Chapter 2: A Deal with the Devil

Captain James Hook and Michael speak after more than ten years...

 

 Michael struggles to move as the menacing pirate holds him firmly against the wall with his forearm pressing against Michael’s throat. An unrelenting rage fills Michael as his childhood enemy freely roams around his room in a whimsical manner. Hooks strolls around the room, hands held behind his back, looking at the different fixtures in the room.

“My god, so this is where it all happened,” he says, laughing in amazement. “This here is the bed of young Michael and John,” he says, pausing as he tries to put two and two together.  “Then, this must be the bed of Miss Wendy,” he says pointing and walking over to Wendy’s bed with a crooked smile on his face. Hook laughs out loud saying, “Oh how I wish I would have brought Smee along to see this.” Hook walks back around the room and spots the pictures on the floor next to Michael’s feet. Scratching his beard with his hook, he makes his way to pick them up.

As he gets closer to Michael, he struggles to get free, trying to attack Hook. However, Hook pays little attention to him as the pirate knees Michael in the stomach, forcing him back against the wall. As he rises, Hook gives Michael a threatening glare and he slowly approaches him. With one quick thrust of his hand, Hook grabs the golden dagger next to Michael’s face. Sliding the cold, metal blade against Michael’s nervous face, he puts a smile on his face. “Now now Michael we’re all ADULTS here aren’t we? There’s no need for all these unpleasantries,” he says, walking to the bed as the pirate drops Michael on the floor. Michael gasps for air on the ground while Hook looks at both of the pictures, sitting comfortably on the bed.

“My my, what a beautiful picture,” he says sarcastically, looking at the Former Lost Boys. “I suppose they’ve all moved on with their lives…good for them.” He then quickly looks to Michael with amazement, “Who is this dashing young man? If I didn’t know any better, I would swear on my last gold coin that this is John Darling; am I right?” he asks, holding the picture out to Michael with a careless smile. Michael stares angrily at him as the pirate kicks him in the stomach. He bends over in pain, holding his stomach and nods reluctantly in agreement.

“My god, how time flies in this world; never ceases to amaze me.  Where might I ask is Young John now?” he asks, crossing his legs nonchalantly as he places the picture back on the dresser.

Michael lies on the floor with a blank look on his face. “Died…in the war,” he replies as Hook’s face gets serious.

Hook rises and walks over to the zoned out Michael. “Michael my boy, I truly am sorry. However, this brings me to the reason I’m here,” he says bending down, offering Michael a hand.

Michael refuses his hand and rises up on his own. Hook stands and smiles next to his pirate with folded hands and scowl on his face. Michael looks back to the entrance of the room, remembering that his mother’s often home by this time.

“Don’t worry about your mother, she won’t be bothering us,” says Hook as Michael turns around, staring at him intensely.

“What have you done to my mother?” he shouts as the pirate pulls out his blade in defense.

Hook grabs the pirate by the shoulder, giving him the signal to relax. “Calm down Michael, she’s safe and sleeps as peaceful as a child. One of my men sprinkled a special mixture of fairy dust that puts even the biggest man to sleep within a few seconds.”

Michael’s face slightly relaxes yet remains firm, alert, and fixed on the two.

“I’m going to keep this short since we don’t know how long these fairies can keep supplying my ship with fairy dust. You see, they don’t last long when being tortured,” he says, examining his hook.

“What do you want, Hook,” Michael asks.

Hook looks at the pirate and nods for him to leave. The pirate looks back at Michael, maintaining his scowl, unfolds his arms, and walks toward the open window. He hops up on the window, waving someone down. Michael looks as a rope falls from the sky along with a golden light with fairy dust descending. He grabs hold of the rope and effortlessly pulls himself up out of the house. Hook turns and looks at Michael seriously.

“The question, Michael, is: what do you want?” he says as Michael becomes confused. “I’ve been watching you for quite some time now,” he says, circling Michael. “While everyone else moved on with their lives, you stayed connected to Neverland. Every fiber within your tortured soul cried out during those cold and lonely nights; so loud that all of us, including ‘you know who’ could hear. Yet years went by and the selfish little boy you once called your friend, never thought twice about returning for you,” Hook says, walking to the window. “Why even your sister, who was in love with the boy, fell prey to his eternal cruelty of forgetfulness.”

Michael’s looks at Hook, shocked at what was said. “Wendy?”

“Oh, yes Michael…your sister. She sits right here where I stand now, every year on the first day of spring, waiting for a boy who promised to comeback for her. Like you, she is a victim of that foolish child.”

