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CHAPTER 6 You walk on deck, Will hot on your heels, and scour the area with your eyes. The crew are busying themselves pulling on ropes, which must do something, and swabbing the deck. You don’t know much about ships as you’ve only been on a few and most of your time was spent in the cabin brushing your hair and sleeping. This was different; you were going to have to do work. Each man seems to look at you with hunger but distaste. You feel very self-conscious being the only woman in a dress and wonder if they would try and rape you or something even worse. You think the distaste comes from the fact you don’t belong; yet you get to sleep in the cabin in a real bed. The hunger obviously comes from the fact the men don’t get a lot of action in the middle of the ocean, but they’ve obviously had some warning as they stay at a distance. You recognise some of the people. Tom and Leo were hitting each other with mops, Anamaria was hoisting the ‘Jolly Roger’ and the man with the parrot – Cotton, was it? – was in the crows nest, although you don’t know why as he obviously cannot shout the signals, due to the stump in his mouth you noticed where the tongue previously must have been. You’re snapped out of the mental tour with Will putting a hand on your shoulder, urging you to go forward. You’re apprehensive, but Will gives you an encouraging look. You’ve barely walked two steps when an important-looking man stands in front of you. You jump back and give a little shriek as the man has a hearty laugh at your expense. “Calm down lass, I aint one of the bad ‘uns.” He smiles. You look up at him and see laughter lines around his happy eyes and conclude he is indeed not one of the ‘bad ‘uns’. You stand tall and wipe the hair from your face and offer your hand, giving your name. “Mr. Gibbs, but just call me Gibbs.” He takes your hand and kisses it, causing you to relax. “Pleased to meet you miss.” You nod and move slightly away from him, spinning around. “What are you doing?” Will whispers in your ear. “We’re supposed to report to Jack.” You reply, still spinning. “He’s that way.” He takes your shoulders and turns you to face the helm. “At the helm, where captains usually are.” Sure enough there stands Jack, tall and proud, helm in his hands with his brow furrowed in a look of concentration. His lips are slightly pouted and he obviously belongs where he is, with that hat. The sun illuminates his form making him seem Kingly or God like and you gasp at the reformed sight. He notices you and grins, taking his telescope and putting it to his eye. He then puts it down and, you assume, he winks, waving on you to come up. “I’ll take ye lass, it that be your pleasure.” Says Gibbs. “I don’t suppose you’ll be on board long, with the bad luck and all.” “Excuse me?” You ask. “Women.” He replies, you look on with puzzlement. “Women on board a ship – frightful bad luck, see?” “But Anamaria – she’s a woman.” You retort, pulling more hair from flapping about your face. “Hardly. That is, hardly anyone sees her as one – but she left the life of petticoats and corsets behind, milady.” He chuckles. You hear tapping and turn back to look at Jack, who is tapping his foot against the ground. “Milady?” Mr. Gibbs offers an arm to you. You take it graciously and he leads you to the helm. “Thank you, Mr. Gibbs.” Says Jack, waving his hand about. “You’re dismissed.” “Sorry, sir?” Says he, confused. “You’re dismissed.” Jack repeats. Gibbs still remains puzzled. “Look here lad, I’m trying to sound more like a captain and less like a friend in front of the young lady, savvy? So get your backside down the deck and – I dunno – swab it, I guess.” “Oh! Aye, aye capt’n.” Gibbs walks away. Jack rolls his eyes back at the cliché and turns his attention to Will. “Waiting for orders captain.” Will cocks his eyebrow, obviously putting on an act. “Ah! Master William, would you be kind enough to wait, then you can escort this young lady to, um, food and then you can give her the tour and then, um, bring ‘er back ‘ere.” Jack was off to a good start, but evidently failed to keep up his ‘dignified, well-educated captain’ act. “Of course.” Will gives a small bow. “Is that your pleasure?” he mimics Mr. Gibbs and smiles. “It would be delightful.” You play along and give a small wink to Jack, who seems taken aback by it. Will begins to walk off so you do a quick run to catch up with him. “Ok, this is the upper deck and this bit is the Quarterdeck. The big pole behind Jack was the Mizzenmast. The raised part of the ship behind the Mizzen is called the Poop rail, but it isn’t the privy.” He examines your expression to see if you found it humorous, you didn’t. “The box in front of the helm is the Binnacle box and the rather large pole behind us is the Main mast and the net coming