“I wish,” Jasmine began shyly, “to fall in love one day. With a prince.” Petra giggled madly and gave her sister an eager look to continue. Encouraged by her sister’s enthusiasm, Jasmine smiled awkwardly, and elaborated, “And he’ll be powerful, brave, handsome, and exotic. He’ll protect me, and believe in me when no one else does. He’ll know the real me.”

“If you wish hard enough for something in your heart,” Petra was saying, her green eyes sparkling. “Your wish will come true. I just know you’ll find your prince someday, Jasmine.”

“I hope so,” Jasmine let out a heavy sigh. “The boys at school…they all think I’m mean.” She lamented with a frustrated roll of her eyes. “They don’t understand me at all.”

Petra patted her sister’s arm in a consoling way. “Well, I understand you. I know you’re a good person, Jass.”

Jasmine’s dark green eyes were full of doubt. “Yeah, I guess. I’m not as good as you though. You’re like a Saint.”

Petra laughed loudly and had to cover her mouth with her hands out of fear that their mother would return. After she’d removed her hands she asked, “Why do you think that?”

Jasmine arched an eyebrow at her sister. “You give snails the right of way when we’re walking through the park. If you see a bird that’s fallen out of its nest, no matter how high the tree is you’ll risk your life climbing it in order to return the chick to its nest. You almost broke your neck the last time you fell out of that tree. You share half your lunch with the stray cats we encounter on the way to school. Who does things like that anymore?” She chuckled softly.

Petra’s shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug. “I just love nature. I feel…connected to it somehow. Sometimes, I feel like nature speaks to me.” Her voice had grown low, secretive, and conspiratorial.

Jasmine shook her head at her sister. “You’re crazy!”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

The sisters glared at each other for a few minutes before they couldn’t keep their straight faces and broke out laughing.

Then something out of the corner of her eye caught Petra’s attention. She turned her gaze back to the bay window, looked out, gasped, and pointed. “Bloody hell, Jasmine, look! It’s a pirate ship! And it’s flying!”

Jasmine snorted derisively. Her sister was obviously imagining things again. Though she turned to look anyways. “You and your vivid imagination-” Jasmine was saying, but then her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “What the…?” For once she could see what her odd sister was seeing. “A pirate ship,” she breathed, her voice laced with surprise. She could even see a black flag with a white skull and crossbones on it attached to the main mast, and flapping in the night wind. On the starboard side of the ship, ports for canons were visible.

Jasmine squinted at the ship, and spotted pirates running around the main deck while they obeyed their captain’s orders. That’s when she noticed a man holding a brass telescope. Due to his long black coat that was embroidered with golden thread, and the flamboyant hat that was sitting on his head with a large feather, Jasmine figured that he must be the captain.

The pirate captain was surveying the cityscape slowly until he abruptly turned his telescope in their direction.

The hair on the back of Jasmine’s neck prickled in warning. They’d been spotted. She was sure of it. They’d been seen. Jasmine let out a startled squeak, and fell off the seat at the bay window. She didn’t like this. She didn’t like this at all.

“Petra,” Jasmine began from her place on the floor as she stared up at her oblivious sister who still had her sparkling green eyes glued to the pirate ship. “Get down from there. I have a bad feeling about this. We should probably go back to bed.”

Petra glanced down at her sister and shot Jasmine an incredulous look. “And miss this? No way! This is the most exciting and interesting thing that’s ever happened to us!”

“Petra, I think they saw us,” Jasmine hissed in warning.

“What?” Petra asked, distractedly as she turned her attention back to the ship. “Ooo I think the ship is getting closer. Wow. It’s like they’re heading straight for us.”

Jasmine really didn’t like this. She pushed herself up off the floor, and grabbed Petra’s arm. “Petra, I think you should get away from the window-”

Petra frowned; her brow furrowed, and she shot her sister a confused look. “Why?”

“Because…they’re pirates,” Jasmine said stiffly. “And pirates are never friendly, now are they?”

Petra’s expression turned thoughtful. “Some might be.”

“Now you’re just being stupid,” Jasmine snapped, beginning to lose her patience with her spacey sister. “Come away from the window. Now. I have a bad feeling-”

All of a sudden, the bay window shattered. Jasmine somehow managed to pull Petra away in time, and as the window exploded, sharp shards of glasses went flying through the air dangerously. Then a pirate swung into their room on a thick hemp rope.

Jasmine and Petra scrambled backwards across the carpeted floor, and stared in shock at the pirate suddenly in their bedroom.

