A Neverland Tale - HOOKED (eng)

Chapter 4.4 - Fiona

"Stop fidgeting, girl, or I'll drop you!" (...) "Suddenly so much strength again? Then you can walk the stairs yourself!" (Filou)

The dark voice pulled Fiona at least partially out of her nightmares. With every step they took towards the stairs, more and more horrible imaginings pricked between every clear thought until she only felt the need to escape the inevitable. No matter what might have been waiting for them on the beach, in the woods, or underwater - was it worse than this?
To be served up defenseless to someone who commanded such a band of creeps?
These thoughts constricted Fiona's throat, she braced herself desperately against the man's chest.... yet knew there was no escape.
Only when he finally gave in did at least some of the tightness move away from her chest. Fiona's bare feet touched the wet, swollen wooden floor and she almost slipped on them if strong hands had not held her firm and upright. For a heartbeat, she wasn't sure if her legs would buckle again but apparently, the little bit of warmth and tension had at least partially thawed her muscles. That didn't change the fact that she was afraid of the dark staircase, though. Like a weathered, toothless mouth, the dim darkness stared back at them.

"Then what girl?" (...) "The captain would SO not want to touch you." (Filou)

It was only after this comment that she consciously looked down at herself for the first time... And Fiona lightly pressed her lips together. There was sand everywhere... in the folds of her dress, on her feet, legs, and arms. Remnants of seaweed and bits of driftwood clung rather stubbornly to her hair and the holey fabric, plus the salt dried uncomfortably quickly over her skin. The supposed dress was hanging in tatters around her legs, her bare feet were red from the cold and, like on her hands, red marks and scratches were visible. All in all, Fiona must have made a more than a disheveled impression.

But it made her seem less desirable and at the moment she was grateful for every piece of seaweed. Fiona toyed with the idea of rolling around in the dirt a bit more.... anything would have been her right to prevent someone from touching her against her will. At the same time, the words at least suggested that the captain was a reasonably civilized man.
Perhaps he was also afraid of disease. If there were whores here, she was relatively sure that a sensible man would not have touched any of them, or at least only the particularly expensive ones. But even there, one could probably never be sure. For her part, Fiona was already toying with the idea of coming up with something. Some reason that made her, unfortunately... untouchable. But what if that was her death sentence? Ah damn!
With her last bit of dignity, she straightened her shoulders and walked beside him, though he still held her like a prisoner.

'Because you are one.' it hissed derisively, but Fiona ignored the thoughts that frightened her even more. It didn't change her position and if she thought up any more horror scenarios she might faint. Ever so slightly she shook her head, trying to imagine the word as a possibility. At least being trapped here meant not being eaten in the woods.... until now. Because who knew what this guy was going to do with her? Maybe he simply didn't want to share the spoils and was killing her away from the crew, the potential envious ones.... no.
Something inside her resisted the thought with all her might. Fiona knew her helplessness in this matter, she just had to trust in this case that he would not harm her. For if he had wanted to... then God alone could assist her. Her companion was stronger, taller, and almost certainly more experienced in battle.

As soon as they had left the creaking stairs behind them, the pirate led them to a small chamber whose door already had musty stains on the edges. Nevertheless, the wood still had a certain solidity and proudly bore the marks of a hard life. The hinges creaked softly before Fiona was pushed through the small doorway and heard the heavy footsteps of her companion behind her. She had expected a cell, perhaps a storage room in which she could be temporarily locked up, and the fearful part of her heart was already counting on a bed... but the warm steam billowing towards her caught her off guard. Fiona could hardly hold back a sigh of relief as the damp air brushed her cheeks and enveloped her in warmth for the first time. In the middle of the small room stood a tub, its water surface swaying slightly with the movement of the ship. A small brush floated on it, in a wooden bowl, and on the edge of the tub were two bars of soap. Abruptly she was let go, the creaking wooden floor revealed that the guy had moved a few steps away. Questioning, she turned and just saw him cross his arms in front of his chest. Loosely, the man stood leaning against the door and regarded her waitingly.
'What are you doing?' She would be lying if she said that the first premonition didn't throw her thoughts into confusion. Displeased, her full lips pressed together, then she jutted her chin.