off it is the Main shroud. The long rope from the Mizzen to the Main mast is called the Mizzen stay. Now, the rail right at the back of the ship is called the Taffrail, below that is Jacob’s ladder, which is an important part of the ship as it allows us to get off the ship or get on in secret or emergency. The big rope above our heads is the main stay. Now, this…” He walks forward and puts his hand on the large horizontal wheel. “…Is the capstan and in front of the capstan, we come to the waist. And this…” He runs off and you struggle to keep up with him. “This is the fore mast and the fore mast is on the forecastle of the ship. The front is the head. That’s all you need to know for now – I doubt you’ll see much of the lower deck. You do know about port, starboard and stuff, don’t you?” “Not really.” You confess, cursing yourself for being so stupid. “Oh, right. Well, Bow is the front where the headboard and the figurehead lie. Stern is the back where Jacob’s ladder is and the balcony. Portside is left and starboard is right. I mentioned the privy earlier and for such needs you go to the head of the ship and there are some holes, they’re the ‘heads’ and that’s where you go if you have to go.” He notices your disgust and moves the topic on. “If you need to know anything else, just ask.” “Ok. I’m going to walk over to the starboard side of the head now.” You say, trying to show off your new knowledge of ships. “I’m assuming you mean Forecastle, as I don’t suppose you are about to use the heads.” You feel sorry for him as he practically swallows his tongue after talking about toilets. “Yes, of course.” You walk to the rail and look into the deep, blue, crystal, clear water, which is being sliced by the ship. You let the stray drops spray your face and complete relaxation washes over you. You look to the horizon and see nothing but blue, infinite blue, which fares well, as you love the colour. Nothing in sight. You feel Will stand beside you and look outwards with you. “Where are we going?” “To Jack’s island.” Responds Will, with an equally dreamy tone in his voice. “Jack has an island?” You question him. “Yes, a few years ago Jack was marooned on an island by his treacherous first-mate Captain Barbossa. There was a repeat of the incident not long ago, so Jack returned when he had the Pearl and searched it. He found no other signs of life so claimed the island as his own. He picked up another crew in Tortuga and put them to work on the island, building houses and such. He keeps his plunder there and that’s where some of his who…where some of his old friends are. We lost many crewmembers that way. Jack brought his women aboard, they serviced him, a poor pirate fell in love with her, they got together and built a house on the island.” Will seemed to love telling stories and you knew he'd tell you a lot and you have lots of questions to ask him. “So what is the island called?” You take in the scent of the salt and you don’t really care if Will answers or not. “Captain Jack Sparrowsville.” Mumbles Will, as if he were embarrassed by the name. You chuckle to yourself and sigh in content, not willing to ask any more questions. Time lapsed away, so much in fact the sun had reached it’s highest point and then some. Soon you feel a pair of strong arms wrap around your waist. You’re too relaxed to protest so you just settle, remaining in the long silence you and Will had shared. “What are you doing in that dress?” Jack whispers into your ear. You feel your hairs go on end and the feel of his breath. “Mine was ripped, so Will got it out for me.” You respond, suddenly feeling scared, remembering Anamaria in the cabin earlier. “It’s not yours.” He continues, moving his body closer to yours. “Mind you, it looks a lot better on you than that bitch.” You sense some hostility in his voice. “What happened with her?” You ask. “I’ll tell you some other time, savvy?” He obviously doesn’t trust you enough to open past wounds so you let it rest but decide to hold him to his word – some other time. “Alright.” You continue to look at the watery carpet. “Had the tour, had your food?” He nuzzles your hair and smells it. You then realise how hungry you are. “No, I haven’t had any food.” “Alright.” He puts his hands on your waist and turns you around. You tremble slightly as he closes the distance between your bodies. “Let’s go then.” He walks off leaving you somewhat surprised and incomplete. * * * * * CHAPTER 7 You find yourself in the cabin again, with Will and Jack. The once rum-covered table is now a table laden with food. Apples and chicken and other meats and fruit and vegetables of vibrant colours made the feast. Will sits patiently whereas Jack taps his fingers in irritation, waiting for you to sit so he can start to eat. So that is what you do, you sit and start to eat. You are extremely