Hey all! Another Saturday, another chapter.
So, lots happens in this one. Fun fact: originally, this chapter wasn't supposed to exist. But then I got to thinking and realized I needed it, if only to make Dipper's character more in tune to what I think of him as. So, this chapter might seem a bit out of place, but overall I think it does add to the story.
Also, a lot of you are probably going to hate Bill by the end of this chapter. Next chapter, though, we go into Bill and what he's thinking about all of this. And believe me when I say, he's not as bad as I'm making him out to be. Oh, he's still a murderer and is psychotic (in the psychological meaning of the word), but that's not all he is.
And that's all. I want to take the time to thank everyone who has left a kudos or a bookmark, has favorited/followed, or has left a review/comment. You all mean the world to me.
Oh! Happy Chanukah! It's technically tomorrow, for me, but I thought I'd say it now. ^-^
Enjoy!
Dipper let out a loud groan as he hit his head against the wooden wall. Not too hard, as to not damage his head again, but hard enough that he could feel it. At least it was something. Something, which was better than the mind-numbing nothing he was forced to sit in. Better than the churning thoughts he felt in his head.
He had been on this ship a week already. He had gone through a lot of emotional and physical trauma. He was finding his opinion of the captain of this ship changing, which was terrifying. He was having moral conflicts about pirates, which was even worse. And yet, here he sat, restless and bored out of his mind.
Don't get him wrong; it wasn't like he wanted to spend time with any pirates. But he was getting so bored that he was honestly starting to hope someone would come down there and do something. Anything. Anything to distract him from the boredom. Or, if he was being truthful, from the thoughts that wanted to invade his mind. Because he didn't want to think of them, and the longer he was down here alone, the more his mind brought them up. But he wasn't being truthful then, couldn't be truthful. Not even to himself. Especially not to himself. So boredom had to be the culprit for his internal panic. Had to be.
That was the problem of being a prisoner on a pirate ship, he thought bitterly as he glared at the wall, shaking his head to get the unwanted thoughts out. There wasn't anything to do. For the first several days, he had been too sick and in pain to really be bothered by the silence and nothingness. After that, he had been consumed by his curiosity about Bill. But now, now that he had mostly healed and had come to a semi-conclusion about Bill's humanity earlier that day, he found himself feeling that sting of frustration at not being able to do anything. He was still, of course, curious about the pirate captain, but now it was tempered by the dissatisfaction of being trapped. Yes, of being trapped. Without the burning questions of morality, everything else was starting to flood into his mind and he was realizing just how stupid he was being. Why was he curious about the pirate captain when he was trapped as a prisoner whilst on a pirate ship?
He felt like pulling his hair out. He was itching to do something, to move. He had already thought about everything he could and there was nothing else to think of. After all, a person could only think of their dead parents and the life they used to have so many times before cracking. And he didn't want to think about pirates and humanity. He, he couldn't think on that anymore. Not without going absolutely barmy. He also didn't want to think of Bill, didn't want to think of that man because of the wrongness he inspired inside of him. Which kind of limited what he could think of, honestly.
Dipper got up, then, and began pacing. It was difficult with the manacles weighing him down, but he needed to move. To feel like he was being active. He couldn't stand sitting there any longer, and he grit his teeth as he glared at the walls with vitriol.
Because honestly? What he needed most was to escape.
As he paced, Dipper was beginning to realize that he had allowed himself to get consumed by thoughts and curiosities of the pirate captain, which had side-tracked him from his main goal: getting off this ship. But now, as he itched with inactivity and restlessness, he remembered why he was here in the first place. He wasn't a guest, visiting this ship on his own free will. No, he was a prisoner. He had been taken captive while rescuing his sister. How on earth had he forgotten that?
Well, no matter. His… 'restlessness' had reminded him of his situation. The mystery of William 'Bill' Cipher didn't matter, in the long run. What mattered the most was getting off this ship and getting back to Mabel as soon as possible. Mabel… Oh God, Mabel.
