'Once upon a time... who came up with that? 'Once upon a time' is the tell-tale sign that everything in the story will end up alright. This is not a Once Upon a Time kind of story. You cannot depend on everything going right all the time. And you certainly can't depend on it now. Things only end happily ever after in those stories. Not for me.
The day was gloomy and cold in Neverland. The bright blue sky had faded to a bleak grey and the usually calm, clear waters turned violent and inky. The day's mood fit the fact that Captain Hook was finally about to defeat Peter Pan and his lost boys.' I write, tears streaming down my cheeks. 'And me.' I write, then cross it out. I need to get yesterday out of my mind. I need to get Peter out of my mind. I sigh. Peter. No. I can't do this now. If I fall apart now, I'll never tell the story. It'll disappear just like all the fairy tales lost in the midst of revolutionary stories like Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.
This is no fairy tale. I think. I rock back and forth in the flimsy rocking chair and hold onto the small table in front of me so I don't tip over. The ship is rocking and I start to get a little queasy. I continue to write to distract myself.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'I'm tied to the mast of the ship as I watch the sword fight ensue. Watching Michael and John have to defend themselves reminds me of when we used to fight with toy swords in our bedroom. I never thought those skills would ever be useful to them in real life. Thinking about home makes me think of Mother and Father. Do they miss us? Do they even realize we're gone? I miss them. I miss the warmth of my mother's embrace, even if it was only ever for a short period of time. The smell of cigars and hard work from my father when he came home. At least when I was with them I knew that if the fairy dust failed, someone would be there to catch me. A safety net. But as I watched pirates fight against the children of Neverland, I knew there was no more safety nets for any of us.
Swords fly out of the hands of lost boys, barely missing me as I struggle against my restraints. I shut my eyes tight, trying to force the ropes to snap. But then I hear it. The wail. I recognize the voice immediately and my eyes snap open with such force it hurts. It's Peter. He's on the very front edge of the ship, eyes wide and panicked. His breath is coming in short gasps. He knows. He knows he's been beat. Captain Hook is too close to him for comfort, and Peter raises his chin high. Captain Hook unsheaths his sword.
"Peter!" I cry, finally breaking free of the ropes. I'm running towards him, only to be stopped by two very tall pirates who block my view of Peter and turn me the other way.
"Peter! Peter, please!" I don't know what I would've said to him. Would I have told him I loved him? I twist violently out of the pirates' grip only to find the most horrifying sight I'd ever see.
Captain Hook has his sword to Peter's neck. Peter's head is still held high.
That boy will not die. I think. Peter will never die.
"Finally got me, Hook. Are you proud?" Peter grins. I'm shaking violently and everyone on the ship is frozen, staring at the two about to duel.
Something flickers behind Hook's eyes. Almost like he realized that it was all about to be over. What is he going to do when he finally breaks the mold? What happens when the villain finally wins? Hook hesitates. His sword is still pricking Peter's throat. I start to see tears form in Peter's eyes. He looks at me. His eyes look wonderful in the overcast. A bright light against the darkness. He gives me a wink and I shake my head.
"No... no. Peter, no!" But I'm too late. In one swift motion, Hook jerks his sword through Peter's throat, and back out. Peter's eyes close and he falls limp off of the front of the ship. I cry out and am starting to run towards where he was when I am grabbed by pirates. Many more than before. Everything turns to a blur.
I only see parts of what is going on around me. I see Hook wiping off his sword with a small cloth. I see the lost boys running in a frenzy, trying to avoid being captured. I feel hands grabbing me and pulling me backward. I see Michael and John. Staring at me. Then, it hits me that this may be the last time I ever see Michael and John. They know this, though. They're smart boys. They always have been. I can't leave them. They need me. I need them. They are the last thing I see before I'm hauled into a small room under the ship, with nothing but a rocking chair, a small table, a stack of blank paper, and a fountain pen with ink. I try numerous times to break out, but the door is barricaded. I slide down against it, sobbing and shaking. Peter is dead. Peter is dead. Peter is dead. I'm awake the entire night, but it doesn't feel like any time has passed. When what I think is the next afternoon rolls around, I finally have the strength to get up and sit in the chair. An idea strikes me and I pick up a piece of paper from the stack. I grab the pen and dip it into the ink pot. With shaking hands, I write;
"Once upon a time... who came up with that?"
YOU ARE READING
A Bunch of Random Scenes I Wrote for My Book(s)
FantasyI'm constantly writing. But most of the time I'm not writing all the scenes in my book in the order they'll be put in in the final copy. These are just all those scenes that I've written so far, completely out of order.
