Chapter 9: Hook's Prisoner
Finally, Hook would have his revenge. He had wanted nothing more over these few years, than to ambush the boy's hideout and plunge his sword right through his sleeping chest, but although he never lacked the thirst to do so, he lacked the ability. His body had been badly injured by the innards of the croc, as it tried to melt him away, and it took several years for the woman to repair the damage, and truly, he was not whole yet, and most likely never would be.
He looked at his reflection in the mirror, running his hand along his face, noting the scars that had withered away, showing no sign of his near demise. However, as his gaze moved down toward his chest, he growled as he saw the stubborn remnants. His skin had healed, but the burn marks from the stomach acids had eaten away at his flesh so deeply, that they would never truly disappear. Blotches of dry red skin spread all over his torso and half way down his back, as well as around his right arm, to about 3 fingers width above the hook. He cringed as he thought of the boy who had only stood atop of the mast watching him fall into the beast's hungry mouth. He'd vowed to take his vengeance on him, even if he had to return from the depths of hell to do so.
"Cap'n?" Came a voice from behind the door.
Hook breathed in deeply as he locked away his consuming anger and the memory of the boy, and picked up his shirt from the chair to his side. He turned away from the mirror as he pulled it over his head and put his arms through the sleeves. "Come in Mr. Smee" he growled as he buttoned the shirt up and fixed the collar.
Smee entered the room carrying his ring of keys in one hand and a silver tray with a silver chalice containing a clear liquid that glittered golden in the light.
"I have brought you your tonic, Cap'n," he said as he placed the tray down on the wooden table. "And I am also here to inform you, sir that the boy has finally come to."
"Marvelous" Hook cried as he reached his hand out and Smee quickly handed him the chalice. "Does he seem to have any recollection of anything?"
"No, sir. At least, not that we can tell. He hasn't really said much. He's a quiet one, that boy is."
Hook looked at the tonic momentarily, before he breathed in deeply and quickly drank it to the very last drop. The taste was truly horrifying, as bitterness gripped at his tongue as if the very essence of the drink tried to enact vengeance for being turned into the vile tonic.
He handed Smee the chalice as he huffed and tried to hold back the grimace on his face. "I see", he said as he moved back towards the mirror to glimpse at his attire. "Fetch me my coat. It is time to pay our dear old friend a visit."
Charles slowly opened his eyes, as a throbbing pain in the back of his head impeded his focusing his vision on anything for the first seconds of his consciousness. He frowned at the pain as he slowly sat up, when he suddenly realized that he was surrounded by four wooden walls and no windows. He looked to the door which contained the only opening to the outside, and got up to walk towards it, but was stopped by a pull at his hands. He looked down and was stunned to know that he wore shackles around his wrists. "What the..." his thought was interrupted by a sudden shift in the floor, making him tilt over and almost fall to the ground.
'Are we in movement?' he thought as he took another quick look around, but frowned when he remembered that there were no windows. 'Great, now what have I gotten myself into.' He sat back down with his back against the nearest wall and the soles of his boots planted firmly on the ground.
He gasped as the memories of the battle suddenly emerged in his thoughts. "Wendy!" He remained quiet, straining to listen for her voice, for fear that she had also been captured and was being held in another cell; but he heard nothing. He sighed, relieved at the thought that she was most likely safe at home, for the last thing he remembered before being knocked out of consciousness by a blow to the back of his head, was being carried into a ship while all the pirates retreated without her.
'Wait...I'm on a ship!' He recalled the large wooden vessel that had hovered above behind the ballroom. A vision he thought his jittery state had dreamt up. But now, looking around, it was obvious that he was within a wooden vessel, and hearing no slush of water, yet feeling the motion, it could easily, yet not rationally, be that they were in the air.
This was all too much for his mind to comprehend, and yet, his mind was still at ease, for at least, she was safe. But what about him? Why had 'Hook' tried to kidnap Wendy? And why had he settled for him instead? The man was obviously under the impression that he was someone else.
"Slightly!" he said as he recalled the Captain's words.
Was that not Wendy's cousins' nickname? Had he mistaken him for that Slightly? Well, it had to be. How many other Slightlys could there be in the world? If that was the case, then he couldn't just tell the man that he had been mistaken, for then, he'd surely return for the real Slightly. No, he had to play his game, for Wendy's sake.