Dipper faltered in his steps and felt his heart plummeting as he had a terrifying thought about his sister. Something he hadn't really entertained before, his mind so full of other worries. But now, with everything clearing in his mind, he had a thought. A heart-stopping, earth-shattering thought. Assuming that he had saved her and that she was alive, assuming that she had survived her drop into the ocean, then that meant she was currently on their great uncle's ship. Alone. Without him.
In all their lives, he had never been apart from his twin as long as he currently had been. He had never had to worry about her being left alone, because he was always right there beside her. But now he wasn't there. And she was alone. Yes, she might have their great uncle and their friends, but he was her family. Her brother. Her only living direct relative. And he had left her alone for an entire week. He had abandoned her.
He felt his eyes widen and his legs go weak as he thought that, leaning back against the wall for support. He had abandoned Mabel. Not because he was here, taken captive on this pirate ship, but because he hadn't made any real effort to escape. Yes, he had thought of escape plans, but never was he being really serious. They were just ways to pass the time. The majority of him had simply accepted his fate and had gotten wrapped up in a mystery. He had forgotten about his sister, even as he had wondered if she was alive or not. He had forgotten how she would feel about all of this.
God, did Mabel even know if he was alive or not? He had assumed that Bill was going to kill him for defeating him and his men, what if Mabel thought that as well? He felt bile rise in his throat. Oh, no. If Mabel thought he was dead, if she didn't have hope for him coming back, then that meant that not only was she alone, but she was alone and lifeless. Broken. He remembered how she was, after their parent's death and he couldn't bear the thought of her going through that alone.
So he had to get out, he decided as he stared at the wall. He had to get back to her. Today, if possible. To make up for the time he had lost thus far. After all, his sister needed him. And that was much more important than some stupid, mysterious pirate captain. Because Bill didn't matter. Mabel… Mabel mattered. He remembered that now.
Dipper took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his racing heart. Okay. So he was going to escape a pirate ship, at sea, today. He was going to get back to his sister, somehow. The sun had to nearly be down by now, if he recalled correctly. He knew that he visited Bill every day before noon, and a lot of time had passed since his now pointless revelation earlier. So yeah, nearly sunset.
Okay. A plan. Well, he should be getting his dinner soon. Bill saw to that, saw to him getting fed twice a day, for the past couple of days. Unless Bill had changed his mind, the pirate that brought him supper should be arriving any minute. That pirate had a set of keys on his belt, to allow the man access into his cell. That meant that if Dipper could distract the pirate for long enough, he could get the keys. After that he could leave his cell, and from there he would find a lifeboat and escape on it. There. That seemed like a solid enough plan. Just as long as he didn't get caught, he should be golden.
Okay. Okay. Great. This was happening. He was going to escape. Any minute now, phase one would be in effect and he'd be on his way to freedom. Great. Perfect. Wonderful.
Oh God. Dipper could feel his heart beating fast, could feel his breath quickening. He had to sit down, before he fainted.
Did he really want to do this? Escaping from a pirate ship, on nothing more than a rowboat, while in the middle of the ocean, with no provisions at all? Was that really smart? But, then again, what else could he do? If he tried to get supplies from the kitchen, he'd surely get caught. This was the only way he could possibly get off this ship. Which he totally wanted to do. Bill may be kinder to him than he had any right to be, but he was still his captor. Dipper was still a prisoner, who was going to be sold. He didn't belong here. He belonged with his sister. And the longer he waited, the more his conviction and determination would fade, so he had to escape today.
He had to do this. He had to. Mabel was depending on him. She needed him. He couldn't leave her alone any longer.
It was funny, though, that this all had started because he had felt restless. Because he had been bored. Now look at him. A half-baked escape plan and the determination to see it through. Funny, what boredom made people think about. Because it was totally just boredom that had sparked him into doing this, and not panic about his thoughts about pirates being human. And it most definitely wasn't because now that he was starting to see Bill as human, he was having thoughts of him that he really shouldn't. Thoughts of… friendship. Definitely not. He wasn't running away because he was scared. He just wanted to go back to his sister. That was it.
