Mere Phantasy Page 8

  I curled into a ball and hoped it would all be over soon, trying my hardest not to die of hypothermia. Why had they saved me? What was I going to do? I hadn’t even believed pirates like this existed a day ago, and now look where I was.

  Then again, I hadn’t believed any of this had existed a day ago.

  As I clutched my necklace, I began to cry. Everything was finally getting to me, and being alone, trapped, and freezing cold definitely took its toll. From Peter’s little magic stunt with my locket to the two monsters attacking us, falling into a mirror, waking up in a world they claimed to be Neverland, and then almost drowning… I was utterly exhausted. But how did one sleep after experiencing such things, let alone being forced back into my nightmares? Though I’d slept soundlessly for the first time in years the night before, that didn’t mean I was cured.

  Why had Peter retrieved my locket? I’d thrown it in the river for a reason, and now it hung freely around my neck but was a heavy weight on my chest, and I wished I could take it off again, see how he liked trying to find it in a foreign ocean. But there was also some part of me latching onto it desperately, scared if I discarded it again, I might never have the taste of familiar safety it offered. A necklace couldn’t save someone, I knew, but at least it helped me feel somewhat better.

  Between the monsters, the weird coincidences, and everything Peter had introduced me to in the past twenty-four hours, I hadn’t stopped to really take it all in. But it was hitting me full force now, whether I liked it or not, and all I could manage to do was cry. Terror pulled at every one of my nerves, but I was too beyond cold to even shiver anymore. I was freezing, starving, dehydrated, and past ready to go home.

  But no rescuers came for me.

  At least none I actually wanted to see.

  After an hour or so, though it seemed like forever, a short, hairy man yanked open the corridor door and limped down the stairs. I sat up as he unlocked the cell, stepping into the little bit of light there was. I could smell him before he moved closer; he reeked of liquor.

  “The cap’n wishes to see ye.” He hiccupped and then stared at the wall, I guess steadying himself. Then he made his way out of the cell, limping still.

  At first, I followed unwillingly, wiping the evidence of tears from my eyes, and then I felt a wave of relief upon setting foot outside the ship’s belly. My stomach didn’t really favor the rocking motion, but I was plenty happy to be out of that dank prison. I breathed in the fresh sea air and let it flow over and through me while trying to calm my nerves. I was going to be okay—at least I thought I was. There had to be at least a few sensible, compassionate bones in Hook’s body.

  Right?

  My one moment of peace vanished as I began to hear the clop, creak of boots on the vessel’s deck, familiar steps. I stared at my feet and waited. I could only hear the waves crashing against the ship’s flanks in tune to the ragged nervousness taking over my heart.

  Then a breath, hot and sticky, fanned over my neck. “Hello, Lacey.”

  This time, I was face to face with the nightmare that had overtaken so many nights of my life. I could remember every one of them. It was a fear that always lingered in the back of my mind and, until now, I’d completely forgotten in my struggle. The evil and vile Captain James Hook’s old and wrinkled face loomed near mine, his eyes red just like the terrifying man in my dreams. As his large hooked nose brushed my cheek, it took absolutely everything in me to hold back the piercing wail threatening to break past my teeth.

  My nightmare was coming to life before my very eyes, and this time, there was no waking up.

  Without a word, I ran to the other side of the ship in the vain hope of jumping and swimming back to shore, only to be confronted by a group of pirates circling me. Hook’s raucous voice echoed my ears again, his men closing in and ignoring my protests.

  “Get her!” Hook barked at his crew. His voice held a tone that wasn’t like the others.

  Being surrounded panicked me more and more as they inched closer. Forget personal space, because pirate scum had long contaminated it to nothing. Hook’s terrorizing eyes and grotesque smile flooded my system like the ocean’s water had my lungs. Without a moment’s hesitation, I gave in to what he asked and broke down, falling to my knees and speaking into my hands. I already knew I’d never be able to beat him.

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Please, j-just don’t hurt me,” I mumbled through my fingers.

  A few seconds passed, full of the crew’s laughter, before the circle of buccaneers backed away.

