Francis Dix had never even dreamed of meeting a pirate before that day. The thought had never crossed her mind.
Francis sat in her parlor, sipping tea and staring out the window. The sea looked glorious as the sun set over the city. Her yellow floral dress was draped delicately over the white chair, brown strands of hair framing her face. She could have sat there forever, dreaming of whatever crossed her mind. Time didn't seem to pass when she sat in that parlor overlooking the world.
She had secluded herself in the room when her husband had nearly driven her mad with preparations for opening the bank. It was to be the safest bank in the world, he told her. She wouldn't even be going, so she wasn't sure why he bothered her with such trivialities. As if he read her mind, a knock pounded on the door. She didn't even get to say "Enter!" before he barged in.
"Francis, do you think it would be better to have Mr. Reynolds or Mr. Kingsley to open the vault?" the mayor asked, gray hair framing his wrinkled face.
Francis sighed, "For the last time darling, I don't have a preference for your ceremony tomorrow. Do what you think is best."
"Do what I think is best?" he muttered to himself.
She turned to him. "Darling, you are the town mayor. The people elected you to make these choices, not me," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "Besides, what do I know?"
The mayor hesitated, unsure of what to do. "I'll just have Kingsley do it." He started to walk out the door, then paused for a moment and looked back at his wife. "Francis, if you want to come to the ceremony tomorrow-"
"No," she said. "I'll be fine at home with my tea. I'll see you later that night."
Mr. Dix nodded, then solemnly headed out the door. "Goodnight."
Francis mumbled her goodnight and turned her attention back to the sun which had almost disappeared behind the tall buildings. The town was quiet, the only sound a few birds chirping in a nearby tree.
Suddenly she saw a tall figure dart through the shadows. Whoever it was had a few men with him, clearly drunk by the way they were walking. She looked in the direction they came from. Was that a ship... on land?
"Darling!" she called into the bedroom where her husband was fast asleep. An empty bottle lay on the floor next to him. "Darling, I saw these people, and I think... well I'm not quite sure who they are, but they certainly mean trouble."
She tried shaking her husband awake but it was no use. Loud snores erupted from him like a hibernating bear. Hurriedly, she rushed to put on her shoes and hat, hastily checking her appearance in the mirror.
"Some things you just have to do yourself," she thought aloud.
Quietly she opened her front gate and stepped warily outside. She paused for a moment, standing under the blanket of the cool night. She had never been outside at this time of night before, at least not alone.
She found the figures easily as they weren't very quiet. They hid in a dark alley, discussing plans she couldn't quite understand. Quickly, she hid behind the corner of a building where the men were easy to see and she was not.
"I'm telling ya, we dress up as officers and hold the whole town hostage," said one, waving a rum bottle madly in the air.
"Aye!" The group cheered their agreement.
"No! No. I'm the captain, I make the plans! Savvy?"
It was the tall man she saw earlier! So he was the captain. Francis could faintly see his features under the moonlight. He wore a mixture of belts and scarves, a cutlass hanging off his hip and a pistol off the other. Dangerous, yet cunningly handsome. A lingering thought ran to her husband, but she quickly shoved it away.
The group of men quieted down but weren't afraid to show their discontent.
"Here's the plan," the captain said, drawing his men in closer. "Now the safe is too heavy to carry on our own. We'll get the key, and I'll unlock it while you hook it up to a team of horses."
"Horses?" An older and bigger man spoke up from the crowd.
"Yes, Mr. Gibbs. When I call the signal, you'll ride the horses and I'll guide the safe. It'll pull it straight through the wall. We'll be richer than before and we can make our way out of this hell-hole. Savvy?"
Francis could not keep back her gasp, shocked at the unraveled plan before her. Slowly, the men turned to look at her hiding. She silently cursed her bright yellow dress, frozen in place for fear of what they could do. They looked between themselves, unsure of what to do with this unfamiliar face spying on them.
The captain sauntered forward, forcing Francis to take a step back. "And who might you be?"
Francis rose her eyes to meet the captain's. "You first."
That issued a laugh from the men. Francis glanced down, embarrassed. But the captain did not laugh.