In order to not faint from nerves, Dipper took a seat on the ground and began to plot out what he would do to get the keys. He had thought of this briefly, absent musings back when he had first seen the keys that the hulking pirate had carried. It would be the same principle here, with the scrawny pirate that gave him food. It would be easier, in fact, because the scrawny pirate was not very bright. Dipper could distract him easily.
The minutes passed slowly for Dipper, his mind racing and his heart thudding. Half of him wanted to give up before he began and half of him wanted to just get it over with. He knew himself and knew that if he gave himself time to think about this, he'd never do it. But he had get off this ship. It was doing things to his head. Besides, he was doing better now, physically. His arm barely hurt him and his stomach was as full as could be whilst a prisoner. There would be no better time to escape. Today, tomorrow, a week from now- what did it matter? His plan was simple and there would be as many complications to it then as there were now. So why not try today? Why not run in the evening sun, where fewer people would see him? When he had the captain unsuspecting? Give him time and he might accidentally tip the captain off. The man was very perceptive, after all, and he wasn't all that good at lying. So it was either now, or never. And he had to try. At least once, he had to try. No matter the consequences if he failed.
He nearly felt his heart stop when he heard the sound of the brig door opening, pale lantern light flooding into his dark cage. Dipper felt like he was about to throw up when he saw the scrawny pirate standing in the doorway, face blank. The pirate never spoke to him, simply brought him his evening meal in silence. He rarely even opened the cell, instead sliding the food in through the small gap in the bars meant for food. But Dipper needed him to open the cell and come in to see him. Luckily, he had a plan.
Letting out a fake moan, Dipper began clutching his stomach, trying to make his face turn as white as possible. His hair was messed up and waxy from being stuck in a prison for a week, so he knew he already looked sickly. It wouldn't be a stretch for him to act like he was ill. Then, the pirate would have to come in and make sure he wasn't dying. Right?
He watched surreptitiously as the pirate faltered, looking confused.
"Ye dyin' in thar?" The pirate questioned, shifting slightly. Dipper let out another groan.
"I don't feel good." He claimed, whimpering slightly. The pirate looked around a little, frowning. Dipper assumed that the pirate had to be roughly around his age, perhaps a year or two older. He did not seem to be the brightest of the bunch, which is why he thought that this might actually work. Any other pirate and they would get suspicious. But this one… he had a chance of fooling him.
"Do ye need th' cap'n?"
Well, no. No he didn't. If the pirate got Bill, this whole thing would be over before it began. He'd never be able to fool the captain. So Dipper shook his head slightly, groaning a little more.
"Unless you want to bother him. I just think I need the chamber pot." He claimed, looking over to the thing. They tended to leave it out of his reach, for whatever reason, and let him use it once or twice a day. Which was annoying, but at least now he had a reason for asking for it.
He watched as the pirate's face scrunched up with confusion, and mild revulsion. He could see the pirate was trying to figure out the pros and cons of helping him. Dipper just hoped he wouldn't see the problem with it. He knew that everyone on this ship was terrified of Bill, so hopefully the pirate wouldn't run off and get him for this.
Moments passed before the pirate nodded slowly, setting the food down on the table in the corner and getting the keys from his belt. Ha! Yes!
"Alright. I s'ppose I can do that." The pirate stated, before opening the cell and bringing in the chamber pot. Dipper held out a hand, in a silent plea for help getting up. The pirate sneered a bit, showing his distaste at helping the boy out, but went over anyway and yanked him upward. Dipper took the chance and grabbed at the keys the pirate had put back on his belt. Ha! He did it! He had the keys!
However, there was just one problem, now. One he hadn't thought of initially, but that plagued him now that he actually had the keys. When the pirate went to lock the cell on his way out, he'd find that his keys were missing and would raise the alarm. Dipper wouldn't have the time to escape before a dozen pirates were racing in there, ready to subdue him however possible.
That made Dipper falter slightly, looking at the pirate with wide eyes. He hadn't really thought of that at first, worrying more about actually getting the keys. He hadn't thought of what he would do after. He could see the pirate frowning in confusion as Dipper simply stood there, frozen with indecision. He needed to get this pirate out of the way. If he wanted to get out, he had to disable this pirate.
