Thank you so much! to the few that cared to review..
I couldn't think of a better title this chapter...my bad.
Tinkerbell had barely touched down on camp ground when she nearly jumped out of her skin as a scream pierced the night. All looked around frantically—Captain Hook, Tinkerbell, Neal, David, Wendy, The Lost Boys—whipping their necks this way and that, expecting it to be Pan or one of his tricks. As the screaming continued and rose in octaval, they realized that it was coming from within camp. More specifically, all eyes turned to the bundle of Lost Boys. And the scene in front of them made Neal's heart stop.
Wendy scurried to a far side of camp.
A small boy, looking to be the age of five or six, arched his back incredulously. The rope pulled at his hands behind his back as his violent spasm caused red prints to form on his wrists. From his lips dripped blood, his exposed teeth showing the deep wound he unconsciously made on his tongue. The screaming came from him and the few surrounding boys who closely witnessed the scene.
"Oh no," Neal muttered. "Oh no nonononononononononono."
"Hey, HEY!" Get him OFF of me!" Slightly hollered—one of the original Lost Boys. He nudged the small boy away from him when the jerking body leaned to the side involuntarily.
White liquid mixed in with his blood began oozing from his mouth, his little body still convulsing.
Neal was the first to rush to the boy. "What's happening!?" There was a pause before he had an answer.
Tinkerbell's voice was soft, quiet, almost sad: "Russell wanted to grow up." She hadn't moved from her place further off and didn't show any sign of doing otherwise. She didn't do anything, just watched the boy shaking violently.
Wendy had came from her hiding spot, miraculously, and stood just behind Neal. She softly tugged on his dirtied blue shirt.
"Is this what you were talking about?" Neal asked Wendy, though more concentrating on holding Russell down. The sight of Wendy dropping her head and the slight tug of his shirt was her answer. And Neal knew it was true.
"Why are you just standing there?! Isn't there something that can stop this?" He was shouting to Hook this time.
Russell clamped down tightly on his tongue again. He was foaming at the mouth greatly.
"No, lass, not as far as we know." Hook took a breath. "There is no way to stop it."
Neal's look of disbelief only increased when the boy's motions slowed down. He stood slowly, shaking a bit himself, seeing the little body stop moving altogether. Neal's eyes were wide while the others either averted their stares or look on in pity.
He couldn't stop himself from glancing over at his own son's motionless body, who was not that far away...
The Lost Boys had shuffled around, creating much space between them and the once-lively little boy. The entire camp was silent. No sound of leaves, no animals, no familiar hoot of an owl in the air. Just the sound of the fire crackling filled the night. That is why it was so easy to hear the sudden sound in the trees.
Fox turned around—another Lost Boy—straining his small neck to look behind himself to the trees from his position. Russell already forgotten, he elbowed a fellow Lost Boy, Thomas, and gestured toward the trees encircling the camp.
"Didn't you hear that?" he whispered.
Thomas shook his head. "Hear what?"
The sound of a twig snap then had Thomas' attention.
"That," Fox appointed.
It had not only caught the boys' but the others' attention as well.
"What was that?" Tinkerbell snapped.
She looked toward where the sound came from and squinted her eyes as if trying to see past the foliage.
The slight sound of rustling followed—the intruder was backing away.
Tinkerbell made a motion to Hook; Neal still standing over Russell's dead body, went unnoticed. When Tinkerbell stepped forward, she was sure that there was someone or something there watching them—and before she could motion for Hook to follow, she bolted into the trees. That was one thing she kept—although most of her powers had been taken by the Blue Faerie, she still possessed all her nature abilities such as unnatural quick speed, quick ability to heal, acute hearing, and photographic memory.
Tinkerbell was a blur to Hook, a giant blur transitioning the woman from the ground passed bustling leaves.
Almost immediately, she collided with something that let out a shrill shriek. Both bodies fell to the ground, Tink gaining the upper hand and pinning the perpetrator underneath her to the dirt.
Tinkerbell started in utter disbelief at the smaller body trying to claw away from her grasp, its bow and arrow forgotten and pushed not too far. For the faerie, it was like looking at a ghost.
Her lips held extreme difficulty forming the word she hadn't in decades.
Tinkerbell scrambled away in alarm. The smaller figure looked behind her, eyes wide, and began scrambling to her feet. As she bent to retrieve her weapon, she slowly stood, breathing heavily, wary.
Tinkerbell watched, too stricken with shock, her perpetrator drew her bow, arrow aimed at the faerie. But she hesitated; though her muscles shook in anticipation, her dark eyes held unsureness.
Hook was not far behind. Before the intruder could turn, choosing to flee instead of shoot, Hook had lunged at her from behind, his metal claw scratching her throat as she was pinned forcefully to a nearby tree. When he took in the smeared, faded face paint and all-too-familiar scowl, he nearly lost his façade.
"...Holy Saint Mary Evangeline..." Hook muttered, staring into angry, dark eyes.
. . .