The first thing the sisters noticed about the pirate was his dark cunning eyes that focused on them and caused them to freeze out of fear. The pirate captain was wearing a black hat with a red feather, black and gold jacket, black leather pants, and a pair of boots with wide, dramatic cuffs. “Arrr!” He looked the two girls up and down thoughtfully. “Tell me, would you fine lassies happen to be virgins still?” A leer spread across his swarthy face.

Jasmine and Petra both screamed loudly in response.

Blackbeard flinched, but then chuckled darkly. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” he drawled before marching forward, wrapping an arm around their waists before they could properly react, and easily picking them both up off the floor. The two sisters struggled in his hold, but he was just too strong.

Blackbeard turned around, leapt up onto the windowsill, and then jumped right out the window.

Petra and Jasmine screamed again as they plummeted down through the air, but their descent was abruptly stopped by the nautical line that was tied around Blackbeard’s waist.

Blackbeard glared up at the ship. “Well, what are you waiting for, you scurvy dogs! Hurry and pull us up! I’ve fetched a pretty prize for our picky god!”

“Aye, aye, Captain Blackbeard!” the pirates shouted back before grabbing the line and starting to pull them up towards the main deck.

 ***

Petra and Jasmine were unceremoniously tossed into the brig, and then the barred door was shut with a loud clang and locked quickly after them. When the two sisters turned around they realized that they were not alone in the large cell. Several other young girls around the same age or even younger were in the cell with them.

Petra frowned at the sight of all the terrified young girls. “Were all of you kidnapped by those nasty pirates too?”

Most were too afraid to respond, but one brave girl spoke up, “Yes.” This girl was quite lovely with olive-hued skin, short brown hair, and shinning brown eyes. She spoke with an Italian accent.

Petra looked pleased that one of the girls had some guts. “What’s your name?”

“Cecily.”

“Do you know what the pirates want with us, Cecily?” Petra asked in a curious tone.

“They asked us if we were virgins…” Cecily trailed off grimly.

The older girls who realized what this probably implied began to cry.

“They’re slavers,” Cecily continued, her voice laced with hatred. “I think we’ll be sold off somewhere to someone.” Her shoulders lifted in a helpless shrug.

“Sold.” Petra frowned at the unsettling thought. “I don’t belong to anyone, but myself.”

“Tell that to the pirates,” Cecily scoffed.

Petra raised her chin in a defiant manner. “I think I will.”

Horror flashed across Cecily’s brown gaze. “No, you can’t. They’ll flog you! Or make you walk the plank!” she warned.

“I’m not afraid of them,” Petra continued firmly. “I won’t let them sell me off! I’ll find a way to escape. You’ll see.” Petra’s sharp green eyes began to scan the cell, and she looked for any notable weaknesses such as a window that could be a possible escape route.

Jasmine wore a sad, resigned expression on her pretty face. “Petra,” she began in a patronizing tone. “Just give up. There’s no hope. They kidnapped us, and now we’re at their mercy. They can do whatever they want with us.” Jasmine shuddered at the thought of being flogged, and rubbed her arms where goosebumps had formed. “Our best bet is to just lie low and try not to draw too much attention to ourselves. Then maybe we’ll get out of this alive somehow.”

Petra shot her sister an incredulous look. “As long as you never give up, there’s always hope. And I’ll never give up! I won’t let those dirty, rotten pirates have their way!”

Jasmine was jealous of Petra’s inner strength, her optimism in the face of such a dire situation, and her bravery. Jasmine, on the other hand, was terrified. She felt so helpless, and afraid. She wanted her mother. She hated Petra a little bit in that moment. They were so…different. Like night and day. The sun and the moon. Jasmine shook her head at Petra. “Then, you’re on your own.” She stalked off with a huff, and went to sulk alone in the corner of the cell and brood.

Petra’s hopeful expression fell at her sister’s harsh dismissal. “Jass…”

“Good riddance,” a tinkling male voice declared loudly. “You’re better off without that sourpuss anyways!”

Petra whirled around and eyed the interior of the cell searchingly. “Who said that?”

“Over here,” the male called out again.

Petra followed the sound of the male’s voice and found what appeared to be a glowing glass lantern. She crouched down, picked up the lantern, and held it up in front of her face. When she peered inside she saw that there was no candle inside, but a fairy! “Y-You…you’re a fairy! Aren’t you?” Petra asked, her green eyes sparkling with delight.

A wide, mischievous smile curled the fairy’s lips. “Indeed, I am, Miss.”