hungry, but courtesy leads you to chew each piece twenty times with a knife a fork. You look at Jack who keeps taking a few bites out of a drumstick then a few gulps out of his mug of rum without taking a breath then you look at Will, who eats like a gentleman, but quickly and with large bites. You take a mouthful of rum and swallow, the taste growing on you, before swinging your legs under the table. Suddenly, the whole world seems to stop as you do. You feel a limb against your shoeless foot – you’ve touched someone. You hope they haven’t noticed, but you see Will raise an eyebrow at you. You then look at Jack, who grins with naughtiness. This makes it even harder to decipher the puzzle of which man you’ve just stroked. You feel a foot raise your dress and rub against your pale leg. It’s also shoeless – that makes it easier. It’s the shoeless foot! You knock your knife onto the floor. “Oh, I’m sorry.” You blush, bending down to pick it up, but to your dismay, both pairs of feet have no boots adorned on them. You cuss under your breath and sit back properly. Not two seconds after your last piece of detective work, you decide to move your foot in the exact same way to see who has the coy reaction. You feel the leg under your toes and look at each face, both are unaffected. You don’t know why you care so much, it was just a misunderstanding, but you’ve got that nagging feeling that if it was Jack, he’ll try it on again. Suddenly you feel a hand squeeze your knee, you gasp and look at each face once more, and they both look clueless. For one last time you stretch out your foot and raise it up the leg as far as you can reach. “Look lass, if you want to take this to the bed, wait until I’ve finished me rum, savvy?” Grins Jack, who is obviously enjoying the new ‘boldness’ of your character. “God, I’m, uh, I’m, hmm…” You search for the words. “I’m sorry – I didn’t mean too.” “Sure you didn’t love.” He winks at you. “Mind you, you played Will a bit rough, he was the first ‘un you felt up. Pretty nasty thing to do.” “But how would you know I touched Will then?” You question him. “When you bent down to pick up yer fork, William and I used our…” He begins to make dainty movements with his hands. “Sign language to find out what had happened, plus Will’s raised eyebrow could tell a dog what’d ‘appened. You’ve got nice knees though.” “That was you? And the leg?” You’re pretty much pissed off. “Oh, erm, that was me.” Will raises his hands in a guilty fashion and you just suddenly, out of the blue, laugh at yourself. Jack and Will join in. “Seriously though, do you want to take it to the bed?” Asks Jack sincerely. You answer his question by throwing a piece of carrot at him with a scowl on your face. You’re about to engage in a fully-fledged food fight when Anamaria rushes into the cabin. “Captain, there’s a ship in the mist!” She pants. “’old up.” Jack jumps from his seat and runs out of the door. “Should we…?” You begin. Will holds up his hand to stop you. “If we’re having a battle, you’d be better off in here – you’d just get in the way.” He leaves after Jack and you hear the door lock. This leaves you feeling a bit unwanted and useless, but also very angry. You were quite capable of holding a cutlass, although you’d never fought with one. You were sure that you could use a firearm, after all, you used one on a pirate once. You could help, even in the smallest way, but Wills words had already left you fuming. ‘You’d just get in the way’. Who did he think he was, your father? You throw your knife into the wood on the other side of the room and run your fingers through your hair in aggravation. You hated being treat like a child, mainly because you weren’t one. You could take care of yourself; you’d taken care of yourself since your father died and before. You throw the dress off you and leave it in a heap on the floor. It you’re so useless you won’t be of any use. You contemplate going to bed but you decide not to and instead you walk onto the small balcony in your corset. There are no signs of any ships so you feel you’re safe. You put your hands on the railing and look into the water and up at the stars, the moon highlighting your shape as the sun had done with Jack. The white light reflected off your pale skin making you look eerie and ghost-like or ethereal. You feel like crying but hold back your tears and decide to sing instead. There was no sound of a battle, so your voice was loud and leering, like a sirens call. The song you sang was a song your mother sang to your sister, or so you were led to believe. She sang it to you and the haunting tune had scarred your memory and plagued your dreams. As you finish your voice croaks and you let some tears slide – how could so many bad things happen to one so free of sin. You remember the day and how quickly it slipped away. How