Cold. Wet. Hard. My eyes wouldn't open. I wasn't strong enough. I repeatedly tried until they opened the tiniest bit. My hands gripped the ground. They felt weird too.
"Open" , I muttered. Black. The sky was black. I squinted. That was no sky. My eyes were open, and it was all black. I heard drips of water, presumably from the rain. I turned my head from side to side and then realised I was lying down. What was I at lying down? Tomorrow I was going to get Hook, and go home, and….
Wait. That didn't sound right….. Oh God. I was going today.
I gasped and sat up, and then gasped again. My head was increasing with pain I hadn't even noticed before. I brought a hand to it and caressed it, willing it to go away. It didn't.
Memories flushed back. I shouldn't be there, wherever there was. I was supposed to be at Hook's ship and fighting him till the very end…and I wasn't. I remember a familiar blow to my head, and that was all. Someone had attacked me. Someone possibly named Hook. If it was him, he wouldn't have left me here to escape. He must've been there somewhere.
I swallowed and quietly stood up. I seemed to be in a cave, but due to my lack of vision in the dark, I couldn't make out anybody standing there or any way out of it. I walked forward, the fur boots making a squelching noise with water-soaked soles. I carried on, feeling the walls with my hands. I couldn't hear the rain anymore. Perhaps it had stopped. The cave seemed to be getting lighter, the entrance nearer. I wanted to leave but I knew I couldn't. I had to get it over with. So I mustered all of my braveness and opened my mouth.
"Hey, Hook! Where are you then? Too scared to face a girl?"
"Oh, never, my darling. It's only a matter of time before I never have to face you again."
I shuddered. He seemed eerily near, and I wasn't expecting him to answer back.
"Well…come out then! Show yourself!"
A bang sounded, and I screamed. Rocks began to fall out of the ceiling and a clear pool of light filled the cave. He must've shot at it. The rocks landed behind a little way back behind me. I turned, and Hook was standing there. The light almost seemed like he had a spotlight all to himself, to put on the show.
"Let's do this" , I whispered angrily. "Hope you made your funeral arrangements before you left the ship."
"Oh, dear. Your silly little plan isn't going to work today. No, no."
"What little plan?"
"Well, it wasn't much of a plan to begin with. I was out for a stroll last night, and I came across Peter and you…young love."
I snorted. "So why didn't you just kill me then? Would've saved you all this hassle."
"I don't play my way like that, Kingsley. I simply couldn't attack you in the company of Peter, could I? Defenceless as well? We can't have that now."
"I'm not following."
"Oh, but he would be simply devastated. Killing the girl he loves right in front of him? That doesn't seem fair."
"He doesn't love me. You're more looney than I first thought."
He simply smiled maliciously. "Open your eyes, dear. Now, we must get this over with."
He held up a thick silver gun.
"Wait!" , I said quickly. "You said you wouldn't fight me defenceless."
"Ah" , he simpered. "In the company of Peter, I would not. But look! No Peter! Job done in two minutes!"
I couldn't run. I wouldn't have had enough time to get away. It was over.
The gun clicked.
"Goodbye" , Hook whispered. "My dear relative."
"NOOOO!"
His bullet plunged into my chest, and the pain seared through. I screamed in terror and fell to the ground, defenceless. He smiled at me in the most unkind and disgusting way before finally turning to a person on the left of me. They were dark, hidden by the shadows. Their head was turned towards me, just staring. Drops began to fall to the ground.
Plink. Plink. Plink.
Then a furious and ferocious yell echoed off the cave walls.
"MURDERER! BETRAYER!"
I realized in dismay that it was Peter. Now he would die too.
"No…" , I moaned. "Go, you prat…not you too…"
Peter didn't seem to hear me. He drew out his knife and started attacking Hook, who drew out his own ten-times bigger sword from his belt. I looked on helplessly, feeling my energies drain. I knew I was slowly dying, but I didn't feel fear. Only anxiety, for Neverland and for Peter's safety. Nothing else was on my mind.
"Go…" , I moaned louder. "Leave, you prat…!"
I was sure Peter had heard me but he continued the fight. "You should listen to your girlfriend Peter!" , Hook said maliciously. The clinking of swords was constant. "She has a point. She will most certainly die, how precious she fears for the safety of you."
