The Mermaid-Cursed Pirate

Chapter 11

Recap:

"There's just one problem with that, lass. Pan would never let my ship leave. We have no way off Neverland without Pan's permission," he corrects.

Sirena smirks with an evil look in her eyes that leaves the captain uneasy, "Leave that to me."

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Sirena had finished packing when she turned to the captain with an uneasy look in her eyes. "There is one thing you need to do before I go, and I know you won't like it."

Hook frowns, "If you truly need me to do it, I will. What do you need, lass?"

"My plan for tricking Pan into letting you leave includes you hurting me. To be precise: you need to punch me. In the face would be preferable, but avoid the nose. Then I'll need your hook for a moment," she explains in a serious voice.

"Are you mad? I don't hit defenseless women, much less you! Doesn't the curse keep us from hurting each other, anyway?"

"Killian!" she shouts, shutting him up. "You have to do it. It's the only way Pan will let you go this soon and make him believe I want him back. To him, I'll seem as vulnerable as I was when I first came here and he'll do anything I ask to make me believe he still cares. I need you to do this. As for the curse, I'm not sure, but you have to try. I'd rather you punch me than one of your men."

After hearing her last argument, he nods. "Okay, I'll do it. But why do you need my hook?" he inquires.

"To make a few small cuts. I know how much you don't want to punch me, so I'll do the cuts. It'll help sell my story," she answers.

"And what is your story?"

"Don't worry about it. Let's get this over with," she insists. She braces herself and turns her head so her left side faces him. "Make sure to hit right on my cheekbone, and don't worry about hurting me. It has to bruise to be convincing."

He stands, hesitant, but forms a fist with his right hand. "Are you completely sure about this?" She nods in response. "Okay. I'll count to three." He gently places his knuckles on her cheek, then pulls back. "One. Two. Three!" He lands a sharp hit square on her cheek. As soon as he makes contact, he feels a harsh tug on his heart and falls to the ground in pain. "So that's what happens," he coughs. "Are you okay?" he asks from the ground.

"Let's just say you know how to pack a punch," she replies. She gingerly touches her cheek and winces. "This will do fine. Now give me your hook," she orders, holding out her hand. He detaches it from the brace and hands it to her. She turns away from him and looks back several times, making different motions. Then she digs it into her left arm and pulls it back, making a gash on the side. She turns around and repeats the process, making a cut along her jaw. Then she reaches out a hand to the captain and pulls him up. "I think that should do it. Are you okay now?"

"I'm fine now, but I'm never doing that again." He takes back his hook and jests, "You, on the other hand, need help. I think you've gone insane."

"People sometimes confuse insane with desperate. I wouldn't do this under normal circumstances, captain," she returns with a smile. She gathers her things in a hurry.

"Wait, you're leaving right now?" he questions, confused.

"The point is that I'm running away. I'm scared, I'm hurt, etcetera. These have to be pretty fresh to follow my story. I can't let them heal." She walks up to him with a look in her eyes that he can't decipher. "You'll be leaving soon. You best prepare your ship. Do whatever you can to find a mermaid, then get her to lead you to a councilwoman. She'll know what you should do. If anyone gives you any trouble, tell them what happened and that I don't have much time. They wouldn't help me before, but maybe they will now that my third curse has started."

"I'll do everything I can to help you, lass," he promises. "What's going to happen when I leave? Will it be like when I hit you?"

"I don't know, but whatever happens, you have to push on. Once you get off Neverland, any effects should fade. No matter what, you have to keep going. If I get anything out of Pan, I'll send you a message."

"How are you going to get a message to me?" Hook asks, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"I'm a mermaid, captain. I have the power to pass through realms, so I'll send a message in an enchanted bottle. It will find you one way or another," she explains with a smile. Looking out the porthole, she restates, "I have to go now, and you best get ready to leave this place."

"What if I find a cure? How do I contact you?"

She thinks for a minute, then digs through her bag, pulling out a conch shell. "We can use this. I can enchant another one and we can communicate with them when I can get away from Pan. I'll try to go swimming every day at about the same time and we can talk then. I'll only use the bottle if it's too risky to use the shell." She closes her eyes and sighs, "Now I really need to go!"

Hook nods his head, "Okay. Goodbye, lass. We'll talk soon."

"Goodbye, captain," she says with a small salute, then dives out the porthole, swimming to the shore.