The First Believers

[Captain Hook]

No one would predict on the perfect night, with a perfect moon sitting in a perfectly dotted starlit sky, that something awful was about to happen. No one would even guess that pirate ships could fly, bearing flags marked with the signature skull and crossbones. No one would believe that a crew of cutthroats led by one of the most feared pirate captains of all time was heading toward London at this very moment! No one but children that is. The bright flash in the night sky would have looked like nothing more than a twinkling star at first to those who might have been out strolling at this late hour. But steadily an object began to form in the night sky, heading straight toward the city lit by streetlamps, and even more surprising- it was nothing rational like a space rock. No, what flew past the gigantic clock Big Ben was a pirate ship, the Jolly Roger to be precise, and on deck was none other than Captain James Hook!

The proud pirate could have frightened away the devil himself as he barked orders at his crew, as they worked in the rigging and handled the sails to steer the ship over and around buildings. The Captain held a compass in his hand and snapped it shut as the rooftop he sought came into view. The Jolly Roger was secured by tying a rope around the chimney, while five crewmembers climbed down in a boat with Hook before being lowered down, stopping on one of the top storey windows. The window had been shut, but not locked and with the point of his hook, the pirate captain lifted the latch and pushed against the bars to open it. He was the first to step through into the large room which served as nursery. Lamps above three beds sent a soft glow over the sleeping occupants inside of them. Holding up his hand, Hook gestured for the crewmembers to stay put as he walked to the furthest bed, proceeding on to the one in the middle, and finishing at the one which was closest to the window. A girl who looked like a young teenager shifted in her sleep. Hook stepped back, pressing down on a creaky floorboard which woke up the young lady. As she rubbed a hand over her eyes and yawned, a sinister smile sprang up on to Captain Hook’s face as he said,

‘Good evening, Wendy.’

[Mary Darling]

Mary Darling had not retired to bed like her children after changing into her nightgown and robe. She was now sitting comfortably beside a warm fire with all of her attention focused on her needlepoint. The sound of feet falling softly on the top floor sounded like Nana walking around, for she had left the room a few minutes ago. How was she to know that the footfalls belonged to those of a pirate and not those of her dog? The slight disturbance in her concentration was quickly forgotten until the most frightening sound a mother could hear reached every corner in the house. A high pitched scream rang out and Mary instinctively ran from her chair, the needlepoint falling clumsily to the floor, and raced out into the hall and up the stairs. In this short amount of time more sounds reached the pained woman’s ears; she could hear John shouting and Michael crying. Grabbing hold of the latch on the door, it rattled a few times, but refused to open.

“Michael?” Her voice was frantic. “Wendy! John!”

And then the woman froze. She could hear voices inside the room- there were people inside the nursery with her children!

“George!” she cried desperately. “It won’t open! Wendy, John, Michael!”

[Wendy]

Wendy sprang upright when she saw the face of Captain Hook staring at her from the foot of her bed and she immediately shuffled back until she felt her spine pressed firmly against the wall. The girl could scarcely believe her eyes but the sounds of blades being drawn as pirates closed in around her and her brothers affirmed that this was definitely real.

“Captain Hook?” The words were not meant to come out as a timid question, but the pirate captain would give her no reply, instead merely ordering in a sugary sweet tone, “Get them.” In a flicker of horror Wendy saw Michael being snatched from his bed and three pirates closing in around John before she felt the strength of an enemy yank her arms back. It was then that the anxious scream ripped itself from her lungs. She scarcely heard the frantic footsteps from below, masked by her dog’s desperate barking at the door. Wendy caught a quick glance of Nana’s paws beneath the crack under the door as she was ushered towards the window. Her mother’s frantic calls tore at her heart and little Michael cried out,

”Mother! Mother!”

[Captain Hook]

Mary Darling's cries mixed with those of her children's only encouraged the pirates to move quickly and get out fast, but the crew of cut throats collectively halted when little Michael addressed her as "mother." All eyes turned towards Captain Hook.

'The runt called 'er Mother, Cap'n,' said the pirate known as Starkey. 'She's a storyteller.' The man shifted Michael in his arms and withdrew his flintlock pistol, aiming it at the door. 'Want me to finish her off?'

The desperate protests of the Darling children died when the pirate captain firmly answered, 'No.' There was a brief (and stunned) silence in the room before he continued. 'Get those brats on board the ship while I take care of the mother.'

The pirates relaxed and some even chuckled as they carried the struggling children off while Hook crossed the room. He heard one of his crew member's say, 'Quit yer fidgetin', or I'll jus' drop you out the window!' The jingling of keys on a keyring could be heard outside the door and he cast a glance over his shoulder to make sure the band of pirates had left before speaking. He spoke as a gentleman, but there was no mistaking the edge behind his words.

