It was nearing eight o'clock when Cassie found the courage to travel back into pirate territory. The sun would be setting soon and - since she had very little idea on how to get back to where she'd put her 'stash' that morning, she knew she'd need the extra time to safely locate her belongings.
Despite the fear-inducing start she'd made to the day, the oncoming hours had been rather uneventful. It had taken the little cat almost an hour to finally find her way back into the middle of the Isle, another hour after being taken up by her growing curiosity to see the damage done that night. The Isle had returned to normal - much to her relief, but even now many of the residents were still cleaning up outside their homes or stores, nailing wood and raggedy old blankets to the glassless windows. Doors were replaced, and trash was thrown out into the alleyways, cluttering the already hard-to-move areas. And Cassie had seen more theft today than ever before, shop owners desperate to reclaim whatever they'd lost during the night, and sneaky little homeless pests jumping at the chance to finally steal something useful. It wasn't as chaotic as it had been during the night before, but it was a little hectic.
After all the turmoil she'd had to face Cassie had stumbled her way back into Bargain Castle, taking her usual route since she hadn't been too sure if the castle's owners were home or not. She'd soon found that they weren't, since she heard neither Maleficent's yells nor Mal's grumbles from the bedrooms, and though the two evil fairies being gone unsettled Cassie she'd been much too tired to even give it a second thought. The little cat had simply climbed back up into her hideaway and curled up in a ball on the assortment of blankets she'd dragged up there when she first 'moved in', falling asleep within seconds.
Much to Cassie's surprise, she found it to be four o'clock in the afternoon when she finally woke up. She hardly ever slept that long, but she'd had to remind herself that her late-night 'walk' had been more difficult than usual, and it had left her utterly overwhelmed. But luckily for her, she was her own boss, so to speak. She did what she wanted when she wanted. She had no friends or family to go and see during the day or night. She was free. She only had to look out for herself and that was how she liked it.
That's what she told herself, anyway. Having no one to rely on was rather relieving in its own way, after all, it made keeping herself safe that much easier. But with her freedom came loneliness. Every once in a while it would hit her, filling her chest with an awful heartache. It usually came when she was about to fall asleep on her 'bed', her thoughts often straying down a darker path when she was trying so hard to relax. The memories of her father were still fresh in her mind, long nights of him telling her all about his antics and trouble-making in Wonderland keeping her younger self utterly captivated. He'd told her about the Queen of Hearts, the Mad Hatter, and he'd even told her about a young blonde girl who'd made the mistake of falling down a rabbit hole. Whatever she asked of him he'd do it, whether it was telling her another story about Wonderland, explaining the magic he could do outside of the barrier, and even going as far as to take her on trips around the Isle. Nothing was off limits.
Cassie still remembered the day it all changed. She recounted how scared she'd been, but also how excited she'd felt at the idea of having something in common with her only living relative. But he hadn't been happy. The look he gave her that day would forever be burned into her mind, his reluctance to even look at her or even speak still hurting her in ways nothing else could. It didn't matter to her that she knew full well why he'd been that way. It was only natural for him to pray every night that his daughter wouldn't somehow inherit the curse placed upon him before he was chucked into the Isle, but by a stroke of misfortune Cassie had inherited it, and - for whatever reason, her father hadn't been in the right frame of mind to deal with it responsibly.
He left that night. He'd waited patiently for her to fall asleep, tears staining her cheeks and sniffles filling the silence. He'd told her that he loved her, that he was sorry, and that she had to stay safe.
'Asshole,' Cassie thought nastily. She adored her father even now, but the pain she'd felt that day when she realised he'd left her would always taint her heart. No one else could ever say a bad word about her dad, but she had every damn right to. He should have stayed and taught her how to live with their curse, how to adjust to the painful transformation that took hold every sunset and sunrise. But he hadn't. He'd taken the coward's way out and left her to deal with it on her own.
The little cat tread carefully through the pirate marketplace, a small part of her sensing some familiarity as she made her way through the streets. Unlike last night it was filled to the brim with pirates, selling different items from their stalls, yelling out exactly what it was they were attempting to sell, but some were just passing through. Either way, she knew she had to be careful. Pirates weren't too kind to people and she dreaded to think what would happen if they saw a cat roaming around.
As she moved through the colourful and bustling streets Cassie soon found that - much to her distress, a lot of the alleys looked the same. She hadn't exactly been thinking straight when she was running from Harry that morning, and her concentration had truly been out of sorts. All she'd been worried about then was escaping with her life, and it had all been such a blur. She couldn't fully remember which direction she took and she'd been much too tired that morning to even focus on the twists and turns that took her back home. So she was rather pleased with herself for leaving the Witch School earlier than usual and giving herself more time to find her belongings. She just prayed that she found them before the sun went down, otherwise she'd be wandering about the pirate's territory in all her glory, and that was not a moment she wanted to experience; Again.
