Dupree. Yeh lucky tae be alive, after a storm like that. Yeh lucky my son, Farrow was out tae see your boat crash into tha cove and save Ye." Natalie looked around to see it was an old one-room seafaring cottage, with a dirt floor and wooden walls.
"Where am I?" She asked hoarsely, feeling sleepy tears collect in the corners of her eyes.
"Oh, Port City, in Neverland." She said absently, stirring something in a pot on the fire.
"Yeah, right." Natalie said, rolling her eyes and sitting up.
"'Tis true, Dearie. Just because it's in a story book doesn't mean it's can't be true." Natalie leaned into the pillows.
"Really? Neverland?" She couldn't believe it. She actually made it to Neverland! "I have to see it myself." She said, trying to get up.
"Ye just survived the worst storm of tha year, and ye want tae go explore?" Maggie chuckled. "Ye must be suited tae this isle." she walked over to a chest in the corner and brought out a russet-coloured dress. "Ye'll need this, then." Natalie realized then that she was only in her underwear. She blushed and grabbed the dress.
"Where's my stuff?" She asked, slipping it on.
"Farrow put it under his bed." Maggie pointed under the bed Natalie had been on. She reached under and grabbed it. Everything was damp when she pulled it out.
"Yuck." She made a face when she pulled out the soggy remains of her notebook. "How long was I out?"
"About a week." Maggie said, pouring her a bowl of soup. Natalie ignored it, examining the plastic-wrapped poem book. It was still dry when she flipped through it. It landed on page 18. She laughed. "Ye can read?" Maggie set the bowl at the table. "Not many people around here can read." she smiled at Natalie and handed her some bread. Natalie thanked her and pulled out her Good faeries/Bad faeries and unwrapped it. It, also, had not gotten wet.
"Thank goodness this didn't get wet." She sighed, taking a bite of the crumbly wheat bread.
"What is it?" Maggie asked, bending over to see. Natalie opened it to show her the faeries. It opened to show a picture of a shining, human-shaped light.
"It shows you all the different kinds of faeries there are." Suddenly, the cottage door opened to show a red-haired young man hauling a haversack.
"Ma, can ye give me some help!?" He yelled, forcing the sack through the narrow doorway.
'"Farrow! Show some manners! We have a young guest!" She scolded the man who was obviously her son. He glanced at Natalie.
"Manners won't get this in tha cellar!" He grumbled.
"If you say please, I'll help." Natalie said. Farrow glared at her.
"Please help me lift these bleedin' groceries!" He snapped. Natalie shook her head but helped him lift it into the cellar outside.
"Thank ye." he said, wiping his forehead. He smiled at her, and then his smile slipped as he stared at her.
"What?" She asked, puzzled. "Is there something on my face?" He shook his head.
"No. My name's Farrow." He held out his hand. She took it
"Nice. I'm Natalie." He grinned at her. The started to go back inside when Natalie gazed at the view. They were situated on the side of a mountain looking down at an old seafaring town. "It's right out of a history book!" She whispered, awed. Farrow shrugged.
"Not much, but its home." He sighed. Natalie started heading down. "Where ye goin?"
"Exploring!" She said, smiling at him. He sighed and followed. They wandered down a well-worn path to the fenced-in backyard of a three story building. "What's this place?" She asked
"A brothel." Farrow said, unlatching the gate.
"Like, concubines?"
"As in, whores."
"Oh," Sounds of smashing glass and hysterical laughter floated out of the dalapataded house. "Sounds fun." She said, reaching for the doorknob of the back door. Farrow grabbed her hand.
"A green girl like ye can't go and just walk into a place like that! 'Tis dangerous!" He yelled at her. She shrugged.
"I don't see why." she grumbled. he grabbed her arm and steered her to the front.
"Ye'll be much safer if ye are with me." He said, walkin down the street. Natalie wished she had a camera or something. this was better than any Rennisance fair she had ever been to. It was a bustling seafaring town with old wooden docks and dirt-packed streets.
"This is awesome!" She exclaimed, staring at the docked ships in facination. "Can we get on one of them?"
"Ye must be daft." He sighed. "Those be pirate ships. Only whores get on them." Natalie rolled her eyes.
"It seems like only ladies of the night get to have any fun." she muttered. Suddently, she had an idea. "You don't have enough room for me at your cottage, right?" He flushed in anger.
"We hae eno' for yu!" He yelled, his accent thickening. Natalie was unimpressed.
"I noticed you only have two beds. I apreciate what your mom and you have done, but i don't want to take up a lot of room. All i have to do is dress like a guy and I'll stay at the brothel." Farrow opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it.
"oh, all right. Lets go talk to Moanna. When we get there, stick close to me." Natalie secretly jumped for joy.
Note: there is a piece missing from this chapter, and i am too lazy to rewrite it. forgive this tired writer. it really is tough to keep up with stories. please, no more death threats if i don't update soon. Moanna is the head "lady". She is actually very funny.