Elizabeth tripped over a loose plank as the Black Pearl toppled to one side. The huge tentacles of the Kraken waved above the ship dangerously. As she stood to regain her balance she glanced over the rails to see a small one-man rowboat steadily gaining distance as it paddled further away. She squinted her eyes and shook her head in dismay. Captain Jack Sparrow was sitting perched in the rowboat, selfishly rowing himself to freedom while everyone else was killed by the Kraken's fury. "You coward." Elizabeth muttered under her breath and swiftly turned as one of the Kraken's huge tentacles sucked Will into its grasp. "Will!" she hollered, though it wasn't like anyone could actually hear her.
The crew, doing what Will had ordered, was yanking rum barrels out of the cellar and placing them into a net that would be lifted up. Only Will knew what to do so far, but suddenly the plan become clear to Elizabeth. The barrels of rum had been sprinkled with gun powder from previous explosions and now they could be lifted up as bait. When the Kraken became frustrated with the waving obstacle he would bite down into it, which then, on cue, Elizabeth should aim a pistol and fire so that the barrels exploded into the Kraken's mouth.
Anxiously Elizabeth looked around, jerking her head from side to side, as she searched for a firing pistol. Then she found one, Will had thrown it down towards her, and she quickly rushed towards it and grabbed it. She cocked it open quickly to find two bullets, so she had two chances. Will was now swinging along and was thrown towards the barrels that the crew had just lifted up. Will landed on his stomach on top of the barrels as they swung through the air, the Kraken's tentacles swinging all the while. As one of the tentacles waved very close to the barrels Elizabeth was sure it was going to grab hold of them and automatically she loaded the pistol and, closing her eyes, fired. When she opened her eyes again she sighed in annoyance to see that her try had done no good at all. The tentacle had merely waved past the barrels and she had only succeeded in getting Will covered in gun powder. He looked like a black snowman as he tried to figure out how to get off of the barrels. Then it happened, the Kraken grabbed the barrels and angrily started swinging them around with his tentacle. "Elizabeth, now!" Will shouted over and over. But every time Elizabeth simply replied, "Not yet!" Then the barrels swung towards the beast's mouth and Will nervously shouted, "Elizabeth, shoot, now!" Just as her fingers started to pressure the trigger the ship's rocking tossed Elizabeth off balance and she lost grip of the pistol. The gun flew through the air and landed near to the Captain's wheel. Elizabeth rolled over and got up, and then she hastily made her way towards the stairs.
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Meanwhile, Jack had been confidently rowing away in his escape. It was all working out quite nicely too. Everyone who could accuse him of mutiny would be eaten alive by the Kraken and he would yet again sneak away in one of the most unthought-of moments. He had begun to feel cheerful when the sight of the Pearl being destroyed by the waving tentacles dampened his spirits. The ship would definitely be sunken, and he wanted to be honored. Most Captains always went down with the ship, but not he. He would be known for going AWAL at the last minute, in the one when he was needed most. The minute when he finally would've had the chance to be a good man…Elizabeth's curiosity statement came back to him. He would want to see what it was like to be honored, to do the right thing…he would want to taste it. And now he realized he did want to do the right thing. He stopped rowing and reluctantly looked at the ship that he had worked so hard to get back. He was greatly tested to have to choose between his life and the right thing, and only one thing could settle it for him. Taking a deep breath he pulled out his beloved compass and popped it open. He waited for the needle to spin and stop, and then gaped wide-eyed at the reading. After a moment of pause he snapped it shut and grabbed the paddles, and started back towards the Pearl.