Petra’s gaze hungrily took in the sight of a real fairy. He was quite handsome with teal blue eyes and short hair the color of tangerines. The fairy was wearing a green tunic, brown leather pants, and green shoes. What appeared to be a sword was strapped around his waist by a brown leather belt, which gave the fairy a dashing appearance, even if the sword was only a few inches long in reality. “What’s your name, Fairy?”

“My name is Tinker, and I am at your service, Milady.” The fairy executed a dramatic and gentlemanly bow.

“Nice to meet you, Tinker,” Petra said as she curtsied back. “My name is Petra.”

Tinker gave the girl a thoughtful look that slowly began to turn calculating. “I’m surprised you can see me. The other girls have lost all hope and so I am invisible to them. But you…you have a strong heart and spirit. You’re not like them. You’re different. Special.”

“I’ve always dreamed of meeting a fairy, and that he would take me to the land of the fairies,” Petra admitted with a wistful note to her voice.

“The Fairy Kingdom,” Tinker corrected absentmindedly. “Most girls your age don’t believe in fairies anymore.”

“You’re right.” Petra giggled as she thought about her classmates at school that used to tease her for playing with dolls. “Most girls my age don’t even play with dolls anymore! My parents even told me that I need to grow up, and stop playing with toys already. But, I don’t want to grow up. I wish I could go to the Fairy Kingdom, and eat a golden apple and live forever!”

When Tinker laughed, his tinkling laughter sounded like wind chimes blowing in a summer breeze. “I don’t know anything about golden apples, but…there is a clock in Neverland that could stop you from aging. You’d be a twelve-year-old girl forever.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Petra breathed, happiness glittering in her green eyes. “I wish you could take me there, but we’re all trapped here.”

A cunning glint formed in Tinker’s blue eyes. “You think you can get me out of this lantern?”

Petra blinked. “Well, yes…”

“Then don’t worry your pretty little head about anything,” Tinker reassured her smoothly. “You get me out of here, Petra, and when the time is right I’ll help you escape from the pirates. You have my word. Alright-”

“Who are you talking to, Sis?” Jasmine was suddenly at Petra’s side with her brow furrowed.

“Jass, look! It’s a fairy!” Petra excitedly held up the lantern to show her sister. “He says that he can help us!”

Jasmine frowned as she peered into the glass lantern. She only saw a flickering candle inside, however. “Petra, you’re imagining things again. There’s no such thing as fairies-”

Tinker’s heart clenched painfully inside of his chest. “Ugh,” he let out a pained groan as he clutched at his chest.

Petra gasped in alarm when she saw that Tinker was in obvious pain. “Tinker! Bloody hell, Jass, how could you? Please, don’t die, Tink! I believe in fairies! I really do! I believe! I believe! I believe!”

Tinker staggered on his feet and his inner glow began to flicker ominously. He wheezed, “Clap…clap your hands…”

Petra set the lantern down and clapped her hands. “I believe in fairies! I believe in fairies!”

Tinker’s inner glow brightened again and he straightened. The fairy shot a venomous glare Jasmine’s way as he dusted himself off. He’d almost been killed because of that nosy brat!

“I’d better get you out of there. Quickly.” Petra searched around for something she could use to break the small padlock that was on the lantern. She spotted a rock, grabbed it and used it to break the lock open.

As soon as Petra opened the tiny glass door, Tinker zoomed out and flew over to hover in front of Petra. He bowed gallantly, and blew her a kiss. “I thank you for your assistance, Milady Petra. I have to hide for now so the pirates won’t find me, but I will come back for you when the time is right. I promise.”

Petra nodded. “I understand. Go, Tinker.”

Tinker flew off, leaving a trail of glittering gold dust in his wake. Petra smiled in a giddy fashion. She believed in Tinker. She’d sensed that the two of them had a connection of some sort. He would save them.

Jasmine rolled her eyes at the dreamy look on Petra’s face, and shook her head. Petra was obviously imagining things in order to help her deal with this stressful situation. Tinker was just a figment of her sister’s imagination. Nothing more.

***

Five hours later, Blackbeard returned to the brig, unlocked the cell door, opened it, and scrutinized the girls therein with his dark, calculating eyes. “Now, who shall it be this time?” His gaze finally landed on Jasmine and stayed there. She was quite the catch with her pale, milky white skin, dark hair, and emerald green eyes. Jasmine reminded him a little of Snow White. Yes, Snow White. She’s very beautiful. She’ll make a fitting virgin sacrifice for a picky god.