Peter's P.O.V.
I am going to make Hook PAY. For everything. EVERYTHING. For ever hurting the Boys, me, and ESPECIALLY Addie. When I'm done with him--
"Then what, Peter?" Jaz asks. He and every single warrior in the tribe were staring at my intensely, absorbing every little thing I said.
My mind was racing through all the possible ways we could overthrow Hook. But I kept getting distracted by my thoughts of Addie. So far we had figured out how we were going to get to the ship without being noticed. We, with the help of the mermaids, were going to eat this special sea weed that allows us to breathe under water and walk the lagoon floor to the ship. I would make my grand appearance, and the rest of the tribe would be ready to attack. From there, we still needed a plan.
I stand up and stretch. the sunlight peeking into the partially open door of the tee pee tells me we've been up all night. "Why don't we all rest, and come back to this in a few hours? This won't happen anytime soon." I smile half heartedly at the many faces before me. They all nod in agreement and groggily file out of the tent. Once the last warrior leaves and I'm alone with Jaz, Zee and Aanadi, I once again sink to the floor and lay on my stomach, closing my eyes. They lay beside me, just as we did when we were kids, and we all sigh together.
After a few minutes I open my eyes. "I'm going for a walk." I push myself into a sitting position and run my hands through my hair.
"Peter, you haven't slept--" Aanadi starts but I hold up my hand.
"I'm fine." I smile reassuringly. "I need to go talk to Mickey and Lissie about the sea weed. And I need to see the Boys."
They all smile knowingly at me and their eyes tell me to go. I smile gratefully back at them and run out of the tent. Without a second thought I leap into the air and head straight for the beach.
They see me before I see them.
"Peter!" Lissie and Mickey's voices call out from below. I look down and see them waving at me as they swim toward the beach. They reach the shore just as my feet touch the sand.
"Hey you two." I greet them. I try to produce a smile but it doesn't work very well. I walk to the edge of the water and kneel down so they could pull me in for a hug.
"We've been so worried!" Mickey says as she squeezes me.
"Where have you been?" Lissie looks at me concerned, but there was a hint of annoyance in her eyes.
"What?" I looked at her confused. I hadn't said anything to offend her.
"You know Addie took on Hook, right?" She said, her face going softer.
I hang my head. "I know."
"We saw the whole thing, she's truly amazing. Hook never had a chance." Mickey runs her hand up and down on my arm.
"Where is Addie anyways? Have you seen her? She told us you two.. you know... had a fight." Lissie scooted closer to me.
"Addie's gone." I look up at the sky. "She left a couple days ago."
"What?" They say in unison.
My head sinks even further and I avoid their eyes.
"Did you...?" Mickey said quietly.
"No." I say quietly. "No I didn't get to say goodbye. I just came back to life yesterday and the tribe told me what went down."
"You're alive now?!" Lissie tackles me in another hug. She and Mickey smile brightly and let out shrieks of joy. Although I had a lot on my mind, I smile with them. It felt so good not to hide anymore.
"Yeah, I am." I beam and wrap my arms tightly around them.
They calm down a few minutes later and we just sit there smiling at each other. But then I remember why I came and my smile fades. I feel my face tense up, my eyes narrow, and I know I'm turning red from anger. Anger I've been holding in for months. Anger at myself for playing dead, and anger at Hook for causing all of this.
They notice my mood change. "What is it, Peter?" Mickey asks looking around. They both tense up and go completely silent. Their heads snap in every direction, looking for something that could've made me go so cold.
"We're attacking the Jolly Rodger." I say firmly.
They both breathe a sigh of relief that there's no immediate threat, but then they sit still, letting what I said sink in. Suddenly their faces brighten up with fierce determination.
"What can we do?" Lissie says leaning closer to me.
"Well, we want to get to the ship unnoticed." I begin.
"Uh huh...." Lissie nods for me to continue.
"And we figure the best way is underwater--"
Splash.
I turn my head and Mickey is gone. I look back at Lissie and she looks as confused as I am. Two minutes later Mickey emerges with a handful of the sea weed we need and a knowing grin on her face.
I grin back at her and stand up. "We're going to need a lot of that."
"How much are we saying here?" Lissie slides back into the water next to Mickey.
"Enough for the every warrior, Jaz, Zee, Aanadi and I to last from here," I point to the ground next to me. "To there." I point to the ship.
"Consider it done. But it's going to take a while to gather that much." Lissies says as they begin swimming backwards.
"This isn't going to happen overnight, but can it be done in two weeks?" I ask hopefully as I glare in the direction of the ship.
"That should be just enough time. We'll see you then." Lissie dives under water.
"Thanks guys." I smile and wave over my shoulder at Mickey before taking flight once again. I don't look back as I head for the Hideout.
