Fountain of Youth
Chapter 1
"Come here Jamie, let old Sophie take a look at those scrapes and bruises. Lord child looks like you've been in one jolly good fight. Was those bigger boys weren't it Jamie, hope you left your mark on them this time stead of standin there takin it."
"James Lawrence Norrington you better not let your Father see you lookin like that. Lord child, it looks as if you've been wallowing with the pigs."
"Sorry Sophie, I was just digging in the garden, I'll go clean up right away."
"James, you shall be leaving aboard the HMS Poseidon next week. I have had to use my influence and put my reputation on the line to get you this station. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes Father, I will not disappoint you, thank you Father."
"Lawrence, he's only just turned twelve, he's not but a lad."
"He's old enough to become a man Susannah my dear, you can not keep him a babe forever. It's time."
"Lt. Norrington sir, I think yer needed below deck. Old Tom and Billy are goin at it again somfin awful."
"Had a brush with the East India Trading Company did we, pirate?
"So am I worthy to serve under Captain Jack Sparrow? Or should I just kill you now?
"You…summoned me Lord Beckett?"
"I had nothing to do with your Father's death. That does not absolve me of my other sins."
"Our lives have been entwined Elizabeth….but never joined."
James wasn't sure where he was or why these memories were playing over and over in his mind. He felt like he was floating somewhere in absolute darkness. He couldn't even see his hand when he placed it right in front of his face.
He couldn't remember where he had been before this, or how he had gotten here." He let out a little snort, "Where ever here is." He could move freely, and what ever it was that surrounded him was supporting without suffocating him, and although it was all around him he found he was able to breath just fine. For some reason he felt like he should try a few strokes as if he were going for a swim, and even though it was rather a strange thought, and though he couldn't tell if he was actually making progress through what ever this was that enveloped him some force was urging him to continue, so he did. After all he didn't have much else to occupy him at the moment other than those memories, and there were many of them he didn't relish going over again.
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Jack unrolled the bamboo chart and spread it out on the seat in front of him as he sang to himself, "We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs." He opens his compass, looks at the bottle of rum it is pointing towards behind his seat, picks it up, uncorks it and takes a drink. He eyes his compass again as he sings, "Drink up me hearties yo ho." He looks up, adjusts the dinghy's sail, settles back with the bottle of rum, tips his hat forward over his eyes, and hums a wordless tune between swallows of rum as the boat runs before the wind.
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It was hard to judge time here James decided. He had no idea how long he had been swimming, nor was he able to make a reasonable guess as he was neither tiring nor was the scenery around him changing. For all he knew he hadn't progressed an inch from his former position. Then he did notice something. A faint movement, the slightest of ripples, in what ever this was that he was surrounded by, hardly even enough to notice, but it was there, and he thought it might be getting just a bit stronger every time he felt it. Then he was sure it was getting stronger, as if what ever manner of…what? was drawing closer. He felt a gossamer brush against his ear as if phantom fingers had flitted too close. He put his hand to his ear as he tried to peer through the overwhelming darkness at what ever it was that was within touching distance. He could sense something was there but was unable to see anything but the blackest black he had ever experienced. He cleared his throat and hopefully sounding much surer of himself than he felt said, "Who is there?" He could have sworn he heard an almost imperceptible titter of laughter at his question. Now he being whom he was, and not one to put up with nonsense, even if it was of an otherworldly kind, did what he was used to doing, he faced it, at least he hoped he was facing it, head on, "I would appreciate an answer to my question." He said in the most Commodore-ly voice he could manage.
"All in good time James Norrington." A voice floated over his senses from very close by.
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Jack was awakened by a violent rock of his dinghy, one that almost dumped him into the ocean. He grabbed his rum just before it went over the gunwale and peered around, the sea was as flat as glass. He tapped his finger to his chin as he said, "Must have been a mighty big fish." He looked around once again and then settled back down, hat low over his eyes. He had no more made himself comfortable than he heard, and felt, a gigantic splash from somewhere near enough it drenched him in water. He sat up and looked around again, the ocean still not showing so much as a ripple. "Now that's interestin." He said to himself as he used his coat sleeve to wipe off the little puddles of water that had settled on the chart. As he did he saw a notation he was sure hadn't been there before. He did a quick reconnoitering of his position, ran his finger over the map to where he judged he should be, and found the tip of his finger right next to the little figures drawn there and the words mermaydes be here. "Ah, well that explains it then." He said to himself with a flop of his hand. He could deal with mermaydes, it was Krakens he had trouble with.
To Be Continued
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