"SHE WILL NOT DIE!" , Peter yelled through tears.
My eyelids started to droop. I knew that if I let them close my life would be over in a matter of seconds. I fought to keep them open and my eyes scanned wearily around the fighting figures of Peter and Hook, searching for something to help. My vision was starting to fade. I squinted at a sharp-looking object on the ground, centimetres away from me. I slowly recognised it to be a sharp pointed rock that had maybe fallen from the ceiling. I stretched my arm out to reach it and gasped in pain. I ground my teeth together and reached again, finally grasping it in my palm.
I quickly tested it and sure enough a glinting bead of blood started to appear. I balled up my hands into fists, unsure of how capable I was to throw anything. Then, without really deciding, I wrenched my arm back and threw the rock with all of the little strength I had left and fired it at Hook's head. He gasped – probably in fright because he hadn't seen it coming – and put a hand to his head, trying to figure out what had just happened. Peter took his cue and plunged his knife directly into Hook's stomach.
It was Hook's turn to scream then. He clutched his stomach in pain and looked at Peter, shaking in anger.
"You will die for this" , he said angrily, his words wobbling a little. "Or rather, she will" , indicating to me with his hook. Then he surprisingly hobbled away, the threats of Peter finishing him for good keeping him at bay. I could hear him gasping all up the cave, and it finally stopped. He was gone.
Peter rushed to my side, dropping the knife. He stared at me in horror.
"Hi", I said weakly.
He was speechless for a moment, and then began.
"I'll carry you back to the Indian camp, they'll help –"
"Don't" , I said tiredly. "Don't give yourself false hope. It's over, Peter. I'm over."
He shook his head, tears falling faster.
"Yes" , I whispered.
"I'm sorry" , he whispered back, plinking of tears echoing off the cave walls. "This is all my fault…" He hid his head in his hands.
I reached out my hand and took them away. I looked into his eyes. They glistened, and for the first time I noticed how beautiful they were. They weren't the same eyes I had encountered in the park back home. Those eyes were full of hope and tiredness, but always a little bit of mischievous was tucked away, barely visible, but always there. It wasn't now.
All I saw in his brown eyes was anxiety overload. I felt bad for making him feel this way. I didn't want him to stay, but I knew there was no hope in convincing him to leave me to die. Would he stay there when I was dead? The thought played across my mind, and I was a little surprised at how calm I was.
Maybe I knew I would die in my mission. Maybe I was preparing for it, mentally unaware.
"Remy…" , Peter whispered. "You can't do this. You can't leave me."
I rested my hand on his cheek, wiping the tears away as they trickled down his face one by one.
"I have to" , I said quietly. "I'm sorry."
"What have you to be sorry for?" , he whispered.
"I've failed you" , I said sadly. I knew my death was nearing.
He shook his head. "No", he gulped. "No. Please don't say that."
"Well, it's not like I can help up there, can I?", I joked.
He didn't seem to find the humour. I bit my lip, wondering what to say next.
"Ow!" I gasped. My chest was heaving, blood trickling from my wound leaving red splotches on my Indian attire. Peter looked on helplessly.
"Please", he whispered. "You have to let me take you to the Indian's. They could help!"
I shook my head slowly. "It won't work. The bullet's in my chest, Peter. It's too late."
And with that, I began to feel my eyelids droop once more. I hadn't the energy to keep them open much longer. My energy was burned, nothing more than a small tiny flame slowly going out. My hand started to slide from Peter's face. He grasped it desperately with both of his, squeezing it. I gave him a weak smile.
"I'll say hi to Fox for you, yeah? I'll tell him all about what happened, and all the fun we had. I promise."
He looked the smallest bit surprised, but gave a small nod.
I nodded back at him. "Take care of my Mam. And Joseph. Keep an eye on them."
He nodded again. "I don't want you to go" , he said, unable to control his breathing for the tears had him gasping.
"Ah, but I have to. Fate, remember? This is mine."
My eyelids started to close, and I knew this was the end. Soon it was black, and my last breath was on its way to greet me.
"Remy…" , Peter whispered. I no longer felt his grip on my hand. I was leaving my body. My last breath was here.
And I left.