"Ooh, a cat!"
Cassie didn't have any time at all to realise the delighted and surprised male voice was aimed in her direction. In a small moment, she felt the ground beneath her paws disappear, and her small furry body pressed uncomfortably tight against a hard surface.
When in her feline form, Cassie stuck to the same safe routes she would take if she was human, and her social issues with other people also stayed with her. Being picked up by someone wasn't a desired move of affection she attempted to seek out. People on the Isle were much bigger, stronger, and prone to violence. And being held by one of them scared her more than anything. Even the witches that attended the Witch School didn't pick her up. They doted on her like they did with the rest of the very few cats on the Isle since any feline seemed to be closely associated with the presence of witches, and thus were treated rather well by the witches themselves. They gave her water, fed her scraps of their own food if they had any, and happily gave her as many ear scratches and soft strokes as she wished. But they never picked her up. If she wanted their attention she'd meow like all the other cats, or rub herself against their legs. Otherwise, they let her be. So for Cassie to now be in the arms of someone she didn't know, and a pirate no less - well, it wasn't something she was completely comfortable with.
Cassie struggled in the unknown man's arms, twisting and bending her body until her unsheathed claws latched firmly into the hard leather of the vest he wore. She lifted her small head and stared up at his face, almost immediately recognizing him as one member of the group she'd followed the night before.
'Oh no,' she thought with dread. The pirate she'd stolen from must have spread the word about her, told his crew what had happened and that they had to find her. It was the only reason this pirate in particular would have even picked her up. He was taking her back to him.
"You're cute," the pirate cooed down at her, and Cassie fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Can I keep you?"
Many times Cassie had wished for the ability to turn back into a human during the day, though that small hope had dwindled with each passing day since she'd received her 'curse'. Being forced to live her nights as a human and her days as a cat was draining, but she found herself able to move a little easier through the Isle in her feline form. After all, no one paid any close attention to a small and black furry cat meandering through the street, and she heard and saw a lot more than she would have had she been her normal self. But now, with the strange pirate speaking to her like she was a baby, she longed to use her voice to tell him to back off and leave her alone. She belonged to herself, and she had no desire to be taken in by anyone - let alone him.
The pirate startled her when he slowly reached his hand behind her back, his fingers lightly scratching the space between her neck and shoulder. He wasn't trying to hurt her, and he wasn't even attempting to walk back to the pirate ship. He was petting her. For whatever reason this pirate held no ill intentions towards her, he just wanted to give her affection.
The last time Cassie had been picked up hadn't been a great experience. She'd been no older than fourteen, still adjusting to life without her dad even a year after he'd left. It had been a rather slow morning and she'd been starving, which was how she found herself sneaking in through the door to the Slop Shop, one of the handful of places that sold decent food on the Isle. But she hadn't even begun to search for something edible when a rough and large hand grabbed her by the scruff of the neck. The disgusting goblin had growled loudly in her face and tossed her out the door and back onto the street, and she hadn't ever gone back since.
Cassie wasn't big on human touch, despite her odd craving for it whenever she felt rather lonely. The last person to touch her without harmful thoughts was her father, who used to gently stroke her hair away from her face to help her sleep, or cuddle up with her in his cat form during the day. And even though the witches gave her a few pets here and there, she mostly shied away from their touch unless she couldn't help it. So for the second time that day, Cassie found herself utterly stumped. First, the pirate with a fondness for the colour red asked why she took things. And now another pirate was willingly stroking his fingers through her fur because he wanted to.
The pirates were a finicky bunch.
Despite her difficulties in handling the touch of another person, Cassie couldn't find it in her small and trampled heart to scratch this pirate. She let him do as he wished, for the time being, the small notion that he could anger easily and her fighting against him might make him mad keeping the little cat firmly rooted in place. Instead, she took this time to become more familiar with his face, her wide and yellow eyes scrutinizing his features, and he didn't even know it. He was completely relaxed with her, his brown eyes looking down into her own with a softness she hadn't ever seen in another. His blonde hair was messily hanging out from underneath the tight cap he wore on his head and - in true Cassie fashion, she soon took note of the pendant around his neck. It didn't appeal to her in any way, since the chain was made of thick string and the bull-head a dark bronze. It wasn't worth anything to her, and she didn't want to take it. Not that she would have anyway. He was nice to her and - despite her many, many faults, Cassie couldn't ever take something from someone who treated her kindly. No matter who they were.