  “Ah, there’s no need to beg, my dear,” crooned Hook. “But I do hope you cut this ‘woe is me’ act. For now, you are a guest on my ship. But the minute you try and run…” Hook’s eyes flashed, but that was soon covered by a conniving smile, making my skin crawl from the reality of my hopeless situation. “Why don’t you follow me into my quarters?” A shaky hand pressed onto my back, and I got up as I was told, too scared to do otherwise. I followed without reply, my entire body boiling with terror.

  In the captain’s cabin, the large wooden doors slammed shut behind me. I was thankful to be out from under the devious gazes of those monsters outside, but the smell of Hook’s cabin sent my heart into a craze. I could feel it; I wasn’t safe anywhere on this ship.

  Inside the velvet-saturated room stood Cherokee wooden pillars, large windows leading out into the back of the hull and the ocean beyond. Lanterns cast eerie lights that swayed with the ship’s movement, and vintage artifacts from who even knows when adorned every space available. Off to the side of his office area sat a majestic, Victorian-style bed with furniture to match. Hard wooden flooring unlike the decaying planks outside ran underfoot, and I tried not to stare at the weird, floating objects placed in jars lining one of his many shelves. The consuming red theme of his room matched the blood in his eyes. I didn’t know if my heart could take the turmoil anymore.

  Methodically, Hook ushered for me to find a seat, but I stood stiff as a board and watched him sit behind his large mahogany desk across from me.

  “Why am I here?” My voice was surprisingly strong, but I could feel tears welling up as my body trembled.

  Calmly, the captain lit a cigar he’d retrieved from his desk, hesitating before taking a drag to offer me one. I couldn’t even manage to put my disgust into words, only shaking my head. Shrugging, Hook leaned back in his chair silently and regarded me with those terrifying eyes. The silence was more startling than when he spoke, and I had to look to the floor in order to maintain my composure.

  After a minute or two, my nightmare leaned forward to pat the ash from his death stick into a real human skull ashtray. At least, I could easily assume it was real.

  “Why are you here?” he echoed, considering the question as he took another drag in his squeaky chair. “Now, that is a very good question.” He growled, “Why oh why did I find you falling into my ocean in my world? Hmm?”

  “I-I—” I didn’t know why I even tried to answer that question.

  Hook just interrupted me.

  “Why oh why…?” He twirled the skull ash tray while his cigar flopped between his chapped lips. “Are you here?” he hissed lowly, the sound reverberating in my chest like a disease.

  “P-Peter—”

  This was evidently the very wrong name to bring up.

  Suddenly, the captain slammed his hook on the desk, making my soul jump about five feet above my body. Hook’s fiery, rage-filled eyes jumped to me, his tongue pressing into his teeth so hard I thought the vein in his forehead might burst. “Peter,” he seethed, slowly rising from his chair and igniting new panic inside me. “That blasted fiend.” His one fist clenched, showing an array of ruby-red jewels decorating his gnarled fingers. Whirling to me, Hook shoved his hook in my direction. “He brought you back. Why?”

  Completely flabbergasted, I opened my mouth to answer, but only throaty noises escaped.

  Hook reeled toward me, stomping around his desk and spitting into my face. “Answer
me!” He threatened.

  Tears started to well in my eyes. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about! He kidnapped me a-and—”

  Grabbing the front of my shirt in order to bring me closer to his face, the rancid stench of blood wafted from every one of his pores. Eyes pulled in evil slits, the captain bared his teeth. “Do not play games with me, daughter of Rose. I am more than willing to let my crew have their way with you if you do not give me answers.”

  His breath fanning over my face threatened to petrify me into silence, but thankfully, I was able to manage, “I-I’m not playing any games. I don’t understand anything you’re saying.”

  Hook went to open his mouth and yell at me again but stopped midsentence and pondered my words. As realization came over him, a throaty laugh began to bubble from deep within his rotten core. “O-o-oh my,” he sang, grinning madly before shoving me away from him.

