Hey guys! So apparently, I got those three reviews I needed. Yay! Slowly, we are on our way to 200. I'm really happy with those who stuck with me from the beginning!
So this is the Execution Part 2. The official name is, The Execution Part 2: The 100 Good Things About Peter Tremaine.
Maybe there will be a Part 3? Who knows. And don't hate me if there is...yet again...a stupid cliffhanger.
Really, guys, I hate writing them but they add to the "effect."
-grins wildly-
Reply to Comments:
TheKingLion: Sorry! But here's the update! I typed fast. :D
Flying By Wire: Thank you so much!
ThelLonelyMonstersCompanion: Thank you so much for all your encouragement. I loved your comment a lot. And Sarah's POV also made me feel sad. :( Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Soooo...who do you think pressed the Pause Button on our execution? Who would want to save Jim's life? You're about to find out.
DUN-DUN-DAH!
-lets dramatic music play and then shuts it off because I'm excited about the actual chapter-
How do you guys feel about me adding song lyrics that add to the mood in the chapters? Let me know.
Okay. Onto the chapter, enough talking from me. Lips are sealed.
PS. I fell in love with Peter in this chapter. A thousand hearts for him.
It only takes one moment of bravery, insane courage, to do something good for someone else.
-Peter
The crowd was quiet, and slowly turned to see the offender.
Rhimes stood up and was scanning the crowd.
Peter glanced over at Cindy, who was holding Char's hand and staring at him like he had two heads.
One moment of insane courage is all I need, Peter thought.
Peter felt his knees were about to collapse, but he strode forward, shoving through the crowd.
He climbed onstage and pointed at Jim. "He's innocent!"
The crowd gasped audibly again. Murmurs spread throughout, people expressing their shock.
"He's innocent?"
"But he's Jim Hawkins!"
"The cops 'ave been playin' us this whole time!"
"Rhimes is a fraud!"
"No, that ginger boy is a fraud! He's probably lyin' to get attention!"
"I'm not lying!" Peter held up his hands for silence. "Please, just listen. Jim isn't the Crystal Thief."
He stared at Cindy, who's hand flew to her mouth in surprise. She shook her head slowly.
Be brave, Peter. He silently begged himself not to fall over.
Jim was staring at him like he had two heads too.
Wendy's mouth was a perfect O.
He didn't even want to see Wendy's face right now. Instead, he looked for Alice. He found her in the crowd, her blue eyes going as wide as dinnerplates.
He gave her an awkward wave.
"You get down from there right now!" she mouthed.
Instead, Peter shook his head.
The old Peter would have laughed, been like, "Jk, he is the Crystal Thief," and leaped off the stage to go to Alice.
But this was the new Peter. Peter sucked in his breath and stood on the stage. He turned to Rhimes, Principal Clayton, and the King.
"I'M the Crystal Thief." Peter waited for someone to say something.
It was Jim who spoke first, and his voice cracked and soared up two full octaves in surprise.
"You are?"
Peter turned to him and pressed his lips together. "I am."
Jim blinked. "So...I'm...I can go?"
Peter glanced back at Rhimes. Rhimes was shaking his head in disbelief. "Sir," he was saying to the King. "This can't be possible—we found it in his room—he's guilty—I don't know who this redhaired boy is—"
"Don't know who this boy is?" Hades glided forward, a smirk on his face. "I'll tell you who, Rhimes. This boy is Peter Tremaine. Anybody know him?" He looked across the crowd. "Let's play a game, shall we? Raise your hand if you know him."
Nobody moved. They murmured and rustled, and Peter stood awkwardly behind Hades's large body, trying not to look at the giant axe.
Jim just stood in front of the podium, staring at Wendy and his mother and at the back of Peter's head. He was still in shock with what was happening. The execution was being stopped.
If this weren't happening, would you give me another chance?
Jim swayed, and grabbed onto the post that held up the execution podium. His knees felt like jelly. He wasn't the Crystal Thief. He wasn't going to die!
But Peter was going to die.
"Raise—your—hand!" Hades yelled. "Do any of you sad-sack good-for-nothing worthless losers know who this boy is? This arrogant, selfish, cocky boy who lives in a rich family and thinks of nobody but himself? Who plays people and uses people to get what he wants?" Hades stopped ranting and grinned at Peter, smacking him in the back. "Hey! You're exactly the type of person I want in my Dead Society." He chuckled. "You're even worse than Earring Boy here."
Jim scowled.
"It's a good thing," Hades assured him. "You're both like me. Anyway," he added. "So, King, it's alright with you if Red here dies, right? You don't care who it is as long as your daughter comes out of the Underworld alive?"
The King hesitated, then nodded. "If this Red boy is rightly the Crystal Thief, then he deserves to die."
Peter bit his lip and nodded. He turned to the crowd. "Look, I—" He was running out of his hourglass of bravery. The scale was tipping, the sand was almost at the bottom. He breathed in oxygen to try and get some of his determination back. He had to do this—it was the right thing.
"Look," he began. "I'm not the nicest guy in the world, I'll admit it. I'm everything Hades said. Arrogant, selfish, cocky. I use people. It's true. I don't deserve to live." He looked at Jim. "I framed Jim Hawkins because I was in love with his girlfriend, Wendy Darling." He saw Alice gasp. He turned to her. "I'm not anymore. I realize it was stupid to be chasing after a girl that Jim obviously deserved." He grinned at Wendy, then Jim.
Jim nodded quietly, and Wendy gave Peter a small smile. A tear trickled down her cheek. He looke at Alice to see her reaction, and she was crying too. And nodding. She approved.