could the moon be out to play when not so long ago it was morning and the sun was singing. It was cold and season played no real part at sea, but it must have been winter – it could not possibly be bedtime. You hear a noise behind you as the door is swung open. Jack stumbles in followed by Will. “Alright lass?” Jack takes you by your shoulders and looks into your eyes with what seems to be concern. You nod. “You’re freezin’. What are yer doin’ on me balcony in that?” He moves his eyes back to his favourite position – your chest. “It’s making you all… goosebumpy…” He moves his hands up as if he’s about to grab something he shouldn’t, then he puts them behind his back. “Will, get this girl covered up.” He walks over to the dress and folds it. “I ‘alf expected someone so desperate for adventure as yerself to be on deck.” “Well, I’d only get in the way.” You glare at Will who brings over the dress and hands it to you. “Course you wouldn’t.” Smiles Jack, putting his arm around your shoulder, neatly curling each finger. “So what happened then, are we at war?” You ask. “Nah, ‘twas just the ghost ship – nothing to worry yourself about.” “Ghost ship?” Suddenly your Goosebumps are not about the cold. “Like I said, nothing to worry yourself about. Just old Buckle-beard’s ship.” He took a swig of rum and offered the bottle to you. You dismiss it. “Buckle-beard?” You stutter. You’d heard stories of the ghost ship. Buckle-beard was a pirate who had such a long beard it became caught in his belt. One night in winter, a storm brewed and Buckle-beard cursed the name of Poseidon, who was the Greek god of the sea. Unfortunately for him Poseidon heard and tossed his crew into Davey Jones’ locker, but not before placing a curse upon his head. Buckle-beard was to find every man who cursed Poseidon’s name and kill them. Jack didn’t seem too scared though. “Yeah, don’t worry love, I love Poseidon like I love meself, savvy? He ain’t gonna go around tossing my ship about. If you get scared I could take your mind off it.” He takes a small section of hair and twirls it around his finger. “Not tonight.” You give him a playful wink to tease him, then cast Will a stern glare, before walking on to deck. * * * * * CHAPTER 8 You walk into the darkness on deck and look at the crew, who are still doing various sailing things. You look at the helm where Anamaria stands, looking just as proud as Jack once did. You walk up to her and stand, admiring her independence. “What are you staring at?” She growls, making you jump. “Oh, I’m sorry, I just wanted to talk.” You smile, resisting the urge to sulk. “Well people like me don’t talk to people like you.” She burns into your soul with her dark brown eyes. “What do you mean, ‘people like me’?” You ask, insulted slightly. Rain begins to pour down. “I mean strong, independent woman who are hated by all like me, don’t talk to snotty, noblewomen Jack’s trying to score with. Don’t think you’re special around him – you’re just another etch in the bedpost.” She snarls, her thick black hair flying around her face. “I don’t want to be with Jack.” You defend yourself, not quite knowing how to talk to her. “Sure you don’t. You want to give Will what he deserves, that it?” She attacks again. “No, it’s not that.” You say through gritted teeth, your patience wearing thin. “Well go back to the cabin with your ‘friends’ quote, unquote, Will and Jack. This deck is no place for a woman.” She glares at you from under her hat. The rain makes your hair and dress cling to your body and you begin to shiver. “You’re a woman.” You state. She pauses before answering, you’ve obviously hit a sore spot. “I am, but I’m different to you.” “How? You don’t even know me.” You can feel you’re starting to get somewhere. “Nor do I want to missy. Just go back inside – you’ll get cold.” She replies in a softer tone. “I only want to be your friend. I think we’ll have a lot in common, if you just took the time to not growl at me like a rabid dog.” You say, hoping for a sign that she wants the same thing. “I doubt it. Look, seriously, get back inside – you’ll freeze out here.” She gives half a smile. “If you ever want to have a girl talk. You know where I am.” You smile and walk off before she can reply. You think about what to do now, you don’t want to see Will right now, you’re still annoyed with him, and Jack is another no-no, considering he’s trying to get into your corset. You’ve tried Anamaria with minimal results and the rest of the crew is dismissed, obviously. You see Mr. Gibbs shouting out commands. He stops and laughs, then turns to look at you. You smile and wave and he starts to walk over, reminding you of a happy walrus. “Hello lass, what are you doing out here without proper cover?” He asks with a broad, friendly grin on his face. “Can I talk to you?” You plead. He nods his