"I won't keep you, Uma probably wouldn't let me," he mumbled, his voice only audible to himself and her.
Cassie, having sensed the small glitch of sadness in his tone, gently nudged her forehead against his chin. The chuckle he gave in response to her ticklish movement let her know she'd succeeded in cheering him up, and she was rather pleased with herself when she pulled back and found a small smile on his face.
"I'm Gil," he told her, his hand leaving her ear to stroke her back.
'Gil,' Cassie repeated his name in her head until it stuck. She wouldn't see him again after this, not if she had her way. But she'd always remember him. She always remembered the nice ones.
"Gil!"
Cassie flinched at the unfamiliar and loud voice, and when her new 'friend' looked over his shoulder at the person calling his name, she also took a quick peek.
"What the hell are you doing?! Harry's gonna hook us if we don't find this 'Cassie' girl!"
The unknown pirate's words had the little cat reeling, and with much reluctance, she used every ounce of her cat-strength to push against Gil with her four legs. He hadn't been holding her tight and - thanks to the newcomer, he'd been somewhat distracted and unable to catch her before she landed. All Cassie could think to do was sprint away from the nice man and into a nearby alley, a faint cry of 'hey' was all she heard as she darted away from him.
Harry sauntered into the Chip Shoppe and followed the same routine he did every night, dumping his sword in the box and heading towards the long table near the T.V., shoving any random bystander out of his path as he went. He switched on the T.V. - as usual, and took his place behind the table, sitting atop one of the stools as he waited patiently for his Captain to make an appearance.
After his talk with Uma that very morning, he'd felt somewhat relieved. His Captain giving him the 'okay' to go and find Cassie and do what he 'had to do' settled his conscience greatly, and she'd sent him home with the casual reassurance that she'd 'take care of it'. Truthfully he'd been rather eager to go straight back out into the Isle streets and find the little nuisance of a cat, but the constant and pestering itch around his eyes was an irritating reminder that he'd been up all night and - without sleep, he'd come back empty handed if he went looking for her right away.
The first mate removed his hat and placed it on the surface beside him, turning to rest his arms on the table and watch the woman on the TV.. He didn't pay close attention to the Auradonian's words, her over-excited and fast voice going on and on about the Rotten Four choosing good flying straight over his head. The only thing on his mind was how out of place his room on the ship looked without the pocket watch on the wall. The main reason he even left it there was because of how pleasing it was to greedy eyes. He was scary enough and he knew that, but if he walked around with his father's shiny pocket watch around his neck then he'd be a rather big target, and he just couldn't risk it.
'Not like it helped much,' he thought bitterly to himself. He recounted how the slippery little cat had managed to take away his precious object, the little kitty not quite realising that she'd also taken a little of his pride with her. Harry had fought a few on the Isle, some bigger than him and some smaller, but he always got the upper hand in the end. So for someone as small and meek as Cassie to get away with something of great importance to him - well, it didn't sit well with him. He'd been stolen from and humiliated all in one hour, and he couldn't just let it slide. He had to find her and make his point, show the entire Isle that no one messed with the son of Hook.
"Evil thoughts again?"
Harry turned in his chair and tilted his head at Uma, not realising that the thought of hurting Cassie had brought a rather pleasing smile to his face. "Ya know me so well," he chuckled, digging into the meal his Captain had brought to him.
"I had the crew out on the street today," she informed him, "told 'em to find out everything they could about our little 'thief'."
"Oh yeah? Ya find anythin'?" Harry asked curiously, chewing away on a cooked piece of fish.
"Not much," Uma admitted with a small frown of disappointment. "She don't run with any gang. But a few spoke up, said someone came through and took something expensive of theirs. No one's seen her face, though, so we can't know for sure if it was her."
"Special things," Harry muttered with a shrug, and when Uma's brows raised with confusion he decided to elaborate further. "That's what she likes to call 'em, 'special things'. She likes the shiny ones, expensive lookin' ones."
The Captain pursed her lips. "And when did you find this out?"
"I talked ta 'er."
"Before or after she stole from you?"
"Before," Harry said pointedly, rolling his eyes lightly. "I didn' know 'er an' she 'asn't been 'round 'ere before. I reckon she lives in the middle o' town, she followed us from Jafar's place."
"And you didn't think to tell me this earlier?!" Uma exclaimed with outrage.
"Ya didn' ask," Harry retorted, earning himself a death glare from his Captain.
