Elizabeth Swan stood outside Tia Dalma's hut, the humid air sticking her cotton shirt to her skin uncomfortably, in the way that made her skin crawl. Barely any light shed through the thick undergrowth and large, leafy trees that surrounded the young woman. Other islanders still held candles at their bosoms, in mourning for Jack Sparrow, the light casting eerie shadows over the holders' faces. The atmosphere itself was haunting, and the intense sadness that hung over the place threatened to choke Elizabeth with it's slimy fingers.
She didn't really know why she had done it. Why she had left the pirate chained to the mast of the Pearlonly to save her own skin. No, she continually told herself. It was to save Will too…and Mr. Gibbs and everyone else who survived the Kraken's wrath…
But her reasoning was faulty, and she knew it. She didn't truly believe that she had ever loved Jack, she was fascinated by him more than anything. He was a friend to her; nothing more, and they could have escaped together. She didn't have to cheat on Will and break his heart. She didn't have to leave her good friend behind just to show that she could make her own decisions and that she was strong. But she had. She had done just that, and now she was paying the consequences.
She felt a presence behind her; felt eyes burn holes in the back of her head, and she turned around to see Will standing in the doorway. She knew he had been staring at her, but when she turned to look, he looked away, and walked in the other direction towards the other side of the balcony surrounding Tia Dalma's hut.
Elizabeth felt the sadness and confusion emanating off of Will almost too heart-breaking to be around, but she knew that she would have to confront him sometime. If she was ever going to save their marriage, it would have to be now.
"William," she whispered, not moving towards him, not embracing him warmly, as his fiancé. She didn't dare. What she had done had been brutal to Will's poor heart, and somehow, trying to force their old habits didn't seem appealing, and she knew it wouldn't be any better for him.
Will didn't answer.
"Do you still want to get married?" she whispered softly, not shifting her gaze from his face. In a quick flash of movement, Will drew his sword and laid it out in front of him. Elizabeth jumped. For a split second, she thought he was going to harm her, but she then realized that he was just pulling it out to polish it with his sleeve.
"W-Will?" she asked, firmer this time.
He didn't answer, just kept polishing fervently, his strokes becoming harder and quicker as she felt his anger building. She let him finish polishing his sword before she spoke again.
"Do you hate me?" she asked. Will sheathed his sword with a whoosh, and began fiddling with his belt.
"No," he answered coldly. "I don't hate you."
For another split second, Elizabeth thought that all was well, but the hidden hurt and anger in Will's voice told her that the row was far from over.
"You don't?" Elizabeth asked.
"I was going to marry you," he said, laying his arms on the balcony and pushing his weight on them. "The love I felt for you was too great, and I could never hate you. I don't think that love will ever fully go away, however much I loathe it to stay."
These words pierced Elizabeth's heart harder, faster, and colder than any sword or bullet ever could in a million years, and she had to fight the tears from flowing.
"But?" she whispered, looking down into the misty green water below.
"I am not responsible for your actions, Elizabeth," Will said. "You can do whatever you please, and I cannot do anything about it. But your ease of infidelity to me showed me that this could have never worked."
"What?" breathed Elizabeth, her eyes widening.
"What we had was passionate, but it was never truly love," he said patiently. He turned to her with cold, hard eyes. "I'm not sorry."
Elizabeth couldn't stop the tears from flowing then.
"Will, please…" she whispered, moving towards him. "I can't live without you…I was trying to—!"
"—protect me, I know," sighed Will. "I've heard the story a thousand times over and I'm sick and tired of your stupid alibis, Elizabeth!"
Elizabeth grabbed his arm as he started to walk away, but he shoved her off.
"Don't act so innocent, Elizabeth, like some colt lost in the woods. Like some poor little girl living a monotonous life in the British Caribbean! Well, let me tell you something, Elizabeth; I think what attracted me to you most of all in the beginning was how free-spirited you were. How we were both trapped in the same straight-laced situation; no adventure, no nothing! We found Jack and we escaped together, just like in those books and stories we were told as little children. But now, you've had your adventure, Elizabeth. But now you're taking advantage of it. You've become a spoiled little girl who thinks she's absolutely irresistible, and that every man can't get enough of you. Well, I have one thing to say, Elizabeth; I'm not going to be your next puppet in your little game. I'm through with you, Elizabeth Swan, and I'm glad to finally be rid of you."
Elizabeth stood there, dumbstruck, as William Turner, the only man she had ever truly loved, walked away from her without an ounce of love left for her, and she knew that everything she had ever lived for, everything she had ever lived for in the future, was gone. There was nothing left for her here. Tears, streaming down like a river, couldn't stop her from what she was about to do.
"Will!" she screamed. William stopped, and slowly turned around to stare at her. Elizabeth pulled out her pistol and pointed it at his chest. Will gave a start and jumped backwards, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
" Elizabeth!" he cried. "What are you doing?"
"Goodbye, William Turner," she snarled. "May God have mercy on my soul and make sure that I don't miss you."
And with those last words, she withdrew the gun, pressed the barrel to her own temple, and pulled the trigger.
