Peter:It Only Takes A Wish... (The UnFairytales Saga, Book 2)

Chapter 6 - Peter

I watched from my seat as Pipsqueak, Books, and Chopsticks tried to explain the game of marbles to Angie.  

"No, like this," Books said for what seemed like the hundredth time.  

Angie sighed loudly, throwing her hand s in the air in frustration. "That's it, I give up! Sorry, Henry, I'm just no good at this game. Is there anything else you want to do?" 

"No, I'm tired, anyways." He yawned, and then his eyes brightened with excitement. "Do you think, maybe, you could tell us a story?" 

"I- I've never told a story before." She stuttered, clearly at a loss of what to do. 

"Just make something up, improvise." Shadow said from his top bunk. 

"A-alright, I guess I can try. What kind of story do you want to hear?"  

The requests came from all over the room.  

"Pirates!" 

"Mermaids!" 

"Pirates and mermaids!" 

I laughed, settling into my seat. "Well, there you have it, pirates and mermaids it is." 

She glared at me as I crossed my hands behind my head. I smiled, waiting patiently for the promised story. She sighed. "Alright; so, mermaids and pirates?" 

They all nodded. She looked as if she were thinking hard about something. All seven pairs of eyes were on her, watching intently, waiting. She finally sighed again. "Alright, let's see. Once upon a time..." 

"Don't start it like that." Books said.  

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?" 

"It's too predictable. Try something else." 

"Oh, umm, okay. In the ocean, not too far away from where we are now, sits a pirate ship. But this pirate ship isn't like other ships. This pirate ship is missing its captain." 

"What happened to him?" Pipsqueak asked, interrupting her. 

"A few years ago, a brutal, careless man captained the ship. His name was Edward Shey, and he was known for being a ruthless pirate. He was the most feared captain in the entire Realm. Everyone knew his name.  

"One day, while he was ported, he heard of a treasure unlike anything in the world. A pendant that, when worn, could give you unstoppable power. Being the greedy man he was, he had to have it. 

"The only problem was, the treasure was hidden in the Mermaid Caves, a place feared by even the most fearless of pirates. His men refused to join him in the treasure hunt, too afraid of what might happen if they invaded the mermaids' home.  

"Captain Shey decided to go the journey alone. He packed his best ship with supplies, and headed for the Caves. They journey was long, the sea was rough. By the time he'd gotten to the caves, his food supply was almost gone." 

"What happened when he got there?" Joker asked, clearly infatuated. 

He wasn't the only one. Until he had spoken, I'd forgotten the Boys were there. Angie had captured me in her story, had me hanging on to every word. She had a way with storytelling, a way of weaving a tale so captivating, you felt like something was missing from the world when it was over.  

She smiled. "When he first got there, it was quiet. It was as if no one was there, as if no one was anywhere. It was like the entire world outside of the caves had suddenly disappeared.  

"He thought it was safe to go into the caves. Since there was no one there, he could claim the treasure and the Caves for himself. He could be the most powerful man in the world. Everyone would bow down before him.  

"Just as he was about to touch the pendant, he heard a voice, singing. The sound bounced off the walls, seeming to come from every direction. It confused him, trapping him in the Caves." 

"That's how he disappeared?" Joker asked. 

"It was part of it. One day, after what seemed like forever of the never ending singing, it stopped. The caves were silent. Not wasting the chance to escape, he grabbed the pendant and rushed out of the caves. Only, when he got there, his ship wasn't. He could barely see it, deep in the ocean, a miniature of what it really was.  

"Left with no other choice, he went back to the caves. He lost all hope. He had no ship, no food, stranded on an island that was the epitome of nightmares for all pirates. Until he heard the singing again; but it wasn't just one voice this time, but many, many voices." 

"The mermaids," Pipsqueak whispered. 

Angie smiled. "Yes, the mermaids. They were calling to him, beckoning him. As if in a trance, he numbly obeyed their calls. He walked deeper and deeper into the caves, until the light of the outside could no longer be seen. Still, he went deeper, to the farthest, darkest part. When the singing stopped, it was as if he had woken from a dream.  

"He didn't know how he had gotten there, but he did know that the beings in front of him were not your average mermaids. They were Sirens, the worst possible kind of merfolk there was.  

"The Sirens told him they could provide him with food and safety, as long as he was in the caves. Having heard stories of how pirates had been lured to their graves from the Sirens song, he refused their help. But, Captain Shay was a very easily persuaded man. All it took was the promise of him being able to leave on the next ship that entered the caves for him to agree. 

"Except no ship ever came; and now, Captain Shay's ship sits in the middle of the ocean, without a captain, until another pirate decides to venture out to the Mermaid Caves."