"Anyway," Uma sighed, rubbing her temples in soothing and circular motions. "What does she do with the stuff she takes? Sell it?"
"Nah, she keeps 'em. I don' know why, I don' get why. But she does."
"That's-" Uma paused and rolled her eyes in thought, "-weird," she eventually muttered. She shook her head and stared at Harry, digging her tongue into the inside of her cheek as another thought floated through her mind. "Why didn't you just bring her to me when you found her?"
The first mate looked down at his food, a mischievous grin tugging at the edges of his lips, the familiar look on his face giving Uma all the answers she needed.
"Okay, Harry, listen to me," Uma said seriously, her arms folded on the table as she leaned in to look at him directly. "You find someone stealing, you bring them to me right away. You don't flirt with them, get what you want, and then bring them to me."
"But it's so much fun," he said childishly, a mocking pout on his lips.
The teal-haired Captain grimaced and pointed a finger his way, "You're sick."
"Aye, but ya love it," he laughed, tossing his best friend a cheeky wink before concentrating on his food.
Uma scoffed in response, but couldn't withhold the amused smirk twitching at the corners of her mouth. She still recounted their time as children, when Harry had been a thin and rather malnourished boy, his clothes way too big to fit and his tricorn hat constantly falling to hide his eyes. Back then he hadn't been the heartbreaker he was now, he hadn't even attempted it. But over the years she'd watched his confidence grow, his ego getting bigger and bigger when he realised just what carrying the Hook name could mean for him. And when Uma finally started to gather her pirate crew together he'd been the most obvious choice for a teacher. He'd taught her and Gil without any problems and he was the only one she trusted with the job. But sword-fighting nearly every day had certainly done wonders for his strength and body alike, and he eventually filled out the clothes that used to hide him completely.
Truthfully Uma felt partly responsible for turning him into the over-confident man he was now. She'd been his first friend, and she'd also been the one to help him slowly detach from the father he'd always looked up to. She'd given him some kind of freedom when they were young, the both of them learning how to steal, fight and spread fear on their side of the Isle together. And before long they were together almost every minute of every day, huddling together at Serpent Prep and spending countless nights in the Chip Shoppe when she was working. He only ever went back home when her mom called her and made sure to show up early the next morning. And after Uma had met his dad, she'd been rather confident that Harry made the wiser choice with her than sticking around with him.
Captain James Hook was - in every sense of the word, terrifying. He must have been a rather strong figure once, back before the originals had been tossed onto the Isle, but seeing how he was now made Uma question how anyone could have followed with him as Captain. Like every other original villain on the Isle, he'd gone insane, the screws in his head loosening after twenty years on the island prison. His rather impressive ship - the Jolly Roger, still sat on the waves surrounding the Isle, the poor object wasting away on the sidelines as its Captain went insane. But nowadays the Captain chose to spend most of his time drinking himself to sleep in his quarters, muttering away about 'Pan' and yelling for the clocks to stop. His balding first mate, Smee, still doted on his Captain, often bringing him food and water to help him survive, and sticking around on the ship to make sure everything was 'up to the Captain's standards'. For whatever reason the first mate still wanted to be around Captain Hook when the rest of the crew scattered, and Uma would never fully understand his devotion. After all even Hook's children had abandoned him. Harriett had her own crew now on the other side of the Isle, Harry had dedicated himself to Uma, and C.J. was running around somewhere with her own group. In the end, the Hook children had long since figured out that their dad was not the best at parenting, and had left him to his devices to find their own lives. Though Uma held a great suspicion the Captain wouldn't care either way.
Now and then Uma saw some of Captain Hook in Harry. They held the same features, both having dark brown locks - though Hook's was a lot longer and curlier, and both having the same piercing blue eyes. But even though Uma had declared her first mate 'sane' enough to be trusted, he often had small turns that made her question the fact.
Harry was clever, that much she knew with certainty, and he could be patient in his own way. He was loyal, honest - sometimes brutally, and he did have a little soft spot in him, despite his furious attempts to hide it from her. He held some redeeming qualities and Uma loved that about him.
But the bad parts kind of scared her. His temper was great and unyielding, and sometimes it only took the littlest things to set him off. And despite his patience in certain aspects, he was somehow wildly impulsive, often striking out and starting fights simply for the fun of it all. He'd always had a bit of a sadistic side to him, some kind of dark urge to scare and maim others always heightening his mood in some way or another. But what terrified the Captain was when someone directly pissed him off. That moment when his ever-present grin of mischief and nonchalant façade melted away, replaced with a dark glare and tense form, his normally bright eyes darkening to a basic black. No one on their side of the Isle messed with him anymore, and there was a very, very good reason for it. And in some way, she felt enormous sympathy for the Cheshire Cat's daughter, the teal-haired V.K. knowing a little of what might happen when Harry eventually finds her. Whatever he had planned would be messy and done to prove a point, and it was something the little cat wouldn't survive.
