Chapter 7: A Close Call for Peter
Hook was a captain that despised his crew. He treated them like dogs, and like dogs they obeyed. He thought himself a very intelligent and well educated man that should be feared, and feared he was.by most. Hook strode out of his cabin, and walked slowly up the stairs to where one of his men stood manning the tiller. Smee clambered along after the Captain looking about as if expecting Pan to appear out of the clear blue.
"Beautiful isn't it Cap'n."
"Beautiful? When Pan is still alive, beautiful is hardly the word I would use." Smee looked down at his hands and twisted a small rag he'd been carrying about.
Hook had spent much of the last night concocting a plan to trap Peter, and his mangy lost boys. His eyes had rings under them, hinting at his lack of sleep, but the rest of his personage was well groomed as always.
His plan as I heard it told was this. Hook and his men would not wait for Peter to come to them, they would seek them out. They would learn their routines, and find where they liked to play and then ambush them! It was not a very detailed plan, but Hook was convinced it would work none-the-less. In fact he already had two spies ashore. Black eyed Bill and Palo the rat they were called, two of Hook's most trusted men, and sneaky they were. In fact let's see what Bill and Palo are up to.
Bill and Palo have been searching the island over, trying to catch up with the lost boys and Elizabeth, and it seems they finally have succeeded. The Neverland is littered with hidden springs, and waterfalls a few of which Elizabeth had discovered. She loved to go swimming alone simply because sometimes it was nice to get away from the boys for you know how boys are.
On this particular day Bill and Palo had stumbled across her swimming in a beautiful blue spring with a tall waterfall pouring into it, and a cave behind it. As she splashed about, sometimes singing, a body suddenly appeared diving into the water resulting in a large splash.
"Ha ha!!! I found you. You shouldn't go around alone Elizabeth. The mermaids say two pirates have come ashore." Elizabeth flung her hair about to get it out of her eyes, and just laughed. "Oh come on Peter. I'm not afraid of a couple of pirates." "Perhaps you should be." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Anyway, its time." "Time for what Peter?" A broad smiled spread across the boy's face that quickly changed to confusion as he saw the look of terror on Elizabeth's.
"Wha.." His question was cut off by a loud rumbling behind him. He turned slowly, and saw what he feared. A large, and angry looking crocodile had entered the water, and was almost on them.
"Peter, I can't find a happy thought!" "Then swim!" Peter rose out of the air, and began flying about the beast to distract it. The creature snapped rising out of the air, trying to get his teeth around the boy that mocked him. Elizabeth thrust her arms into the water, moving as quickly as she could in her terror. A sigh of relief almost escaped her lips as solid rock met her fingers, but was trapped by the scream that took its place. The crocodile had decided to ignore Peter and continue after her. As she looked down the creature's jaws very nearly closed around her foot. Suddenly Peter was upon the creature with his arms wrapped tightly around its next.
The beast roared, and slammed back down into the water on top of Peter. Elizabeth waited in anxiety for Peter to surface, but no such thing happened. "Dash it all." She took one last breath, and dove into the water. A glint of silver caught her eye as her fingers closed around the hilt of the sword. Underwater, she could see the distorted figure of Peter's body, and the crocodile heading quickly toward it.
Let me pause for a moment, and reassure you that our hero is not dead, he merely hit his head on a rock. You couldn't possibly have expected him to be okay after having a crocodile fall on top of him, and besides if Peter didn't have a close call our heroine would not have had her moment to shine.
Elizabeth kicked hard against the water drawing close to Peter. The crocodile was upon him, and the time to act was now. Elizabeth gave one last kick, just enough to propel her next to the crock's body. She felt a slight bit of tension as she thrust the sword into the crock's tale. The beast wretched around, and began chasing his tale in a weak attempt to end his pain. This brave act bought Elizabeth just enough time to grab a hold of Peter, and pull him to the surface. Upon hitting the air, Elizabeth gasped for air, but Peter didn't move.
"Peter? Peter!!" The boy groaned, and touched his head gingerly. "Peter, you have to get up. Come on." He moved slowly, and then leaned hard upon his sister's shoulder. Elizabeth guided him through the forest back toward the lost boy's hide out.
"Wait." Peter's voice was soft, and shaky. "They cant' see me like this." "Peter it doesn't matter. I've got to get you cleaned up. That's a nasty wound on you head there." And indeed it was. Peter had received a large gash above his right eyebrow that was bleeding profusely. The boy was pale, Elizabeth knew that the encounter had frightened him, and he was shocked by the wound.
Somehow the girl managed to convince Peter to go down his tree trunk, and got Peter to the bed before his legs collapsed from underneath him. Elizabeth ran around the hide out grabbing strips of cloth to dress the wound. Luckily, the lost boys were all out at the moment, so Elizabeth could move freely. "Peter that was a close call; you could have died." Peter looked up at her through veiled eyes. "To live is to laugh in the face of death. To face death is to live." Elizabeth's mouth moved, but no words came out. She never would have expected Peter to say such a thing. The boy understood death, but did not fear it. Most adults did not receive such comfort..adults. Elizabeth had almost completely forgotten her parents now. All that remained was a murky picture of what once had been. Elizabeth dressed the wound in silence, still musing over Peter's words.
Much later the lost boys returned, and asked what Peter had done. Elizabeth told them the story of how he had bravely come to her rescue and wrestled the crocodile back to the water. She didn't mention to the boys that it was in fact she who saved Peter, for the boy was asleep, and she didn't think that part of the story was important.