Charles's thoughts were quickly scattered by the jingle of keys from the outside of the door. It slowly creaked open and Hook stepped in as Smee held the door ajar.
"Good Evening" Hook greeted him as he removed his hat. "I trust you had a pleasant nap."
Smee waited by the open door, as Hook stepped forward towards Charles.
"Hook, am I right?" Charles replied with all the apparent indifference he could muster.
"Well, do you remember me now, boy?" Hook asked, pleased to think that some memories had returned to his mind.
"I know nothing of you. Why do you insist that you have met me before?"
"Because we've more than met, boy." He said as he held out his right hand before Charles's eyes. "You were there, the day Pan severed my hand. You laughed when he threw it to that vile beast for snack!"
Charles stared at the hook, entranced by its glare. "I remember nothing of what you speak." He said as he removed his eyes from it and set them on Hook's face. "I have never witnessed such a repulsive scene and I have never been of acquaintance to any 'Pan'." All right, so he wouldn't straight out tell him of his mistake. It was best, he decided, if Hook simply thought that he couldn't remember.
Hook chuckled and snapped his fingers for Smee to bring him a stool. Once the first mate did as was ordered, Hook sat down and waved his hand, signaling for Smee to leave and close the door shut behind him, before he continued his prodding. "You have forgotten all, haven't you, Slightly?"
"My, I guess the pirate within you does interfere with proper grammar."
"Don't try to be witty, boy! That was the name you took when you arrived to the Neverland!"
"Neverland? Are you daft, old man?" On more than one occasion, while he had accompanied Wendy and her brothers to the park, he had overheard the boys speak of that place in their make-believe play.
"As insolent as Pan!" Hook said as he smiled lightly. "I'm quite sure you remember something!"
Charles remained quiet as he analyzed the reasoning of the man before him. Dressed in an overly dramatic captain's outfit and speaking of a fantasy land from a child's fairy tale did not exactly imply sanity.
Hook sighed as he continued to glare at the boy. "Remove your mask."
Charles contemplated refusing his request, but he realized he'd gain nothing other than infuriating the obviously dangerous man, who was actually behaving civilized at the moment. He placed his hand on his mask, and slowly removed, being careful to keep his eyes on Hook.
Hook growled lightly at the sight of the boy's exposed face. "You are not Slightly"
"Really?" Charles mocked.
"Than why do you have the boy's exact name?" He pondered out loud.
"I don't. My name is Charles...Terwood" Hook had realized his mistake, and there was nothing he could do now, other than simply tell the truth, and hope he himself got out of this alive.
"Yes, I know."
He stared at Charles, seeing that he in deed shared some facial features with Slightly, but nevertheless, was not the boy. "What are you of Wendy's?"
"How do you know Wendy?" Charles replied, remembering that Hook had come specifically for her and she had said that she did indeed, remember him.
"I ask the questions here, Mr. Charles."
"I will not answer any more questions sir, if you do not answer mine."
Hook smiled as Charles' refined personality surfaced. "Fine, I will be a proper host, my lad. How do I know the fair Wendy, you asked ... correct?"
"Yes", Charles replied. Finally, he was going to get some answers.
"Wendy... has been to Neverland, and I extended her an offer to join my ship's company."
Charles remained quiet as he pondered the Captain's answer. He seemed committed to the fantasy so much, that perhaps, it could be reality; but still, he could not see how any of what he had just said or witnessed could be true. How could a pirate, possibly have accosted Wendy with a proposition to piracy? How could she have ever visited an imaginary land? Then again, he was within the wooden walls of a flying ship.
"You really don't know anything do you?" Hook added when he noticed Charles's confusion. His wickedly curved smile reappeard on his face.
"I know reality and reason, both of which, you seem yet to meet."
"Very well," Hook said with a light chuckle. "My turn," He leaned in closer, resting his elbows on his knees. "What are you, to our lovely Wendy?"
Charles's sighed, contemplating to refuse to answer, but knowing that he was bonded to reply by his word. "I am courting her."
