Red-Handed Jill (A Peter Pan Fanfiction)

Chapter 21~ Left in the Brig

Jill's POV

I sat on a chair in the middle of one of the rusty cages in the brig of the Jolly Roger with my hands shackled behind my back and my feet shackled to the ground. My wrists burned from where the shackles rubbed my skin raw and my legs tingled painfully from falling asleep.

My stomach rumbled and I felt a little light-headed. I couldn't remember when my last meal was.

I had been in the brig before. Smee was low on hands so he had me run some food down to the prisoners. I was younger at the time and the brig seemed like a place of nightmares. There was a dark-skinned man curled up in the corner of a cage with his legs huddled up to his chest. The undersides of his hands and feet were a light peach, as if he had dipped them in paint. His black hair was tied in thin braids and pulled behind his head in a ponytail. His shoulders were striped and crossed with dozens of long, pink scars. When I opened up the cage, he looked up with scared black eyes.

"Who are you?" he said. His voice was quiet and timid and he said his words slowly and deliberately, like a child.

"My name is Jill," I said, placing the tray of bread and soup inside the cage, "I brought you some food."

"Is it poisoned?" he stared at the food suspiciously but his eyes shined with hunger.

"No," I replied, "Why would it be?"

"I don't know," he replied, "I don't know what to expect from a pirate."

He stood up and walked over to the food, his big, bare feet slapping against the deck. I stared at him curiously. He was unlike any man I had ever seen. He was extremely tall, even taller than Vinny, and had a thick, muscular build.

"I've never seen a man like you," I said, "Where are you from?"

"My family comes from Africa," he replied, downing the watery soup greedily and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

"What is your name?" I asked.

"Sasha," he sat down cross-leggedly and stared at me, "You are not like the other pirates. You are so young. How did you get here?"

"I..." I paused, racking my brain, "I can't remember. Vinny told me that they fished me out of the ocean and Hook let me stay because he liked my stories."

"You must get away," he said, "You must get away from this place. The men here are demon men with hearts of stone. There is good in you. Do not let them harden your heart too."

"You're wrong, Sasha," I shook my head, "They take care of me. Vinny is my friend. The crew is my family. They would never hurt me."

"Be cautious Jill," he said, "The man with the hook is an evil spirit. He shall be your downfall."

I shook my head and smiled, "Don't worry about me. They've always been good to me. I'm safe here."

With that, I left him and took back the plates to Mr. Smee.

"Mr. Smee?" I asked, "What is going to happen to that prisoner down there?"

"I'm not sure Jill," he said, "It's best if you don't go down there anymore."

I never saw Sasha again.

"Vinny," I whispered out loud, "I wish you were here right now."

"Vinny?" said a voice, creeping against the walls. It was soft and feminine, definitely not one that I knew.

"Who's there?" I demanded, clenching my fists and fighting against the shackles.

I heard footsteps and a figure stepped into the light. She was a young woman, probably a few years older than I was, wearing a brown, tight fitting dress with a plunging neckline and a frilly skirt. Her hazel eyes glared at me maliciously and her thin lips curled up in a nasty smirk beneath her delicate nose.