DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, all of which are respectfully of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.

Also, please note that I do not intend this story to be historically accurate.

Now let's just get to the story, shall we? Enjoy!

"Suddenly she realized that what she was regretting was not the lost past, but the lost future." - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Preface

My heart no longer belongs to this God forsaken land I once called home. I am instead damned to where my entire being gravitates towards, of which nothing this island can offer. Therefore, I am willing to give up everything- my status, my home, my entire life. Including those who I thought I loved, but I think better of that now. Love is the winner of all, they claim. Love- something that is too extraordinary to dare be mediocre. For the sake of him and I, I summoned mighty havoc; to reach the realm above that will pull me into its gentle waves. Thus I sail towards all my soul has ever seethed with desire for; the ocean spray kissing my cheeks, and his hands steadying me at the curve of my hips. This, I think, is what I am alive for.

Chapter One

He's Gone

It was like he slipped from the outstretch of my fingers. I resented them from taking him away from home. . . away from me. I cried, for I thought I understood love. My heart was broken, ripped in two by the ways of this world. My chest felt as if it were being pressed against my lungs and throat, and for months I felt like I could not catch my breath.

"I promise I will return to you, Elizabeth."

I sauntered along the clear glaze of water that caressed the soft sand, waiting. Searching. My eyes skimmed along the water just below the dusk's pink and orange sky, desperate for a clue. Perhaps a navy boat returning from sea, a lantern's light, a descending of God. Anything.

"I believe you, Will."

I shutted my eyes tightly, hoping to blink away the haunted memory. I vividly remember my own teardrops staining the off-white of his shirt, and the sound of my voice on edge of cracking. That was the night before he was taken away for a while. Or possibly forever. I could not tell, there were no signs of his return. The tears, the shaky voices, two whirling minds- those were the last intimate moments we spent together before he went away.

I can perfectly recount the lingering image of my husband to be, aboarding the rickety carriage led by the sturdiness of steed. Through a blurry vision I watched as he hustled in, placing himself amongst the other recruits of all kinds- rail thin and pale, heavily built and strong. I thought about the raw dread these men must have felt upon going to war. I tried to imagine the claustrophobic feeling of being pulled towards a wall at full speed, a destined fate with no indication of escape. Their wives cried as they were dragged away. The air was swollen with agonizing wails and the preaching of names. One hundred and one individual teardrops splashed as they slowly fell unto the dirt at their feet. And all I could do was helplessly watch Will, as if he were a fallen leaf carrying along to the gust of the wind.

Every second I waited felt like another chance I was giving him- to miraculously appear out in front of me. My persistence was childish- that maybe if I believed hard enough, my reverie of a fairytale might just come true. But my life was not a fantasy, and time ceased to heed to my wait. Therefore when dusk morphed into night, I turned to tread all the way home with no avail. The rush of the crashing waves became a faint roar as I left the ocean behind me.

"Your supper is cold." Estrella was standing in the main hall as soon as I walked through the door, anxiety was plastered onto her face.

I hesitated before I spoke. "My apologies, madame. I was just out."

"Just out?" Estrella clicked her tongue and made her way into the kitchen, I followed. "You mustn't continue this kind of behavior, Ms. Swann. It is not good, your father would certainly disapprove." She began washing the dishes in a hurried manner.

Father is not home either, I thought.

I held my tongue, twiddling my thumbs at my lap. "I did not mean for your concern, Estrella. I simply just-"

Estrella's sudden rigidness in her back and shoulders silenced me. She breathed in deeply, as if gathering her entire composure. "I understand your predicament, miss." She spoke in a low whisper. "But you are not the only one going through this. You cannot go about causing everyone else to be worried sick about you."

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach. I had a certain understanding for Estrella's upsetedness, for most days I walked as if in a far-off reverie, spending my days wandering endlessly towards any direction at the shore. I consumed less than a bird would, and slept four hours a night at most. And the physical results, I daresay, were shocking. The townsfolk avoided my path; never greeting me in the street for my state of mind proved me mad. I never took account for it, however Estrella's prevailing concern always snapped me back into reality. And the utmost feeling I was left with was shame.

She turned her head, and I stood as Estrella's eyes ran up and down my figure, her eyes full of tears and anger. For as long as I could remember has she been my loyal caretaker, and over time had developed a habitual mother instinct and tenderness, albeit she had no children of her own, all except for me. However, with fright, she examined me as if I were some poor, broken animal standing helplessly in her kitchen. "Just look at you," she hissed. Her pitying eyes slowly crept up to mine. "You need to stop this."

I stepped aside as the housekeeper rushed past me. I followed her out of the kitchen, and made my way towards my bedroom without supper.

