Chapter Nine:

Hooked by Hook

Izzy POV

The bright white light cleared, I opened my eyes to the familiar sight of Neverland bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight and right off of it's coast was my small humble home of Pirate Island.

I glanced over at Nikki, whose eyes were still tightly shut. With a mischievous grin, I decided to let him in on the secret. During the magical teleportation, I had discreetly let go of Nikki's hand, and to my delight, he was flying perfectly fine on his own, oblivious to his newfound skill.

"Nikki," I called out, "Open your eyes!" He hesitated for a moment, then slowly parted his eyelids, only to realize that he was soaring through the air all by himself. Panic gripped him, and his eyes widened as he flailed for stability.

"AH! WhatdoIdo! WhatdoIdo!?" he screamed.

"You're fine, matey!" I reassured him, my laughter echoing in the night. Nikki gradually started to believe me, and as the fear melted away, a sense of wonder replaced it. He began to fly with more confidence, adjusting to the sensation of weightlessness.

"How about we have a bit of fun?" I suggested, inspired by his new courage. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Nikki agreed. We playfully started chasing each other through the starlit sky, our laughter blending with the soothing sounds of Neverland below.

Laughter echoed through the night as Nikki and I continued our playful flight, dancing among the stars in the enchanted sky of Neverland. With a mischievous glint in my eyes, I turned to my nephew.

"H-hey Nikki, bet you can't catch me!"

"Oh yeah? We'll see about tha—-." before he could finish, I had already jetted away, with him trailing behind me.

We flew low above the shimmering ocean, the moonlight reflecting off its surface. I looked behind me and smirked for Nikki was about a hundred yards behind me.

"Hah! You're gonna have to be faster than that!" I cackled.

"Hey! Gimme a break! I'm new at this!" he shouted back, trying to pick up his pace. The thrill of the chase was high, and I reveled in the joy written all over Nikki's face. I could tell he hadn't been this happy in a long time. However, my moment of carefree flight was abruptly interrupted when I felt something snake around my foot. I halted mid-air, causing Nikki to crash into my back. Confused, I looked down, panic seizing me as I saw a rope lassoed around my shin. The rope led to a menacing pirate ship, but not just any Pirate ship, the Jolly Roger. Dread filled my heart as memories of my past and the years I spent as Captain Hook's captive rushed back.

Nikki clung onto me as we were jolted down, crashing onto the hardwood deck of the ship. I quickly stood up, bravely shielding my nephew as he hid behind me.

"Izzy! Izzy, what's goin' on!?" he cried in fear.

"Uh, Nikki, listen I don't mean to sound like your dad or anything but get the hell out of here and go back home!" I hissed, but it's too late. The air buzzed with tension as I scanned the surroundings, recognizing the familiar figures of Captain Hook and his crew.

"Well, well, well, now what have we here men?" Hook sneered, as he stepped forward, his hands behind his back and his sinister voice cutting through the night air.

"Ooh! Ooh!" Bones let out his hand raised as he jumped up and down like an eager little toddler. "I know Captain! It be Jake's little girlfriend!"

"You don't say," the Captain in red muttered, as he came closer and closer to me. Hook looked behind me to see my trembling terrified nephew, who was cautiously peeking out from behind me. "And who do we have here?" he asked, pointing his hook at Nikki.

"Uhm…..well….you see…" I stalled, trying to think of a way out of this mess, but I thought of nothing.

"Bringing children to Neverland are we now?" Hook asked. "Interesting. I thought that was that blasted Peter Pan's job."

"Well, it was but uh, he called in sick just now so he couldn't quite make the trip tonight." I stuttered anxiously.

"I'm surprised he put you up for the job, Psycho Pirate." Hook mocked, and I clenched my jaw.

"Izzy, what's a Psycho Pirate?" I heard Nikki tremble from behind me.

"It's an old pirate's tale Nikki," I lie, not even turning back to look at him. "I'll tell you about it later. Like in twenty years."

"Quiet!" Hook barked, shutting both me and Nikki up. "Now, don't mind me curiosity m'dear but what do you happen to be doing out so late at night? Without your pathetic little squad to protect you?" he sneered. I swallowed hard and then looked up at him.

"Tryin' to work on my tan." I squeak.

"HAH!" the codfish let out. "You are even more stupid than I remember! There is no sunlight at night princess popinjay!" After he said that, a short, round little man in a red night cap and a shirt with blue and white stripes stepped forward.