  Thankfully, I grabbed onto something before I fell flat on my butt in panic, but when I looked down to see what it was, I realized it was a human body’s hand. Yelping, I jerked away hurriedly just before the entire body slithered out of the open closet and flopped onto the floor. Bile rose into my throat, and if not for me covering my mouth with my hand, I might not have been able to swallow it back down.

  The man was gray and definitely dead, sending another disgusting aroma of decaying flesh into the air that had my stomach tumbling. I closed my eyes and tried to contain the scream that began to manifest, not daring to look or smell or even move.

  The captain hadn’t even noticed my finding as I looked over at him teetering with glee and then rushing to pick out a book from his desk. Finally seeing the dead guy, Hook flapped his hand indifferently. “Haven’t found time to throw him overboard yet. Ah-ha!” He moved along, pressing his yellow nail onto a page. “Here we are. Yes.” He chuckled lowly, sending a river of prickling unease over my skin. “This is delicious, just wonderful!” Slamming the book shut, Hook grinned excitedly at me.

  “A-are you going to let me go now?” I asked stupidly.

  “Oh, don’t flatter yourself. You’re my pawn, Lacey. I’ve decided you shall either work for me or be killed instantly. Do I make that clear?” he demanded, the low volume of his voice making my throat itch.

  I raised my head this time and looked at him, confused. “You mean, like, walk a plank…?”

  “Do you really think that old fool of a storyteller would write a children’s story about pirates that killed people? Of course not. The Mainland children are just too delicate for such a thing.” He clapped his hands. “Miss Rose, we do not make our uncooperative captives walk a silly plank.” He continued before I could take a breath of relief. “We have a duel! To the death, of course.” My nails dug into my palms at his words. Again, he spoke. “And truly, if we set our minds to it, those opponents… never win.” Giggling happily, he flapped his cracked, ringed hands like a giddy little girl.

  “You know me? How? Why am I important?”

  Hook glared at me through his crusty bangs, making it almost impossible to avoid his gaze. “You, my dear, are my one link to Pan.” His laugh made me cringe inwardly.

  “But I’m not important to him. I don’t even know why he brought me here! He just came into my life one day a-and just… took me. Please,” I begged. “You have to let me go!” The words tumbled from my mouth.

  Hook frowned and waved his hand to dismiss me. “Stop flapping those lips, dear. You won’t get yourself anywhere with me. I have my plans; you are part of them. That’s the end of this.”

  My whole body shook. What was he going to do with me? Slit my throat? Hang me by my toes? Drown me in the ocean? Again? Whatever “plans” he had in mind, I felt horribly uneasy and terrified of the outcome. First, he’d haunted my dreams. Now he was crushing them.

  “B-but I… I haven’t done anything wrong!” My super intuition told me my pleading wouldn’t get me anywhere, but I at least had to try.

  “You’re of no use to me besides being glorious bait. We’ll see how long it takes for Peter to figure out you’re missing.”

  No, I thought. Peter must’ve been angry with me. I’d run away from him, which meant he’d never come for me now. And I didn’t know if I even wanted to see him anyway.

  “You don’t understand,” I protested. I thought of begging on my knees for his forgiveness, anything to change his mind. Anything to stop him from using me like this, taking me back down below deck.

  He slammed his ridged hook on the desk, sending a wine glass shattering to the floor. A few shards grazed my skin as I tried to lean away from him. “I do not have to understand! I am the captain. I’m seeking revenge, and you’re going to bring me the one thing I need to achieve it!” he spat.

  My fate was finally clear. I was going to rot away in that awful cell, waiting for the day Peter would swoop in to rescue me or, more likely, when I died, like the poor man slumped next to me.

  My bottom lip trembled. “Please, he won’t come for me. He’s mad at me. I’m not worth it. I promise. You’ll just be wasting your time.”

  Hook swept the last pieces of glass off his desk and onto the floor with his good hand. I saw dribbles of blood coming from small cuts on his palm as he raised his hook to take out a hanky, as if he didn’t feel any pain. As though he enjoyed it. And that of all things made my heart slip into my throat while he lazily scrubbed the cuts.

  “I’m not foolish. I know everything about you and your ancestors.” He snorted a laugh. His eyes were black holes searing into mine. “We’ve met before, my dear.”

