Vicious Images – Part I

Captain James Hook was a petty and inhumane man. He was a vile person who lived only to serve others pain. Leah was appalled at Hook's idea of revenge towards Peter, and glared at his coat clad back as she and Smee walked a few paces behind him down the wooden corridor that led to his quarters. Above them the sky was dark and there was a threat of a storm in the near future.

Next to her, another storm seemed to gather in the mind of Smee. By the expression on his face Leah could tell that he was battling emotions of joy and unrest. Uncertain in how he as a human should be feeling about the events that took place two decks below them, and how he should feel as Hook's right hand man.

The Captain stopped and opened the door to his lodging, ushering Leah inside with a sharp gesture of his hand. Smee didn't join them, but instead closed the door behind her with a fleeting glance and continued on with the rest of his day. The Captain padded across the plush burgundy carpet to his mahogany desk and held the pouch that contained the whip up in front of him like a trophy and admired it with a smile upon his rough features. He seemed reluctant to place it on the desk, but he eventually relented, and busied himself with pouring a glass of brandy. He swirled the rich liquid before taking a drink, sighing contently as it coated the back of his throat. It is a glorious day. He lifted the glass to his lips and drained it, coolly setting in on his desk. Then he finally turned to Leah, seemingly unfazed by the disapproving looks he was receiving from her.

"My dear," He began, taking in the way she had planted her self by the door. Almost as if she too were about to be given the same treatment. "there is no reason to be upset. Things, are just done differently around here then where you're from." He smiled at her and she gagged. How dare he. She thought to herself. How dare her try to justify his vicious treatment towards Peter in that manner! She couldn't believe her ears. "Now," He walked towards and as he did so she fought the terrible urge to turn and run, but his hand suddenly appeared on her shoulder, firmly planting her where she stood. "I don't want the boy dying. That would just ruin my whole plan and all my preparations 'poof' out the window." How considerate of you. "So I now hereby put you in charge of keeping him alive."

Leah tensed and stared up at him, flabbergasted by what he was telling her to do. Something was amiss behind his eyes, he wasn't doing this randomly, he wanted something to happen. But what?

Hook smiled crudely at her expression, then turned sharply on his heel and proceeded to pour himself another glass of brandy. "Mr. Smee with show you clean linens and my men will fetch you fresh water. Unless of course," He raised the crystal to his lips and turned to stare at her over the rim. "You don't trust them to bring you clean, fresh water." He emptied the glass. "Then you can retrieve it yourself." She couldn't believe it; Hook was actually asking her to distrust his men! Leah felt glued to floor, and every second that she was under his gaze, she grew more and more apprehensive at the extent to his whole plan.

"I will get it myself; if that is what you wish." Her hands tightly clasped in front of her, Leah raised her chin in preparation for Hook's response. But instead of the anger that she expected, Hook seemed pleased and once again smiled, but behind it there was something more that she couldn't put her finger on, but she felt as if she had just walked into a trap.

"Splendid." He crossed the room and handed her a thin chain with a medium sized silver key dangling at the end. She hesitantly took it and clasped it around her neck. "His restraints." Hook finally grunted, and she nodded in understanding. "My men will have boat ready for you in an hour to take you to shore so you can retrieve your fresh water." She nodded again as he opened the door, then curtsied and quickly and her feet could take her without running, she left with great relief.

Hook firmly closed the door behind her and listened to her retreating footsteps for a few moments, then walked across the room back to his desk. From one of its drawers her drew out a gilded dagger and lovingly caressed its cold metal. If only she knew what its purpose was, the distaste for him in her lovely green eyes would grow more so. At that thought, he couldn't help but grin.

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Leah's arms were burning as she carried two full buckets of water form the stream in the middle of the forest. At the sight of a flat rock, she felt relieved to be able to rest her arms. As she stood at an edge of a small clearing, she rubbed her sore arms and thought about something that was nagging at the back of her mind. Why had three pirates joined her on the boat ride over? It made no since, especially since they didn't follow her to the stream. Once again she felt that there was something amiss. She was about to shake the feeling off and continue on her journey back to the small boat harbored on the beach, when something across the clearing caught her eye. Quickly hiding behind a tree she watched from behind it as the three pirates that accompanied her grunted and argued at each other. When she peered closer she realized that two of them were holding something between them, she quickly figured out what it was and felt her heart begin to race. She strained her ears to hear the conversation and willed herself to breath softer.

"Hurry up with it! The girl'll be back any minute." One of the pirates holding the object complained, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Jus' hold 'im still." The other pirate said as he pulled from his pocket the same dagger that Hook had been admiring in his quarters. The pirate walked foreword and brought the dagger down slowly, positioning it's sharpen side perfect before he…

Leah turned her head away quickly and covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to suppress the nausea that had just overcome her. Her knees weakened and she stumbled back to her buckets. Oh, my god. Oh my…She couldn't believe what she just saw, she didn't want to believe. She swiftly grabbed the buckets from the rock and made her way out of the forest. She prayed that the image in her mind would disappear; she didn't want to see it. Why? Why? She kept asking herself over and over again as the bile still rose in her throat. When she reached the boat the pirates weren't there yet. But it was only a few minutes before they emerged from a thicket of trees, one of them fusing with something inside a small bag that was slung at his hip, when they saw her, he abruptly stopped. They didn't say anything but instead hopped into the boat and helped her and her buckets back to the ship. The whole ride she wouldn't look at them, for if she did she knew what she would see.

Murderers.

She felt nauseous again and closed her eyes, only to have the scene play again on the back of her eyelids.

The savage murder of Peter's little lost boy, Tootles.

Ahhhhh!!!! It has been over 5 months since we last updated! We are so so so so so sorry! We bow our heads in shame. But we do promise that the next chapter will be up within the next day or two because it is already written. Yeah, yeah. We could've put it all in one chapter but we decided to break chapter six up a bit to add to the dramatic atmosphere. Again we are very very sorry for the long delay! Forgive us!!!

Star and Glade

8-13-04

P.S. Ahhhh!!! It's Friday the 13th!!!