Red flashed before his vision as the crack of a whip was heard as it curled around his rib. Forcing down another scream as it was whipped away; it left his lips bruised beyond measure. The same routine again and again so many times now that he had lost count. Another crack, another flash of red, another scream forced down. Blood now oozed freely to the floor now gathering together in red, slimy pools that looked black due to the slimy floor beneath it. His arms sagged, his legs gave out long ago but still the blows came thick and hard. How long had he been like this? How long had this pain that should have killed him long ago left him barely alive to feel its extent? His muscles tensed once more waiting for the next blow. When one didn't come he blinked in confusion. A sword came in an arc above him cutting the bonds that chained his arms as his body collapsed in a heap, curling up into a ball from the hours of agony however in his mind he was relieved. The relief didn't last long though as he was wrestled onto his back, hissing with pain as the floor came into contact with the many fresh wounds, as his limbs were pinned down by four of his captors. A shadow loomed over him with malicious intent written all over it's cold, cruel eyes.
"Do you fear death?" it hissed at him, toying with something behind its back.
"Never," he hissed back, eyes narrowing in defiance.
The shadow laughed and proceeded to turn away then without warning whirled back and shoved something right smack dab over his chest, on the spot of his heart. He didn't care what it was, though he was pretty sure it was a branding iron for at that moment, excruciating pain shot throughout his entire body. Wave after wave of it hit and hard as his entire vision began to haze away. His entire body was now racked with tremors as the thing drove deeper and deeper into his chest, the smell of burning flesh becoming intoxicating. The shadow simply smirked then suddenly ripped it away from the raw skin and pressed down with his hand and ground a handful of white power right into the wound. That was it. Red and black flooded his vision as the scream that had been shoved down so long ripped its way from his throat at full force, robbing him of his breath as his eyes pressed shut and two tears ran from them. He could feel all his tormentors laughing now but he didn't care. With every pulse of his heart he came closer and closer to the dark abyss that was subconscious.
B-bmp—Black
B-bmp—Black
B-bmp—Black
He felt his eyes roll back inside of his head as his battered body gave up the fight. Finally, he slipped into the serene blackness.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"WILL!!" kohl rimmed eyes shot open followed by a hiss as a beam of sunlight hit them causing them to once again shut tight. Captain Jack Sparrow groaned as he rolled onto his side only to realize that his bed was on the other side. THUD!! Grumbling to himself as he picked himself off the floor, he staggered a few paces, grabbed his jacket, hat, boots, and a bottle of rum, he was fully dressed and accessorized.
"CAPTAIN!!" shouted Gibbs the instant he was out on deck. "We have arrived sir."
"Then we go ashore," he took a swig of the bottle only to find it empty and shouting back up at the man. "Why is the rum always gone?"
Gibbs gave him a quizzical look, raised an eyebrow, then walked to help the crew with the departure of the smaller boats. Jack threw the empty bottle out into the ocean before following the crew. When he practically fell over the railing, he sighed as he straightened his hat.
"That's why."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Jack Sparrow," Tia Dalma looked up from the shells she was examining. "I see that de curse has been broken."
"Tia Dalma," Jack swaggered in a smile splitting across his face, "so good to see you again." When Tia Dalma did not return the smile or even stand up to greet him, Jack's smile slowly began to fade. The crew watched in silence as they felt the silence build the tension in the room until it was so thick that Gibbs actually took out a knife and tried to cut through it. Finally, Jack's smile disappeared as he hung his head, hiding his eyes in his hair as he murmured. "So you know. I really did think I knew you."
"Not so well as I had hoped." Tia Dalma rolled her eyes as she waved a hand beckoning him to sit down. "What is it that you be needing this time?" When Jack didn't answer, Tia Dalma's eyes softened. "Jack Sparrow, is the compass that you bartered from me not working."
Jack shrugged. "Maybe." Tia Dalma took a jar of what appeared to be miscellaneous animal organs and twirled them in her hand.
"Does Jack Sparrow truly still not know what he wants?" Tia Dalma purred, not turning around to Jack. "Does he loathe to claim it as his own?" she asked again, her lip curling up in a devious grin as she twirled the jar around. The crew leaned in closer and closer to see just what she was looking at. BAM!! Tia Dalma slammed the jar down and jumped up so fast that it knocked the crew back, tumbling on top of each other in a heap. Jack looked up wide eyed, the hand that was twirling around with a feather above his head, froze. No one spoke for a very long time. Finally, Jack was the one to break the silence.
"So, what does this have to do with me?" Jack forced a smile only to draw back when Tia Dalma rammed right into his face.
"Does that compass work or does it not Jack Sparrow?" she snarled. "Your heart, your heart, your cursed black heart, does it know what it wants?" She was practically through the roof now, her face turning puce as her voice boomed above and beyond. Jack practically melted in his seat while the rest of the crew cowered into a ball in the far corner of the court. "Realize just what you have done so much, so much pain. De land, de earth, de soul and..." she paused as her head twisted to the side as the same sneer spread across her face from ear to ear, "him heart." Jack was leaning forward into her face now as his kohl rimmed eyes filled with inquisition and a faint glimmer of worry.
"Who's heart?" he whispered. Tia Dalma was twitching rapidly now as she struggled to answer. Suddenly, her head shot up as she loomed over the seated and for once attentive, Jack Sparrow, eye glowering into the depths of his soul.
"William Turner," she spat out then with that, she collapsed in a heap onto the table.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"William Turner," Tia Dalma spat out then collapsed in a heap on the floor. Jack Sparrow sat deathly still as the cabin once more filled with silence. The crew was still huddled in the corner, all wide eyes focused on the back of their Captain who now sat without so much as a muscle spasm. It was Gibbs that decided to make the first move. Slowly, he picked himself off of the floor and took tiptoe steps towards the seat in which the Captain sat.
"Jack?" he asked uneasily. "Jack, are you...savvy?" he finally spat out. Hesitantly, he dropped a hand on the Captain's shoulder only to respond with a yelp he felt a crushing force press down on his wrist. Jack's hand was wound tightly across the length of his wrist. The crew watched in tense silence. Slowly and painfully Captain Jack Sparrow seemed to turn around and face the crew once more, releasing the wrist of Gibbs. The fear in the eyes of the men was clear as day for they did not know just what they would be facing down. The face they saw knocked them all dead with relief.
"Mr. Gibbs," Jack boomed loudly as he stood, resuming the same drunken stagger.
"Aye Captain," Gibbs retreated back to the crew as they watched Jack walk over the Tia Dalma, poke her for a bit, then roll his eyes as he picked her bodily up off the floor and set her down so that she appeared to be sleeping in the nearest seat. What they didn't see is that Jack took the necklace that Will had given her as payment for last time and pocketed it.
"It appears," he turned to them with a huge smile plastered across his features as his eyes were on the one and only compass that knew where to go. "That we have a headin'."
A knowing smile crossed over Gibbs's features as he rapidly nodded his head. "A headin' for you, a change in the wind says I."
Jack held up his hand and signaled to the door. "Take what you can..."
Gibbs game him a fist in the air. "Give nothing back." He then turned back to the now eagerly anticipating crew. "GET ON DECK YOU SCURVY DOGS. SET SAIL!!" While the crew was scrambling back and forth back to the boats, no one noticed that Jack had turned back to where Tia Dalma lay sleeping.
"Pity has nothing to do mate. I will get him back."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"A touch of destiny," a hoarse voice whispered as the crew set off down the river, into the hollow abyss that would soon be the ocean. "Jack Sparrow..." as breeze howled down the banks, "What your heart desires may be beyond claim." A cackling laughter echoed into the ever shrinking world.