"What ye be waitin' fer? Get a mo-" The pirate began with annoyance, but he was unable to finish when Dipper balled his hand up and hit the pirate full force in the temple, like his great uncle had taught him once. If he did it properly, the pirate would get knocked clean out.
To his luck, the pirate crumbled an instant after he had let his punch fly. Dipper was shaking with adrenaline as he looked at the body on the ground, his breath shuddering as he thought of what he had just done. Well, no turning back now, he thought grimly. He hurriedly looked at the keys and found the one that would release his manacles and quickly took them off, rubbing his wrists with a grimace. It always made his wrists red and sore when they were removed. Bill would sometimes rub some herbs onto them, if they were particularly sore during their meetings, but otherwise left them alone. It was no matter anymore, though. He was free and would hopefully never have to put manacles on again. He just had to make sure he stayed that way.
After a moment of consideration, Dipper knelt down next to the pirate and slipped the manacles onto his wrists, before ripping a piece of cloth from the man's shirt and stuffing it into his mouth, so if he woke he couldn't raise the alarm. He could feel his heart pounding as he did so, feeling like he was going to throw up, but he had no choice. He had to leave. Mabel... Mabel needed him. He had to get back to The Mystery. And now that he had knocked this pirate out, he had to go through with his plan. In for a penny, in for a pound, and all that.
On his way out of the cell, Dipper paused, before taking the plate of food from the table and eating it quickly. Part of him wanted to bring it with him, for the journey across the sea, but he had nothing to carry it in. At least this way he would have some energy for his escape. Once he had finished the food, he stood for a second at the table, gathering his courage and trying to calm his racing heart, before he moved. He had to get a move on before anyone came looking for the young pirate. He had to hope that by the time they found him, he'd already be miles away from them. That meant he needed at least half an hour to get off the ship and out to sea.
With a cautious glance out the door, Dipper slowly slipped out of the brig, sneaking along the hallway as quick as he dared. During the times he had been brought to and from the captain's office, Dipper had made sure to create a mental map of the ship. He didn't know where everything was, but he knew enough that he was sure he'd be able to get out of the below decks. Once on the upper decks, he would have the interesting challenge of moving past all the pirates milling around without getting seen, but he could do it. He was good at sneaking, when he wanted to be.
As he slunk down the hall, he made sure to keep his eyes moving and his ears highly strained. He knew of each place he could possibly hide in this hallway, each nook and cranny that would provide coverage. He had purposely looked for them during the times he had been marched through here. He had known that one day it would be useful. So that if he saw a pirate, he could potentially hide from him and not get caught.
It was as he was reaching the ladder that would lead him to the upper decks that he heard the boisterous laughter of pirates. Heart leaping into his throat, Dipper had only a second to dive behind the ladder and into the shadows before three pirates began descending down into the below decks, stumbling slightly.
"'N, 'n then I said to him, 'what ye be doin', stealin' me gold?' Then, I took out me gun 'n blasted his head clear off!" One of the pirate boasted, which caused the other two to howl with laughter. Dipper didn't really get what was funny, but whatever. He just hoped that they would move on soon.
However, to his detriment, the pirates paused at the bottom of the steps, lingering as they spoke to each other. No! Dipper could practically feel the seconds pass as they stood around, like a noose descending around his neck. He couldn't afford to wait here, but he couldn't pass them, not without getting caught. Oh, this wasn't good. Why exactly did he decide to do this again? Oh, right. Mabel. She needed him.
Heart pounding, Dipper looked around, trying to find a way he could get passed the pirates. He paused, however, when he overheard what they were talking about.
"-anyone be knowing whar Jimmy be? He's s'pposed th' be meetin' me fer sword practice after supper." One of the pirates asked, scowling at the others. Dipper was desperately hoping that 'Jimmy' wasn't who he was fearing he was.