Eyes looked up seeing Hook and Tinkerbell emerge from the trees. Tink strode in front of the pirate; everyone's attention perked seeing a girl fighting against the pirate's hold on her hands behind her back. Neal stood from his seat on a boulder next to Wendy, seeing Hook throw the girl to the ground. She narrowly missed the campfire. She rolled over and barred her teeth, giving some kind of hiss as Hook walked away. He paused and made a similar, yet less threatening, sound.
"Hook," Neal called, "who the—-who is she? Why is there a little girl tied up like a roast pig?!"
The girl wiggled until she could get a good view of the tall, strangely dressed man. Her hands were bound to her back as if she were to be skewered over a fire, hair messy and obscuring her face.
The look in Hook's eyes as he stepped closer made Neal take as that backwards.
The pirate caught himself, took a breath, and forced a sarcastic chuckle. "This "little" girl happens to be much older than even your own grammy, Baelfire."
Neal was silent.
"Remember, mate," the pirate continued, "this is Neverland. And though these mites may look like small fry, they are more than twice your own age."
"But that's a young girl," Neal jabbed his arm in the direction of the girl wearing only an animal skin dress. He was still quite angry. "There's no reason to do that to anyone, despite her age."
"And if we didn't," it was Tinkerbell speaking this time; Neal watched as she drew a large bow and aimed it at Neal, "would you have rather her have come and shot everyone in this camp, with this, instead?"
Neal swallowed.
Tink withdrew the arrow and placed it next to her before hoping down from the large boulder.
"Here, you can't just be all soft like that, thinking that 'oh! She's just a little girl, she's just shy;' or 'he's just roughhousing like other little boys'." Tink waved her arms exasperatedly at her sarcastic example.
"This is Neverland, mate, where you never age," Hook added, "physically."
Neal frowned.
"You mustn't rely on looks alone, 'cause once you do, you could literally be robbed from right under your nose. I speak from experience, lad."
"Here, the moment you let your guard down, you may be done for." Tinkerbell held a finger to her throat to emphasis her point.
Neal remained silent. The Lost Boys, however, had begun a loud chatter amongst themselves.
Hook spoke: "And this here is one of the slyest of the sly in this foxhole."
The girl had now turned and was seated on her bottom, facing the Lost Boys. As Neal now took a good look at her, he realized that she indeed was different than at first glance. Her simple clothing was ripped and torn in some areas where wounds should have been. A few beads and once-elegant embroidery barely clung to her dress and wild hair. Her red skin was marked with faded paint from long ago, her dark hair had gotten a bit matted and littered with leaves from her earlier hiding. Neal noticed that there were two particularly large feathers tied into a braid at the back of her head. But her hair was so wild, it was difficult to see her face past it.
Her face—he only had a side view since she was facing the other adolescents, but he could tell that she either wasn't the smiling type or the scowl was etched into her features.
Neal watched in surprise as one of The Boys attempted to speak to her and watching her hiss threateningly in response.
No one seemed to noticed the look of utter astonishment on Felix's face, who seemed almost frozen in his seat, almost but not quite fearful.
The look in the Native-looking girl's eyes weren't friendly, Neal could tell.
After several moments, Felix dared to inch closer to the girl. He moved very slowly. She was now partially faced away from the boys.
"You're saying this like she's carrying some type of ticking bomb on her," Neal shot back.
Hook threw his arms up, unbelieving that the man is still trying to defend the girl. Sometimes, he really didn't get this whole being-optimistic and good-guy-thing that Charming, Swam, and Snow seemed to have rubbed off. "She is the bomb!"
"And she's gonna be the end of us all," Neal added in a mock tone.
Silence followed from the two adults. For several moments, The Lost Boys and the fire were the only things talking. Until finally:
Tink wrapped her arms around her waist, speaking low to Neal: "...You still have no idea who this is...do you..?" Her eyes squinted a little.
As Felix moved forward, he prayed that the girl wouldn't turn around and bite his nose off. Though, as he came closer, she turned her head slowly until she was facing him completely.
Felix stared into her eyes, looking passed the dark strands that screened in her features.
His heart hammered in his chest.
If he had been able to and his hands weren't bound behind his back, he would have smoothed it away from her eyes.
Those eyes. Those dark, hauntingly brown eyes...
His voice was small, shaky, and had grown very hoarse. "T... ..Ti... ...Tigerlily...?!
"STOP!" Wendy yelled.
"C'mon, join us for a swim!" One reached out and pulled her arm.
"No, PLEASE!"
"Yes, lets!" Another pushed her from behind.
"Come, dearie!"
"No-no!"
"Oh, but you MUST," one swam up from behind and pulled Wendy's nightgown, causing her to slip and scraping her leg on the wet rock. She stood again quickly.
Wendy tried to insist: "I'm not dressed for it!" When another just came when she wasn't looking and pushed her to her knees. When Wendy turned to look, the creature had disappeared back under the water.
"Join us for a swim!" Yet another now yanked Wendy forward by her hair. Wendy batted the hand away before she too disappeared under the water.
The girl called out to the boy who had brought her here to this strange land, but Peter was too busy holding his stomach, head tossed back, chuckling.