"I see" Hook smiled as his suspicions where confirmed. Wendy had pledged her love to Peter Pan, and yet, she had gone off with another man. He savored the thought that he'd use this information as part of his revenge on Pan. "For how long?"
"It's my turn, Captain"
"Oh, pardon me, go ahead" he said as he waved his hand towards Charles and lightly bowed his head.
"What's your interest in Wendy? Why did you try to kidnap her?"
Hook contemplated his response. He did not want to tell the boy of the true relationship between Wendy and Pan. He knowing of that, would surely conflict with his plan, so instead he opted for an edited truth. "She is friends with an enemy of mine. An enemy, I plan to destroy once and for all, and I needed bait." Yes, that answer would do. "Now, for how long has she returned your affections?"
"That is a bit personal, don't you believe Captain?" he said.
"Yes, but nevertheless, it's my question."
Charles sighed but answered. "Three months". It was his turn now, and he knew that now he could ask the question that had been on his mind since the moment the pirate called out for Wendy at the Masque. "How long have you had feelings for her?"
Hook gasped as he shot up from his seat. "How dare you imply such a despicable thing!? She was but a little girl when we met!"
"It's truly not obvious Captain. Only one who loves someone can note the love another harbors for that same person." He said as he looked intently into the sneering pirate's graying blue eyes. "I saw how you looked at her. It's the same way I do. She means something to you."
"Insolent youth! To think that you know what I truly feel! Do not mistake my need for her to gain vengeance on Pan, for desire!"
"I don't mistake, Captain Hook. I am sure of it!"
"This interrogation is over!" cried Hook as he threw the stool against the wall and stomped towards the door, whre he stopped to gaze back towards Charles. "Do not dry my patience! ...Smee!!!" he bellowed for the pirate to open the door. "I won't be so hospitable if you insist on agitating me!"
The door slammed closed, and Charles could hear Smee locking it shut. He was once again alone in the dim-lighted cell, with no more knowledge of his own fate.
'I'll find my way back to you, Wendy. I promise.'
How foolish he had been to believe that Hook had gone for good! That villain would have never given up so easily, even after his whole crew had been beaten to submission. He would have rather gone down with his own ship, then simply give up, as he appeared to have done. 'Of course it was a lie!'
Peter held his flute as he looked over the only spot in the entire Neverland that forever remained dark and gloomy, regardless of his presence. 'The mermaids shall know if Hook has come back.' He placed the flute near his lips and began to play the whimsy melody that called forth the sinister creatures of the waters.
As the wind carried the tune over the calm dark waters, crimson head's of hair slowly rose through the surface, revealing numerous pairs of silver eyes that glared intently at Peter. He pulled the pipe away from his lips as he returned the mermaid's glare. It was always a battle of wills with the mermaids, for before one could get any information from any of them, they had to prove their worth. Finally, the mermaid smirked, and Peter smiled triumphantly, knowing that they had decided to answer his queries.
They silently drifted through the waters towards Peter, and he knelt down upon the ground as they reached the rocks.
"I have questions" he said to the one that swam right to him, while holding his eyes on them yet being careful to not make full eye-contact.
"Then ask them well" she replied as her hypnotic stare tried to burrow into his mind.
"Has Captain Hook returned?" he asked.
"Ask them well" replied another mermaid to the left.
Peter huffed as he re-thought his question. They had to be very specific for the mermaids to respond. "Is Captain Hook alive?"
"More or less" replied the first one.
'What does that mean?' He thought and then tried again. "Does Captain Hook roam the Neverland?"
"Not tonight" said the mermaid to his right.
'Not tonight...but other nights?' "Did he roam the Neverland yesterday night?"
"Not then either." Said one from behind the first one.
He was becoming increasingly frustrated with every riddled answer they gave him. Never had it been so hard to get an answer from the mermaids. However, the difficulty had more to do with his own anxiousness which was impeding his mind to come up with clear questions, rather than the mermaids' trickery.
"Has he stepped foot on the Neverland within the past 7 days?"
"Yes" replied the first one.
It was a triumphant failure. They finally answered his question, but with the response he had dreaded to hear. He considered his next question carefully. "Then... if he is not here, in Neverland, where is he?"
"On the sea of stars, turning back to ours" another mermaid replied.