"Yarr, I reckon he's below in th' brig, feedin' th' cap'n's prisoner." Another pirate- the first one who had spoken- replied, confirming Dipper's fear. Great. So now he had even less time than he had originally hoped, if these pirates were looking for the pirate he had knocked out. He tried not to freak out as he started desperately looking for a way out. He needed to get moving. He stopped, though, when the pirates continued their conversation.
"It just be me, or be th' cap'n bein' a wee bit overly friendly to that lad o' his?" The third pirate questioned, frowning at the other two, who both got considering looks on their faces. Dipper could feel his eyes widen as he realized they were speaking of him. Despite his terror at getting caught, he could feel his morbid curiosity rise, part of him wanting to know what these pirates thought of how Bill treated him.
"Yarr, ever since that laddie came on board, th' cap'n's be different. Fiercely protective 'o th' laddie, isn't he?" The first pirate replied, frowning back. The second pirate snorted.
*"Too protective, if ye ask me. A couple 'o th' boys 'n I tried to have a bit 'o fun wit' th' laddie when he first came on th' ship, but the cap'n found out 'n went mad, threatenin' Daniel, nearly makin' 'im wet his knickers. No one can touch th' laddie without th' cap'n gettin' furious." The second pirate scowled, his words making Dipper's blood run cold. This was one of the men who had… that first night, who had tried to… Dipper felt himself shuddered, bile rising in his throat as he looked at the pirate. He forced himself to keep listening, dragging his eyes away from the pirate, needing to take his mind off of that particular monster lest he do something stupid.
"Wonder what the kid is offerin' to th' cap'n to make 'im so protective. Must be one heck 'o a lay to get th' cap'n interested." The third pirate claimed crudely, wiggling his eyebrows and making the other two guffaw. Finally, though, they began to move away from the ladder and further into the hallway.
*"Ah well. S'long as th' cap'n don't start goin' overly soft, he can get as much pleasure from th' laddie as he wants." The first pirate claimed as they moved away. One of the other two replied, but Dipper had stopped listening. Their conversation was a vile one, and he had to get going soon. Especially if those pirates were looking for the one he had detained. He tried to put the conversation out of his mind as he creeped carefully up the stairs, ignoring the tumultuous emotions it had stirred up in him. Who cared if those stupid pirates thought he was sleeping with the captain? They were wrong, so it didn't matter what they thought. Besides, he had bigger things to worry about. Much bigger.
When he reached the top of the narrow stairs, the conversation safely contained in the back of his mind, he slowly opened the door to the outside and peeked out. He couldn't linger here long, in case someone came up behind him, but he couldn't just barrel out. He'd get caught if he did. He had to be cautious, but not too cautious. Shouldn't be too hard to do, he thought sardonically.
As he peeked out, he saw that the coast was clear and that there did not seem to be very many pirates milling around. Most were probably downstairs at dinner, if this ship had a centralized meal like The Mystery did. That would be in his favor, he hoped. He could see that the sun was setting in the sky, which was also good. While rowing in the dark wouldn't be fun, it would give him cover. And, if he remembered properly, the moon should be full tonight, so it wouldn't be pitch black at least.
Well, now or never, he thought as he slowly slunk out of the door, pressing himself against the wall as soon as he was fully out. He couldn't see anyone, but that didn't mean that they couldn't see him. It was with care that he slid against the wooden wall of the ship. Couldn't be too careful, after all. When he ran out of wall to slide against, he took his chance and dashed to where he could see the life boats sitting, just waiting for him to use one.
Oh, he was so close. He could taste the salt air, could hear the roar of the waves. This had to work. He had to escape. He didn't know if he could return to that cell after coming so close to freedom.
He quickly set to work untangling the ropes and cords on the life boat and could feel his heart pounding as he began lowering the boat into the ocean. Oh, he was so close. He could feel his nerves flaring as he worked, hope pervading his body as he did his best to keep the sound of the creaking pulley as low as possible. Just a few more moments, and he'd be off the ship. Just a handful of minutes and he'd be free.