Uma took a deep breath and pushed the rather unsettling thoughts from her mind, turning away from her first mate to get back to her normal duties. And she would have done just that if she hadn't managed to catch the rest of her crew attempting to sneak into the Shoppe.
"Hey!" she yelled.
The moment her voice bellowed in their direction, her crew jumped and scattered about the room, muttering half-hearted and rather inaudible excuses as they parted. Eventually, the only person left was Gil, who stood utterly dumbfounded in the entrance to the Shoppe.
"Gil, c'mere," Uma demanded, calming her tone and beckoning him with a quick wag of her finger.
The son of Gaston did as asked and lightly jogged towards her. "Yup?" he said in greeting.
"What's going on with them?" she inquired, sharply nodding towards the rest of the crew. They'd all separated from each other and occupied different spaces in the room, but she caught their wide-eyed glances of anticipation bouncing between Gil, herself, and Harry. She didn't know why but they were nervous, and she was about to find out why.
"Oh, uh, they're scared," Gil responded simply.
"Of?"
"Harry."
At the mention of his name, the first mate looked up, shoving his tray of food aside to instead join in on the conversation.
"Why would they be scared of Harry?" Uma asked curiously. It was a rather stupid question, of course, they were scared of Harry; Everyone was. But her crew seemed jumpier than usual, and she could practically feel the waves of anxiety flowing through the air.
Despite his inability to read a situation at the best of times, Gil managed to read this one loud and clear. He gulped and took a large step backwards, his eyes darting from Uma's concerned and patiently awaiting expression, to Harry's apparent nonchalance and indifference on the matter at hand. He liked to think they wouldn't hurt him, but he knew of Harry's temper just as everyone else did, and he didn't want to be in the line of fire this time.
"Well, you see...the thing is...I mean," he stuttered to explain himself, his left hand reaching behind his head to nervously scratch at the cap keeping his shoulder-length hair in place.
"Spit it out lad," Harry demanded suddenly, pounding his hand against the wooden table between them. "We 'aven't got all bloody day!"
"We couldn't find the girl," Gil blurted, his widened eyes focused entirely on the first mate.
"So, what ya're tellin' me is-" Harry spoke low, his voice dangerously calm as the fingers of his right hand slowly smoothed over his hook, "-the five o' ya 'ave been searchin' for the little kitty all day, an' ya didn' find anythin'?"
As if they sensed the danger in the room - which was rather high in probability, the remaining customers left their trays and drinks on the tables, each one carefully making their way out of the Chip Shoppe. The rest of the crew were highly tempted to follow, but to avoid a tongue-lashing from their Captain they stayed put.
Gil gave a nervous chuckle, taking yet another step back as Harry leaned his upper body against the table. The son of Gaston opened his mouth as he tried hard to come up with a formidable reply, only to hear another voice speak up instead.
"We would'a found her sooner, but Gil was busy playing with a little kitten!" It was Gonzo who threw Gil under the ship, so to speak. And the second mate fought to avoid glaring at him over his shoulder.
"Hey!" he yelled with indignation.
"What?! It's true?!"
"Shut up!" Uma shouted, interrupting the pathetic argument brewing between her crew mates. She gave them no thought and turned to her first mate. "What is it?"
The moment Gonzo had - rather carelessly, thrown Gil into deep shit, Harry had been staring into the air in deep thought.
"We don' get cats 'round 'ere," Harry pointed out, finally moving his head to meet his Captain's gaze.
"No, we don't," she agreed, her mind coming to the same conclusion Harry had only seconds before. "You think it's her?"
The first mate gave a small shrug, "I don't know, might be." His brows furrowed as he thought harder, and he glanced back at Gil. "Where did ya see it?"
"The market," Gil explained. "By the maze."
The maze was the pirates' term for the other paths - aside from the main and much more frequently used, people took to get into the middle of the Island. They were made up of nearly fifteen narrow and twisting alleyways, full of junk and boxes and other miscellaneous items. In the day the maze was hard enough to get through, only the pirates who'd lived on this side of the Isle their whole lives having safely determined a way to easily get through. But in the dark, it was a nightmare. Every turn looked the same and if you weren't careful you'd get caught in a dead end.
It was the same place Harry had lost Cassie that morning.
