Chapter two:
In the dark, everything looked the same. Harry realized this quickly enough. He paused for a few seconds, only a brief moment to catch his breath, resting his hands on his knees. His blue eyes peered off into the long corridor ahead, wondering how much longer he would be down there. The teenage boy did not feel comfortable running through these underground tunnels. He was a pirate after all and missed the ocean he never had the chance to see. These enclosed spaces made Harry feel claustrophobic. Harry glanced over his shoulder, trying to get an idea of how far he'd come, to no avail. The only source of light emitted from small torches of blue fire hung at every two or three intersections. Left, whispered the wind in Harry's ears. Hurry, added his brother's voice. With a renewed determination flashing in his eyes, Harry obeyed.
Line break
From the moment Uma stepped foot back on the isle, she looked everywhere for her first mate. The sea witch checked the ship first, followed by the rest of the island, and ending with the chip shoppe. When she pushed open the swinging doors, the sea witch's daughter closed her eyes briefly and prayed silently that Harry would be inside. Unfortunately, her wish was not granted as her friend wasn't amongst the crew members welcoming her cheerfully. Disappointed, Uma sighed internally but kept a neutral face on. She hadn't desired to face her crew after what what happened; at least not without Harry by her side. The air in the restaurant was practically buzzing with excitement. All eyes followed her when she made her way to the back of the restaurant, making her feel oddly uncomfortable. It was strange for as captain, she was used to being the center of attention. Uma tried to shrug off the uneasy feeling as she hopped over the counter but it was ever present, especially when Gil walked up to her with a serious look on his face and a scroll in his hand.
Line break
The only thing preventing Harry from getting lost was his brother's voice. It guided him through the endless halls, whispering in his ear which way to go. Left, right, left, left again, straight… Harry could only hope this truly was his sibling talking to him and not a sign that he truly was losing his mind. What if Thomas has bad intentions? The question popped in the back of Harr's mind, worry lacing his thoughts as he ran. His heart beat speeded up at the idea so he pushed it away just as fast as it had come. This was my fault. But I'm making up for it now, he thought. Harry really hoped Thomas was alright. The voice had stayed silent for awhile now. Harry stopped whenhe reached a fork in the road, waiting to hear whether to keep going straight or to turn either left or right. He wondered how much longer until he reached wherever it was that Thomas wanted him to be. There was no way he was still underneath the isle. He had been here for too long. But he had turned so many times, maybe he still was. As he waited anxiously, realization that he was lost dawned upon him, making his anxiety grow.
Line break
Gil wore an uncharacteristicly serious expression, worry for Harry still lingering in the back of his eyes. In his friend's abscence, the blond boy played the role of first mate. He handed Uma a scroll, which she took from him slowly, a mixture of curiosity and fear in her eyes. Shortly after the Cotilion was over, he and the crew received a scroll, tightly rolled and stamped with the yellow Auradon seal on it, the whole thing neatly tied together with a dark blue ribbon. They had hesitated to open it, unsure if they should wait for Uma. Jonas, the oldest, decided Gil should open it and the rest of the crew agreed. As her third in command and best friend, to prepare themselves for what it said. He had agreed relunctanly, only because he was too nice to say no, reading out loud the words he saw on the paper. Everyone stayed still for a second, their brains trying to process what they heard. They were invited to Auradon! Explosions of happiness and excitement burst through the room and they quickly rerolled the scroll to give to their captain.