Just as he was swinging his leg over the edge of the rowboat, Dipper heard a shout get sounded from somewhere behind him. Nearly falling off the ship with his startled jerk, Dipper looked behind him and felt his heart stop as he saw a burly pirate running towards him. He had been caught. No! No!
With a hammering heart, Dipper jumped into the boat and tried to lower the boat into the water. He was positive that once he had reached the sea he'd be safe. He'd be free. But he didn't even get the chance to touch the rope before he felt an iron grasp clutch his shoulder and dragged him back onto the ship, despite his bitter fighting. No! He was so close, he couldn't get caught now! It wasn't fair!
He could feel the pirate restraining him, holding his arms against the body, which just made him struggle harder. He kicked, and he screamed, but nothing worked. He only stopped fighting when he felt the blade of a dagger against his throat, pressed so close he could feel droplets of blood dripping down his skin. He had failed. Mabel…
The pirate that was holding him was yelling something behind him, to other pirates who had heard his initial shout, but Dipper wasn't paying attention. He was shuddering as he stared at the deck below him, fear and despair rising in his mind. He hadn't succeeded and now not only was he not going to be able to go back to Mabel, but he was probably going to be punished for his attempted escape, if not murdered. But he didn't regret his attempt for freedom. He had to do this, even though he had failed. He had to prove, if only to himself, that he wasn't going to take this. That he wasn't a star struck child who was sleeping with the captain of a pirate ship. He was a fighter. He wasn't someone who laid down and died. He was Dipper Pines, goddamn it, and he wasn't going to let these pirates forget it. Wasn't going to let himself forget it.
But then he heard that voice. The one that haunted his dreams and nightmares, the one that he heard every day. And he felt his blood run cold.
"Well, well, what have we here, hmm? Escaping, are you, Pine Tree?" The captain asked, his high pitched voice colder than the ocean and ten times as deadly. Dipper looked up, his eyes meeting the captain's single one. He shivered at the ice that resided there, the anger and hatred turning the captain's face into something so twisted and evil, Dipper understood just why he had always thought of this man as a demon. In this moment, there was no humanity in Bill Cipher. Just coldness and anger.
Silence prevailed and time stopped as Dipper stared into the captain's eye. He didn't register as more and more pirates flooded onto the deck, nor did he register their muttered conversations. All he could see was the pirate captain and the darkness that resided in him. Dipper didn't think he had ever been as terrified of the man as he currently was, not even that first day when the captain had nearly killed him. Because even then, he hadn't looked quite as furious as he did now.
A minute passed as the two just stared at each other, before the captain tore his gaze off of Dipper and onto the pirate that was holding him.
"What happened." The demon- for in this moment, he was firmly a demon in Dipper's eyes- bit out to the pirate.
"I caught 'im tryin' to escape th' ship in one 'o th' lifeboats, cap'n. He had nearly gotten away when I caught 'im 'n dragged 'im back on board." The pirate relayed, his grip tightening a bit. Dipper shuddered as he saw the captain's face get impossibly colder, eye nearly black with rage. He watched as the demon grinned sharply, no hint of humor in it as he turned his gaze back on Dipper.
"Is that so?" The demon hissed, his voice taunt and sharp. Dipper could see out of the corner of his eyes as each pirate on deck took a step back, clearly not wanting to get caught in their captain's rage. His attention was brought back to the captain when the demon strode forward, grabbing his shirt and bringing their faces close together, the arms restraining him letting go.
"After I treat you so kindly, after I save you from my men, this is how you repay me? By trying to escape?" The demon hissed darkly. The emotion in his eye was so much clearer up close, Dipper thought as he stared. Anger and hatred and coldness, mixed with an emotion Dipper couldn't place. Or, better, that he didn't want to place. Because there was no way the demon was feeling betrayed.
"I wanted to go home." Dipper breathed shakily, when he realized the captain was waiting for a response. He had wanted it to come out strong and clear, wanted to remind the captain that he was a prisoner and that he hated it, but his throat had betrayed him. He owed nothing to the captain, but he could feel the beginnings of shame filling him as he saw how the demon was looking at him. And he hated it.