"Oh, too good for us, eh?!" A beautiful redhead with a band of yellow sea plants in her hair accused the English girl. She held tight to Wendy's ankle; the smaller girl scrabbled for a hold on the now-slippery rock she remained on.
"Come on. We insist!"
"No!" Wendy pushed one away that made a move for her arm again.
One took hold of Wendy's nightgown and she lost her footing. She could feel the cloth beginning to rip.
"Peter!" Wendy called.
A blonde mermaid swam, kicked giant splash onto the girl. Wendy shielded her face from most of the attack.
The boy was now floating in the air, holding his stomach in a laughing fit.
The three mermaids that remained around the lone rock Wendy stood on, showered her with splashing and taunting laughter. More and more; her night clothing became slick against her frame. Neverland was supposed to have kind people, she was told. Never has she been around such cruel...
And Peter just kept laughing his head off.
First, it was just her shoes, then Wendy's nightgown became soaked, and soon her entire hair was as well. Wendy screamed for help, her arms shielding her face as much as possible. Peter merely crisscrossed on a neighboring rock and watched, a slick smile stretched his cheeks.
Wendy didn't like the look the mermaids were giving at her. At first, she had thought of them as beautiful, but now...they began to frighten her. And then she felt something sharp nip at her ankles.
The splashing increased, heavier now.
Wendy cried out again.
Then another sharp thing grazed her leg.
The water now felt like waved.
Now it had been two sharp things!
Finally having enough, Wendy quickly reached for a lone, large conch shell at her feet and raised it threateningly. "If you dare come near me again...!"
That's when Peter snapped out of his laughing. He shook his hands in a "no, no" fashion. "Wendy, Wendy!" He quickly flew over to her and snatched the conch shell from her, tossed it behind him.
Wendy pouted, turning her back to him and snarling.
Peter sighed in relief that the fighting had stopped for the time being. He turned to the mermaids, hoping to find some resolve. "They were just having a little fun," he defended them to Wendy. He then turned to the mermaids, "weren't'cha girls?"
"That's all," a pretty brunette agreed.
"We were only trying to drown her," a blonde admitted innocently.
Wendy's eyes widened.
"See?" Peter gestured to the partly-fish creatures.
Wendy raised a finger to the floating boy. "Well if you think that for one minute that I'm going to—-"
Peter's attention had already turned to something else. He looked over his shoulder, already forgetting Wendy and the mermaids.
"Shh!" he suddenly covered Wendy's mouth.
Of course the girl was furious and immediately had been ready to tell him off. But before she could open her mouth, the flying boy had already drifted off to another rock structure. She watched as he peered into the hole like he was looking for something. Then, as if remembering she was there, he flew back over and brought Wendy beside him.
Mermaid Lagoon had gone silent. The mermaid had already vanished. The waters was still.
Peter had changed, Wendy saw. His composer, his demeanor, his entire expression had suddenly completely changed. Peter's lips pulled back in a snarl and Wendy took a step back.
She cleared her throat, hoping to break his attention. "Peter... Peter, who's that?"
He did snap out of his daze. He looked wide eyed down at her. "That," he moved over so she could see out the hole and pointed to the faraway figure across the water, "that there is Captain Hook, the most notorious pirate to sail the seas. He'll slit your throat alive if he finds us."
She pointed to another body seated on the lifeboat. "Then who's that?"
"Tiger Lily. He's captured her, Wendy."
"Tigerlily?"
"Yup. And it looks like they're headin' for Skull Rock." The snarl returned to his features, though slightly, Wendy noticed. "C'mon. Let's see what they're up to." He jumped up and began flying away quicker than she could keep up.
It took some effort, but Wendy eventually became airborne as well. Peter had to double back to hold her arm for support.
At Skull Rock, Hook was making another attempt of finding Peter. This time, he bargained with Tigerlily to tell the immortal boy's residence for her life. High above on an outstretched rock, both Peter and Wendy listened on. However, the princess refused to open her mouth, even for a yawn.
"It'd be best if you speak, dearie. The tide'll be in shortly and it'll be too late," Hook cooed.
Tigerlily was seated on a rock in front of Hook's lifeboat, arms tied to her back, a heavyweight attached to her ropes for good measure.
Up above, Peter cursed.
Wendy sighed, "poor Tigerlily."
"This is my proposition, my dear princess." Hook raised her chin with his hook to look at his eyes. "Am I not a man of my word, Mr. Smee?" Hook called, earning an agreement in return.
Tigerlily jerked her face away and bared her teeth angrily, then closed her eyes and held her nose up stubbornly.
The pirate felt his face growing warm. He cleared his throat before calming himself and proceeding. He really didn't want to hurt her, but if the tide DID come...
"This is your last chance, Tigerlily!"
She continued to hold her nose high. She'd rather die than tell.
If I could find a way to see this straight
I'd run away
To some fortune that I, I should have found by now
This is much longer than I anticipated. Should I start labeling this under horror or is it not quite at that level ? Also and as always, PLEASE review! They are the ONLY thing that keep these chapters coming.