Chapter Eight {Benefits}

"I can't believe this!" Patrick cried out for the fifth time during our long walk in the Forbidden Forest.

"Oh, shut up!" I muttered."You're the one who got us in this mess." But of course everything was my fault when it came to Patrick Pan.

So far we'd ran into viscious enchanted thorns, Holly O' Hair's future tower, and hungry baby dragons that had ripped our clothes. Not to mention their mother had a word or two with us. This was the worst field trip ever.

"How are we going to get home?" He exclaimed. "Do you realize we might not ever get back?"

I shivered as a cold breeze whipped past us. "Yes, I am aware of that."

"Did you hear the story of Gerstilk?" Patrick chattered on, gritting his teeth."His Dad, Rumpelstilken got lost in these woods before and he was missing for a whole five years!"

"Well, that won't be us."I had heard that story and its a relief it had a happy ending. I would have been having nightmares for years.

"Why are you so sure of yourself?"

"Why do you keep asking so many questions?"

"BECAUSE WE'RE LOST!"

That did it. If I heard Patrick ask one more question, my hand was going to explode and I was going to need a hook. I stopped, turned around, and pushed him as hard as I could. Patrick fell down hard.

"OH MY GOD!" I literally felt like pulling my hair from the roots. "You're so annoying!"

"You're such a weirdo!" Patrick shouted back."You're literally pulling your hair out! What the heck?"

I unclenched my fists, realizing that I was pulling at my hair.I slowly let my hands fall to my sides. I had to relax. I had to stay calm. If I went crazy, who knows how long it would take us to get out of here.

"Okay," I sighed."If we keep annoying eachother, we'll never get out of here. We have to work together. Deal?"

Patrick sighed too. "Deal."

"Now I think we're going the wrong way, I swear I've seen that dragon nest ten times already!"I glared at the empty dragon nest a few feet away from us.

Patrick frowned. "I think we've been walking in circles."

We were both interuppted by a devastating shake of the earth. The rumble had me tripping over my own feet. The next thing I knew I'd fallen against a tree, unable to move. Patrick lay a few feet away,trying to get to his feet.

The earth kept shaking, like someone wearing large hunting boots.

Thats when a terrible realization came over me. 

The earth was shaking because someone was wearing large hunting boots. 

A giant.

"Fee-fi-fo-fum!

I smell the blood of a piraterrrr

Be she alive or be she dead

I'll grind her bones to make my bread"

"Its a giant!" Patrick hissed as if it wasn't obvious already. However, the worse part of this situation was that he smelled me. Not Patrick.

All I saw was huge yellow legs, dirty chipped toenails, and brown scraps that looked like a sad attempt at sandals stomping through the trees.

'Run', I mouthed to Patrick. For I was a pirate and pirates fight.However, I was still shocked that Patrick actually listened to me, scrambling to his feet and running off in the opposite direction.

What a wuss.

My heart started quickening when the feet stopped right by me. I was only hidden by the thickets but surely the giant could see me from above. I remembered my father always telling me to fight even if the odds were against me. However, I kept thinking I was too young for my bones to be grinded into bread.

'Come on, Jamie, don't be a wuss. Not like Patrick because you're a pirate.'

With all my courage, I pulled out my sword, jumping right in front of the giant. With a stubbed upright nose, boogers, patatoe - looking eyes and chapped lips. The giant was the most ugliest thing I'd ever seen in my fifteen years.That only made me more fearful.

However, I charged anyway - and I screamed as the giant picked me up by the back of my shirt.I could see the ground getting farther and farther away from me.

Suddenly, I felt like throwing up. I was afraid of heights.I also certainly wasn't prepared to be face to face with the monster.

Our eyes meeting. He had hazel eyes surprisingly just like a human. But he looked angry and evil and I desperately squirmed in his grip."Why do you walk the grounds of the forbidden forest, pirate?" His voice was loud and clear in my ears, blowing hair out of my face.

Instead of answering, with all my strength, I pushed my sword towards the giant's face. My eyes were closed because, yes, I was too scared.I didn't hear any scream of pain.I opened my eyes to see the giant with a toothy grin on his face.

Then, to my surprise, he laughed. "You call that a fight?" I was still swinging in the air, the world looked so much smaller from up here.

"Well, I can't fight but I can rescue!"I heard the familiar voice and it almost filled me with hope. Patrick Pan came flying through the forest, heading right for me. 

However, the giant began to move around, swinging me like a rag doll in the air.My stomach did somersaults as the breath was whipped out of me. Suddenly, I was falling with nothing to catch me.The grass was rushing up fast and I braced myself for the end - then I fell hard into Patrick's arms, still in the air.

I didn't have time to react. The giant was trying to catch us with his bare hands. Patrick flew through the air, dodging trees and birds.All I could do was close my eyes and hope he had enough happy thoughts to last the chase.To both our reliefs, we passed over the river that led out of the Forbidden Forest, leaving that horrible giant behind.

However, I could still hear him crying out,

"Fee-fi-fo-fum!

I want the blood of a piraterr

I'll have you dead, not alive

And one day you'll be my dinner that very night!"

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Patrick had landed on the dock once again, far away from the Forbidden Forest. We were both panting and shaking from fear and escaping. My heart was still beating fast and I almost couldn't believe what had happened.

However, I realized that Patrick had indeed saved my life. He had come back for me even when I told him to run."Thank you." I managed.

He sighed. "No problem."

"I'm surprised you even came back for me at all," I admitted sheepishly. "I thought you hated me."

Patrick was still out of breath but he managed to frown."Hate you? I don't hate you. You just really annoy me."

I decided not to tell him that at a point in my life,I hated him. "Maybe we owe it to eachother. To just bury the bean, y'know. I owe you anyway."

"You don't owe me anything, Hook." Patrick shoved me so hard, I stumbled. I was ready to push him off the dock but I realized he was smiling. Not a mean smile but a genuine one. A smile you'd give to a friend.

"We're not friends," I reminded him cautiously.

"Acquantainces." He said.

"Acquantainces with benefits," I added then something hit me. "Hey, if you could fly, why didn't you do that in the first place?"

Patrick just smiled wryly.

He was such an idiot. I shoved him hard and he went right over the dock. A loud splash after his fall. His head emerged out of the water shortly after. "What the heck?"

"This is the benefits." I smirked

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A/N: Thank you for all the continuous support on Jamie Hook! Its really great to see all the nice comments and messages!