Disclaimer:
I do not own the characters and storylines from Pirates of the Caribbean. Everything concerning the movies belongs to Disney - except the characters and storylines I invented by myself.
Hope you'll enjoy my new story. Have fun while reading it...
Chapter 1: 1742 A stormy Night
In the middle of the night Jack Sparrow awoke due to a silent noise.
Only unwillingly he opened his eyes. He did not know anymore how many times passed by since he slept that deep and dreamless lastly. Therefor he was tempted to ignore this annoying sound.
Next to him he heard and felt Caithleen's silent and smooth breath. She was fast asleep. The nightmares which plagued her throughout the first nights vanished within the bygone weeks.
Meanwhile her closeness felt as familiar again as if all those years passed by within a blink of an eye. With a confident smile upon his lips he decided not to worry about that silent noise any more.
He covered them both with the blanket, wrapped an arm round her tender body and dragged her a little closer. At once he did fall asleep again.
It did not last long until that strange noise woke him up anew.
All the years he spent at sea and uncountable nights he slept in the open sharpened his senses in such a way that he knew this was no imagination.
With a sigh he assured himself that Caithleen at his side would not wake up, then he sneaked out of the bed and tiptoed out of the little chamber. While he sashayed down the steps he put on his clothes and his boots. Grasping for his coat, his weapons and his hat was that much force of habit that he named himself a fool not before he got aware that he was going to place his tricorn upon his head inside.
This was his cottage and only a few visitors went up to the cliff, mostly only if it was unavoidable and for sure not midst a barely inviting night like it was tonight.
For several days torrential rain and heavy storm raged over the sea and the Caribbean Islands now. The lovely, sunny face of captivating and beautiful landscapes was not to recognize any more at the moment and although he never feared such kind of weather when he was at sea Jack wasn't distressed to stick on the isle he still called Patrick's Island for a while.
He did not know how this little island really was named but it satisfied him that he would be able to find it at any time and even blindfolded.
Patrick Swallow and Rosalind Stevens found this enchanted and idyllic place once when they got into severe weather after one of their preys and sailed through a mysterious, barely to spot passage, which sheltered and hid the magical bay from curious eyes.
The vigilant pirate and his beautiful partner had been hell-bent to live a peaceful life on the isle after having turned their ships over to some younger Captains.
A rashly flight, uncountable adventures and some unforeseeable incidents undid this dream latterly.
He – Jack – and Caithleen had once been meant to sail the legendary ships of the two extraordinary pirates.
It went all different.
The "Silver Stream" and the "Eagle's Wing" did pass away many years ago. Patrick got captured by the Spanish, Rosalind by the English. All what was left was a little cottage with whitewashed walls upon the cliffs of the isle high above the hidden bay.
And as it seemed Jack and Caithleen would be the ones living the dream of the two Captains now.
The chattering of the shutters tore Jack out of his thoughts and with a grin he called himself a fool because it was only this little noise which woke him up. He was convinced this would never have happened aboard a ship.
For being awake at once he decided with a shrug to have once again a look at their magical sea chart which was spread on the table.
Rapidly he enlightened some candles and beheld the course they wanted to sail as soon as the "Stella Maris" would appear within the bay – the spruce two-master of the Dutch Captain he sailed with for about three years.
On the search for his own ship, the "Black Pearl".
Now – several years later – he hunted once again for his unique, deep black vessel and for the legendary Fountain of Youth, of which was told it would keep the secret of eternal life within its waters. Meanwhile his own longing for an eternal life did extinct, but nevertheless he had to find the spring within a year's time. Otherwise he would finally lose the love of his life forever.
He wiped the sleep from his eyes and beheld the chart.
"What the hell..." He didn't want to believe what he saw: "This can't be real..."
The movable rings of this most extraordinary chart on earth showed an aim – but certainly not the bearings he needed to find the wreck of the Spanish sailor Ponce de Leon.
"Something you're in need of", he read: "That's weird! Once again a really helpful hint to a spot I didn't want to find and I'm not aware of where it lies. And to make matters worse at a point of time I'm unable to get there because I ran out of ships!"
Jack didn't want to admit it but meanwhile the absence of the Dutch and his "Stella" started to disturb him. Van Dyck was overdue and normally that boded ill. Especially if just that Dutch was known as a skilled Captain and a trusted friend.
Just when he decided, that neither his trouble about van Dyck nor his impatience to feel at last the planks of a ship underneath his feet again, would change anything about this situation and when he wanted to erase the candles to slip under the blanket besides Caithleen again, a flash of lightning broke through the darkness of the night.
