Happily Ever After

Chapter Twenty: The Jolly Roger

The smell of salt awakened my senses. It was a beautiful smell, yet then the stench of sweat and alcohol ruined it. I slowly opened my eyes, the world around appearing blurry. My whole body ached and I felt the familiar surface of wood beneath me.

Once my eyes adjusted, I took in the world around me. I was in a very dimly lit room, a window and a small lamp the only source of light. I laid on the ground, every wall around me consisting of wood except for the metal rods that represented my jail cell.

I slowly lifted myself up, my headache making me cringe. The room tilted and I stumbled, falling back down.

The memory of seeing Hook suddenly made this reality make sense. I've been kidnapped...again.

Groaning, I got up again, forcing my body to ignore the aching. Hesitantly, I managed to make my legs support me and I stood up. I was wearing a different dress, which was an understatement since the dress looked more like sewed up pieces of rags than an actual piece of clothing.

Examining my surroundings, I walked towards the bars. I knew the door to the cell would be locked, so I decided to look out.

I couldn't see much, but there were some barrels and benches lined up along a small hallway that led to a flight of stairs. Grimacing, I stepped back and walked towards the window. Miles of blue was my only view, land no where in sight.

The sound of pounding above me made me jumped, and I looked up to the ceiling. I heard muffled voices and then the pounding drifted off.

I sat down in defeat. There was no way I could escape, and even if I did, I had a whole crew of pirates to face. All I could do was sit and wait.

I'm on the infamous Jolly Roger, I thought. Of all the places I ever thought I would end up in in Askaria, a pirate ship was not one of them. Neither was Neverland. Neither was staying on Neverland for six months. None of this was suppose to happen and now my gem could easily be in the hands of the Evil Queen.

Sitting there on the floor of the cell, I realized that that was what bothered me from the very moment I was sent on the mission. That none of this was suppose to happen. Literally, if I'm "Snow White" then why did I go to Neverland? Why did I meet Peter Pan? How come my name is Wendelyn? This isn't following the story every child on Earth was told. In fact, the story never mentioned a gem either.

"Comfortable?"

I looked up, the voice breaking my train of thought.

Hook sat on the other side on the bars, sunlight barely cascading across his face. He looked the same since when I last saw him, except he looked tired, like he hasn't gotten much sleep lately. His arms were folded across his chest, hiding his hook.

I nodded, not feeling comfortable at all actually.

"Good, now eat." He kicked a tray in my direction. It slid under the cell perfectly and I crawled towards it. It wasn't much, just a cup of water and a bowl of weird looking soup. No utensils were given... Smart.

Knowing I'd be hungry later, I picked up the bowl of soup and drank from it, like when my mom told me to finish the milk after eating cereal back on Earth. Surprisingly, it was delicious, creamy and nutty, with some potatoes and celery mixed in with spices.

Hook watched me the entire time, his eyes never leaving my face.

Once I finished the soup, I picked up the cup and, with just one gulp, finished off the water. The meal was meager yet it was filling.

I looked back up at Hook and slid the tray under the cell towards him. He bent down and picked it up. And with that, we just looked at each other, not speaking a word.

My whole body felt different and I realized that was because I was not in easy access of any earth. I'm so used to feeling plants and trees and vines around me, that I grew accustomed to using my abilities in such small ways, like walking or sitting. Yet here I was, sitting, and no magic flowing from my veins.

I studied Hook as he studied me, the ship rocking slightly. I noticed his eyes immediately. They shocked me. They were so green, like a forest and were so eerily familiar. It was almost like I've seen someone else with those same eyes, green and wild, full of adventure and determination. But the more I investigated my memory, the more I drew a blank.

"So, what do you want with me?" I asked, breaking the silence.

Hook brought out his silver hook and examined it, showing it off to strike fear in my little self, which it surely did. "Well, love, the Evil Queen sure does have a price on your head. Plus, I wish to claim revenge on Peter Pan, and you sure do mean a lot to him."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What has Peter ever done to you?"

His green eyes flared at me. "He stole something very dear to me, so I'm stealing something very dear to him."

"What did he steal?" I asked, confused.

"He stole my heart!" He exclaimed.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You love him?"

Hook rolled his eyes at me. "No, he literally stole my heart!"

"What? How? That's, like, impossible!"

"Heart magic, love. A form of magic where you can take, use, and manipulate someone's heart. Very ancient and very cruel magic, and I want my heart back!"

I reared back, shocked. Peter never mentioned anything of the sort of magic, I don't even think he can do much but use pixie dust to fly. "Okay, listen. I'm pretty sure Peter doesn't have your heart since he never mentioned even being able to use magic, plus I don't think he's that brutal."

Hook got up and knelt in front of my cell, so we were face to face. "Well, that's what I was told and that's what I believe. Peter is full of surprises isn't he, love? So why shouldn't you expect him to lie about this?"

My eyes widened. He had a point. A very logical point. But still, Peter wouldn't-couldn't do something that evil.

"Whatever, love, you believe what you wish to believe." He went on. "Nonetheless, you are here. And either you get sent to the Evil Queen or-" He reached into one of his pockets with his good hand and pulled out a gleaming, red apple. "-ya eat this."