Happy Thoughts || Peter Pan

Chapter 27

Avery was violently forced on the deck by three pirates. Her knees scraped across the rough wooden planks. She looked up at the black-haired captain, who crossed his arms and looked at her inquiringly. The twinkle in his eyes told her that somewhere he was enjoying seeing her like this. Before she could even say anything or crow for help, she was gagged. The piece of cloth rubbed against the corners of her mouth as they tied it around her head. She felt a few hairs on her head pulling painfully, entangled with the rough cotton.

'Which one of you three idiots let her infiltrate my ship?' The boy looked at the pirates one by one, twirling a handgun smoothly around his fingers.

'Wibbles was on guard,' sputtered one and less than a second later a bang echoed through the air. The pirate's body crashed to the ground. Avery screamed, but the sounds were muffled by the cotton in her mouth. Warm tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn't know the man, but to be murdered so mercilessly.... She stared at the motionless body. Blood seeped from the wound across the wooden planks, leaving an inky black pool underneath. Nausea bubbled up inside her.

'Can someone clean up this mess?' cried the boy before a young crew member rushed over with a bucket of water. 'I hate betrayal. Wibbles, I'll deal with you later.'

Goosebumps crawled over her limbs as she watched the dead pirate's body being carelessly thrown overboard. She could not understand why the pirates followed someone like Jacob. Someone who treated their lives so heartlessly as if they were nothing. Could it be that the crew was actually more afraid of Jacob than Hook? With his young form, she could hardly imagine that, but the eye deceived.

Jacob turned to her again. 'This is the first time I have seen a girl here,' he remarked. He bent closer to her and when she turned away from him, he grabbed her face. 'Are you by any chance Pan's new pet?'

She jerked her face away from his grasp and looked at him furiously. This seemed to amuse him, as he raised his eyebrows and chuckled. 'You've got spunk.' With a jerk, he pulled the cloth from her mouth, causing it to rub painfully along the corners of her mouth. 'Well, speak.'

'None of your business,' she replied.

'But it is. After all, you invaded my ship.'

'Hooks ship,' she hissed.

Jacob roared with laughter. Then he grinned foully. 'Well, he's no longer here.' He straightened his back and started walking slowly around her, speaking, 'So, what are you doing on my ship?'

Avery kept her mouth stiffly shut. She had no intention of betraying Korafay or Tigerlily. Jacob did not look like a boy who had mercy on his captives; he would kill the mermaids without mercy. She only hoped Korafay was right about him not hurting her if she played her cards right. He seemed intelligent to her and intelligent people like to have control.

'Aren't you going to tell me?' He stopped walking.

'No.'

'Hm,' he muttered and rubbed his chin as if there was a beard. 'Okay, then tell me something else. Why aren't you with Pan?'

As if a light bulb went on over her head, she looked back at Jacob. She had seen an opportunity, one in which she could get away safely and might even be able to free the sirens. She cleared her throat and looked past the boy saddened. 'I ran away.' Her acting wasn't too good, but she hoped it was enough to fool the boy. Besides, she wasn't lying, not entirelly.

'And you came here for what? Food?'

She said nothing, but acted as if she was too ashamed or proud to admit it. 

'You seem awefully mad at me for someone that is actually in need for my assistance.'

He had a point there. She looked at him angrily. 'Because you captured me and stuffed that piece of cloth in my mouth.'

Jacob pulled a face. 'You may have a point there.'

'The sirens,' she said carefully, 'Why are you holding them captive?'

'They have information I need, but I'm not going to tell you about it, so you can stop asking.'

'What are you going to do to me now?' She anxiously looked back at the walkingplank along the side of the ship. She would not be caught in the air by Peter like Wendy, and although she had not seen a crocodile in the past few days, she did not want to know what other predators were hiding underneath the waves.

Jacob chuckled. 'I don't use that one. I think it's old-fashioned.' He looked at her again. 'So you ran away from Pan. Let me guess. You wanted to go back to your family?'

She nodded. 'My parents must be worried sick. I thought I had found paradise here, but the truth is. I don't belong here. I can't stay a child forever, can I?'

'It's not that bad, but you're not alone. My whole crew wants to go back to the Mainland.'

She looked at him. "My crew." The crew he blasted to bits as soon as their presence momentarily inconvenienced him. She thought it was an odd utterance after what he had just done, but she didn't let it show. 'You guys want to go back too?

He shrugged. 'Most of them do. Others just want to get rich and live in luxury wherever.' He knelt down beside her. 'How do I know if I can trust you?'

She snorted, 'Do you see Peter here somewhere?' she sneered. 'He doesn't care where I am.'

A grin crossed his face. 'You are very angry, though. Sure there are no feelings involved?'

She looked back at him with a jolt and she felt her cheeks glow. She didn't want that at all, but she couldn't help it. Jacob noticed too because he laughed loudly. 'Ah, a broken heart then.' He beckoned with his head and a new face appeared from behind her. The chunky pirate pushed his round glasses further up his nose and cut the ropes around her wrists. Avery frowned. Is this... Is this Smee?

'And you were perhaps hoping he would reciprocate your feelings,' Jacob talked on. 'That's so... Girly. Let me guess. You told him about your feelings, he turned you down, whereupon you indicated that you wanted to go home, so he left you. So predictable, that Pan.'

Smee, Captain Hook's loyal right-hand man offered her his hand and helped her up. She rubbed her aching wrists, red welts from the rope graced her skin.

'Would you accompany me to the cabin?' Without waiting for an answer, Jacob turned and walked towards the captain's cabin. Avery watched him hesitantly, until she felt a hand from Smee at her back. 'Young lady?'

Avery looked at the pirate. He smiled and held up a hand towards the cabin. She nodded and followed Jacob. Her eyes searched the night air. Peter... Where are you?