Nothing followed that glaring light – no thunder, no rumble.
Nothing but silence!
The same moment he heard an appalled scream out of their chamber upstairs.
"Caithleen!"
He did not have to think about it but jumped rapidly up the stairs. She sat bolt upright midst the bed, cold sweat was upon her brow and her eyes were filled with pure horror. It must have been a nightmare once again – he had no other explanation.
"Caithleen! What's wrong, love?" He placed himself beside her on the edge of the bed.
"It's nothing. I'm fine!" She forced herself to smile but she knew that he immediately saw through her halfhearted excuse. So she went on with a sigh: "Jack, if your friend won't appear soon we have to find another ship by all means! Something terrible is going to happen!"
"Calm down, love, please, and tell me what is it that frightens you? Still bad dreams? Well, I think I'm in the know of a miraculous aid against them." He tried to cheer her up and gave her a nearly irresistible smile. All the same he knew he would have to seduce her somewhen later on...
She softly touched his cheek and lowered her gaze: "It wasn't a nightmare. No need to worry about that. It was like a vision, a foreshadow. At least something like that."
Her voice sounded thoughtfully and when he looked into her eyes he got aware that she neither joked nor had bad dreams.
"What did you see?"
"Your "Pearl"! I don't know what happened, but if I interpret it right..." Caithleen paused for a moment, then she grasped for his hand and continued: "She's been attacked! Without a warning, without any chance! Out of the dark!"
"Wherefrom do you know it?"
"I was bound to your ship that long, I can feel it, believe me! Your crew is in trouble and as it seems you're the only one who can save them."
"How shall I without a ship!" He thought her words over for a moment, then he asked: "What do you think: Does it already happen or will it happen somewhen the next days or weeks?"
"I've no idea, Jack! It's the first time something like this happened to me. It's weird! There were only dimly pictures, shreds of memories, tattered canvas, cannonfire and something or someone which lunged at your ship like a beast of prey! I'm sorry, but I can't see if it already happened or not. Maybe it's too late."
"Maybe not! Wait a moment! Want to have a look at the sea and at the bay!"
He breathed a kiss upon her lips and went down the stairs again.
The storm tore at his hair and within only a few moments he was wet through his skin. The rain spilled his face and he had to blink to free his eyes from the water.
He stared at the open sea for a while as if he would be able to long for van Dyck and his "Stella" by the power of his volition, but within this impenetrable darkness of this stormy night all he could spot up to the horizon were the cliffs and the coasts of the island.
He went over to the other side to have a look down at the bay. The mild lights of a few lanterns were barely able to enlighten the scenery but however a nearly surreal light illuminated the bay, the small houses and the boats which lay for anchor within it or which were moored round the bay.
Jack winced in surprise when Caithleen wrapped her arms round him: "Can tell you something, love: if you still want to know the true promise of my unique sense for the needs of the female soul you should better not scare me to death again."
"Said the man who sneaked out of my bed thievishly, silently and quietly..." She laughed.
"Only to avoid to wake you up!" His eyes were twinkling when he winked at her.
"You're impossible, Jack Sparrow!"
"That's why you love me, eh...?"
"That's why I love you, oh yes!"
She stroke her wet hair out of her face and pointed towards the strange light which seemed to impend above the bay.
"What's that?" she asked, but before he was able to give her a reply the sea within the mostly so idyllic bay got troubled and started seething and spraying. The boats were hurled to and fro and pushed to the pier and the moorings. Waves of an uncommon height surged to the waterside.
Then – like coming out of a dark nothingness – a ship got washed into the bay from the depths of the sea.
Enwrapped in an eerie greenish light the "Flying Dutchman" floated towards one of the berths.
Jack grasped for Caithleen's hand.
Abruply he was serious again: "You were right, love, something must have happened. Will Turner never before used this way to enter the bay for seeing me."
"What shall we do now?"
"Let's go down to the bay and find out what it is that forces the boy to search for us within such a horrible night. In addition it seems to be time to start for our quest to find the Fountain of Youth."
"If you're aware where to search for it I'll agree. But shouldn't we wait for the Dutch?"
"Come with me! Have to show you something. I fear our magical sea chart has different aims for us." He paused for a moment then he added with a challenging grin: "Oh, by the way, Caithleen Stevens, if you don't want me not to care about the storm, the rain, the chart and the "Dutchman" anymore you should get some other clothes on but this drenched hint of nothing, Aye..."