"Well actually cap'n, the moon does reflect the sun's light at—-."

"Put a sock in it Mr. Smee!" Hook hissed at his first mate, who immediately shut up. The Jolly Roger captain turned back to me. "Continuing with you madame, just what did you say you were doing 'ere? Why exactly did you sneak out? If that punk Jake finds out about this e'll kill you!" I looked down at my feet, knowing that, for once, Captain Hook was right.

"If I can only be sure that's all he'll do to me." I say.

"Well lucky for you, you won't have to go back and face him." My eyes widen when I hear what the codfish had just said and I look up in shock.

"Pardon me?"

"You are an entire year behind on your chores. All of which you signed your name in blood and sold yourself to me, Captain James Hook," I knew exactly where he was going with this and I didn't like it one bit. Memories of the seven horrifying years I had spent on this ship began to flood my head and to be honest I think I was even more scared than my shaking little nephew who was cowering behind me. "You have no absolute idea how terribly bored we have been without you Isabella. Why, these lads nearly shed a tear when they found your cabin empty." he said, gesturing at his crew that had grown over the years.

"Yeah," one of them said. "There ain't any lady in Neverland as drop dead gorgeous as you lassy."

"Get to the point, Hook," I spat, my voice filled with defiance. "What do you want?" I asked, though I knew the answer, unfortunately.

"Oh, just to make things a little more exciting here on the Jolly Roger again," Hook replied with a wicked grin. "And what better way to start than by reclaiming me lost treasure?" he asked, catching a strand of my hair on his hook and beginning to play with it. I was about to run away, but remembered that there was a rope tightly secured around my ankle and the end of it was in the hands of a pirate.

"Lost treasure my foot," I declared, my eyes narrowing at the menacing captain. "You're insane if you think I'm ever reliving that nightmare again!"

"Insane? Why, you're sure one to use that word after what you did," he sneered before turning back to his crew, particularly his first mate. "Mr. Smee, prepare a room below the deck for our returning guest. Make sure it is comfortable this time. Absolutely fit for a queen! Maybe that'll get her to not jump out of her skin and agree to stay."

"But Cap'n," Smee protested gently. "What if she doesn't agree to stay?"

"Oh-ho don't worry Smee, she will," he said, referring to me as if I were a little lost kitten that they had just picked up. "And if she doesn't, well, we'll just kill her."

"Woah woah woah woah woah!" I let out, my hands up. "Hold it right there lads, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Nobody is killing anybody tonight," I said. "Now let's just all be adults about this and—-."

"BAH!" Hook let out. "YOU are no adult , you little pubescent pain in the rear!"

"I know!" I shouted. "I was talking about them!" I exclaim, pointing. Hook looked in the direction I was pointing in to see Sharky and Bones playing some sort of handshake game as if they were little school children.

"Pirate-cake! Pirate-cake! Bake me a cake! Bake me a cake as fast as you can!" they continued to sing. The captain blushed red in shame and then quickly marched towards the door of the forecastle.

"Give me a second men!" he exclaimed. "I will be right back! Sharky! Bones! I have somebody I want you to meet! And that be me pistol! The rest of you, get back to work and keep an eye on the girl for now!" was the last thing he said before temporarily disappearing behind the wooden door. The pirates resumed their duties with one or two of them keeping an eye on me, but not too well….thankfully. I felt the adrenaline rush through me as I laid out my escape plan as fast as I could.

"Nikki." I whispered to the boy who was still hiding behind me.

"Izzy, I don't like Neverland!" he cried into my shirt. "I wanna go home!"

"I know. And I'm gonna take you home as soon as we escape." I mutter as quietly as possible.

"But how are we gonna do that?" he asked.

"I look behind me, over the rail of the ship to see the dark green water of the Neversea, and not too far away, the Island of Neverland.

"Can you swim?" I ask him. My nephews brows furrowed.

"I live on a beach, of course I can swim." he replied.

"Good," I say. "Nikki, listen to me. You're gonna have to jump overboard and swim to land. Got it!?"

"What!?" he exclaimed and I shushed him. I turned around, grabbed him and began to force him towards the ship's rail, the only border between the deck and the drop into the sea.

"You'll be alright, don't worry. Nothing in the sea will hurt you."

"B-but Izzy—-."

