Hooks and Poison Apples

Walk On The Dock

The first time Evie met him was on the docks.

It was a nippy September night. Jack Frost had visited the Isle of the Lost, speckling the ground with a soft layer of ice, the threat of snow hung in the inky grey patches of clouds. Evie was thankful she had wrapped up tightly tonight. She had travelled across the Isle, to the Southern side, to go to the Curl up and Dye to visit her dear friend Drizzy Tremaine, the granddaughter of Lady Tremaine, the ungrateful Cinderella's stepmother.

As per her norm when leaving, she'd opted to travel via the sea front. Unlike all the other times she'd travelled down the harbours, the place was strangely deserted. The only sound was the gentle lull of the waves and the clicking of her heels as she walked across the wooden planks. Even the usual sound of drunken pirate songs being sung in nearby pubs that littered the place was non-existent. The lack of sound and the surrounding mist that had begun to settle gave the place an eerie feel.

I shouldn't have left so late, Evie thought sourly, feeling a tad nervous. Mother is going to lock me in a tower till I'm old and grey!

Evie quickened her pace, passing by rows of barrels and shuttered shops with graffiti sprayed all over them. The designs ranged from dark purple tentacles slashing across the metal, bows and arrows, pirate hats, top hats with skulls and crossbones on them, and silver hooks. It hardly compared to any of Mal's work, but she had to give the artists credit for their creativity. Evie smiled, admiring the other pirate-themed artwork across the walls, shutters and broken windows as she walked. She became so lost in her admiration that she didn't realise she had missed her turn and had headed straight onto a harbour that led out into the misty sea.

"First star to the right and straight on to morning."

Startled out of her thoughts, Evie paused. She clutched onto the strap of her apple bag and glanced around, realising she had gone astray. She looked back to the stranger who had spoken, a boy who was leaning against a post at the end of the harbour, his back towards her.

Is he talking to me?

She took a step backwards, intent to back away from the stranger.

"The star," the boy explained.

He pointed into the air, intriguing Evie's gaze to follow. She just caught a glance of a dazzling star, just before snowy clouds stole it away from sight. The boy sighed, lowering his head and shaking it.

"Auradon, that's where most of us want to be, isn't it?"

Villains, she guessed who he was referring to. All those cast away on the Isle of Lost left to rot, to be ignored and reduced to nothing more than a bedtime story to scare little ones into behaving. Don't take sweets from strangers, they say on Auradon, for all you know they could be the Evil Queen in disguise who wants to poison you with her delectable looking apples.

"Isn't that where you want to be?" Evie asked lightly, deciding to endeavour the stranger with a response.

Auradon was where everyone wanted to be. The land was all the goody two shoes, heroes, heroines, Princesses and - her heart fluttering at the thought - Princes lived. It was the place forged of happily ever afters. It was the destination of the victorious in the stories, their prize, and joy. Even villains dreamed of it. A land where you didn't want for anything, filled with soaring high castles adorned with dozens upon dozen of mirrors, luscious forests, glistening lakes, constant sunshine, stylish malls and so much more. It was a mouth-watering paradise! Who didn't want to be there?

The boy turned around. At first, she didn't recognise him and later she would ponder how she didn't recognise him sooner. Even if he was dressed in pirate fashion, which was popular around these parts, this boy's reputation should have made him instantly recognisable. He was wearing a red leather coat with no sleeves, a mildly shredded white tank top underneath, black trousers torn at the knees held up with several black belts, leather boots with buckles and to finish off the look was a classic pirate hat upon his head.