Innocence (OUAT/Peter Pan)

Chapter 18: Love of A One-Handed Pirate

I AM FINISHED WITH APPS!!! For those of you who don't know, this is beyond relief right here. But it's also more nerves as I now wait for replies...oh my. Wish me luck, please! Hey, I'll hear back right around when OUAT starts up again. That could be a really happy or really sad time, let's hope OUAT writers make some nice happy stress-free episodes...yeah, right. But they're perfect anyway. So here's the update, I'll be able to make so much more progress now on this and my Rise of the Guardians fanfic (first few chapters posted btw, check em out!) as well as some other ideas I have. Here's the chapter, enjoy, please leave comments :)

The first thing Elle noticed was the pain on the side of her head. It was like someone was constantly pounding it with an entire castle. Next, she noticed everything was black. Her eyes were closed. She fought to open them, scrubbing at her eyelids with the heels of her hands to try to pull them. Her hands weren’t moving properly, and felt so heavy. Her aching eyes open, she saw metal bars around her. Elle pushed herself into a sitting position on shaky arms, trying desperately to stay calm as she looked at the dark, dusty room her cage was in. The cage was just barely big enough for her to curl up in, and her head brushed the top of it as she sat. She coughed, her lips and throat feeling dry, and gently touched her throbbing head. Her hand jerked back when she felt something dry and warm caked in her hair. Some of it came off on her fingers, it was dusty and dark red. The rest of her sloppy braid was caked in the same stuff as well as dirt and salt, and it smelled like ocean water.

            The door banged open and Elle jumped, hitting the top of her head against the cage. Stifling a groan, she stared at the man who walked in, clad in a loose, dirty shirt and torn trousers, holding a wooden bowl. He slid it through the bars, a bit of the water spilling over the sides. Elle snatched it immediately and held it with both hands, gulping the wonderful water. The man picked up a bucket behind him and refilled the bowl when she set it down, making her almost smile. But she was locked in a cage and it was filthy and dark, it was bad no matter how much water she was given.

            The man left after her third bowl, only to be replaced by another. This one perked her interest. He had dark hair but bright blue eyes, and was dressed in all black: black vest, loose open black shirt, tight leather pants. The leather boots, overcoat, and sword completed the look, it was exactly like in books she’d read. He was a pirate, and perhaps the captain by how clean he was. Elle didn’t know what to think of pirates, she’d read so many different stories and accounts on them. She surprised herself by not being scared, just curious. Fear crept down her spine when he spoke, and she looked into his eyes.

            “So, you’re Pan’s pretty little girl,” he said casually, leaning against the side of her cage and looking down at her. His voice was low, but something just sounded off. And his eyes…they looked like broken glass. This man was suffering something, and it was dangerous. He pulled out a flask from his coat and took a large swig from it. “Not bad,” he smirked at her. She just stayed quiet and still.

            “I’ll just get right to the point, then,” he stepped to face directly in front of her. “I wish to know your dear Pan’s whereabouts,” he smiled humorlessly. If anything, he seemed a bit bored. This infuriated her, which was probably the wrong reaction.

            “You locked me in a bloody cage,” she said flatly. He sighed, and took another sip.

            “Yes, I did. Have to make sure you don’t run off somewhere,” he grinned with a bit more malice and tucked the flask away. “And your magic is suspended, so don’t worry about using it to get out.” She just glared. Then, looked down, and stifled a gasp. Her normally white hair, underneath all the dirt, was light brown. An impossibly light brown, but still brown. And it wasn’t glowing, she couldn’t even feel her magic. “Now where is Pan?”