"Peter's back!" Bug and Ollie call out as I land in the living room. The Boys rush out of their room and crowd around me. They all talk at once, and it's hard to understand any of them, but I can tell that every single question is about Addie.
I sigh and hold up my hand and they all stop talking at once.
"Addie's gone Boys." I say sadly.
Their mouths open, but none of them say anything. They look completely defeated, as if the entire world had just crashed on top of them. You could hear a pin drop from how quiet it was.
I sit in my chair and lean forward, one hand on my head and the other just sitting on my knee. The Boys shuffle forward and sit in front of me, waiting for me to say something.
"We will see her again, men." I look up at them. "Don't worry."
They smile sadly and nod in agreement. Dill walks up to me and reaches up. I pick him up and swing him onto my lap. He wraps his little arms around my waist, laying his head on my stomach. I clutch onto him and lay my head on top of his. I glance up at the rest of the Boys and hold out one of my arms. Teary-eyed but still smiling bravely, the Boys crowd around me. We sit there in our family group hug for a few minutes in silence.
"You know it's not safe for her to come back yet." Jaz said.
"What?" I looked up at him, I hadn't been paying attention to him.
"I know you, Pan. You want to go to her right now and fly her back here. I miss her too, but it isn't safe for her."
"I know." I sighed. I knew bringing Addie back here would only be putting her life at risk. "But I'm going to make it safe." My voice rang with fierce determination. "I'm not losing her, Jaz."
We had that conversation privately on our way back to the village after they told me about Addie. I swear he can really read my mind sometimes, because I had honestly been considering flying down to Earth and getting her, which was why I hadn't heard him at first. I was trying to figure out the best way to apologize. I was hoping she didn't hate me. But most importantly, I was trying to figure out how to find where she lived. My heart ached when I realized I didn't even know where she was back on Earth. That only made her feel most distant to me.
I pull the Boys closer to me and close my eyes.
I'm coming for you Addie. Just wait for me a little longer.
Addie's P.O.V.
Waves rocking the boat pulled me out of sleep. I struggled to stay asleep, but the cup I was given rolled around the room and hit me right in the face.
"Come on!" I groan and sit up groggily. I rub my forehead and open one eye. The amount of light coming in through the hole in the wall tells me it's early morning. I pick up the rock in my right hand and shake my head a few times. I crawl over to the wall opposite of the one with the hole, to the spot where with light hit. I carve a third tally mark into the wall.
"Three freaking days..." I say annoyed. My hands clench into fists and I slam the, both into the wall. "Damn!"
The trap door opens then and I see the silhouettes of two figures standing above me. Neither of them said anything, but I see a few objects being dropped down the hole.
I'm wide awake now. My eyes quickly darted to each item and I noticed one that looked like a cup. I jump to my feet and catch the still upright wooden cup in my hands. The other objects: a small bowl full of the gray goop and another piece of the bread, crash to the floor, but I didn't care. The trap door slammed shut and I put the cup to my lips.
My heart soars when I realized the cup was full of water. I gulped it down in seconds and tossed the cup away. My throat still burned though.
"Well, that was refreshing." I say sarcastically and roll my eyes. I bend down and pick up the pieces of the broken wooden bowl. "Ow!" I drop one of the pieces and squint in the dim light at my finger. A nice little splinter was hanging out of my skin. I pull it out and suck on my finger. My eyes go back to the small piece of wood on the floor.
"These could be useful..." I brush off the nasty goop with my hands and set the piece in a corner along with my rock I took from Hook's desk. I struggle to see in the dark as my hands search the floor for some of the rock-bread. My hands grab it and I let out a small sigh of relief. I sit against the wall and roll the bread between my fingers. The piece of bread was much smaller than yesterday's.
I take the smallest bite possible and chew slowly, wanting to save the bread as long as I can. My stomach cries out. My eyes close in frustration and I lean my head back. "Screw it." I shove the entire bread ball in my mouth and force myself to swallow it. I cough a couple times once it goes down, but thankfully it stays down.
I bring my hands to my face and wince in pain when my hand brushes my cheek.
"What the..." I touch my cheek with my finger tips and remember Hook had cut me yesterday.
"Doesn't seem to be bleeding anymore..." I say quietly.
Suddenly I'm aware of my entire body once again. My cheek is sore, my back is on fire, my shoulder is throbbing, and my head is pounding. I groan and lay on my stomach.
"I need to get out of here. I can't last forever."
I push myself to stand up again and walk over to the hole in the wall. I squint in the bright sunlight and place one eye up against it. I can barely make out the small green line of land in the distance.
"We're really far out..."
Boom. Boom.