head. “Let’s go to the storeroom, I’ve got the keys, so we won’t be disturbs by some hungry lads!” He jokes. You feel safe with Mr. Gibbs, he reminds you of your fathers servant, who would always sit you on his knee and tell you stories. You follow him to the storeroom and he shuts the door behind him then moves some crates and motions you to sit. You do and he sits opposite you. “Now lass, what is it you want to talk about?” He takes out a bottle of rum and offers you one, but you decline. “Everything.” You sigh. “Well that’s a lot. Can’t you talk to Jack, or perhaps Master Turner?” He inquires. “He’s part of the problem…” You begin. Gibbs looks at you, urging you to go on. “He said I’d just get in the way.” “Oh, I see. Well, you most likely would – have you had any experience of this sort of thing before?” He takes a gulp of the rum. “Not really, but I am tough, I mean, I’ve lived half of my life alone. I’ve spent most of my adulthood in Tortuga of all places, I can handle looking at a ghost ship.” You look at your hands, the red, sore hands that once killed a man. “Aye, you may be tough, but did Master William know that?” It takes you a little while to process this – Will didn’t know what you were made of, he was just looking out for your best interests in his view – he obviously cares for you. You rub your head in regret and Gibbs nods to show his understanding. “Anything else?” He takes another three gulps from his rum bottle. “Yes. Anamaria, she’s a little hostile towards me, I really think we can be friends, but she won’t give me a chance…” You begin. Gibbs raises his hand to silence you as if he already knows. “Anamaria is a very complex man – er, woman. See, she that’s her inner demon, everyone sees her as a man and she wants to be seen as a strong woman. She was once in love with Jack and Jack led her to believe he loved her. She was like you, all frocks and petticoats, not rich like, but she was a girls-girl. Then Jack manipulated her and turned her into a pirate. He would act all nicey-nice around her and when he got ‘er where he wanted ‘er, he left ‘er and that was it. They met again later on and became ‘friends’, as it were. What they feel now is unknown, but Anamaria feels sorry for people like she once was. It’s no secret Jack’s had a lot of women, he’s calmed down a bit now, but he’s had a lot on board. Now, they’ve all been straight in and out, they didn’t get strung on like Anamaria, but most of them were strumpets from taverns and brothels. But occasionally there’s one like you, who is all ‘I’m so noble Jack, I won’t sleep with anyone till I’m married’. That’s when Jack works his charm and pretty soon you love him and then he gets what he wants and you’re out.” He has practically scared you senseless now. “I’m not saying that’s necessarily what will happen to you, but just be wary. Maybe she’s just jealous of you.” “And Jack, why does he keep a trunk of women’s dresses? And Mary, who was she?” You’re eager to learn more about these mysteries. “Does he now?” You can tell he is lying. “Look treasure, you’re better off asking Jack those questions, none of my business.” You nod and stand. “Thank you.” You say. “Not a problem – any time.” He responds. “I’m going to stay down ‘ere for a bit, have a drink or two.” You smile and nod and walk out. You feel bad about Will so you decide to walk back to the cabin. Unluckily one of the crewmembers catches sight of you and he nudges one, who nudges another and soon you have a whole crowd advancing on you. You back away until you can’t go any further. Each man looks hungrier than the last and some even lick their lips. Leo is the first to try anything as he reaches his long bony hand out to you. You stretch as far back as you can, so far back that you find yourself plummeting into the chasm of water below, screaming as you do. * * * * * CHAPTER 9 The next thing you see is your reflection surrounding you and the blue-looking water was now a shade of black, which occasionally shined blue. It is easy enough to see and eventually your feet crash onto the sand. You feel like you’re about to float back up, but the seaweed seems to coil itself around your ankles, pulling you down. You see skeletons entwined in the killing-plant and you try to scream, but nothing comes out. It’s then you notice the fish swimming above your head. Blue, red, orange, yellow, big, small and other colours, shapes and sizes. Giant sea turtles pass over your hands and give you a look of pity as your head begins to feel light. The seaweed binds you so tight it cuts into your flesh, blood pouring everywhere. You feel tired and begin to shut your eyes. The last thing you see in the abyss is the grinning, hungry teeth of a shark making their way towards you. You wake to find yourself lying on Jack’s bed, wrapped in a bodice and several blankets. You