Peter continued. "And—then I had a realization that I was doing this all wrong. This isn't how I'm supposed to live life. By framing other people to get who and what I want. Jim has a lot to offer the world. He has a future—but I don't. I'm not the smartest guy, the most efficient guy, the most hardworking guy."
He swallowed. The sight of that axe and the true confessions of his heart was making his determination flush down the toilet. His throat was dry, but he forced himelf to swallow and carry on. "If anyone deserves to die, it's me." Peter lowered his gaze. "I'll go with Hades," he turned to the King. "I never meant to let your daughter die. I'm sorry. But when I go in, everything will be made right. And Kida will come back to life."
He turned to Wendy next. "Wendy. I'm really sorry for all the hurt I caused you. I was childish and immature and I'm super sorry. Can you ever forgive me for what I did?"
Wendy nodded. "Yes, Peter. Yes, I forgive you." She smiled at him through her tears.
Next up on my list, Peter thought. Alice. "Alice Wonderkin," he said softly. "I like you. A lot. Every moment we've spent together have been awesome and weird and funny. I'm the kind of person who doesn't want people to know my inner feelings, but I feel them for you. I hope you're not too pissed at me." It was a question in disguise.
Alice blew him a kiss. "I'm not," she said, pushing to the front. Peter bent down to her, and she kissed him on the cheek.
He turned bright red, but still turned to Jim, who just nodded at him with tears in his eyes.
Peter touched Jim's shoulder, without knowing what else to do. "I'm so sorry. I know, I'm an asshole."
"Dude," Jim shook his head, his voice shaking. "Dude, you just saved my life. You're a hero."
Peter managed a shaky laugh. "I think if I wasn't gonna die right now, we'd be friends."
Jim gave him a grin that meant yes, then jumped off the stage.
"One more thing," Peter said. He found Cindy's eyes. She was sobbing.
"My best friend in the whole wide world," Peter said, taking a deep breath. "Cindy Tremaine. She has been a prisoner since she was twelve years old at the Tremaine House. She has been forced to cook and clean and look after her stepfamily without an ounce of gratefulness or pay." He turned to Rhimes. "I want you to personally make sure that family pays her back."
Rhimes looked at the King. The King nodded.
Rhimes looked back at Peter. "Absolutely," he said.
"Cindy," Peter looked at her. "You are my best friend, and you always will be. I just wished I was there for you more when you needed me."
Cindy opened her mouth, but Peter turned away because he was afraid he might cry from all the emotions coasting inside him like a tidal wave.
His brave was all used up, and he collapsed in front of the podium, laying his head down.
"Alriiiiight!" Hades pumped his fist in the air. "Okay, time for me to say my words, and then let's get to the executioning." He was thinking. Then he began to chuckle. "I have absolutely nothing good to say," he said finally. "about Peter Tremaine. Nothing. There is nothing selfless or affectionate he has done from the heart in his life. Not one thing. So I guess we can skip that today." Hades smiled and extinguished his flame once again. "Now can we get to the killing, please?"
Suddenly, Wendy raised her hand timidly. "Peter saved my boyfriend's life," she said, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. "That's one good thing about him."
Hades's smile faded a little. "Well, then," he said darkly. "That's one good thing."
"He saved my life!" Jim stood up too. "That's another good thing. I know I wouldn't have been brave enough. But he was. So that's another good thing."
"He is the funniest person in the world." Alice stood up. "He's really great on the inside, once you get to know him."
"He's the best friend you can have." Cindy stood. "He always cared about me. Peter, you were always there for me whenever I needed you."
Flynn stood as well. "I wanted to help Peter pawn that Crystal to a homeless man in exchange for a lot of money. He never sold me out."
"You just sold yourself out!" some guy yelled.
Flynn blinked. "Oops." But then he narrowed his eyes. "It takes a good friend to keep a secret as bad as that."
Peter was grinning like crazy up on the stage. He even had a few tears in his eyes, though he was trying to be strong.
Some of the Triton Girls were nodding their consent. "Yeah, he's cool!" They were saying.
"Once I lost my wallet!" yelled some girl in pigtails. "And Peter brought it to me instead of keeping the money inside. Not even one dollar was missing."
Dani laughed. "Peter confessed his crime. I think it takes the strongest, awesomest person in the world to do that."
One by one, a bunch of people stood up and began to talk about the good things about Peter Tremaine.
The list grew, going on and on.
Sarah Hawkins smiled. "You saved my son's life!" she yelled at Peter. "For that, I am forever in your debt."
"Thank you!" yelled Sinbad.
The list continued. Soon, there were about a hundred good things said about Peter. Half of it was exaggerated, but Peter had never been happier in his entire life.
"He was a best friend to me when I had none," Cindy said.
"ENOUGH!" yelled Hades. "Can we just get on with the execution? Boy, you get ready for that axe."
Peter sank to his knees, still smiling, thinking of what had just happened.
I'm going to die.
I'm really going to die.
I always thought I'd die of old age, but I am ABOUT TO BE KILLED.
All because I was greedy and stupid.
At least I saved someone's life.
That's what counts, right?
OH SWEET MOTHER OF HELL THIS IS GONNA HURT LIKE SHIT!
The executioner raised the axe—
There was a wave of blue fire right behind Peter—
The events happened so fast they were a blur—
He turned around to see a thin, slender ghost hovering behind him.
She smiled at him. "Hello, Peter."
Another cliffhanger, though not as bad as the other one. Poor Peter. I loved his speech, and totally thought he was awesome in this chapter.
So enjoy! I'm raising the bar, people—Gimme 5 more reviews, and I will update this.
-Crystal