I am not like other women my age. Most women my age would be getting their beauty sleep at this hour, not stealing liquor out of their father's cabinets and reading until dawn. The staunch rum burns my throat, but helps to lessen the burn in my eyes as I read. Tales of the sea and its seductions first captured my attentions when I was eight years of age, as I crossed the Atlantic Ocean with my father and sister. Being of a troublesome sort, my sister and I were always inclined to listen in on the tales told by the crew late at night, when we were supposed to be asleep: tales of cursed treasure, pirates, and immortal legends. Hardly the sort of things the Governor's daughters should be thinking about. As we grew older, she became more and more content to play the role of the dutiful daughter. I, on the other hand, grew more restless, and longed to set sail on the waters I had read so much about. In order to do that, however, I would need a ship and a crew; both of which my father refused to grant me. And so I was trapped on land, for the most part. Some nights I snuck down to the pier and borrowed a fisherman's dinghy, letting it drift out towards the horizon until the sun started to rise. This is my story: the story of how I escaped my father and gained my greatest desire; and lost my heart along the way.

I couldn't sleep. I'd been awake for hours, thinking. I could hear my father knocking on my sister's door across the hall. He knew better than to wake me at this hour. His voice, somewhat muffled, slipped under my door as he spoke with her. It sounded as though he'd bought her another dress from London. I rolled my eyes as I rolled out of bed. I'd much rather have a sword than a dress. Besides, it was probably just a cheap enticement for her to look especially pretty at the inauguration ceremony today. I had to show my face there, unfortunately. I didn't want to lose my favor with the upper-class population here at Port Royal. That might serve me ill in the future. I pulled on the first petticoat I laid my eyes on, and then had second thoughts. With a wicked grin, I let it slide to the floor, leaving on only a pair of pantaloons. Knowing my father, he'd probably bought Elizabeth something white and saint-like. I pulled out a tight-fitting wine-colored dress, carelessly brushing my hair back as I laced it on. I could care less about whom Captain Norrington proposed to, but it wouldn't hurt to look ravishing. There was no man on the island who had caught my eye, unfortunately for them. I painted my mouth a dark plum to match my dress, and left my long, dark curls down. My dress hem was long, but I slipped on flat-bottomed shoes anyway, to defy the current high-heeled fashion. As I stepped outside, I heard a knock at the front door. Curious, I peered over the banister as one of our servants opened the entryway. Recognizing the shy young man standing there, I called out, "Hello, Will!" He looked up at me and grinned in reply. I glided down the stairs and hugged him fiercely. Will Turner had been a close friend of mine ever since my sister had spotted him adrift at sea, a victim of a pirate attack. As the blacksmith's apprentice, he taught himself the art of sword craft, and gave me lessons in his spare time. "What are you doing here, Will? Come to ask for Elizabeth's hand?" I winked at him conspiratorially. Will had been in love with my sister as long as he and I had been friends. She was oblivious, of course. He flushed a red as dark as my dress, but recovered himself as my father came down the stairs. I curtsied at Will, and excused myself. I slipped into the kitchen to grab some breakfast before we had to leave. As I ate, I could hear Will discussing the sword he had made for Commodore Norrington. Then I heard my father exclaim, "Oh, Elizabeth! You look absolutely stunning!" I stuck my head out of the door to see for myself. She looked angelic, with her hair swept up; small blonde curls framing her face. As I had guessed, her dress was white, with small blue flowers. Her face lit up as she saw Will, and rushed down the stairs to greet him. "Will! It's so good to see you! I had a dream about you last night!" I raised my eyebrows. My sister was not usually so outspoken. It must have been a very good dream. I chuckled to myself, returning to the kitchen to finish my meal. A few moments later, my father called to me: "Vanessa! We're leaving!" I quickly finished, and rushed out to the carriage to join Elizabeth and my father. Will remained on the steps staring after us as we pulled away, a wistful look on his face.

The ceremony was long and boring. I greeted everyone cordially, but slipped away a half-hour into the commencement. I escaped to one of my favorite haunts, a stone archway overlooking a steep cliff that kissed the sea. The wind buffeted my loose curls, and I closed my eyes to the feeling, enjoying the caress of the wind against my cheeks. When I opened my eyes, I looked back at the fort and saw the crowds making their way towards me. Sighing, I cast one last look out at the sea, and then prepared myself for the social hour to come. I saw my sister on Commodore Norrington's arm, and grinned. No doubt he was going to propose to her now that he was a high-ranking officer. I moved away to talk to a few society ladies, keeping an eye on Elizabeth and the Commodore. As I chatted idly, I wondered what she would say to his proposal, if he had the guts to make one. As far as I gathered, Elizabeth reciprocated Will's feelings, but it was hard to say. I didn't talk about such things with her. I glanced over at my sister. She was listening to something the Commodore was saying, her hand on her chest. I returned my attention to the celebration as a platter of sweets went by. I was just about to obtain a scone or two, when I heard my sister's name being bellowed by the Commodore. Shocked, I turned around. Surely he wouldn't have that much of a negative reaction to being turned down. As I turned, I saw only the Commodore at the cliff's edge. I froze, as my sister was nowhere in sight. He screamed my sister's name once more, then started to take off his coat. Oh, God! She must have fallen off the edge! I started to run down to the nearest dock, praying desperately as I went. Please, God, don't let her have hit the rocks. The Commodore and his men were right behind me as I ran down the pier. A strange sight greeted our eyes as we neared the end of the dock. Two soldiers stood over my sister, dressed only in her petticoat, with a strange man kneeling over her. One of the soldiers held a corset in his hand. The Commodore unsheathed his sword under the man's chin, and ordered him to his feet. He did so, hands raised. My father rushed to Elizabeth, immediately covering her with his coat. She stared at the man as he stood next to the soldiers, unarmed. He was soaking wet, as was my sister. Assessing the dry state of the two soldiers, I made the conclusion that he had been the one to save my sister. I'd never seen him before in my life, but there was something strangely compelling about him. His long, dark hair was braided into all manner of pleats and dreadlocks. Beads and trinkets glittered in his hair and his beard. His eyes were rimmed with a black substance, and a red bandana covered his forehead. My sister interrupted my examination of the man: "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?" The Commodore hesitated, then lowered his sword. Sheathing it, he extended his hand. "My thanks", he said, eyeing the man. The man slowly extended his hand to Norrington, almost cringing as he did so. Norrington grabbed his hand and flipped it over to reveal a pale "P" branded into the man's forearm. My eyes flitted to my sister's face. The man was a pirate!