"Well, you don't get to go home, Pine Tree." The pirate captain spat, face twisted in hatred. "You belong to me. You don't ever get to go home again."
Dipper felt his eyes widen at the words, wanting to feel indignant, but unable to through the shiver of fear that flooded through him. He already knew that he wasn't going to be going home, his chance of going home had gone up in smoke minutes ago. So that wasn't what caused the shiver of fear. No, what scared him was that he could tell that the demon meant it. The captain really thought that Dipper belonged to him. And that… that was utterly terrifying.
"Cap'n! What's his punishment goin' to be?" A voice suddenly called out from the crowd. The captain tore his eye from Dipper and looked towards where the voice had come from and got a darkly contemplative look on his face.
"His punishment..." The demon mused, turning his gaze once more onto Dipper, who felt his face lose all color at the cruel darkness that resided there. He could only watch, his heart frozen in his chest, as the demon started to grin slowly. Insane. Deranged. Twisted. Utterly, and completely, terrifying.
"I know what his punishment will be." The demon claimed, a manic giggle escaping his lips. He sobered a second later, though, that twisted darkness returning. Dipper felt, then, as the captain tossed him to the side, onto the hard deck below.
"Someone tie him up to the mast. Front first. Make sure to remove his shirt and keep his back exposed. I will be back shortly." He heard the demon say, before light footsteps echoed away from him. Dipper could feel arms grabbing at him, but he couldn't find it in him to fight that hard. He put in a token attempt, but his heart wasn't in it. He felt too terrified and wrong to fight. After all, he had been defeated. What was the point of fighting now?
When a pirate began removing his shirt, though, he began to thrash, panic flooding through him. He couldn't help but remember that first night on board and he felt so afraid. But the pirate won and he found himself getting tied to the mainmast, almost hugging it with arms in front and his back completely exposed. He began shuddering as he realized what was going to happen.
He had seen this punishment once before. His great uncle had given it out when one of the sailors had messed up spectacularly and had ruined an entire shipment of goods. He had been on the ship for nearly six months at the time and he had felt sick as he watched his great uncle tie the sailor to the mainmast, before proceeding to whip him. Stan had only done it three times, but each were sharp and left blood in their wake. He hadn't been able to look his great uncle in the eye for weeks afterwards, even though he had understood why the man had done it. Discipline was a necessary tool for the master of a ship, or else anyone could take control. But it was terrifying to watch. And, apparently, infinitely worse to experience.
Time passed slowly as he waited for the captain to return, forced to listen as the pirates around him called out jeers and insults. He wanted this to get over with as quickly as possible. He hated the feeling of the pirates' eyes on him, hated feeling like they were devouring him whole with looks alone.
He knew the moment the captain returned, because a loud cheer was let out from the crowd, only to be silenced a second later. He closed his eyes and tried not to shake too badly as he awaited the punishment he knew was coming.
Instead of the sting of a whip, though, he felt as warm fingers trailed on the oversensitive skin of his back, causing him to shiver out of something other than fear. He opened his eyes when he felt warm breath on his face, hardly surprised when he saw the golden eye directly in front of his face. He noticed that it was no longer cold and furious. Instead, it was now blank and emotionless as it stared into his own. A small, shuddering breath escaped him, fear and confusion entering him as time passed. He saw as the demon's fingers lifted a bit and come close to his cheek, only to stop at the last second, a millimeter of space between his cheek and the captain's fingertips. The captain then balled his hand into a fist, his face frozen and blank as he turned and walked back around the mast, so he was at Dipper's back again. The boy shuddered with fear and something else.
The pirates began hollering again, as the captain presumably got ready with the whip that Dipper had briefly seen the demon carrying. He tried not to clench up, knowing that that would only make it worse, but it was hard. He was afraid. He didn't want to get punished.
Dipper was only able to let out one more shuddering breath, before he felt fire hit his back. He tried his hardest not to scream, not wanting to give the pirates the satisfaction, but he failed miserably. A strangled cry escaped him and he felt tears gather in his eyes as the fire spread through his system, so sharp and excruciating that he almost felt like he was going to die. He suddenly wondered how many of these he was going to have to deal with.
