Pan's Redemption

Chapter 28 ~Curse*

And when she felt like there was no hope left, she saw it.The Jolly Roger. Hook. She dove underwater and began to swim towards the ship. She found that if you didn't try to swim like a human, you could go so much faster. She appreciated it, but knew that it was only one of few perks to being a mermaid. Either way she was a monster.

She reached the ship within minutes and was soon met with the familiar dilemma: getting on the ship. She debated trying to climb the side of the ship. Who knows, maybe scales were sticky. No, that was tentacles. She gave up and used the most idiotic thing she could think of.

"HOOK!" she yelled fighting to stay above water. It felt like the sea was physically puling her into it. She got no response.

"KILLIAN!!" Nothing.

"JONES!!!" She heard the wooden floor boards creek on the top deck. She was surprised to the fact that her newly enhanced hearing could pick even that up.

Hook looked down from the deck and looked at her wide eyed. She probably thought of what he was seeing. A waterlogged girl paddled out far enough you would be scared to see shark fins swimming around.

"Wendy?" He asked in confusion. Not relief or happiness. Wendy guessed she did deserve that.

"Hook, you have to let me up." She begged. He scowled at her.

"Really now? And the last time I saw you, you what? Made a deal with Pan? Yeah, you did." He said angrily down at her. Wendy wasn't hurt, but mad.

"Hook, please. You have to let me aboard. You have to help me!" She yelled back at him. Her arms were so tired, it was a matter of minutes before she would be submerged again.

"I'm not helping you run away, again." Wendy wanted to go up there and smack some sense in him. If she was running away, why on Earth would she come to him? Not only has she hid there once, but had claimed to twice. On top of that she betrayed him. In a better situation she would have enough self respect to look elsewhere.

But this was not a good situation. She was on her last string before she went over the deep end. Before she lost it entirely.

"Hook. Something happened to me," She had to suck in a breath to steady her voice. She could cry now, but she couldn't yet. Not before all hope was lost. "I need you to help me. This isn't about Pan," She had to take a deep breath. She had tried not to think about him. She had tried not to think of if this didn't work. She could never see him again. She wouldn't allow herself to. "It's not about him or any of the Lost Boys. It's about me."

Hook looked at her uneasily. There was still some concern in his eyes. She thought of him like the father she never really had. If this worked, she could make amends with him.

"Something terrible has happened to me." She whispered just loud enough for him to hear her.

Hook threw a rope at her expectedly. She took it and held it tightly as he pulled her up. When she reached the top, Hook looked like he was going to pass out. She knew she didn't have anything to be unconscious about. Everything that needed to be covered up by clothes had already been covered by aqua colored scales. She saw him wrinkle is nose in disgust. Of course he would, he was looking at a mermaid.

"What....what happened?" Wendy ignored his question.

"Is there a way to fix it? You're a pirate, you should know a little about mermaids, right? Is there a way to get rid of this?" She motioned to her scaled body.

It took him a minute to respond. "Aye, I did study them out of brief curiosity."

"And?" She asked eagerly.

"And....I can't help you, Wendy. I'm sorry." He said looking at her sadly.

"There's no way to stop the transition? None? That's impossible! Magic always has loop holes! Pan always has loop holes." She rambled uselessly. She just couldn't accept it. She couldn't not see him again.

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

"You just don't want me to find it! You don't want me to go back! You're lying!" She cried, Hook grabbed her wrists.

"Wendy, I want to help you-"

"No, you're lying....." She sobbed, "You have...to be...lying...to me." Just when she thought that she couldn't experience anymore pain. Why couldn't she have just died?! Why was she here, in this state?

Wendy had always felt like fate was never on her side.

When she hated Pan, it pushed her towards him.

When she loved him, it pushed her away.

At least she knew she had been right.

Fate had always been against her.

"I'm sorry..." Hook repeated once more.

I am too, Wendy thought.