Vanessa [A Poor Unfortunate Soul]

23. Neverland

"Won't be long now" Jakob said with a smile and leaped down to the main deck. 

Anders took control of the wheel. His warning about the mermaids in Neverland replayed in Vanessa's mind, turning and flipping through her thoughts. The mermaids she'd met didn't seem evil. But then, maybe they were. And by that measure, so was she. Perhaps their kind hurt the young pirate once, Vanessa pondered. That much they had in common.

"Ahoy, matey!" Jane hollered, and swung down to the deck on a rope. Sticking the landing, she stood with hands-on-hip and head up, strong. "The captain fill ye in on our point of destination?"

Vanessa hesitated. "Aye?" She said, wincing. 

"Aye" Jane exclaimed. "Ye scallywag seems to be gettin' savvy"

"Quoi?" Vanessa stammered and momentarily reverted to her native tongue.

"Its pirate slang" Jane said. "It took me a while to catch on to it, too"

That didn't help much. It should have, but didn't.

"Jakob?" Vanessa asked, walking to the captain's side. He stood at the railing, looking off into the evening sky and lit a cigarette.

"What is it, love?" He asked.

"Might I be allowed a question?" She asked, holding her hands behind her back.

"Ask anything ya' like" he said, and took a puff.

"Its about the mermaids" she said, searching his gaze.

"Aye" he said, opening a glass bottle and took a swig from it.

"What did they do to you?" Vanessa asked, after taking a deep breath.

"Not I" he said, and offered her a drink. She declined. 

"Then, if I may. What makes you think them to be evil?" She asked, moving her windswept hair away from her eye.

"The legend" he said, and took another drink. "Legends don't lie"

"But isn't that the point of a legend?" She asked. "They are nothing more than someone's opinion. Or a stereotype on a grander scale"

"Quite the philosopher you are" he said, pointing at her with the tip of his flask. "I had never thought of it that way"

"My father said once that I was well-read" she said, sheepishly. "But that was mostly because he'd leave me off with a friend of his, as a child"

"You or the friend?" He laughed.

"I was a child" she said, and realized how stupid that sounded. Of course she was a child once. Everyone was. "His friend was very much younger than him, but not by that much.

"Of course not, love" he said, and took another drink. "Now its my turn to ask a question" She found herself almost laughing to herself, when he winked at her.

"Of course" she said. 

"Nadia tells me that you may have a bit of a crush on me" he said, slouching on the railing and slicked his hair the other way. 

Who didn't? Vanessa thought and twisted a few pieces of her hair together, pondering the question. 

The pirate seemed to have been kissed by the holy God himself. Jakob's blue eyes reflected the ocean, the tight vest he wore hinted at a toned chest. The leather pants pulled tightly at his waist, bulged tighter below the clasped leather belt. The boy was practically, picture perfect in every imaginable way.

"People always did talk" she said, trying to remain cool. If she were ever 'cool' now was the time to try.

"I can imagine" he laughed. "That doesn't exactly answer my question, though"