cough and water comes from your mouth. You look up and see a relieved-looking Jack sitting next to you on the bed and a nervous-looking Will sitting behind him. You notice Anamaria standing with Mr. Gibbs a little bit behind Will, and both look worried, Anamaria less than Mr. Gibbs. “Blimey girl! You gave us quite a scare!” Gasps Jack. You struggle to remember what happened and how you came to be here. Then it seems like a backward play of the event. You sit up and move your bodice to look at your ankles, which are still bleeding slightly, but are busy being bandaged by Will. You feel a sharp pain in the right of your waist and you touch it. When you bring your hand away, it’s covered in blood. You scream and Jack signals Will, who then lifts your dress to start bandaging your waist. You struggle to put your bodice back down and get Will away from you, but then you notice the giant cut and black out again. You wake again to see only Jack and Will, Anamaria and Mr. Gibbs have obviously vacated the scene. You feel your waist and no blood appears on your hand. Your other hand is being firmly grasped by Jack. “What… What…” You stutter. Jack puts a finger on your lips. “Shh.” He kisses your hand. “You’re in shock.” You desperately search for words, but all you can remember is the sea turtles’ sad eyes and the seaweed ropes that pulled you down. “What happened?” You eventually say. “A little trickery of Poseidon. Must’ve wanted a new bride.” He tells you. “I don’t understand love, all I know is that shark put up a bloody good fight!” “Shark?” You ask, bewildered. Then you remember – those grinning teeth. “Yeah. The seaweed cut you deep and the shark came a running – or swimmin’, whatever. That scratch on your side was my fault – not the sharks. See, I accidentally...” He emphasises this word. “I accidentally scratched you with me cutlass when I was fightin’ the brute. Cut you real deep. Sorry.” “I, I’m, what…” You begin to stutter again. “We thought we’d lost you. Jack pulled you onto the boat and you came around on deck, but you went under again, that’s when we noticed the cuts. We rushed you in here and Jack undressed you and put you in clean clothes, then he brought you back just before – when you noticed the cut.” Will informs you. “Anamaria saw the whole thing, for some reason she told me before diving in to save you, but that’s Anamaria for you, isn’t it?” Joked Jack. It’s then you remember the conversation with Mr. Gibbs. “You undressed me?” You are suspicious about the exact nature of the undressing. “Well, it was me or Will and I get call ‘cause I’m captain, savvy? I swear I never touched you.” He puts up his hands in a protective way. You frown, angry with yourself, the crew and Jack. You hated the thought of a man you didn’t love undressing you. “How did the seaweed pull me down?” “Well, that’s an interesting thing. I told you that story about buckle-beard, didn’t I? Well, he must’ve saw you fall and have tied you in it, for Poseidon.” Jack smiles at himself, liking his knowledge of this matter. “I was a good man and now I’m ‘an ‘ero.” He says to Will, grinning at the irony of a pirate being a hero. “How long have I been out?” You question them, rubbing your stomach. “About two hours – in and out.” Says Will. “So it’s still today?” You ask, observing the puzzled looks on their faces. “It’s still the day it happened?” They nod, as if they knew what you meant all along. “Is it dinner time?” “Not really – passed. We could ‘ave some grog if you’d like.” Offers Jack, trying to not come on to you after your ordeal. “Thanks, I would like that.” You throw away your drinking policies and feel you need a half a mug – only one – to settle your nerves. Jack soon returns with a bottle. “Here you are lass.” He hands it to you and another one to Will, before returning to the table to get his own. “This tastes different to rum. The same – but stronger.” You take another mouthful and taste every drop. “It’s made with lemons and other stuff, according to Barman Inky-leg. It’s not as lasting as neat rum.” Jack drinks the entire contents of the bottle with one mouthful. “Ah! Lovely.” He sways off to the table again and gets another bottle, which he begins to drink straight away. “I think I’m going to go to sleep.” Says Will, giving the rest of the grog in his bottle to Jack. He rolls out his blankets and takes of his shirt and sword, before taking his book and writing in it. You’re all silent until he has finished, then he puts the book away and wraps himself tightly in his sheets. “So, are you, alright to do anything?” He asks, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?” You reply, knowing what he’s implying. “Are you alright to have a bit ‘o hanky panky? Or are you still in that phase?” He takes another mouthful of rum and moves over to the bed, where he sits. He