I sat before my mirror, running a bristled brush through the tendrils of my hair as I stared into the eyes of an unrecognizable woman before me. I observed her face, of whose skin was sickly pale, shadows darkening her cheeks, and the red rings that rung around her eyes were more prominent than the day before.

Every night I thought about writing another letter, another written sequence filled with lost hope and love. However I grew tired of the sickening disappointment when I received no returning letter.

An alarming sound disturbed my slumber. Heart racing, I slipped out from under my covers, listening attentively for any further noise. I crept out of my door, and lightly placed one foot in front of the other until I reached the balcony into the main hall. I peered over the railing, and after seeing that no one was there, I slowly made my way down the staircase.

"Estrella?" I whispered, halfway down the staircase. No one responded.

A cool draft caught my attention, and I turned to see the front door left slightly ajar. My heart picked up pace as I quietly closed it, immediately convinced that someone has broken in. Panic further boiled my insides as I suddenly heard the sound of heavy boots walking along the wooden floors in the dining room. I looked around while quickly rummaging through a compartment's drawer, pulling out a fine-cut blade.

Holding my breath, I tiptoed into the living room and pressed myself against the wall out of sight. Not seconds later did they walk into the main hall after me. I held the blade between the palms of my two sweaty hands- chest beating, head pounding, ears roaring to the sound of my rushing blood. I listened as the leather boots slowly paced along the floorboards. I picked up the pattern of their waltz, and realized there was another accompanying pair- both synchronizing to the same beat: one and two and one and two. They were quick, sturdy, both looking for the same thing. I heard them rummaging through drawers, and slamming cabinet doors shut- taking things that did not belong to them.

"The governor's mansion, aye?" One of them spoke.

"Indeed. Search the upstairs, I heard he has a daughter." Responded a thick, oily voice. They both exchanged a long moment of silence before they broke out into wicked chuckles.

"Aye, sir." The other agreed, followed by the retreating of boots up the staircase. The other walked into the dining room across the hall.

After the one had gone, I peered around the corner and saw my first sight of one of the intruders. He wore a proper soldier's uniform- made of blue, itchy starch that seemed to constrict his entire body. A bayonet was held across his front. I immediately assumed he was apart of the enemy's army. And why he stood in the heart of my house, I could not guess.

Run for the door. Will's words harshly whispered through my ears. I quickly glanced across the hall, seeing that the soldier was distracted by the silverware placed around the dining table. I tightened my grip on the blade, and counted down in my head. Three. . . Two. . . One. The world spun around me as I sprinted for the door. The distance seemed to elongate as I ran to it. Adrenaline poisoned my blood- burning, pulsing, hollering at me to run faster.

"You there!" The man's shout seemed to have surpass my hearing. It was fight or flight. And so I willed my legs to move faster with long, quick strides. My heart thumped loudly, painfully against my bosom that I could have sworn it would tear open.

Bang! The noise penetrated through the air into my right shoulder. Vibrating, burning, soaking in the wetness of my blood. I fell to the earth, dropping the blade onto the ground. I quickly scrambled back onto my feet, simultaneously grabbing the knife. However I was not quick enough, for my pursuer tightly grabbed me by the back of the neck. Yet without a second's thought of hesitation, I quickly turned to impale the man with the blade; piercing into whatever I blindly aimed for that was followed by a low, tight groan. It was his torso, and within an instant I felt his firm grip loosen around my neck. I did not spare a moment to watch him fall to the ground, and instead turned the other way to stumble into a run, pushing through the ache that pained my shoulder.

Before long, they halted me in my path as they streamed from the surrounding valleys. About five or six navy blue clouds encircled around me, and all what I was assuming were bayonets readily pointed at me. I helplessly aimed my single blade towards each and every one of them

"I would stop running, if I were you Ms. Swann." One of them spoke.

It took me a few moments to register his fuzzy, far-off sounding words. Fear and panic resonated through my blood nonetheless. "How. . . how could you possibly know my name?" I could hardly understand what words my mouth was conveying, I could only make out the misty shapes of blue ghosts jostling to their chuckles.

Then there was a parade of bullets piercing through the air.

"Hold fire!" Someone yelled as the air reverberated to the loud, piercing sound of guns going off.

The bleary clouds of soldiers fell to the ground, and I plummeted with them.

It felt like a long time before any words were spoken.

"Elizabeth?"

I slowly opened my eyes, and could articulate whom it was who leaned down before me.

Jack.

Thank you for reading! Please don't hesitate to review! Any constructive criticism or feedback is greatly appreciated, thank you in advance! :)