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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Black Heart Crusade

Chapter 1: Lost In A World Of Shadows and Rain

Antic silence permeated its presence into every depression and fissure of the drench marsh lands. Phantasmal lanterns floated on imperceptible threads, and cast dark figures of dim melancholic illumination forming swirls and shadows that danced and glided on the serene yet mystical pond. Only the stirring movements of the somber figures inside the eerie pillared cabins indicated any form of life in the swamp at all.

And in one word, one confused yet clear word, the entire tranquility and bittersweet absence of reality was broken and smashed into a thousand echos that reverberated loudly, harshly erupting every stationary thing to become physical once more and take on its previous emotions.

"Barbossa?"

The British voice of the young Elizabeth Swann brought this all into focus.

"Jes, Barbossa." said Tia Dalma, her black lips moving into a malicious grin and her voice lowering to accompany the mystery of the name.

All inhabitants of the cabin were in complete paralysis, one would think that they were frozen statues, had the temperature been below freezing instead of a stifling heat of estimated 110 degrees.

William Turner, a strapping young man of late twenties, regained consciousness of his momentary lapse of human activity and said rather plainly, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Jes, 'e was once dead, but now 'e be alive. And he be de answer ju seek in findin' ye long lost beloved captain." Tia Dalma answer, her Jamaican voice laced with deep pitches making it hard for one to truly understand her, if one did not listen carefully enough.

"How is he going to help us?" Ragetti pipped in, before shrinking back with Pintel in a corner when Barbossa eyed them with his jaundice eyes, glaring heatedly.

"'E will be sailin' ye off te de ends of de earth in search of Jack Sparrow. For 'e is still alive m'dears." She inhaled loudly and held a emaciated hand to her heart, "Mmm jes, I can feel his 'eart beating, his soul fightin'" At this she stared Elizabeth right in the eye, and in retaliation, the younger woman hung her head guiltily.

"Well I believe that be enough with the reintroductions, Tia." Barbossa strung out, his harsh voice dripping with ice as if he had just fought off the cold clammy hands of death itself at that very moment."

"Bery well. I have giben Barbossa 'ere all the vitals you will be needin for this long voyage. My blessing be with ya all, and may the sea be yer mistress of fortune."

She touched each of their foreheads as a sign of blessing.

"Alright you bloomin' cockaroaches, off te find dear ol' Jack now, eh?" he waved his hand in gesture of following and strode out of the cabin.

"Off ye go den me dears."

Each shuffled out silently just as they came. Elizabeth was the last to begin her descent when an arm touched hers in a soft, but at the same time, firm gesture to signal immediate cease.

Whirling around, Elizabeth came back once again to Tia Dalma.

"Yes, Tia Dalma?"

"I know what ye did, lass. And I know truly dat yer sorry for his fate. But believe child, dat destiny has a place fer all o' us. Jack is still alive. But ye gotta find him before he be lost to us fore'er," Suddenly she reached down and lifted the compass out of Elizabeth's pocket.

"Ye know what dis is child?"

"Yes...it's Jack's compass."

"Mhmm, what do ye know about 'is compass?"

"That it points to the thing one wants most."

"Mmmm...when de time comes to test yer strength against de world and truly know what ye want most, remember, love. De compass doesn't lie."

Elizabeth stared at her in gaping astonisment.

Tia Dalma chuckled darkly.

And Elizabeth left her, still hearing her confusing words and dark laughter repeating and swirling violently in her mind.

Darkness

Every muscle in his entire body ached and cried out in mercy. Every bone he moved cracked and popped violently against their original hinges and joints. His skin felt clammy and cold, slicked with the sweat of over exhaustion and unspent relief. His clothes were ragged and drenched, clinging to his skin from the water's cruelties. The waters break and receding sounded harsh and cruel in his ears as he crawled, dragging and pulling his heavy body, on the bitter rough sand.

Finally, unable to bear it, he slunk down onto the sand and rested, turning onto his back, despite the pain, and just stared at the ebony coated sky.

He knew he was among the shadows. The dark gnarled form of thick blindness would have scared anybody, and it clung to his weak form like a claustrophobic vice, addicted to his drained state and feeding off whatever power he had left.

But then he felt it...he felt the rain.

He reveled in it. The cool drops seemed to be blessings from heaven as they traced down every contour of his face. All the light in the world couldn't have illuminated more pleasure in the dark shadows as the sweet melody of the rain did just then. For it showed perhaps a mortality of the shadows, a certain physical aspect that could be just passing by. A certain obstacle that he could overcome once again. It was as if the rain were just, washing everything...away.

He didn't know where he was, he didn't know how he got there.

And at that moment he didn't care.

All that mattered to him was that those precious jewels kept falling, lulling him into peaceful rest, at least for a little while, until he would have to face the harsh reality he was swept into. But for now, he was silent and his heavy lids fell closed, blinding him, perhaps, even more than the shadows did. Blinding him into an abyss of indifference and dreams.

Sleep overtook Captain Jack Sparrow and he became lost to the world.

But what was perhaps more frightening was not that he was lost...

But that he was lost in a world of shadows and rain.