My Darling Girl *Disney fanfic*

16. Pan's Heart

Something slimy caressed Wendy's leg. She shrieked and leapt off the bed, skidding on the rug.

"Kill the Wendy Bird," a dry voice hissed from the gloom. Wendy backed up, her eyes wide with fear as she held her breath – listening intently. A gigantic tentacle coiled around her ankle, yanking sharply. Wendy fell to the ground – her chin smacking against the floorboards. She kicked out with her legs, thrashing wildly and managing to get her foot free from the suckers.

In the dark, she could make out only the outline of her surroundings. But though she couldn't see it, she could hear it – the thing was wet and heavy, having to drag itself along the ground. Wendy scrambled to the locked door.

"Let me out!" She screamed, pounding her fists against it.

            "What do you think it is, father? A whirlpool?" Tootles asked. Pan shook his head.

"No..." 

There was a green tinge to the water. Something below the surface was emitting an emerald glow. "It's a sea-witch." 

Pan frowned. He'd encountered sea-witches before but he was puzzled by this one. They weren't sailing in sea-witch territory. The currents here were wrong, far too warm for these frosty creatures.

His heart skipped a beat and his shadow flickered uneasily. He flung a hand suddenly to his chest, hunching over as he was gripped with a sudden spasm of pain. "Wendy," he gasped. Pan dropped the telescope, letting it clatter noisily against the deck. "To arms!" He bellowed at his lost boys, fear making his dark eyes wild. "We're under attack!" The boys scrambled about, hastily arming themselves, uncertain where they should be running too. Pan turned and charged below deck, Tootles and Slightly hot on his heels.

             Wendy was hoisted up into the air, a tentacle wrapping around her middle. The fishy limb pinned her arms to her sides and started to squeeze tightly – crushing her ribs. A hissing sound filled the room, scraping against the four walls and scratching against Wendy's ear drums. She tried to shout out for help but she could barely breathe. Black dots filled her vision and her head flopped weakly back.

The cabin door burst open and the light from the corridor flooded in. Wendy was now able to see her horrific beast that was holding her.

"Wendy!" Pan cried out, panic leeching the power from his voice.

"Not another ssstep, Pan." The sea-witch hissed. The snakes that made up her hair bared their fangs in warning. One snake tendril coiled away from the rest and poised menacingly at Wendy's throat.

The sea-witch had the head and torso of a woman, but instead of skin she was covered with white and blue veined scales. Her skull had a sharp brow ridge that crested to a horn on her forehead. Her eyes were glassy fish eyes and she had no nose or lips. Her mouth parted to reveal a forked tongue and sharp teeth. Wendy whimpered as her ribs cracked in protest against the sea-witches crushing grip.

A shadow passed over the sea-witches face. Pan's shadow. She screeched, her scales turning bone white as the shadow's arm gripped around her neck. Pan flew up into the air, his dagger unsheathed. He slashed at the snakes, blood splattering against the walls, before finally he thrust a blow at the witch – slamming his dagger through her eye. Wendy was flung up into the air by a flailing tentacle and her back smacked into the ceiling.