'I wouldn't do that if I were you, Madam, because if you even put one foot inside this room... I'LL RUN YOUR CHILDREN THROUGH WITH MY SWORD!' He was met with a sob from the other side and Hook grinned. 'Perhaps you'll be willing to discuss matters calmly? ...AND SHUT THAT BLASTED MONGREL UP!'

[Mary Darling]

“Hush, Nana!” Mary hissed.

She had fled down the hall to her bedroom to retrieve the large key ring which held keys for every door in the house after realizing that the door was simply not going to open just because she willed it. Mary could not help but feel terrible, knowing that her children were depending on their parents to do something and yet she was helpless on the other side. When the man addressed her from behind the door, she felt sick to her stomach. He obviously knew he was in control or he would not have dared to take the time to confront her. The oddity of his threat passed right over her, for it did not matter if this person had a sword or not, she just wanted her children safe.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked calmly. “Who are you?” A spring of panic bubbled up in her voice. “Please, release my children. We’ll give you anything you want. If it’s money you need, take it, but give me back my children.”

[Captain Hook]

Captain Hook chuckled softly. ‘Your money is of no interest to me, Madam, it’s those brats of yours I need. Your children carry something with them always which is of the utmost importance. Stories. Stories about Peter Pan, no less, and I suspect they have been passed down by their mother. Now you see, I have been trying far too long to bring down that blasted flying boy, but this time I have the answer. If there are no stories around to inflate his ego, then Peter Pan can and will be destroyed. So you see, Madam, even if I wanted to I could not free your children. Captain Hook will not be defeated again.’

[Mary Darling]

Captain Hook??? Now Mary was really confused and even more concerned that her children were in the hands of some deranged lunatic. The best opportunity she had to save her darlings was to try and bargain with this man. After taking a shaky breath, she said,

“You’re right, I did tell them stories about Peter Pan. What harm can they do to you, Mr Hook? Please, take me instead and release them. The only reason they know about Peter is because of me.” Downstairs she could hear George talking; she prayed he was on the phone with the police!

[Captain Hook]

'Ah, well you see I would, me dear,' Hook assured her with his gentelmanly charm. 'But you're too old. Therefore your brats will have to do!'

Hook stepped away from the door, ignoring Mary's angry threats to call the police and crossed the room at a leisurely pace; he had no fear of the woman behind the door. The captain was lucky his crew was absent, for he was spared an embrassing moment when he slipped on a tiny object, his arms doing wild circles as he tried to regain his footing. His face was beet red with anger as he cast his gaze over the floor to see what he had slipped on. When Hook finally noticed the silver thimble, he gave a swift kick to Peter's kiss, sending it rolling noisly across the floor. Hook strode over to the window and climbed out, returning to his ships and to his prey. But the pirate's attention was not focused on his bound and gagged captives; there were other duties to take care of first!

'Release the cable, you bilge rats!' Captain Hook ordered, referring to the large rope tied around the chimney, to keep his hovering vessel secure. 'And cast off! This night's not over yet!'

And there were plenty of other unsuspecting children to be plucked from their beds.

[Captain Hook]

It was very easy to navigate London in a ship and it took Captain Hook and his pirate crew no time at all to arrive at Alice Liddell’s home. The child was especially chosen to be kidnapped second since Hook had an encounter with her once before when she had been mistaken for Wendy. Peter Pan annoying happened to show up and in a humiliating sword fight defeated the pirate and rescued Alice in the process. This was seen as an error on Pan’s part by Hook and he was determined that the fair-haired child would pay dearly for the brat’s mistake.

Like the Darling home, a cable was secured to the chimney, but this time Hook only took one other pirate with him and the pair descended to the window below. This one was locked, but that did not stop the crafty captain. It only took a moment by fiddling with his hook to unlatch it, and with a faint creak, the pane was pulled open and Hook easily swung into the room. The beefy pirate who entered with him was holding a burlap sack and gestured to his captain, silently asking if he should just throw Alice in. Hook answered back by shaking his finger no and quietly moved across the room to see if the door was locked. With nothing to do but await orders, the second pirate stood in front of a mirror, unknowingly blocking the entrance to Wonderland.

[Alice]

Alice was asleep in her bed. Her bed sheets and comforter protected her from the chill, and she happily dreamed without care. Even a smile was on her red lips. She did not have her usual ribbon in her hair, so her hair was unadulterated and had splashed against her pillow. She looked just as innocent and beautiful sleeping than she did when awake. Perhaps even more.

Dinah was the first to be stirred. She heard a creak on the floor and she snapped awake, looking at the direction of--Captain Hook! Dinah knew this pirate as well as Alice, and she 'appreciated' him just as much. She hissed loudly, rising her back by instinct.

Alice's eyes fluttered open, awakened by the noise. She raised her head and shrieked when she saw two pirates in her room. One of them she instantly recognized. "Captain Hook!" she exclaimed. "Why are you here?!" She thought quickly and looked to her mirror. Alas, it was blocked! That was her only surefire means of escape! She had to risk it; she threw her blankets aside and raced for her door, hoping to slip by without being caught. Unfortunately, her very pretty nightgown which nearly reached her feet made running very difficult. "Mother! Father! Edith! Help me!" she screamed as she raced for the door.