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Elizabeth raced up the stairs, she could now see the pistol, but the ship was thrown again, and again she lost her balance. This time her side was slammed into the stair's rail and it hurt badly. She desperately reached for the pistol which was just out of her reach. Then a huge, yet familiar, boot stepped onto the pistol. Elizabeth gasped and looked up to see the heroic figure of Jack Sparrow. He looked down at her and she smiled in amazement. "You came back…" He flashed a grin before thrusting out a hand to help her up and then grabbing for the pistol. He seriously aimed the pistol towards the barrels, but he didn't pull the trigger. Elizabeth stood mouthing unintelligent words as she waited for the right moment for Jack to fire the gun. Will suddenly understood that the Kraken was swinging the barrels in towards its mouth so that he could swallow Will down, and he quickly found his balance and leapt off the barrels to hit hard on the wooden flooring of the Pearl. That was when Jack grinned and fired the gun. The barrels exploded in a frenzy of smoke and flames and the horrible squeals that the Kraken produced were absolutely…horrid.
As the smoke cleared to show the Kraken's tentacles badly burned and sinking below the depths of the ocean, everyone cheered. Gibbs called out, "Orders Captain!" Jack stood still, considering all their options before realizing the only one that could work. "Abandon ship…" Everyone stood in shock at the words that had just been spoken. Gibbs narrowed his brows and quietly said, "But…it's the Pearl…" Jack gave him an understanding look and replied, "It's only a ship, mate." Gibbs slowly nodded after a minute's wait and said, "Aye…abandon ship." The crew, still shocked, bustled into action as they all loaded barrels of rum and gun powder along with other provisions necessary for survival into the few rowboats they had left. As everyone moved away Jack slowly walked to the railing of the Pearl, admiring it for one last time. Elizabeth quietly observed this moment of peace as the Captain actually seemed sorrowful. Realizing the only way that they could make it to land without being caught by the Kraken, she slowly approached Jack Sparrow to begin her trap.
"I always knew you were a good man." She said in a low voice so that no one would overhear. The crew had dispersed towards the rowboats and no one had noticed that the two were now alone for the limited time that was left. Jack slowly turned to face Elizabeth and the two stood staring at eachother for a few long minutes. Elizabeth started towards him saying, "You did a good thing." Just as she hoped Jack took the bait and he walked towards her. But she had not been expecting the next part, the kiss. At first she was sure she would hate to kiss a rum drinking pirate, but the passion between the two was clear and she was actually enjoying it. She regretted having to do the next part though. She started moving forward, making Jack walk backwards, and when he was close enough the sound of hand-cuffs clicking in place made him resently pull away. He had seen this coming all along and he wanted to kiss Elizabeth so badly, so he let it happen. He didn't object either when she said heavily, "It's after you, not the ship…and not us. This is the only way…don't you see?" She leaned back in and was going to kiss him in once more, but stopped herself. She forced herself to say the next words, "I'm not sorry." Jack sorrowfully smiled in return and gently accused her, "Pirate."
Although in her heart she was truly sorry, she pulled away and started for the rowboat that everyone was waiting in. As she lowered herself into it Will's half-accusatory voice said, "Where's Jack…?" Elizabeth turned towards him, and averting her eyes, replied, "He's going down with the ship…" As quirked glances were thrown towards her she anxiously said, "Well, go, get going!" They started lowering the rowboat. Guilty thoughts swarmed through Elizabeth's mind as she was lowered. She knew that Will had most likely seen her kiss, he was already acting a bit strange. And then on some uncalled-for urge she said, "Wait…" They still weren't too low for her to climb back onboard. She turned to Will and as she stood back up, said, "I'm sorry Will." She thus even though she wasn't sorry. That's two lies I've told today, she thought. Before any objections could be made leapt up for the ship's rails and easily grabbed hold and hauled herself onboard. "Now, go." She said. Gibbs had no idea why, but he automatically began lowering the rowboat again. Will's disbelieving, are-you-crazy glance almost stopped Elizabeth, but she took in a breath and turned to see Jack was already free from the cuffs and a broken lamp on the floor. He grinned and quoted her, "You came back…" She smiled and walked towards him to be embraced in a hug as the huge Kraken arose from the ocean, ready to swallow them both without a second thought. Elizabeth closed her eyes as Jack held her in one arm and pulled put his sword in the other. They would go down together.