Hooks at the Bottom of the Sea and Apples Rotting by a Tree

Chapter 6: The Price That Must Be Paid

The first man to see something is Chef. Evie is helping him peal potatoes and other vegetables when suddenly he stiffens up and goes quiet. He was just telling her about his favorite recipes.

"Chef? Are you okay?" Evie asks nervously.

"I-I thought I saw someone I used to know." He mumbles, he looks down at his trembling hands. Evie follows his eyes. She gets up and takes the knife out of his hand. She decides to finish the stew for him while he sits and tells her what to do. He was cutting the meat which she hates doing. She doesn't complain and she asks him unnecessary questions to keep him distracted.

She tells the Captain about and he listens. Unfortunately, he decides he will do nothing about it not yet anyways. When he doesn't take action she tells Dizzy about it. Big mistake, Dizzy doesn't voice the secret. She just has mini meltdowns when something or someone startles her. She's pretty good at keeping herself in check in front of the Captain.

The next person to see something is unfortunately Evie. She just finished taking a bath, she was drying herself off when she sees Snow White. A very dead Snow White. She's in a white dress covered in blood. Her throat has been slit and there's a hole in her chest where here heart should be. Evie wraps the towel around herself and gets ready to run.

"I hate you!" Snow White says with venom Evie didn't know Snow had in her.

"Go away." Evie's voice trembles.

Snow White screams and charges at her. Evie runs trying not to trip on the water she's dripping. She cries out when she looks behind her and stills sees Snow still chasing her. She slams into a wall and cries out again. Suddenly someone's hands are around her, she lets out a chocked sob. She thinks she's going to die.

"Nightshade."

Evie stills that's not Snow White's voice. It's her mother's. Evie's eyes snap open and she looks up to see her mother. Her face is pale and lifeless, her dead eyes are looking at Evie with so much hatred Evie has to look away.

"Mother? Forgive me mother-" Evie can barely speak, she's a trembling mess.

"You stupid girl!" Her mother screams in anger. "You never listen-"

"Nightshade." Evie freezes that's someone else's voice. She opens her eyes and her mother is gone. In her place is Captain Hook. He looks concerned and he calls her name again to get her attention.

"I'm tired, I'm going to bed." She say and yanks herself away from him. He tires to stop her but she practically runs away from him.

The next day Evie and Dizzy are informed that a crew member committed suicide. Captain Hook announces that the shell will be throw in the deepest part of ocean they could find. Keeping the shell is no longer an option. The shell can never leave the ocean so it can't be stored it in the Captain vault. Unfortunately, they won't make it to the deepest part of the ocean anytime soon. They set off immediately and their journey will be one week to get there and another to get back.

During that time Dizzy and Evie try to always stay together to avoid seeing anyone or anything unpleasant. Apparently Dizzy had been seeing things not people. Monstrous creatures on the ship and in the sea as they sailed. One monster looked like a clown and had lobster claws as hands. He would giggle and follow her around. He was the most common one she saw. The others where usually in specific places. She couldn't go into the kitchen anymore. The octopus with a human head scared her too much. It would hang from the celling and watch everyone who entered at least while Dizzy was around.

Evie couldn't bare to listen anymore it was so disturbing. She would of course, for Dizzy. She shouldn't suffer alone, Evie wouldn't allow it. So Evie put on her bravest face and told Dizzy to continue. Turns out Dizzy saw a lot of monsters, all around when she was alone and sometimes with other people around. More than Evie had thought possible.

When they arrived at the location, Captain Hook hosts a ceremony type of evening to say goodbye the the shell in a respectful manner. Evie is glad he finally saw reason. Watching him drop the shell into the water was so satisfying Evie sighed. Dizzy tells Evie the monsters are gone. They are gone except one, the clown with lobster hands still follows her around. Unfortunately, now he never goes away, always there watching them.