"Just be quiet and do what I tell you! When you get to Neverland, find someone, anybody and tell them you're with me. Understand?" I ask swiftly in undertone.

"Gosh Izzy, what if they don't believe me?"

"That's just a risk you'll have to take if you wanna survive." I tell him, as I pick him up and set him on the railing.

"Is that all you want me to say? You got a message for me?"

"Yeah: HELP!" I say, before pushing my nephew overboard. He let out a scream as plunged into the water. A scream that all the pirates and apparently Captain Hook heard.

"WHAT was that!?" the Captain roared as he kicked the door to the forecastle open and marched out, a pistol in his hand.

"Oi! She threw the boy overboard, Captain!" one of the pirates called. Hook stomped over to me and held the gun a few inches away from my chest, and I instinctively put my hands above my head.

"What is this!" he shouted at me. "Did the blasted Pan send you here with a stick of dynamite in your back pocket so you can blow up me ship or somethin'!?" he demanded. Back pocket…..I thought. That's it!

I quickly glanced down at the rope tied around my ankle. It was pretty thin and flimsy and looked like it could be easily chopped with a butterknife. They only must have used it because I was weak and the pirate holding it was too strong.

"Y'kow what Captain, now that I think of it maybe Peter did stick dynamite in my back pocket," I say, cautiously lowering my hands down to my side. "Maybe I better…check." Very slyly, I reach into my back pocket and feel for something: A small pair of scissors. I had stolen-er borrowed them from Cubby's drawer because I needed to use them to cut the fabric I had made Nikki's bandana out of. I never remembered to put them back.

"Well you little pixie," Hook said, still holding the pirate pistol right at me. "Do you have anything in those back pockets of yours? Or would you like it better if one of my men came and searched them for you?" I remained quiet, tightly gripping the pair of scissors as he held them behind my back.

"Don't put words in my mouth Hook." I replied.

"Well then? What is it gonna be? You could go back to being a hard worker aboard me ship. Or I could pull this trigger and send you to a watery grave with your little friend," I panicked and then quickly turned my head, hoping to see Nikki doggy paddling through the waves…but my heart stopped when I saw nobody, and the Neverseas were as still as they were before. "Well? I'm waiting. The ship or the sea?"

"How 'bout the sky?" I said. And as quickly as I could, I lifted up my foot and easily snapped the rope in half with Cubby's scissors, before quickly sprinkling my pixie dust over myself and taking off.

"You little good for nothing little temptress!" I heard Hook growl. He swiftly pointed the pistol in my direction and pulled the trigger and it was about half an inch away from plunging right into my forehead. And then I knew it was time to get a move on.

Nikki POV

The splash of the water echoed in my ears as I frantically paddled away from that horrid ship. My little legs and arms didn't go very fast, but it was better than not going at all. The salty sea water was beginning to sting my eyes and I was growing more and more tired but I still did not stop. If it weren't for living in the Bahamas, growing up on a beach, learning to swim at an early age, I might not have stood a chance. The dark waters of the ocean just seemed endless. It was just water, water and more water.

Finally, my fingertips brushed against the coarse sand beneath the water. With a final surge, I managed to drag myself onto the beach, panting heavily. I collapsed onto the cold sand, my chest heaving. Glancing around, I found myself surrounded by shrubs, bushes, and palm trees.

"Hopefully, Neverland will serve as a good hiding spot. Away from all those pirates." I mumbled to myself as I caught my breath.

"Well, it's kept me safe from the old codfish for many, many years." said a deep, pubescent voice, sounding like that of a fifteen-year-old boy. And from what I could make out I also heard…jingling bells? Startled, I whipped my head around, searching for the source of the voice. But there was no one. So, I decided to ask.

"Who….who's th-there?" I squeaked. From that, I received a cocky mischievous laughter and more jingle bell noises came.

"Nevermind who I am right now. You look tired. You should probably get some sleep." the voice said. I felt my eyelids grow heavy and the cool sand would have to serve as my bed for tonight.

"Ok, but..I…..I don't need to….." I paused to yawn. "….sleep," I say drowsily, folding my arms and lying my head on them. "I just need to…rest…my eyes." And before I know it I'm fast asleep. All I remember was hearing the voice let out a soft laughter.

"Rest assured little fella. And don't worry. I'll look after you tonight."

To Be Continued…..

Ok, yes I realize that there are about ten other more logical things Izzy could have done to get out of that but then we wouldn't have a story.