Extra Darling

BONUS CHAPTER: The First Beautiful Thing

Hey guys!! I'm so sorry for the lack of an update! I promise I'm still actively writing the story, there's just a lot going on right now and I'm really trying to make this next chapter amazing so it's taking a long time to get it done. But in the mean time, enjoy this little bonus chapter (written in an omniscient POV) that I whipped up. The next chapter will be uploaded within a few days! xxxxx

Arthur Jasper Hook was nine years old when he discovered his fascination with beautiful things. Spending his entire life at sea, Arthur was no stranger to a bounty. His father, a captain on a grand vessel called the Jolly Roger, brought back treasure from every voyage they sailed on together. But it wasn't until him and his father returned from a far away place called Neverland that Arthur truly realized beauty.

The voyage to Neverland was the most brutal that Arthur had endured. The ship faced terrible storms, a wall of waves that nearly swallowed them whole, and deadly creatures in the water before they got anywhere remotely near the mysterious island. Arthur's father had instructed him to stay below deck until they had outrun the storms, but even then he could still feel the roil of the wood beneath his feet and the quaking of the glass on the large windowpanes. When the sea was calm again, and Arthur mustered the courage to climb above deck, what he saw before him took his breath away.

The clear blue water gave way to an island unlike anything Arthur had ever seen. The white sandy beaches were lined with bright green palm trees and a jungle vast beyond imagination lay behind it. Mountains peaked above the purple and pink clouds that hung low in the shimmering aqua sky, and it seemed as if a rainbow stretched over the entirety of the island. Colorful birds took flight from deep in the jungles and fluttered around the island, creating a dazzling display. Arthur could scarcely believe his eyes. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a place like this existed.

For the first time in his life, he had a real reason to mutter the word, "Beautiful."

To Arthur's dismay, his father would not allow him to venture ashore. He was forced to sit on deck, begrudgingly, as his father and some men rowed to shore. They were gone for two days -- two of the most painstaking days of Arthur's life -- and when they returned, his father was glowing with pride.

Three giant chests full of treasure were hauled aboard. Three chests over flowing with gold, and rubies, and diamonds, and gems that Arthur had never seen. The Captain beamed as he displayed the treasure for his crew to see. Arthur was thrilled at the sight of so much new treasure, but saddened that he was not able to step on the incredible shores of Neverland.

Before Arthur had the opportunity to ask, the Jolly Roger had cast anchor and set sail for a port in London. The Captain behaved oddly on the journey back, forgetting to discuss with Arthur the details of the venture, as he usually did. All he seemed to focus his mind on was reaching this port in London. For what reason, young Arthur did not know, but it dimmed his spirits even more to realize that he would never again see the pristine shores of Neverland.

That night, while the crew slept and his father babbled on in his cabin about a creature that could fly, Arthur snuck down into the hull of the ship. He was, after all, a pirate. An inexperienced one, but a pirate nonetheless. With shaking hands, Arthur unlatched one of the chests and pulled open the cover, revealing the shimmering treasure he had briefly set his eyes on earlier. He dug his fingers through the sparkling gold, closing his eyes and imagining the wondrous place his father could have procured the bounty.

When he opened his eyes again, they settled immediately on a thick golden ring with a black gem embalmed in the center. In only the glow of a lantern, Arthur could not see the true extent of the ring, but it was enough for him. He set the ring on his thumb and held it out, admiring it, and vowing that so long as he held the ring in his hand, he would never forget the place that stole his heart. The very first thing he had ever called beautiful.