"He's flying back to Neverland?"
"You are indeed not wrong" replied another.
Hook still knew how to fly! That treacherous pirate had forced the secret of how to do so from Wendy and stolen fairy dust from Tinkerbell. "Where" he stopped, as he re-phrased the question in his mind "...Where is he flying back from?" He asked, trying to calm the urgency in his tone.
"The long and dull" replied the first mermaid.
'Long and dull...Lon...and dull...London!' Hook had gone to London. Could it be that he had gone to harm Wendy and the boys?
"What did he go there for?"
"For revenge" replied the second mermaid.
Revenge! Peter was anxious and afraid for their safety now. "On who?"
"The insolent youth."
Hook was out for revenge on him, so why go to London? "How?"
"Ask well" replied the fourth mermaid.
"Did he capture someone?"
"Aye...tread wisely", said the mermaid and slowly submerged into the darkness of the pool followed by the rest as they smiled wickedly at the anxious boy.
"No...wait..." he cried as he leaned over above the water, but they were no longer in sight."Damn it...I did not ask wisely..." The mermaids never felt an obligation to answer every question until the inquirer was satisfied. They answered only as long as they were entertained, and no longer, and they had apparently lost interest in this game tonight.
Peter stood up and looked towards the skies, but he did not see anything in the air, other then the glowing stars and the midnight clouds. "Hook has a prisoner..." His heart began to pound faster within his chest, sending thudding vibrations throughout his body. His thoughts were submerged in hopeful yet terrified concern for the one that could possibly be on her way back to him.
"Wendy...if it truly is you who he has captured...." He said as he lifted up into the darkened sky. "I'll save you...I'll save you every time you need me to save you..."
The night had an eerie calm that none of the boys liked at all. They had gone to bed, praying for the safety of those who had gone out to the ball. They did not know what they had been afraid of, but there was obviously something evil about that night.
Slightly lay asleep in John's bed, as the two boys tossed and turned all night, mumbling incoherent words in their asleep, which seemed to show a common nightmare.
"No...Hook...slid his throat...", Slightly mumbled in between thrusts of his troubled body.
"Pan...to save...he's gone..." John said, as if agreeing with the other boy.
Slightly's eyes shot open as he quickly sat up in bed. "Peter!!!!" he cried, waking up every one else in the room.
"Slightly! What's wrong?" Curly asked. He had run out of his bed the moment Slightly's startling cry woke him, followed by Nibs and Tootles, who had done the same.
Slightly looked at each one of the boys as he tried to regain control over his violent breathing. He rubbed the sweat from the side of his neck as he said "I've had a nightmare...it was of one of Wendy's stories..."
"Of Peter Pan?" Tootles asked, taking a seat at the edge of their bed.
"More like...of Captain Hook, right?" Nibs corrected as he leaned over the bed rail.
"Yes... I do not remember much of it...except..."
"His eyes..." John chimed in as he looked down with an absent gaze. "Blue as forget me-nots...except when he was slashing someone across the chest..."
"Yes...that was it..." Slightly said.
"So we've all had the same dream...was does that mean?" Tootles asked with deep worry as he bit his lip in fright.
"I do not know..." John said, but then remembered their earlier concern for Wendy and their parents."Have they returned from the Masque?"
The boys looked at each other with frightful eyes. Had something happened to any of them? Slightly quickly ran out of the room and looked down the stairway towards the coat rack near the front door, where he noticed that his uncle's coat and his aunt's, mother's and Wendy's shawls were resting. He sighed with relief as he walked back to the room. "They are home..." He gently closed the door shut behind him and returned to John's bed.
"Good" John laid back down. "I guess it was just a dream" he said, although deep down, he knew something strange was definitely going on.
The boys looked at each other momentarily, before they turned around to walk back to bed, when suddenly, the twins and Michael came running into the room, as quietly as they could, carrying their pants, boots and shirts, with a tiny glow trailing behind them.
All the boys looked up at the fairy with wide eyes, unwilling to believe what they were staring at.
"We have to go!" Michael announced and pulled at John's hand.
"What is..." John squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, hoping to see the little creature gone "...is that a pixie!?" he said, still staring at the floating orb of light.