" What now?!" I look up and try to see the trap door above me as heavy footsteps get closer. They stop right above me and the door is ripped open. A thick rope falls in front of me and hope fills me.
Am I being rescued?!
"Lower me down NOW!" My heart sinks and I back up against the wall in fear as Hook slowly descends into my prison.
"You!" He points to me and crosses the room in two steps. He grabs me by the throat and holds me up against the wall. "You and that damned Tinker Bell warned the Tribe!"
I grab his hand and try to pull him off of me, but his grip is iron. My legs kick furiously at his legs but he doesn't even blink.
"The men I sent to destroy the Tribe just returned!" He jerks me to the side and throws me on the ground. I land on my bad shoulder and cry out in pain, but he doesn't miss a beat. Hook walks over to me and I scoot away, but my back hits the wall a second later and I'm cornered.
"They tell me the warriors were waiting for them!" He spits on me when he says this. Suddenly Hook's sword is at my throat. "You ruined my chance to take over Neverland!" Without another word his sword slices my other cheek.
My hand flies to my face and I turn my head away. Hook walks to the other end of the room and hits the wall. I notice my rock and the broken pieces of bowl behind me. My eyes widen and I grab the rock, throwing it down my shirt. Once I'm sure that's secure, I grip the piece of wood in my hand and hold it behind my back.
"What's the matter, Hookie?" I say sarcastically as I slowly rise to my feet, my hand glued behind my back. I glance at the rope. I open my mouth to say more but Hook turns on his heels, rushes over to me, and backhands me across the face. I'm knocked off balance but I catch myself and use the wall for support. His hand grips my hair and he turns my head up so I'm staring into his black, soulless eyes.
I have been forced to look into those eyes many times, but there was an evilness about them this time that made my heart skip a beat, and not in a good way. They almost seemed to be glowing red around his pupils, making him look anything but human. I tightened my grip on the wood.
If this doesn't work... I'm dead.
"I swear I'm going to--" He starts.
I bring my hand up and jab the wood into his neck. His grip loosens on me and I duck under his arm. I grab the rope and begin to climb, but not fast enough. Hook's arms are around my waist in seconds and I'm thrown to the ground. Hook presses his foot hard onto my back, pinning me down.
"Smee! The chains! NOW!" Hook barks up at the trap door. Smee's wrinkled face appears and he throws down a set of iron handcuffs on a long chain. Hook kneels next to me and grabs the back of my shirt, pulling me up to my feet. I'm slammed to the wall once again and he grabs one of my wrists.
"NO!" I yank my right wrist away from him as he fastens the lock on my left.
Hook's fist meets my back, on the exact spot the dagger had been, hard. The pain is so intense I can't bring myself to scream. I'm momentarily dizzy and he quickly locks up my other wrist, leaving my hands bound behind my back.
"The nail Smee!" Hook calls with rage. The sound of heavy iron hitting the ground causes me to jump. Hook shoves me to the ground once again. He picks up a large nail and a hammer. He grabs the end of the chain connected to my hand cuffs and an evil sneer appears on his face. With a sharp tug on the chain, I'm yanked backwards so hard I'm surprised I didn't dislocate a shoulder.
I bite back another scream and Hook laughs. He kneels down and drives the nail through the last loop of the chain. The nail head was wide, and clearly was not going to slip back through the loop. A minute later, I was chained to the floor. Hook stepped back with his arms crossed as he smirked down at me.
I forced myself, with great difficulty without the use of my arms, into a standing position. The chain was just long enough for me to stand straight up, but I could only move around half of my tiny cell.
Hook let out another laugh of victory. His hand goes to his neck and he plucks the piece of wood out of his neck as if it were a tiny splinter. He throws the wood to the ground but his hand goes back to his neck. He slowly peels his hand away and I can tell there is a fair amount of blood on it.
I feel myself smile slightly at this and I spit at Hook's feet. Hook lets out a low growl that hardly seemed human and he crossed the room to me again. He pressed me against the wall, holding his hook to my throat. For a second he just stares at me emotionless, but then that cocky grin I've come to loathe returns to his filthy face. He leans in and his lips brush my ear, causing me to shiver.
"You're not like the rest of them, Mary. Wendy, Jane. They weren't as spirited as you, they never could've survived this long. It's marvelous really." He chuckles. "But you've refused to join me, therefore..." He pauses. "You will die here, Mary. We will break this spirit of yours. No matter how long it takes."
He stops again, and for a minute I believe he's simply going to walk away. No such luck. I hear him take out his sword and realize a second too late what he's doing. I begin to duck, but his hook at my throat doesn't allow me to move. The handle of his sword slams into the back of my head and instantly black spots dance across my vision. I feel his hook leave my throat and I begin to sway. I distantly hear Hook chuckle as he lets me fall limply to the floor.