moves closer – too close and you shuffle about to get away. “Jack.” You warn, catching your breath. “Just go with it.” He encourages, putting his hand on your hip and moving over you. “You’ll feel much better afterwards.” You’re scared and your emotions are mixed. You do like Jack, at least you think you do, but Anamaria’s story keeps flooding back to you and you’re not sure. You still have your morals and ethics and don’t want to go through with it, but Jack seems to be concentrated on one thing. “Will.” You gasp. “What?” He stops, looking shocked and annoyed. “I’m Jack love.” You laugh to yourself. “I mean – Will’s here.” “It’s alright, he’s used to it.” He grins, going back to nuzzling your neck. You feel his hot breath across your skin causing you to shiver. “No.” You whisper. “No. I don’t want this. Jack! No!” You practically shout the final protest. “Alright. You win.” Sighs Jack in irritation. He flops down on the bed and scowls. “Don’t sulk – I’m not ready and I don’t see a ring on this finger, so…” You explain, when it hits you – you shouldn’t have to explain it’s your choice and if he pushed you, it was rape and to you that was serious, although it wasn’t a very big crime. “Well I can solve that.” He pouts. “I’ve got loads of rings.” He looks towards you and sees your frown. “Look love, I’m sorry, but I haven’t had it in a while. Not since Tortuga.” “That was two days ago!” You growl. “Doesn’t seem like it.” He sits up and begins to remove his effects. You try to roll over onto your side but you wince in pain and roll the other way. “You ok?” You nod. “Can I at least have a hug? Perhaps a kiss?” “No!” You snap. “I’m saving such intimacy for my true love.” You mumble. “You don’t believe in ‘true love’ surely? Silly dream for girls I’m afraid. If you want to be a pirate, your only true love can be the sea, or in my case, rum, savvy?” He climbs into the bed and faces you. “Look love, I enjoyed that chat last night. If you’d like a repeat of it, don’t hesitate to wake me up.” You are unsure if his voice is sincere or not. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” You say, puzzled still. “Goodnight.” “’Night.” Grins Jack, turning and blowing out the final candle. * * * * * CHAPTER 10 Again you wake feeling a pair of strong arms enveloped around you. You’re content to just lie there, listening to the sounds of the sea and Jack’s breathing. It was the beginning to the third day of your life on the Pearl and already you’d formed bonds with the important members of the crew, drank rum, been hit on by Jack more times than you can remember, been dragged to almost certain death by an ancient Greek God’s seaweed, almost been eaten by a shark and been saved by the very man who tried to sleep with you moments later. You shake your head and smile, after so much bad you’re still perfectly happy to be amongst these people having an adventure of your very own. “Jack.” You whisper. “Jack.” You try to tap him but his arms have restrained yours. “Jack!” You kick him sharply. “Whaaaattt…” He draws the word out in a long, tired moan. “I’m bloody sick of this – I wasn’t being serious last night.” “Weren’t you?” You’re disappointed but mask it with your own sarcasm. “No. Now, what ails yer?” He mocks. “I want to know why you keep a trunk full of dresses.” You say, putting it none too bluntly. “That’s not of your business lass.” He retorts with a hint of harshness in his voice. “Tell me.” You plead, but subtly. “Will you let me sleep if I do?” He asks. “Yes.” You agree. “Well, I’ve had my share of women – as you know.” He pauses for a second to stroke his moustache with pride. “They leave some clothes behind and I keep them to either sell or give to my other… friends. Like you.” He smiles. You’re disappointed again, this being the big mystery. You feel there’s more of a story behind it but you decide to let the matter rest and ask him another night. “So what now?” You ask, wriggling so you’re more secure in his embrace. “Make yourself comfy love.” He jokes, making you pull away, although you can’t pull away far as his arms restrict you. “Don’t worry, I won’t grope you – I swear by the code.” “Oh please.” You sneer. “I’m only lying like this because you won’t let me go.” “Sure you are. And in answer to your question, now we sleep.” He closes his eyes but you nudge him awake again. “What now?” “Exactly.” You counter. He lets out an exasperated sigh. “Now we pillage and loot and don’t give a hoot – drink up me hearty yo ho!” He mocks once more. “You’re so dull.” You scoff, squinting your eyes and trying to hit him where it hurts. “Captain Jack Sparrow may be many thing love, but he ain’t dull, savvy?” You seem to have hit a sore spot and you smile in satisfaction. “Let’s just go to sleep… unless…” “No!” You cut him off abruptly. “As I thought – goodnight.” He turns over