“You’re lying,” he says with wide eyes. “If that’s true, you must have done something to him. You must be holding him somewhere!” he shouts.

Hook turns around and gives Michael a foolish look. “Oh come now, my boy. Even you don’t believe what you’ve just said.” He walks closer to Michael who is now frozen with disbelief. “In fact, the word around Neverland is that He never wanted to bring you or your brother to Neverland; to him you and John were just extra baggage.”

“Lies!” Michael screams as streams of tears run down his face.

Hook laughs and says, “Why tell lies, when the truth is so much more fun.”

Michael looks down, trying to hold back the stream of tears with his fists balled up tight. He sees the puppy cowering under the bed, not making a sound. “What do you want from me? Did you come here just to make fun of me?”

Hook walks over to Wendy’s bed and sits down as Maxi jumps back farther underneath the bed, started by his black boots. “Michael, truly I say to you, it brings no joy see the pain you’ve endured in your life.”

Michael scoffs.

“Really, I speak the truth young Michael. When I think of how many people have suffered from his actions…”

“What do you want?” he says again in a commanding voice.

Hook smiles, “Good form. Straight to the point; how very ‘grown up’ of you,” he says, standing up. “I hear you’ve been writing a book.”

Michael looks at him cautiously, “…I write many books,” he replies as Hook walks even closer to him.

Hook stares him directly in the eyes, not more than two feet away. “This book has special meaning to all in Neverland,” he says hinting to something.

“I’ll never let you have it,” says Michael with a strong resolve.

“I wouldn’t think of it,” Hook replies, walking to the balcony window. “Besides, I know you have yet to finish it.” He reaches out the window, waving down the ship. He turns around as the rope falls down behind him. “I have come to make a deal with you, Michael.”

“You want my book.” He says.

“Not quiet. I want you to give you the chance to finish your book. Here in this dreadful world, your imagination is chained down like a wild beast, but in Neverland, it will be free to soar to the ends of the universe.”

“You…want me to become a pirate?” Michael says, with a mocking look.

“Well, you’re a little past the height requirement to be a Lost Boy, don’t you think?” he replies as Michael hangs his head down. “Michael, I don’t have to tell you that this is a chance of a lifetime. I’m not going to lie to you; I do have other motives of my own.”

“Well that’s a given,” Michael says.

“Look, we are both men, so I’ll not speak to you as a child. We both know you don’t fit in this world. Your place is with us in Neverland.”

“Will I ever be able to return?”

“Well of course my boy, how else would you be able to bring you family with you. But before this is done, we must bring order to Neverland.”

“Order?”

“Yes, order. Neverland is not exactly what you remember as a child,” says Hook with a concerned look.

“What do you mean?”

“Come and see for yourself.”

Michael stands around, thinking. He pictures his mother, washing dishes in a lonely house, Wendy and the look she gave him as his cab drove away, and finally, John. “I want to see for myself,” he says to Hook.

Hook smiles and backs up giving Michael access to the rope, hanging from a radiant light. He walks up and grabs it, still unsure about the situation.

“It’s alright my boy, everything’s going to be alright. You’re finally going home…where you belong,” Hook says softly, patting Michael’s shoulder.

Michael notices the fairy dust dancing from the rope onto his body and then looks back at Hook. “I don’t have many ‘happy thoughts’ to pull from anymore,” he says, as Hook laughs.

“A trait shared by all adults; one that will soon be corrected,” he says, lifting up Michael easily with one hand as he glides up the rope. As Hook climbs out the window, a gold coin falls out his pouch. Before the coin could the ground, Maxi catches it in his mouth and runs underneath another bed. Hook turns around, thinking he heard something. After a few moments he forgets it and exits the room quietly as they sail off into the night sky.

End of chapter 2

Reviews

[Tanece Brooks]

I feel an epic adventure coming on. You have hooked me. I can't wait until you post the next chapter.

Oh, and the only mistake I found was when you wrote "Not quiet" its suppose to be "Not quite." Just thought I'll tell you.

Anyway, keep up the good work, your story is very captivating.

[The Fatal Lover]

Poor poor Michael. He use to be such a good boy. I wonder now what will happen. And what neverland is like. Can't wait to read the next chapter. Great job. =)

Essentia

[James Watts]

Nice take on Peter Pan. I have always liked that tale. My only true is those -ly's, but other than that this was a well written piece and had the darker side of the tale we (I) have been waiting on.

[Dutch Jr.]

A nice chapter. I like the pace you open up with. Ready for some more of this.

[Zeitgeist Manifesto]

cool chapter. This is going to be a great adventure.
so far you have not left us wanting.