  Ten

  “Y––you know about my dreams, too?” I swallowed, taken aback by what he said.

  “You were a fat little girl then. Much smaller than you are now.” He raised an eyebrow, knowingly ignoring my question. Hook frowned lightly. “You were more of a believer then.”

  “A believer in what?” I questioned a little too fast. What he was saying sounded familiar. Hadn’t Peter berated me about the same thing?

  “In Neverland—in all the magic it’s made from.” He batted his eyes at me, pouting his lips. “In Peter Pan himself.” He mocked a baby’s tone.

  Believing in Neverland? In Peter Pan? All right, the joke was real hilarious, but the Punk’d team could come out now. Ashton? You’re one funny guy, really. But I’m really through with all of this and would just like to go home, thank you.

  The crew didn’t come out, though. And maybe I was still in one of my dreams, but for some reason, I was beginning to think this was sickeningly real.

  It came to me that Hook’s British accent indicated he was much more educated than the rest of the crew. I’d heard them slurring and swearing above me through the ceiling of my cell. At least Hook had some inkling of manners about him. But I was beginning to think I actually preferred the crudeness of the crew—from a ways away. Anything was better than being face to face with Hook right now.

  I shook my head, staring down at my trembling fingers placed in my lap. “I-I don’t remember that.”

  Hook licked his lips and slipped his dirtied hanky into his shirt collar like a gentleman would. “Once you stop believing, you can actually convince your little inadequate brain to forget all about Neverland. It’s part of growing up and why Peter never wants to. He’s the king here. He can do whatever he pleases. But the real question is… why would he want to go back to a place like the Mainland? You kids are raised in school, taught to go to a university, obtain a providing job, and then maybe have a family there. And then you die, all alone.” His eyes flashed at the mention of the term. I pressed my lips together as he added, studying me, “So what in God’s name made you want to go back there? And him to bring you back after you made the decision? Very intriguing thought, isn’t it?”

  Had I grown up so fast that I’d blocked all memories of Neverland from my mind? No, that was crazy. Neverland wasn’t real; none of this was. I was lost in the false realm of my imagination, living out the nightmares so vividly it felt real.
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  Right?

  But something about Hook’s words lifted my stomach with excitement. Magic, I could feel it all around me again. It was beginning to come in waves, washing over me when things were brought to my attention or I was around Peter. My mind felt clearer when this feeling was around and my heart was calm. Why? Why, if this place didn’t exist, did it feel so real?

  Maybe it was true, since I clearly didn’t remember, as Hook said. Maybe he was right.

  I wanted to answer him with, To get away from kidnapping pedophiles like you. But as I was about to speak again, Hook interrupted.

  “There must be something important about you if Pan went all the way to the Mainland to bring you here. And I plan to find out just what that something is.” He shook his head with a knowing smile, making me tense up uncomfortably. “I learned a few years ago that even if mortals grow up and leave Neverland, they can always be forced to come back. If they willingly want to be here, they still have to believe. But there’s no rule against kidnapping them to come back against their will. Peter must’ve realized that, too.”

  My face felt hot. “B-but that’s… impossible. I’ve never been here before.”

  The captain’s face lit up with joy, and he had a skip in his step as he walked around his desk to stand before me again, the tip of his boot making the dead man from earlier shift over the wood floor. “Ah! But nothing is impossible in Neverland, my dear. And above everyone here, you would know that.”

  I watched him as evenly as I could. “Peter said…”

  There was no other emotion on his face besides pure pleasure. “Peter must know something is coming. Something is dying as well, but something is also coming.” Distantly, the pirate stared out into the sea from his window, rubbing his crooked jaw. “I’ll begin the lookout for Peter, knowing the heroic game he loves to play.” Hook laughed. “And while we wait, I wouldn’t even think about trying to escape. We’re too far from the beach to swim there without sinking to your death.”

  I stood in fear just as two pirate guards immediately entered, prepared to stop me if I planned on running. My head pounded as I struggled against their grip on my arms, now being carried out of the cabin despite the lack of answers and even more questions the captain had fostered in my mind.