CHAPTER 25: LIVE BAIT
Wendy gloomily walked into the damaged Underground Home, the scent of death everywhere. Shredded socks and blankets were on the floor, as charred walls and ceilings the smoky remainders of the past crawled around her. Tears filled her eyes again, as she held Peter's hand then cried on his shoulder. Peter moved his arm around her, and kissed her on the forehead.
"Peter, it's just too dreadful." She sobbed, hugging him tighter. "After all, it seems hopeless."
Peter's two fingers pulled Wendy's chin up to him and whispered, "It's never hopeless when I'm here to protect you." And there he kissed her passionately on the lips. Wendy's breaths were uneven as she rested her head on Peter's shoulder with comfort.
"Who will help us?" Wendy whispered.
"The fairies! They'll know what more to do than the redskins." Peter suggested with a hopeful leap into the air. Wendy nodded, liking the idea that the helpful, magical creatures would get a chance to see her. Peter smiled brightly as he took her hand and whizzed to the Fairy Forest.
Once there, Wendy awed at the lovely balls of light flying over her head. Still, the jewelry-box like music made her want to dream. She dawdled, staring up at the sky with a glimmer in her emerald eyes. Peter tugged her onward until they reached the only cherry tree, always in full blossom. It was the only cherry tree in Neverland, quite special to the locals. In the trunk of the tree, there were two golden thrones with a fairy queen sitting on one. The other had no fairy in it. She looked very regal; her curly red hair flowing down her back with a golden crown made of golden leaves sitting carefully on top.
"Beautiful." Wendy murmured. Peter nodded, kneeling by the queen.
"Your highness," Peter said in the most grown-up like manor. "We have traveled from the Underground Home. The pirates destroyed it and have kidnapped my tribe."
Series of bells echoed throughout the wood. Wendy jumped, but tilted her head drowsily.
"What did she say, Peter?" she asked, clutching onto his arm.
"She says that the way to save the Lost Boys will take many moons. The only problem is, we need bait."
"Bait?" Wendy was confused. Peter nodded sadly.
"A live one. "he gulped. "You, must be the bait Wendy. Only for a little while."
"What?" Wendy was outraged. Peter quieted her.
"It's only for a little while!" he insisted. "Just, let Hook kidnap you and keep you there. Find the boys, and I'll be keeping you safe." Peter embraced her, as Wendy shivered.
"But... I don't feel safe anymore at all!" she cried.
Peter sighed, looking down at the fairy queen. "You heard her." More bell chimes were heard. Peter looked up at Wendy. "Hook won't physically hurt you, says she." Peter stood up, looking down at the worried girl. "He'll try to cause your heart to break, but don't give up. I'll find you before anything happens. Besides, how hard could it be to find a ship where I already know is docked?"
Wendy looked up at Peter with hope. "Would you like me to?"
"More than the world, Wendy!" he cried, spinning her. "And when you do succeed, I'll be there to make all your pleasures come true!"
Wendy gave a shy look. "Like?"
"Anything. You name it!" Peter cried. Wendy blushed for a moment, then hugged Peter.
"All right." She laughed. "Just, watch over me."
And it was that night, that fate was just starting. Wendy walked the shores of the island, alone. She looked behind her own shoulder, seeing no Peter in sight. Soon, Wendy Morgan started running to the village, unsure if she actually was to get captured.
The village was bustling with prostitutes and poor, dirty "pigs" or as what Wendy had called the men in her mind. She walked over to the dock, and gracefully strutted along the side of the ship. Every man stopped to look upon her, knowing who she was.
"Ain't that Pan's girl?" one man said to another.
"Yes! So it is!" another growled. More soon than later, Captain Hook was on the deck and caught Wendy by the arm. Wendy was frightened, indeed she was. Eventhough half of her mind thought it was right; the other half was completely paralysed. "Well, well, well..." Hook spat in her face. "If it isn't Miss Morgan, coming to me once more." Wendy was near tears when he pulled her by the hair. "Stop it!" she winced. "You're hurting me!"
Hook pressed his mouth against her cheek, and whispered darkly, "By all means, my beauty. There will be far worse things that I will do to you.... Far worse." Wendy trembled at his remark as the Captain guided her onto the ship, away from the exact safety with Peter.