and pulls the sheet off you. “Jack! You’ve just sliced me with a sword after I was pulled to the bottom of the ocean by possessed seaweed – at the least I deserve a sheet!” You pull it back. “No you don’t.” Jack pulls it back over to him. It goes on like this for some time until Jack pulls too hard and you roll so you’re almost on top of him. You feel the moment grow intense as you stare into each other’s eyes and the chemistry between you builds and he rests a hand on your cheek. You look down at it and notice a very obvious scar with a tattoo just above it. You put your hand on it as if you’re trying to stretch it to get a better look. “The scar means I’m a pirate, the tattoo stands for Jack Sparrow, savvy?” he says, annoyed the moment has ended. He pushes you gently away and covers you with your fair share of the sheet. You wonder how many times you’ll hear the word ‘savvy’ and conclude it will be scarred on your brain for the rest of your life. You close your eyes to sleep and feel those strong arms wrap around you again, making you feel right at home. You wake to find yourself alone – no Will, no Jack. There is no noise and for a second you think you’re back in Tortuga in your own tiny bed and the whole thing has just been a dream. Then you feel the pain in your side and smell the rum on the sheets. You’re on the Pearl all right. Sunlight pours through the windows like milk into a glass. The doors to the balcony are open letting in the gentle sea breeze. You sit up and take off your bodice, then unwrap the bandage around your side. The wound has already started to seal and the bleeding has stopped, so the cut must not have been deep. You throw the bodice back on and do the same with your ankle bandages. The cuts beneath have not started to seal so you quickly wrap them back up. Still silence fills the room and the only sound is the waves beneath the ship. You stand and try to put on your corset, but you find it makes you grit your teeth in agony, so you leave it off and walk onto deck in your night dress. To your surprise you find the deck empty. Nobody walks or sleeps or eats and nobody graces the helm. You re-enter the cabin and walk over to the table, finding the note, which you were obviously searching for. Gone lootin’ You’re puzzled at why he wrote the note as if he were saying it, but put it on the table anyway. He says he’ll be back soon, you don’t agree and you are pissed he’s just left you when you want an adventure. You look at Jack’s pillow and, as promised, two apples and a banana grace it. You eat the fruit and walk back onto deck when a thought occurs to you – you’re alone on a ship. You’re by yourself on a strange ship. This makes you even more pissed and you don’t have a clue what to do. You know you shouldn’t but your new idea seems almost perfect – you can have a good old snoop around the cabin and find out all of the answers to the questions! You run back into the cabin and wonder where to start. You look around and see a small box belonging to Jack by the side of the bed. You pick it up and you’re about to open it when you’re overcome with an extreme sense of guilt. You're feeling guilt over looking in a pirate’s box. You put it quickly down when suddenly, the journal Will always seemed to be writing in, fell onto the floor at an open page. “Where did that come from?” You say to yourself, puzzled. You know you cannot possibly look at something this precious but you can’t tear your eyes away. ‘Dear Elizabeth’ You assume that’s the diary name but see soon that it is not. ‘Dear Elizabeth, You slam the book shut and return it to where you thought it came from. He had a fiancée? How and when? You always assumed that you and him would become an item as you seemed so right for each other and Will was so… nice to you. You sit on the bed and ponder where to go from here – you’ve read his journal. How could he ever trust you again? But why would he need to trust you if you have no romantic future together? You spin these thoughts around your head over and over and curse under your breath for being so stupid. Will always seemed loved-up, you just misunderstood. Yet he never spoke of this, Elizabeth, only his friend. Your thoughts are cut off as people arrive on deck, seemingly the crew. The cabin door is swung open and Jack pops his head around. “Hello love, me and the fellas are doin’ a bit o’ lootin’. You fancy comin’?” He grins, showing off his gold teeth. “I got the note Jack – you left me here.” You sulk. “C’mon love, I’d only just left it. I’ve come back for you now haven’t I?” he seems to rub you up the right way and you can’t stay mad because it’s true – he has come back. “Alright, just give me two seconds.” You reply and you throw on a plain, old, soft cream dress and step off the Pearl with Jack, leaving a few pirates behind on watch. |