"Captain Jack Sparrow, at your service," he said, whipping off his hat and giving a low bow.
Francis sneaked a look behind her, seeing an open path to freedom. She grinned at the captain with a knowing smirk. "Thank you for telling me your name, Jack Sparrow. Now I really must be off, I'd reckon some officers would be dying to hear what I heard. Ta!" Francis mimicked Jack's bow and turned around, ready to run with the news.
"Not so fast, love," Jack said, pulling Francis back. "Firstly, it's Captain Jack Sparrow, and I doubt you'll forget it anytime soon. Secondly, you'll not be going anywhere."
Francis struggled to get out of his grasp but two more men flanked her sides, one grabbing her arm and one grabbing her around the waist.
"Now," Jack said, drawing a hand under her chin. She stared bravely into his eyes. "You wouldn't happen to know where the key to this safe is, would you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she mustered out, wriggling from the grasp of the pirates.
"She's lying," called out a pirate.
Jack thought for a long moment, staring into Francis's eyes as if looking into her soul. "Let her go."
"What?" yelled the man holding her arm.
"You heard me."
Slowly the men let her go, although not willing to make space for her to run away easily. Francis braced herself to run away, preparing to escape their grasps.
"We'll be in the tavern over there," Jack said, pointing to a building in a distance. "Run and tell those little officer friends of yours."
Francis looked between Jack, the men, and the way out. Slowly she backed up, and when she saw no one was reaching to grab her she turned and sprinted to the nearest jail.
"Officers!" she cried. Several men quickly stood at attention. "Officers, please, I know of men who are going to try to steal the safe tomorrow."
They looked between themselves with worry. "Show us the way, Miss Dix."
Maria nodded, and led the few men to the tavern Jack had directed her to earlier. She forced open the door, blundering through with fury at this 'Captain Jack Sparrow' while the officers armed themselves and-
It was empty. Not even a bartender in sight.
She whirled around. "Officers, I swear they were here. I overheard them! They said they were going to use horses-"
The men cut her off with a sharp laugh that echoed throughout the empty tavern.
One officer put a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for the laugh, Miss Dix. You certainly made this dull night more interesting. Perhaps you should stay away from those drinks your husband is so fond of. Have a good night," he said, shaking his head and laughing with the others as they made their way out.
"Wait! You have to believe me! I swear-"
"Hello again, love."
She stiffened, turning slowly. "You!"
"Me?" asked Captain Jack.
Slowly, other pirates peeked out from behind barrels and tables, easily hidden under the dull light, grinning at their trick.
"You tricked me! I'm going to get those officers," she cried, starting to turn out the door again.
"And then what? Make yourself a fool? You can't win here love," Jack insisted. "Take a break. Have a drink."
Jack pulled Francis over to the counter and placed two coins down. The bartender, who had been hiding as well, greedily took the coins and shoved them in his pocket. He slammed two mugs desperately in need of a cleaning before them, both filled to the brim with an ungodly liquid. Jack pulled out a chair for her and began drinking his own.
"Oh, no. I don't drink," Francis said.
Jack set down his glass and looked her in the eyes as if he was searching her soul again. She couldn't bring herself to look away. "Yes, but don't you want to try it? I see that hunger in your eyes."
She glanced at the swirling drink before her and let out a long sigh. "I suppose a little won't hurt..."
Jack raised his half-empty glass and gestured for her to do the same. "To a night we won't forget!"
The men in the room raised their glasses as well, repeating their captain. Francis tentatively raised hers and clinked it against Jack's, lifting the edge of the grimy glass to her mouth and taking a sip.
"That's bloody awful!" Francis sputtered out. "This is what you drink all the time?" she coughed.
Jack finished off his glass. "I didn't expect you to like it," he said, eyeing her up and down. "Do you want more?"
She looked at him, then the rum, then back at him. "Well, the aftertaste isn't so bad," she said, already taking another sip.
"I guess that's a yes," Jack smirked.
Francis drank well into the night, and drank quite a lot for a girl who had never drunk before. The world became a blur with each sip and she had to admit she liked it.
"Francis, love?" Jack said to the girl who was nearly falling over in her chair.
Groggily she turned to him. "Yes Jackie?"