"Of course I am a fairy" the little glow chimed as she came into his focus, right before his face. She was a rather pretty little thing, with long black hair pulled back into a pony tale with a sky blue lace and dressed in white oleander and tiny sky blue wildflower petals. "I have come back for the lost boys! Tinkerbell is calling them back into rank!" she chimed at the top of her lungs.
"Tinkerbell?".Slightly recalled the long suppressed memories of Neverland that he had attributed to nightly dreams derived from Wendy's bed-time stories.
"Yes!!!" the fairy acried as she fidgeted in anxiousness. "She sent me here for you! Peter Pan needs you! Hook is back and will surely try to fight Peter Pan again!" she said as she looked around at all the boys.
"Yeah...she said that the new lost boys aren't enough...we have to go back and help Peter!" Eric added as he jumped about the room with one leg up in the air, tugging at his boot.
"We gotta go! We gotta go! Peter Pan needs you!" the little fairy chirped as she pulled at Curly's hair.
"Ow...Peter Pan!" he said, as thoughts scrambled through his mind, trying to reconcile reality with the little mythical creature yanking at his curls.
"I told you he was real!" Erin boasted as he buttoned up his shirt.
"My word!" John gazed into space, finally admitting to himself, the reality of the whole ordeal.
"Let's go!" the fairy said as she anxiously circled the boys.
"What about Wendy?!" Eric cried and turned to run to Wendy's room before he even finished his question.
"I was not told about a Wendy!" she said and he halted his dash towards the hall. "I was told about lost boys! That is you! Let's go!"
"We shall not leave without her!" Slightly cried with stubborness and jumped out of bed as John and the other boys quickly got up to throw on whatever clothes they could quickly get their hands on. The fairy flew after Slightly as he entered Wendy's room, careful as to not wake his mother or aunt and uncle.
"Wendy" Slightly whispered as he came upon her sleeping body.
He stared at her face, as he could see dried up tear streaks on her cheeks, as if she had cried herself to sleep. "Wendy...wake up!" he tried again.
She opened her eyes and saw the tiny little glow next to Slightly. "Oh my!" she said as she sat up at once. "There's a fairy in this room!"
The little fairy sighed with exasperation, "Snowchime! Fine...take your Wendy...but let us get going! I beg of you!" she chimed.
"Right," Slightly turned back to Wendy. "Snowchime has come to take us back to Neverland...Wendy...I know it is hard to believe..."
"No..." she interrupted him and quickly got out of bed and rushed to our closet. "It is not at all hard to believe! Hook has returned...and he kidnapped Charles tonight!"
"What?!" Slightly shouted a bit louder than he intended to, so he quickly slapped his palm upon his wide open mouth.
"Grrrr..." Snowchime cringed in fury. "Talk about that later! You must hurry now!"
"Right" Slightly rushed to the door and the fairy flew back to the other room. "We shall be waiting in the old nursery! Hurry Wendy!"
He closed the door behind him as Wendy searched through her clothing for the simplest garment she could find to allow for quick movement and ease in battle, both of which she knew she'd desperately need. 'Oh God...Charles...we're coming...just hold on...' All night long, her thoughts had been on Charles, his fate, and what she could do to save him, for she knew that the police's search through the city was in vain. However, since the moment she had seen Hook appear through the darkened night, her mind had been plagued with the memory of Peter Pan. For long, she thought he was but a dream, and felt so foolish to have loving feelings for a fixture of her own imagination, but now, she knew that he was real, and that he in deed had cared for her once, and she found herself torn between her girlish desires to see him again, and the torment of Charles's capture. If Tinkerbell had sent for them, then there was a very good possibility that Peter Pan remembered them...remembered her, but did he still care for her? Did he still return her feelings? What would happen when he found out about Charles and her? What would she do? So many questions bombarded her mind and heart. Did she still love Pan? How much did she truly care for Charles? She could not bear to think of hurting either one.
'I can't think about this now!' She pulled out the plain blue dress with a hem that reached her down to the mid-shin, and sleeves that cut off high up near her shoulders. It was the lightest thing she could find and she knew it would allow her great mobility. It was the dress she wore when she was at home and did not care to wear the fancy attire her aunt insisted she should.
We have to find Charles! We have to save him!'
