Peter

Chapter Five - The Piccaninny Tribe

I didn't get to notice the beauty of the forest when I was afraid of being shot in the back by a gang of pirates, but I see it now. It's full of towering trees and lush plants. It explodes with colourful, exotic flowers I have never seen before. At home, I am only familiar with the normal plants: lavender and daffodils for example. The scent is overwhelming yet addictive to smell. It is incredible.

We run until the sun rises. I begin to feel an unnatural fear creeping up on me, and it's only until I see a pair of eyes watching us from a bush I realise the natives have found us.

"Piccaninnies..." Bethany whispers.

My skin crawls as the group of red Indians creep out from behind the bushes. I am shocked to see that not are they only the same Indians that tussled with the pirates, they also wear human scalps around their necks. A tall, dark skinned man with broad shoulders raises his spear and shouts the battle cry. Bethany pulls out a knife from the satchel and begins to ward them off. I do the same, but I can tell they know I am not as fearless as Bethany.

To my utter surprise, the leader turns to his men, shrugs his shoulders and tosses Bethany over one shoulder. She screams and stabs his shoulder, but the knife barely pierces his tough skin. A weedier native raises his fist and punches me hard between the eyes.

And the world slowly slips from my vision...

I am with mother in Kesington Gardens, where we go every Tuesday before mother gives me embroidery lessons. Nana is barking at the flowers as usual, though I never know why.

Never...

This time I notice what she is barking at, I had alway been too self centered to see before. Tiny coloured lights bounce from one plant to another, each releasing their own giggle I'd always thought was the wind. I remember a light in my nursery before, one that was with Peter, one which he called Judy...

Fairies!

But fairies aren't real...

Suddenly I am concious again and the world feels a bit darker.

That's when I realise I am bound to a thin tree. The silk belt around my waist has been tied in a complicated knot, and then attatched to a vine, which is tied half way up the tree, some where I could never reach.

Those pesky natives playing their pranks!

Once again I am the helpless girl I have always been. Obviously they took Bethany and decided her not to be devoured by whatever creatures lurk these forests at night! She has a fight in her eyes I shall never have. I scan the area, and I spot the satchel in the middle of the clearing with a strange orange lily resting upon it. How funny they think they are! I can't reach the knot or the satchel!

Night falls. I can hear the howling of wolves, I am on full allert. I have taken to eating some bark off the tree when I hear something worse than wolves.

The roudy sea-chanty of pirates.

I begin to try and squirm my way out, but the belt is tied too tight around my waist. I couldn't have untied the knot if I wanted to, it's too tight and my hands are sweating from fear. Their chants are getting louder and louder.

Aiden stumbles through the trees, is face bright and smiling. If only I could love him like I thought I could.

"Well well well! Looks like our deal with those small minded Piccaninnies didn't do much harm!" He hollered, his crew laughing along. "Untie her." He clicked his fingers and two pirates took a knife to the vines. They bound my hands together and handed the end of the belt to Aiden. I spat in his face.

Where the hell did that come from?! 

Where the hell did the word hell come from?! 

Mother would disown me!

Aiden slapped me hard across the face. "You have no right to do that! A wife treats her husband with respect!"

"I'll never be yours to call your own." My voice is gruff from the lack of water.

"You have no choice! You will marry me, woman!" He tugs hard on the rope attached to my belt, and forces another horrible kiss on my lips.

"Nobody can ever love you." I whisper.

"You did, once." His hoarse whisper fills my ear. "Let's go!" And we march through the forest. I hold my head high but inside I feel ashamed. Mother always taught me you should speak to a man with respect.

But I am not afraid.

And for once, I mean it.

"Stop!"

Aiden looks around, fear lingering in his eyes. His vision snaps to me. "Was that you?!" I shake my head, not afraid of this poor excuse of a man in front of me. "Who goes there?!" He shouts into the forest, pistol at his side.

"The Strange One."

And I see Peter perched on a branch