Line break
Harry wanted to give up. He looked around desperately for a hint that he might be getting close. Nothing. Please Harry, you're almost there, Thomas's voice pleaded, echoing against the now narrower walls. Harry followed it until he bumped into a dead end. Confused, he ran his hands along the dirt surface, looking for some explanation. His hand brushed against a hidden lever. His fingers curled around it. He pulled the lever upwards and pushed slightly at the same time. The entire wall pivoted, reavealing a secret room. He glanced inside and his eyes widened with both surprise and excitement. "Thomas!" He exclaimed, rushing to his brother's side. The young boy was extremely pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time. Most importantly, he was tied to a plastic chair in the middle of the room. Harry worked on untying him. His mind was full of questions and he could've said anything from 'how are you doing?' to 'we thought you were gone forever'. Instead, he pulled Thomas into a hug, cradling the boy's head in his arms and whispering in his ear, voice full of sorrow: "I'm sorry…"
Even if they were technically twins, Harry was a whole head taller than Thomas. Thomas still looked about twelve; he was so young and frail. Almost like he never grew up. Footsteps echoed down the hall. Thomas trembled in Harry's arms, making the later tighten his grip protectively. "Shh. Let's get you out of here." He gave Thomas his hook, which the boy took hesitantly. "Find Uma and Gil. Tell them it's from me." Explained Harry quickly, pushing his sinking out the door. He knew as soon as they saw his hook, his friends would know something was wrong. As he waited in the half darkness for whatever was to come, he could only hope they found got the message and saved him from rooting in the awful place for years.
Line break
Uma didn't want to leave, not without her first mate. But the entire crew had searched every nook and crany of the isle. There was no sign of the pirate anywhere. It was almost like he wasn't on the isle at all. They had even asked his father, Captain Hook, who wasn't sober enough to understand them and almost ordered his crew to make them walk the plank. They visited Harriet'a ship which was anchored on the opposite side of the isle but she scoffed and said: "He's probavly off doing something stupid again. Now get out!" She had yelled, her crew already holding their swords up with vicious looks in their eyes. Uma's crew had scampered without asking for more. Eventually, it was time to go. It pained Uma's heart to leave without Harry. Gil tugged on her arm and said: "We can always come back Uma. We have to go." She followed him into the first limo, still looking out the window like he would suddenly pop out of nowhere and come with them. Gil wrapped a protective arm around Uma, which she appreciated. She knew he was worried as well but he was staying strong for her and the crew.
Line break
Ben stared at his reflection in his large window, the one in his office, which faced the isle of the lost. The golden bridge materialized and two black limousines proceeded to cross it. The barrier closed behind them. "Did I make the right choice?" He questioned himself out loud. "Maybe." Ben jumped, startled by the unexpected answer, before turning to see his mother standing in the doorway. With his brown hair and his kind eyes, as well as his sweet personality, Ben took a lot after his mom."Didn't mean to startle you honey," she apologized before stepping into the room to hug her son. Her opinion was important to him so he took the chance to ask her: "But how can I know for sure?" His mother took a second to think before answering to the best of her ability. "You can never know for sure but I think, it's best to simply assume the consequences, no matter what happens. Otherwise, you will spend the rest your life thinking 'what if' and you'll drive yourself crazy. Trust your gut," concluded Belle with another kind smile. She left, giving Ben time to reflect on her words.
Line break
Harry woke up a few hours later, dazed and confused. He was now tied to the chair like his brother was. He glared at his captor. They were facing away from him and poking the fireplace with a stick. The person had sand colored hair and was wearing dark green clothes. "Who are you? What do you want?" Snarled Harry fiercely. Flames burst to life in the chimney. His captor turned around with a satisfied grin. Harry recognized the boy vaguely from the hateful yet passionate descriptions his father made. "Peter?" he asked cautiously, frowning. The boy nodded. "Yep." Harry didn't understand. Wasn't Peter Pan one of the good guys? What was he doing on the isle? And wasn't he supposed to be in Neverland? So many questions, but no answers. Harry felt his blood boil. It was always this guy, wasn't it? First his father, then his brother, and finally himself. It seemed Peter was the source of all his family troubles. Harry growled at the boy. He would get his revenge on this crazy man-child if it was the last thing he did.
"Let me go," he demanded firmly. Peter chuckled while digging around his pocket for something. "But why?" He asked slyly, throwing a handful of sparkly blue dust in Harry's face. It knocked him out instantly. Peter smiled wildly. "The fun just started."
Thanks for reading! Reviews and comments; always welcome and appreciated here.