Hook was a captain that despised his crew. He treated them like dogs, and like dogs they obeyed. He thought himself a very intelligent and well educated man that should be feared, and feared he was.by most. Hook strode out of his cabin, and walked slowly up the stairs to where one of his men stood manning the tiller. Smee clambered along after the Captain looking about as if expecting Pan to appear out of the clear blue.
"Beautiful isn't it Cap'n."
"Beautiful? When Pan is still alive, beautiful is hardly the word I would use." Smee looked down at his hands and twisted a small rag he'd been carrying about.
Hook had spent much of the last night concocting a plan to trap Peter, and his mangy lost boys. His eyes had rings under them, hinting at his lack of sleep, but the rest of his personage was well groomed as always.
His plan as I heard it told was this. Hook and his men would not wait for Peter to come to them, they would seek them out. They would learn their routines, and find where they liked to play and then ambush them! It was not a very detailed plan, but Hook was convinced it would work none-the-less. In fact he already had two spies ashore. Black eyed Bill and Palo the rat they were called, two of Hook's most trusted men, and sneaky they were. In fact let's see what Bill and Palo are up to.
Bill and Palo have been searching the island over, trying to catch up with the lost boys and Elizabeth, and it seems they finally have succeeded. The Neverland is littered with hidden springs, and waterfalls a few of which Elizabeth had discovered. She loved to go swimming alone simply because sometimes it was nice to get away from the boys for you know how boys are.
On this particular day Bill and Palo had stumbled across her swimming in a beautiful blue spring with a tall waterfall pouring into it, and a cave behind it. As she splashed about, sometimes singing, a body suddenly appeared diving into the water resulting in a large splash.
"Ha ha!!! I found you. You shouldn't go around alone Elizabeth. The mermaids say two pirates have come ashore." Elizabeth flung her hair about to get it out of her eyes, and just laughed. "Oh come on Peter. I'm not afraid of a couple of pirates." "Perhaps you should be." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Anyway, its time." "Time for what Peter?" A broad smiled spread across the boy's face that quickly changed to confusion as he saw the look of terror on Elizabeth's.
"Wha.." His question was cut off by a loud rumbling behind him. He turned slowly, and saw what he feared. A large, and angry looking crocodile had entered the water, and was almost on them.
"Peter, I can't find a happy thought!" "Then swim!" Peter rose out of the air, and began flying about the beast to distract it. The creature snapped rising out of the air, trying to get his teeth around the boy that mocked him. Elizabeth thrust her arms into the water, moving as quickly as she could in her terror. A sigh of relief almost escaped her lips as solid rock met her fingers, but was trapped by the scream that took its place. The crocodile had decided to ignore Peter and continue after her. As she looked down the creature's jaws very nearly closed around her foot. Suddenly Peter was upon the creature with his arms wrapped tightly around its next.
The beast roared, and slammed back down into the water on top of Peter. Elizabeth waited in anxiety for Peter to surface, but no such thing happened. "Dash it all." She took one last breath, and dove into the water. A glint of silver caught her eye as her fingers closed around the hilt of the sword. Underwater, she could see the distorted figure of Peter's body, and the crocodile heading quickly toward it.
Let me pause for a moment, and reassure you that our hero is not dead, he merely hit his head on a rock. You couldn't possibly have expected him to be okay after having a crocodile fall on top of him, and besides if Peter didn't have a close call our heroine would not have had her moment to shine.
Elizabeth kicked hard against the water drawing close to Peter. The crocodile was upon him, and the time to act was now. Elizabeth gave one last kick, just enough to propel her next to the crock's body. She felt a slight bit of tension as she thrust the sword into the crock's tale. The beast wretched around, and began chasing his tale in a weak attempt to end his pain. This brave act bought Elizabeth just enough time to grab a hold of Peter, and pull him to the surface. Upon hitting the air, Elizabeth gasped for air, but Peter didn't move.
"Peter? Peter!!" The boy groaned, and touched his head gingerly. "Peter, you have to get up. Come on." He moved slowly, and then leaned hard upon his sister's shoulder. Elizabeth guided him through the forest back toward the lost boy's hide out.
"Wait." Peter's voice was soft, and shaky. "They cant' see me like this." "Peter it doesn't matter. I've got to get you cleaned up. That's a nasty wound on you head there." And indeed it was. Peter had received a large gash above his right eyebrow that was bleeding profusely. The boy was pale, Elizabeth knew that the encounter had frightened him, and he was shocked by the wound.
Somehow the girl managed to convince Peter to go down his tree trunk, and got Peter to the bed before his legs collapsed from underneath him. Elizabeth ran around the hide out grabbing strips of cloth to dress the wound. Luckily, the lost boys were all out at the moment, so Elizabeth could move freely. "Peter that was a close call; you could have died." Peter looked up at her through veiled eyes. "To live is to laugh in the face of death. To face death is to live." Elizabeth's mouth moved, but no words came out. She never would have expected Peter to say such a thing. The boy understood death, but did not fear it. Most adults did not receive such comfort..adults. Elizabeth had almost completely forgotten her parents now. All that remained was a murky picture of what once had been. Elizabeth dressed the wound in silence, still musing over Peter's words.
Much later the lost boys returned, and asked what Peter had done. Elizabeth told them the story of how he had bravely come to her rescue and wrestled the crocodile back to the water. She didn't mention to the boys that it was in fact she who saved Peter, for the boy was asleep, and she didn't think that part of the story was important.