Wendy gloomily walked into the damaged Underground Home, the scent of death everywhere. Shredded socks and blankets were on the floor, as charred walls and ceilings the smoky remainders of the past crawled around her. Tears filled her eyes again, as she held Peter's hand then cried on his shoulder. Peter moved his arm around her, and kissed her on the forehead.
"Peter, it's just too dreadful." She sobbed, hugging him tighter. "After all, it seems hopeless."
Peter's two fingers pulled Wendy's chin up to him and whispered, "It's never hopeless when I'm here to protect you." And there he kissed her passionately on the lips. Wendy's breaths were uneven as she rested her head on Peter's shoulder with comfort.
"Who will help us?" Wendy whispered.
"The fairies! They'll know what more to do than the redskins." Peter suggested with a hopeful leap into the air. Wendy nodded, liking the idea that the helpful, magical creatures would get a chance to see her. Peter smiled brightly as he took her hand and whizzed to the Fairy Forest.
Once there, Wendy awed at the lovely balls of light flying over her head. Still, the jewelry-box like music made her want to dream. She dawdled, staring up at the sky with a glimmer in her emerald eyes. Peter tugged her onward until they reached the only cherry tree, always in full blossom. It was the only cherry tree in Neverland, quite special to the locals. In the trunk of the tree, there were two golden thrones with a fairy queen sitting on one. The other had no fairy in it. She looked very regal; her curly red hair flowing down her back with a golden crown made of golden leaves sitting carefully on top.
"Beautiful." Wendy murmured. Peter nodded, kneeling by the queen.
"Your highness," Peter said in the most grown-up like manor. "We have traveled from the Underground Home. The pirates destroyed it and have kidnapped my tribe."
Series of bells echoed throughout the wood. Wendy jumped, but tilted her head drowsily.
"What did she say, Peter?" she asked, clutching onto his arm.
"She says that the way to save the Lost Boys will take many moons. The only problem is, we need bait."
"Bait?" Wendy was confused. Peter nodded sadly.
"A live one. "he gulped. "You, must be the bait Wendy. Only for a little while."
"What?" Wendy was outraged. Peter quieted her.
"It's only for a little while!" he insisted. "Just, let Hook kidnap you and keep you there. Find the boys, and I'll be keeping you safe." Peter embraced her, as Wendy shivered.
"But... I don't feel safe anymore at all!" she cried.
Peter sighed, looking down at the fairy queen. "You heard her." More bell chimes were heard. Peter looked up at Wendy. "Hook won't physically hurt you, says she." Peter stood up, looking down at the worried girl. "He'll try to cause your heart to break, but don't give up. I'll find you before anything happens. Besides, how hard could it be to find a ship where I already know is docked?"
Wendy looked up at Peter with hope. "Would you like me to?"
"More than the world, Wendy!" he cried, spinning her. "And when you do succeed, I'll be there to make all your pleasures come true!"
Wendy gave a shy look. "Like?"
"Anything. You name it!" Peter cried. Wendy blushed for a moment, then hugged Peter.
"All right." She laughed. "Just, watch over me."
And it was that night, that fate was just starting. Wendy walked the shores of the island, alone. She looked behind her own shoulder, seeing no Peter in sight. Soon, Wendy Morgan started running to the village, unsure if she actually was to get captured.
The village was bustling with prostitutes and poor, dirty "pigs" or as what Wendy had called the men in her mind. She walked over to the dock, and gracefully strutted along the side of the ship. Every man stopped to look upon her, knowing who she was.
"Ain't that Pan's girl?" one man said to another.
"Yes! So it is!" another growled. More soon than later, Captain Hook was on the deck and caught Wendy by the arm. Wendy was frightened, indeed she was. Eventhough half of her mind thought it was right; the other half was completely paralysed. "Well, well, well..." Hook spat in her face. "If it isn't Miss Morgan, coming to me once more." Wendy was near tears when he pulled her by the hair. "Stop it!" she winced. "You're hurting me!"
Hook pressed his mouth against her cheek, and whispered darkly, "By all means, my beauty. There will be far worse things that I will do to you.... Far worse." Wendy trembled at his remark as the Captain guided her onto the ship, away from the exact safety with Peter.