I black out for a few seconds, because the next time I open my eyes Hook is being pulled through the trap door. He looks down at me for a long second with that stupid grin on his face. I gather all my strength to do the only thing I can to prove he hasn't broken me. Taking a deep breathe, I prop myself on one elbow, face my back to him, wiggle my wrists in the handcuffs, and flip him off.
He laughs heartily, sounding genuinely amused. The door slams shut, leaving me in darkness once again. I focus on the light coming from the hole, trying to stay conscious, but I'm slipping. My head falls back to the floor and the light fades slowly. My heartbeat is the only thing I can hear, and it's the last thing I hear before I pass out.
Peter's P.O.V.
The Boys and I return to the camp around noon. The mood of everyone in the camp has drastically changed. Yesterday it had been lively, full of love, joy, and celebration. Today the mood was anything but.
All of the colorful decorations were gone, the camp looking completely normal again. There was no laughter or music, only the quiet buzzing of the adults talking in low, serious voices. As the Boys and I walk through the camp, nobody rushes over to us as they all were yesterday. Not even everyone looks up from their conversations to acknowledge that we're there. Those who do only nod their heads. All of the women are nowhere to be seen, because war was mens work.
And that's exactly what this was. War. Neverland against Hook. Everywhere I looked men were strategizing. Planning. Preparing for the battle that was to come.
"Peter." Aanadi walks up behind us. Unlike the other women in the tribe, Aanadi knew how to fight. She was as skilled as any other warrior. She wasn't her chipper self today either. She was wearing her hunting clothes: a plain deer hide dress and worn moccasins. Her face wasn't as bright with happiness as usual, then again, none of us were too happy.
I nod at her once and we all turn to follow her. She leads us to her and Jaz's tent at the far end of the camp, where Jaz, Zee, and a handful of the elders are all sitting: crossed legged in a circle, discussing our options.
The Boys and I take our places and Jaz silences everyone else before giving me the look to speak.
I straighten up and make eye contact with everyone in the room.
"The time has come for something that should've been done long ago." I say in a low voice. "Hook is going to die. Neverland will finally be free."
Addie's P.O.V.
"More cookies, sweetie?" Gram calls from the kitchen.
"No thanks! I couldn't eat another bite!" I call back from the living room. "Hurry up! It's starting!"
I whistle for Chip and he comes scurrying down the stairs. I pat the spot next to me on the couch and he jumps right into my lap.
"Chip!" I laugh and grab onto his collar as he licks my face. "You fat turd get off!" I push his butt off my legs and he settles down, laying down on his side of the couch and placing his head in my lap. Grandma finally comes into the room, untying her apron and tossing it onto her rocking chair.
"Did I miss anything?" she asks as she sits in her chair.
"Nope, it's just starting." I smile and turn the volume up on the tv.
Fridays are our movie nights. Tonight we decided on Leap Year, one of our favorites.
Halfway through I can feel myself falling asleep. I nod off here and there, but Chip lets out a little whine to wake me up. Toward the end of the movie, however, I must've fallen asleep, because I can hear Gram's voice distantly telling me to wake up.
"Addie, honey wake up." He hand is on my shoulder now, gently shaking me. I open my eyes and notice the tv is black. Suddenly Gram's hand leaves my shoulder. I don't feel Chip's weight on my lap anymore. In fact, everything from the house is disappearing. The lights go out, the couch disappears from under me and I fall to the floor.
"What's going on!?" I call out, but I can tell nobody is there. That's when I know I'm dreaming. I glance at the tv, the only thing still left in the house and see something on the screen. A dirty girl, chained up in a small room. Dirty, cut up, and unconscious. I stand up and walk closer to the tv, squinting my eyes to get a better look at her.
I gasp and my hands fly over my mouth.
"That's me!"
"No!" I jolt awake, a pool of sweat surrounding me. I go to wipe my face but I can't move my hands.
"Shit..." I mutter. "Chained." I pull against my chains for a few seconds, but decide I'm not going anywhere. I sink back to my knees and look at the hole. It's nighttime. But I have no idea how long I've been unconscious. It could've been a couple hours, or judging by the puddle of blood I was laying in, it could've been a couple of days from blood loss. I had no way of knowing now.
I lowered myself into a sitting position and stared at the hole in the wall. I could literally feel myself draining. Draining of strength and hope. A few tears slid down my cheek, stinging my cut and swollen cheeks. I tried to bite back the tears, but they wouldn't stop. My body shook, my head throbbed, and my heart cracked.
I wanted so badly to believe I'd survive this, but looking at the facts, I knew deep in my heart the odds weren't in my favor. So I did something I had promised myself I'd never do aboard this ship.
I cried.