"I still need that key," he said with a wolfish grin.
"The key?"
"To the safe?"
"Ah," Francis said, sipping a bit more of her rum and giggling a bit. "I know where it is."
"Great!" Jack exclaimed, pulling the rum glass out of her hand. "Lead the way."
If you asked her later, she wouldn't be able to explain why she led Jack to the key, only that she did. Maybe it was the rum clouding her judgement, or maybe it was because she was mad at her husband. Or perhaps it was the way those deep brown eyes of his made her melt.
The pair had quietly, or as quietly as two drunks can, made their way back into Francis's house. She pulled Jack into a side room that looked like an ordinary parlor.
"Are you sure it's here love?" Jack asked, stepping carefully throughout the room.
Francis dug in a dresser drawer, pulling out random articles of clothing and throwing them on the floor. "I swear, he puts everything in here," she answered, digging around further. "Aha!"
Francis held out a large silver key that gleamed under the moonlight. "Found it."
"I could just kiss you right now!" Jack cried. Francis let the rum swirl her vision and only giggled at Jack. "Only if you wanted to of course, love," Jack mumbled.
"To the safe?" Francis grinned.
"To the safe."
Jack pulled her by the hand to the tall building holding the safe. To his surprise, no guards were keeping watch. Francis swayed on her feet as he opened the wooden door, and they stood together in awe at the safe.
"You know, I thought it would be prettier, the way my husband talks about it," Francis giggled.
Jack smirked and took the key, gently turning it inside. After a few quiet clicks, the safe unlocked. Francis and Jack looked at each other, and Jack swung the safe door open.
"Wow…" Francis breathed.
Thousands of gold pieces were stacked in the safe, joining priceless goods and expensive jewelry. They glittered under the full moon, shining gloriously. Jack couldn't stop smiling.
"Francis-"
He didn't get a chance to finish before her mouth was on his. Jack ran his fingers through her hair, kissing back just as passionately. Francis pushed him into the safe and he lay flat, still holding her in her arms. She straddled him and sat up, gave him a devilish smile, and slammed the safe door shut.
The next morning, Francis's head hurt really really bad. And she couldn't remember anything. Bright sunlight gleamed through and she gingerly opened her eyes, adjusting to the light. Slowly she sat up, struggling to pull herself forward. She placed a hand against her head and rubbed her temples, confused. That's when she saw Captain Jack Sparrow standing with his back to her. And the hundreds of people before him.
"Sir," shouted a man from the crowd, whom she recognized as Mr. Kingsley, "I believe that is your wife!"
"What?" cried Mr. Dix.
Francis swore under her breath. She glanced between Jack and the crowd, the realization slowly sinking in. She saw her husband look at her in distress. Hurriedly she hiked up her dress and ran out from the safe, shooting a glare at Jack as she ran around him. He turned to face her but he was too slow and Francis was gone before he could see her one last time. She took a moment to look at her husband and the sea of faces before her, letting out a sound of distress. Murmurs shot through the crowd as they watched her run from the embarrassment. She didn't see Captain Jack Sparrow watching with resentment at what he had done to the woman.
Francis didn't stop running until she was far away and safe in her room. She looked in the mirror at her disgruntled appearance. Messed up hair, a stained dress, a shoe missing, cheeks flushed. She sat down on her bed, horrified at what she had done.
"What a mess I have gotten myself into…"
That night, when her husband had come home and had himself several drinks, he turned on her. Throwing her things out of the house, grabbing her by the hair and pouring one of his drinks and soaking what was left of her once beautiful yellow dress.
Francis stuffed as many clothes and food as she could into one basket, and hurried out of her house before her husband came after her again. She threw a cloak over herself, sprinting through the dark alleys until her house was far behind, and her problems with it. Somehow, she found herself wandering to the docks. It was quiet there, at night. The sea lapped calmly against the sandy beach nearby. She bartered passage on a small ship and asked them to take her anywhere but here. Francis wasn't quite sure what she would do with her life next, but she knew she could never go back.
Even still, much later, when Francis was far away and alone with her thoughts, even when all had finally gone right again, she would always remember the infamous rogue pirate who called himself Captain Jack Sparrow.