"That sneaky little bitch," Harry chuckled to himself.
"What?" Uma asked.
"I lost 'er in there this mornin'. I reckon she has a few tricks up 'er sleeve if ya know what I mean. What if she can bounce between kitty an' girl? Would explain 'ow I lost 'er."
The Captain nodded. "I guess so. But there's no magic here. How could she even turn into a cat without it?" If Harry was right - which she partly hoped he wasn't since he wouldn't let her live it down otherwise, then Cassie was somehow able to transform from cat to human whenever she wanted to. It meant the little cat somehow had magic in her blood. A trait no other Islander had the good fortune of having.
"How do ya explain what happens ta ya in water then, Uma?" Harry retorted, eyeing her legs for a small moment.
"Hey," Uma hissed, gripping the front of his ripped shirt in her small fist. "Keep it down, okay?" What she could do was a secret, and it was something she'd shown him when they were a lot younger in a moment of rare vulnerability. It wasn't a cheap shot for him to use against her when he wanted to get his point across.
Harry rolled his eyes and gently grasped her wrist, prying her fingers away from his shirt. "I'm not takin' tha mick, Uma. I'm just sayin'. If you can do that in the water, what makes ya think no one else can do it too?"
The sea witch's daughter huffed, "I know what you're saying, I do. But Harry this could just be some lost cat. What do you expect me to do? Keep it locked in a box on the random chance it might be your thief?"
"Have some faith in me, Cap'," Harry told her, pulling on his hat. "I know it's 'er." His confidence in his decision was rather arrogant, and Uma knew that - if he was wrong, he'd be sitting around in a sulk for the rest of the night. But she'd already given him the 'okay' to do what he had to do, and letting him run around looking for a little cat fell into that particular situation.
"Okay," she finally relented, backing away from him with her hands raised. "Do what you gotta do. But don't take it out on the rest of us when you come back with nothing."
"Ya're so good at raisin' my spirits, Uma, ya really are," Harry said, sarcasm filling his voice as he walked backwards towards the exit. "Lads," he called, drawing the attention of the male crew-mates. "Ya're comin' with me. We've got a kitty to find."
Cassie groaned and mumbled incoherently, her dark eyes slowly blinking into focus as she attempted to move her aching limbs. She gave a gentle cry as she brought her knees to her bare chest, the small stones beneath her body scraping against her soft and sweaty skin. She could hear the ocean waves clear in her ears, and the gentle and cold breeze in the air helped lower her body temperature, but she still knew she couldn't bathe in the relaxation of it too long. She had to get her clothes on and grab the pocket watch, and she had to do it quickly.
The small girl still didn't know why - even four years later, the transformation of turning from cat to human tortured her so much. It wasn't the same as it was when she turned from human to cat. Though she had come to the assumption that cats were simply more agile and quick to right the damage done to their bodies, their heightened senses helped them jump to alert much quicker. But when she turned human again her vision was largely distorted, her eyes seeing double of everything as an overwhelming pounding radiated through her head. Her skin felt tight and uncomfortable, her bones aching as though she'd been brutally attacked only seconds before. Either way, it absolutely drained her every single time, and it was the biggest reason she made sure she was back home before the 'curse' took place.
Cassie rolled over onto her stomach, ignoring the small stings in her body as the stones cut into her skin, and she squinted to see the small crate she'd spent so long searching for. She knew it was the right alley, she'd made sure to check behind every box, crate and bucket to find her clothes and 'special thing', and only when she was certain she was in the right place had she stayed put and waited for the sun to go down.
She grunted and pushed herself up into a seated position, her arms buckling as she used a small fraction of the strength she had left to right herself. She knew full well her legs wouldn't be of any use for a good few minutes, so she instead dragged her lower body across the cold ground, painfully stretching out her arm to grip the small pile of clothes in her shaky hand.
It took a little longer than she was happy with to get herself dressed. Since she couldn't fully use her legs and feet she had to shuffle her thin dress over her rear and down her thighs, her bottom lip clenched firmly between her teeth as she made every attempt to keep from crying out again. Thankfully pulling on her shoes wasn't too hard a task, all she had to do was slide her feet into the black flats and tie up the laces. But when she reached out again to grab her 'special thing', she found herself hesitating for maybe the first time in her entire life.