There was a few moments pause before the second lash fell, hitting him on his right shoulder blade, just as excruciating as the first. Dipper could distantly hear cheering, but it was muffled with the blood that was rushing through his ears. A few more moments passed, before another lash, and then another. Dipper could feel tears streaming down his face now, could distantly hear his own voice pleading with the captain to stop, God please stop, but it didn't matter. All he could feel perceive was the pain. And lord was it mighty.
In the end, Dipper suffered through seven lashes. Each one in a different part of his back. Each one stinging and painful as he shook against the mast. He barely felt himself get picked up and dragged back to his cell once the lashes had stopped, nor did he really notice the manacles being slipped back on. His back was fire, and nothing else mattered.
Hours passed in a haze of pain, his mind refusing to let him pass out and gain the sweet relief of oblivion. He couldn't think, couldn't move. He just laid there and prayed for death to take him, to make this torture stop. He had been wrong. He didn't want the captain's anger. This wasn't what he had wanted at all.
He didn't even know how much time had passed before he felt soft fingers touch his arm, causing him to let out a strangled mewl of pain, not enough strength left in him to fully cry out. It ordinarily would have disturbed him that he hadn't noticed the brig door opening, but now he couldn't. He couldn't really feel much of anything. He distantly heard someone shushing him, could feel those fingers trailing up his arm and into his hair, petting him soothingly. He could feel his body relaxing under the touch, a soft whimper emitting from his throat.
"Shh. You'll be alright. Just relax, Pine Tree. I've got you." He heard a familiar voice murmur into his ear, which made some instinctual part of him simultaneously want to relax, and tense up. It seemed even now, when he could barely perceive anything, he still felt conflicted about his feelings towards the pirate captain. Too bad he couldn't appreciate the humor with all the pain flooding his system.
He felt, then, as warmth touched his back, making him let out another strangled mewl of pain. Warm, wet fabric trailed down his back, and he felt his pain flare. The soothing voice was back in his ear, but he couldn't hear what it said. Tears began flooding down his face again as the pain attacked. The warm fingers left his hair then, which made him mewl in dissatisfaction. Part of him knew that the person above him was the same one who had been responsible for his pain in the first place, but it didn't stop him from wanting the comfort.
He then felt the fire on his back flare even brighter as alcohol was poured onto it, the stinging so intense Dipper was hoping that he'd simply pass out or die. But he didn't. He was forced to feel every moment of this torture, sobs shuddering through his body. The fingers were back in his hair, but he felt no comfort from them now. All he knew was pain.
When warm, sticky fingers began rubbing something onto his back, Dipper was almost positive he was going to die. Nothing could hurt as badly as he did right then and still be alive in the morning. But as time moved, slowly, he could feel the pain fading a bit. Not much, but enough so it no longer felt like a raging fire. After that, the fingers left his back and settled lightly on his left arm, right above where his original wound was located.
Time passed as Dipper continued to lie on the ground, the fingers in his hair remaining even after the man they belonged to had finished tending to his back. He didn't know quite when, but at some point his head had moved to rest on the man's left thigh, turned sideways so he was facing the wall. It was right as he was starting to drift into sleep that the man moved, carefully setting his head down onto something soft, different than the hard floor he usually slept on.
"Sleep well, Pine Tree. I'll see you in the morning." The man murmured softly into his ear, before exiting the room. Dipper barely registered it, his mind finally succumbing to sleep as soon as the brig door closed.
It was such a shame that Dipper wouldn't remember this come morning. All he'd remember would be a haze of pain and agony, with only the faintest whisper of a soothing voice in his ear. And a blinding fear and hatred towards the one who had caused it.
P.S. Dipper doesn't remember anything that happened with Bill caring for him because he's too delirious with pain. I added that mostly for set-up for the next chapter. In case anyone was curious. Also, Dipper freaked out because he's starting to have... 'feelings' for Bill. I'll let you decide what type of feelings he has.