[Captain Hook]

Hook watched as the girl foolishly sprinted toward him, his gaze zeroing in at the cotton pooling around her feet. The pirate stepped to one side, making the motion look as if he were instinctively jumping out of the girl’s path, but the sneaky captain stuck out a buckled boot, effectively tripping the young girl. In a swift and elegant move, Hook dipped low, extending his arm so that Alice fell into the crook of it instead of stumbling to the floor. Catching the neckline at the back of her nightgown with his hook, he effortlessly tossed the light child towards the pirate by the mirror who was holding out a sack, ready to catch her. In the few moments it took to achieve this task, Captain Hook lost complete track of Dinah.

[moroboshi]

Edith, who was still wide awake and walking up the stairs to change into her sleeping clothes and get ready for bed, heard the commotion coming from Alice's room and made her way quickly up the stairs. She barged into Alice's room just in time to catch the pirates in the act of abducting her younger sister.

"Who are you and what are you doing to my sister?!" Edith shouted at the dastardly cutthroats.

[Alice]

Alice had failed to evade Hook's grasp; before she knew it she was tripped, picked up and then shoved to the captain's lackey. It was impossible for her to slip through the mirror, and escaping through the door was even more unlikely. But her eyes lit up with final hope when she saw Edith barge into the room. "Edith!" the youngest Liddel screamed. "Help m--" Unfortunately, she was gagged into silence in mid-sentence. Her eyes, wide in shock and terror, became damp, and soon droplets of tears streaked down her cheeks.

Dinah regretted fleeing. She regretted hiding under the bed, away from Captain Hook. She wanted to save Alice, but what could she have done? She knew that a little kitten could not take on a fully-grown man, especially with weapons. From under the bed, Dinah could see the look on Alice's face, and it was gut-wrenching. Dinah had never been so furious and hateful of anyone as much as Captain Hook, and seeing Alice like this was the worst sight Dinah had ever seen. But her eyes snapped to Edith when she stormed in. Still hiding, the kitten could only watch and pray.

[Captain Hook]

The safety lock on Hook’s flintlock was released, the pistol aimed at the elder sibling’s stomach.

‘I think you’ve come far enough, me dear,’ Hook warned dangerously. His line of sight never leaving Edith, he ordered to his pirate lackey, ‘Get her out of here.’

The pirate lashed the sack closed with a rope and effortlessly slung it over his shoulder, treating the human girl inside like she was a lump of potatoes.

’You going to be all right, Captain?’ he asked when he had one leg outside the window.

Hook brushed his finger over the trigger of his pistol and slowly backed toward his exit. ‘Of course, you blockhead, now move!’

The pirate captain stood by the open window as Alice was carefully hoisted up on deck. It would have been a terrible loss if she had fallen to her death, considering that Hook was almost as excited to flaunt her in front of Peter Pan as he was Wendy.

‘I would not recommend following us,’ Hook advised. ‘You wouldn’t want to endanger Alice any further now would you?’ He lowered his weapon and put it away, before stepping out the window and climbing back up to the ship.

‘Cast off!’ he demanded in a threatening tone, while some of his crew pulled up the rope used to climb into the windows. ‘And throw the girl down into the hold with the rest of them.’

The pirate with the sack proceeded below deck where the Darling children were held captive.

[Captain Hook]

<So where to proceed from here, guys? Do I wait for Edith to have some sort of a reaction, should the children begin a conversation of their own? I'm stumped, so I'm looking for suggestions from my other rpers, please.>

[peter]

<Well, I am right here when you need me, Hooky>

[Alice]

(OOC: Oops! Forgot to tell you, Peter. Kris, aka Hook, is swamped with work. She'll be back when she can! ^^ I'm excited we have a Peter Pan again!)

[peter]

(OOC: Oh, yeah, no problem, I was sure that no one would be replying in a while, I am not THAT impatient... Am I doing a good job or no...? Was the last Peter Pan done really well? You guys are all so good at this role-playing thing, it makes me jealous...)

[Donald Duck]

(OOC: Looking good so far! I enjoy reading them. Oh, I forgot to tell you one other thing! We actually have a Tinker Bell, but her role-player has an excused absence, too. Sorry that some Peter Pan characters are a bit tied up at the moment. lol. Good thing I still have the crocodile!)

[peter]

(OOC: Yeah, I saw her posts, I just wanted to add a little movement, a little flow to my work. I hope she does not mind, Tink has an awfully bad temper... Really? Be honest with me, am I good?)

[Donald Duck]

(OOC: Yeah! But now I can experience your Peter Pan for myself. I shall role-play with you immediately. Keep an eye out for a new post!)