Pirate's Curse | Harry Hook

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     Can Haden control people? There's no way...

     "Erina, darling, are more of a frog's venom drinker or cat's cry drinker?" He asked, moving his stool closer to me. I hesitated and felt my heart flutter when he referred to me as darling. It sounded familiar, as if someone else had called me that before.

     "Frog's venom," I replied as if it were something I'd had a million times. The closest thing to these drink I've ever had is juice, and that says a lot.

     Two heavyset glasses of frog's venom were slid in our way, leaving Haden to catch them with both hands in a split second. He glared up at the bartender, forcing the poor kid to cower in fear. Haden didn't pay, but I guess nobody really did on the Isle.

     "Take a sip." Haden raised his thick eyebrows, watching me carefully; intrigued by every move I made. I couldn't say no. Just when I thought about resisting, my neck began to burn again as if a hot piece of metal was being pressed onto my skin.

     Nearly gasping as the intensity of my discomfort, I grabbed the glass and began to chug it down, tasting the bitterness on my tongue that would surely leave an aftertaste. Haden watched me squirm in pain with an emotionless stare.

     I fought with the drink to keep it down. There were no poisonous frogs in Auradon, but I couldn't speak for the Isle. I had to hope that it was only a name and not literal venom.

     Haden smiled and ran his hand over mine, which was plastered to the counter top. "You like it?" He grinned from ear to ear, eyes eccentric and wide with excitement.

     I thought to myself, 'What in Hades? I feel like I just drank acid! Or gasoline!' But I couldn't transfer my feelings into words. Instead, I felt as if someone else spoke for me and I couldn't control it. Whenever I even thought of something that differed from what Haden wanted I continued to burn.

     "It was delicious." I forced a smiled, taking Haden by the arm and leading him to the dance floor so he wouldn't offer me any more drinks. I felt like an airplane in autopilot mode. Things seemed to be going smoothly but it was only a matter of time before I crashed.

     In most areas the Isle appeared to be poor and poverty ridden. Apparently there are wealthier streets for Isle royalty (Maleficent, Evil Queen, etc) which contain clubs such as this one.

     The club was nothing short from magical. From the music to the foreign crowds and the lighting, I never wanted to leave. After Haden and I began to dance I started to miss Harry. I wondered if he'd enjoy it here as much as I did.

  As if Haden read my mind, he said, "This nightclub is for royal bloodlines only. I'm afraid your pirate friends can't get in here, even with an invite."

     I nodded, shrugging away the idea of dancing with Harry instead.

     Haden proceeded to twirl me around the dance floor, occasionally pulling me against his chest when everyone seemed to be looking. He eventually spoke up and shouted over the music, "Live like a royal and join me. This could be our life every night."

     'I can't.' I dared think to myself, before hissing in pain, letting go of Haden and stumbling backwards. I nearly collapsed to my knees but I fought it. Every time I 'disobeyed' Haden I was tortured by my own skin, and the pain worsened every time. I could feel my eyes tearing up and burning as well.

    Haden reached forward and wiped fallen tears from my cheeks. "Do you want to stay here longer and dance? Harry will be fine if he has to wait longer." Haden couldn't help himself but to smirk. Everything was going the way he wanted it to, and he was on top of the world.

"You keep talking about returning me to Harry but I don't believe you." I thought aloud, bracing for another wave of heat but it never came. I was shocked to have been able to speak freely, but I was even more surprised when Haden shrugged in response.

     "Maybe I'll return you, maybe not." He growled, taking a firm hold of my shoulder to stabilize me. "It's up to me, isn't it?" He furrowed his brows in concentration. I was forced to nod out of fear of being hurt again. "Great." Haden's darkened eyes narrowed, and his bright smile seemed to glow beneath the neon lights.

     A waitress wearing a short mini skirt and top walked around with a food platter above her head. As she slithered past us, Haden stopped her in her tracks.

     "Thanks for offering, sweetheart." He snarled, receiving a look of disgust from the waitress. He plucked whatever food she on the tray and handed it to me. "Open." He muttered, holding what looked to be a lotus flower near my lips.

I had to eat it, or suffer again.

I took a bite of the unfamiliar food, and could immediately feel whatever its poison kicking in.

     I felt great. Everything was great. I was carefree, extremely loopy, and practically dancing on air. I've never felt so great, and it was all because of Haden. Haden is such a great guy.

Everything seemed to blur. Haden and I hastily danced with each other. I didn't know who I was anymore, if I was even the same Erina that was born and raised in Auradon. I was changing for the worse, but I loved every second of it.. or at least I told myself I did.

     Throughout the night I was showered in lotus petals, indulging in their savory flavor over and over again.

     An hour later I was sitting on a long leather couch surrounded by creatures of every shape and size; some looked like demons while others looked like crossbreeds of humans and beasts.

    I was genuinely afraid of those around me but I couldn't do anything about it. They looked like the products of a fever dream or horrific nightmare. The types of fiends parents would tell their children about at night.

     They can't be real. None of this is real...

     Where am I?

     I took in my surroundings once more; the neon lights that illuminated the club had become blurred streaks. The dance floor had been abandoned and the surrounding tables and chairs were empty. My head rolled around my shoulders. My brain was spinning and I felt like throwing up in my lap. Haden sat close to me, his long arm stretched out behind my neck as more servers hand fed me lotus petals. I struggled to keep my eyes open but something was telling me to keep eating... just one more bite Erina.

     "Stay with us... with Haden. You'll be happy." They would hum in a singsong chant. I nodded drowsily, unaware of what was really going on or where I really was.

     This was Haden's lair. As long as he kept the lotus flowers coming, there was no way I was ever leaving whether I had a choice or not.
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{ edited }

A/N: The lotus flowers were inspired by the Percy Jackson books/movies :) I remembered that eating lotus flowers would leave a person in a trance-like state of mind (correct me if I'm wrong). Since Haden is the descendants of a greek god (like Percy Jackson) it makes sense that he knows about lotus flowers!