Cassie knew she wasn't a thief, but what she did know was that there truly was something wrong with her. Curse aside, her obsession with the beautiful objects she found on the Isle was the one thing that terrified her. It'd been there for as long as she could remember, and when she'd been younger her father had laughed it off as 'childlike curiosity'. But after he'd left her alone and she'd had to fend for herself it'd somehow gotten worse. As a young girl, she'd only taken something once a month, usually coins of gold and silver that one of the Isle residents had accidentally dropped. But nowadays it was a lingering thought in her mind, and her fingers always twitched when she felt that familiar urge swell up inside of her brain until she could think of nothing else. Eventually, coins turned into fancy plates, and then necklaces and bracelets, and even a tiara here and there. And what was worse was that she hadn't even found her 'special things' on the ground lying about, half the time she luckily managed to snatch them away from whoever wore them at the time, and a part of her knew that never getting caught had only helped fuel her odd habits.
Until now. She'd barely gotten away with her life that morning, the only reason she had managed to escape was because of the curse. But if it didn't exist then she'd surely be dead by now, most likely tossed into the ocean around the Isle and left to drown. She'd never considered her obsession to be a life-threatening one until she stole from the red pirate, and she was starting to see just how dangerous her nighttime 'walks' really could be.
Cassie sighed and tugged the golden chain over her head and 'ears', flicking her hair out from underneath the chain to hang down her back. This pocket watch had nearly killed her, but she wasn't about to give it up now when she'd come so far for it.
'Go hard or go home,' Cassie thought with a small huff.
With her clothes on and the 'special thing' around her neck, Cassie finally decided it was the right time to start using her legs. She inhaled a deep and soothing breath, pressing her hands against the ground and her back against the wall behind her. She brought her knees to her chest and kept her feet flat, the air passing through her nostrils as she kept her lips shut tight. It was like learning to walk again but with added stress and pain.
"Okay Cass'," she mumbled to herself reassuringly, her legs slightly bent at the knees as she used the majority of her strength to keep her upper half against the wall. "You can do this."
Getting back home wouldn't be an easy task and she knew it. She'd only just managed to find her beloved things with the help of her feline senses, but in her human form, it would - most likely, take her a good while to find the middle of the Isle again. It also didn't help her that her legs were still coming back to life, each small step she took diminishing the irritating 'pins-and-needles' in her feet. If she did get out of this 'maze' without running into any pirates and any trouble, then she really would consider herself 'lucky'.
Cassie was only a few steps down the stretched and foggy alleyway when she heard them. Footsteps. More than two, and at a fast-walking pace. And if they were loud enough for her to hear them clearly and through her hazy state, then they were close; Too close.
"Here kitty, kitty."
At the sound of the taunting and familiar dark voice, Cassie stood to alert, her breath catching in her throat. It wasn't just a group of scary pirates taking a late-night stroll through the alleys, it was him. He'd come back for her, and if she stayed put he was definitely going to find her.
'Run.'
As if the voice in her head somehow controlled her movements, Cassie turned on her heels and sprinted down the alley. Her mousy-brown hair fluttered erratically behind her as she dashed down the narrow alleyways and around sharp turns, her heart pounding in her chest at a rapid pace. She could still feel her body protesting furiously with each movement she made, the after-effects of her curse a painful reminder that she shouldn't put too much stress or force on her small frame. But she had to ignore them this time. She had to somehow block out the soreness and discomfort and keep running until she felt safe enough to stop.
Cassie was light on her feet, but the gravel beneath her shoes did her no favours. The pirates chasing her heard her movements and - when they did, they sped up their own. If they didn't know for sure if she was here before then they certainly knew now, and that fearful thought made her push herself harder when she really shouldn't have.
When her legs started to ache unbearably, and black spots darted in her vision, Cassie felt herself falling. She managed to slow herself down before she collided with another wall, but unlike the times before - where she'd been able to right herself and keep moving, she fell backwards, barely able to twist and land on her hands to keep her head from smashing against the ground.
The small girl sobbed in frustration, tears of anger and absolute dread flowing freely down her cheeks. She could barely see anymore, her previously muddled vision now murky and slowly darkening to nothing. She tried to push her hands against the ground and get to her knees, only for a cry of agony to fly through her parted lips as her palms stung and her arms buckled, and the only thing left for her to do was lay there.
The adrenaline rush that kept her going started to fade, leaving her a freezing and trembling mess on the floor. Her body still hurt, but with the small rest, her eyesight made a reappearance. Not that it mattered now. They'd already found her.
"Is this her?"
"Aye, this is tha one."
Cassie had heard their footsteps, and now she was hearing their voices. But she still couldn't see them.
"W-what are you going to do?" The person who spoke then sounded rather familiar, and it startled her slightly when she noticed the slight worry in his voice.
"Get up."
Immediately Cassie knew the demand was aimed in her direction, and though she longed to get back onto her feet and run again she knew when to admit defeat. She wouldn't be able to outrun them now, after all, there seemed to be many of them and only one of her. Even if she tried they'd catch her before she got a chance. All she could do now was listen and do what they asked; Whether she liked it or not.
"I-I can't," she whispered. It wasn't a lie either, she did want to get up, but she'd put too much strain on her body tonight and it had seriously taken its toll. She wouldn't be able to move for twenty minutes at the most.
Cassie gasped in protest as a hard boot nudged against her stomach, and with the little energy she had she rolled over onto her back.
There he was, the red pirate she'd dreaded running into all damn night. He placed a small lantern beside her, giving her a much better view of him as he towered over her, his legs moving on either side of her body.
"Hello Cassie," he drawled, a chuckle of amusement escaping him as he squatted down near the middle of her stomach. His eyes carelessly roamed over her upper and lower body, sussing out the full damage done before his gaze met her own. "I've been lookin' for ya."
Cassie avoided his eyes completely and instead stared at his chest. "No shit," she muttered.
The pirate laughed at her reply and Cassie shuddered, her discomfort heightening with his proximity. She planted her elbows on the ground and arched her back in a pathetic attempt to sit up, but when a sharp ache shot up and down her spine, she stopped, a small growl of distress quickly turning into a whimper of suffering when she realised she really couldn't do anything.
"I know, I know," the pirate cooed with faux sympathy and understanding, his right hand coming forward to brush away the long strands of hair that stuck to her sweaty forehead. "I know it hurts, love." If he hadn't been grinning down at her with that dangerous glint in his eyes Cassie would have almost believed his soothing words were true. But she knew better, and she knew he was enjoying her current state. Probably more than anyone really should.
"If it helps ya got real close," he continued with a small shrug. "A few more turns an' ya would've gotten ta the main street. Ya did well, love, ya really did."
Cassie grimaced and turned her head to the side, a small tear falling from the corner of her eye. It wasn't bad enough that he'd already caught her, or that he was pretty much sitting on top of her when she was in so much pain already. He wanted to make this as horrible for her as he could, and he'd keep twisting that knife until he was bored.
"Nu-uh," he objected, gently turning her head back to face him. "I wanna see ya suffer, darlin'."
Cassie didn't have much strength left, in truth she thought she had none. So it surprised both her and the pirate when she raised her right hand and - with whatever she did have, brought her long nails across to scratch his cheek.
"Fuck you," she spat, a small and breathless giggle passing through her lips as he reared back from the impact.
The pirate didn't stay still too long. As soon as he brought himself back from the sudden and unexpected attack she'd given him, he gripped the back of her neck and whisked her back off of the floor, a cry of pain leaving her mouth as her front came against his in a hard collision.
"So the little kitty does 'ave claws," he snapped, his hand moving from the back of her neck to grip her throat. He didn't squeeze her hard enough to cut off her oxygen completely, but his tight grasp wasn't entirely comfortable either.
Cassie stayed silent, her small hands flailing for a moment until they firmly held onto the red jacket she'd always seen him wear. He was too close. The tip of his nose occasionally touched her own, his laboured breaths mixing with hers until they were pretty much inhaling a part of the other. She knew it was a kind of intimidation tactic used to throw off the opponent, and if that was his aim then he was truly winning - not that he hadn't been before. She wasn't used to being this close to someone, not even in a fight, and it rendered her completely speechless and unwilling to move. His scent was overbearing, the nose-wrinkling odour of sweat mingling with the salty air of the ocean. She couldn't think, she couldn't move, and she really couldn't speak.
Only when a sharp and cold sting started underneath her chin did Cassie say anything, her rational thought floating back into her muddled mind as she realised he had his hook to her throat.
"You were going to kill me no matter what," she spoke, her lips barely brushing his own as she moved her mouth. "I thought I'd leave you with more than just a wounded ego." Her dark eyes moved - albeit with much struggle, towards his cheek, where she saw four deep scratches.
'That'll mark him for a while,' she thought, a small smirk of delight breaking its way through her frown.
"Oh, little kitty," he tutted, his grin of pleasure putting hers to utter shame. "Ya thought I was gonna kill ya?" He gave a quieted chuckle that had the hairs on the back of Cassie's neck raising and a small shiver of worry striking her small frame.
Cassie struggled pitifully against him as he somehow came even closer, his cheek nuzzling against her own as his lips moved across her skin and towards her ear.
"I'm not gonna kill ya, Cassie," he whispered, a small hum sounding from his throat and buzzing through her head. "I'm gonna fuckin' ruin ya."