Jack and His Unexpected Guest
He figured all the years of drinking rum must have finally gotten to him, had finally started to damage his brain. People had always said he was daft but until now he'd only thought of himself as a little on the addled side. He guessed he'd have to be reassessing that opinion now, with the seeing of the creature he'd been seeing lately.
He'd been sitting at his desk in his cabin going over some charts the first time he saw the creature. He'd convinced himself it was just a trick of the shadows, nothing more than that and dismissed it. But then two nights later as he was sitting on the edge of his bunk getting ready to turn in for the night he'd seen the creature again creeping out of the corner, and the bloody thing had given him a salute, a right proper salute at that, before it disappeared behind the wardrobe. He had blamed it on a combination of Cook's mystery meat casserole that had been served at supper and a bottle or two extra of rum he'd consumed trying to get the taste of that casserole out of his mouth.
The third time he'd seen it he had been enjoying the view from the top of the rigging and had nearly fallen to his death as the creature ran, well not really ran, more like marched on it's little back legs across his hand before loosing its self in the sails. That's the first time he'd noticed the little coat the creature had been wearing. It was red with a couple of shiny gold buttons on the front and epaulets on the shoulders. He really had to cut down on the rum!
He began to casually make discreet inquiries amongst the crew to see if any of them might have recently started seeing anything strange but stopped when they started to eye him a bit strangely, or at least a bit more strangely than usual.
After several more sightings of the creature, one that included the creature actually laughing in some strange little squeaky giggly laugh as he tipped his little red hat at him, he did cut down on the rum.
However that did not help, the creature continued to show up at various times and places. He even woke up during the night and swore the creature had been there whispering something in his ear on the order of a 'big deal' about to come down.
Now for his own sanity, that he was almost positively sure he still held onto most of, he decided he had to prove once and for all whether he was hallucinating or if the creature actually existed. So he decided to start setting traps and hope that would finally bring a conclusion to the matter. He didn't dwell on what would happen if he didn't catch the creature, as that would pretty much seal the fact that he was indeed daft as a june bug.
The first several traps he set yielded no results although the bait had been cleverly removed. He had to get a little cleverer, and he did. The sixth trap succeeded where the others had failed and he woke to the faint sound of the creature yelling and pounding on the side of the glass that had been upended over it through a series of diabolically ingenious balancing and stacking and leaning of sundry items he had spent hours the day before perfecting.
He threw his legs over the side of his bunk and sat there for a few minutes staring at the creature debating whether he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. He stood up and approached his desk where the creature was trapped. He leaned over until his nose was almost touching the glass and was able to make out what the creature was saying, although it was a bit muffled.
"Let me out! Let me out of here this instant! You don't know who you're messing with here Mister!" the thing squeaked in anger, its little face beet red with its ire, its little fists beating against the side of the glass.
"Aye, you'd be right bout that mate. I've not a clue who you may be. Or if ya even be a real who ever ya are." He replied.
"Let me out of here!" the thing repeated.
"Sorry mate, even if I was inclined ta be doin such a thing, which I can't truly say at present I am, I'd not be doin it with you bein in the state of upset yer presently in. I'm thinkin it would definitely bode ill fer me, savvy?"
The creature seemed to be mulling over what he had said and after a moment or two he did stop yelling and banging on the side of the glass. The thing even sat down, propped his little chin on his little elbow and his little elbow on his little knee and looked at him solemnly.
"Are ya done with yer tirade then mate?" He asked the creature after a few minutes of quietly staring back and forth at each other.
"Yes Captain Sparrow, I'm done." The creature said.
"You know who I am?" Jack said in shock.
"You might say I am very well acquainted with you." The creature said with a smile.
"And just how would ya know who I am and I not know who …..or what…..you are mate?" Jack said, wondering if his infamy could possibly have made its way to the animal kingdom. Now that was something he'd never considered considering before.
"I don't think that is really important right now Captain. What is important is why I'm here." The creature said.
"I already figured that out mate. You've clearly been sent by one o me numerous enemies ta drive me tenuous at best grip on reality over the edge in hopes of acquirin me Pearl." Jack said flopping his hands about as he spoke.
"Nothing so provincial I assure you Captain." The creature replied, "I am here to propose the deal of a lifetime to you."
"Deal of a lifetime? Sounds like it might encompass a good deal of swag and shiny now don't it?" Jack replied, a glittery grin appearing on his face.
"More swag and shiny than you could ever possibly imagine Captain." The creature replied.
"I like the sound of that, do go on." Jack said waving his hands at the creature.
"I would be able to talk much better out of the glass Captain. The air in here is getting a bit scarce you understand." The creature said with a smile.
"How do I know I can trust ya if I let ya out? That you'll not just scurry off as soon as I do? For that matter how do I know you're even real and not just a figment of me overly active overactin imagination?"
"As for the former, you may hold onto my tail to make sure I don't scurry off," the creature said as he waved his tail back and forth, "and as to the latter that answer will make its self known when you release me." The creature said with a sincere, or at least what Jack took to be a sincere look, it was kinda hard to tell ya see, on its face.
"Alright, I'm goin against me better judgment here but seein as it's not the first time I've done that in me life I'll do it." Jack said as he tipped the glass enough to take a hold of the creature's tail. Having done that he lifted the glass clear of the creature and as he started to set it down on the desk jerked his hand away from the creature letting go of the tail and yelping in pain. The little bugger had bit him; bit him rather hard, hard enough to draw a bit of blood.
"What'd ya do that for?" Jack said in a high-pitched pouty tone as he sucked on the injured finger.
"Proving the latter Captain, you have been thoroughly convinced of my reality now have you not?"
"Think ya could have come up with some other way o doin it sides that mate." Jack said still pouting and sucking on his injured finger.
"Be that as it may Captain, we have much more better things to talk about." The creature said.
"Ah, the shiny!" Jack said forgetting his finger and his pout and smiling a flashy smile at the creature.
"Indeed Captain the shiny." The creature said with a wide smile of his own.
"So what ship or port do I have ta plunder ta be obtainin this shiny? Or is it buried somewhere?" Jack said with interest.
"Neither Captain, all you have to do is sign this little accord and you will receive more shiny than you can drag to the bank." The creature said.
"I prefer buryin to bankin mate." Jack replied.
"Your choice Captain. Now if you would be so kind as to put your signature on the dotted line we can both be on our ways." The creature said holding out several large pieces of paper.
"How did you manage to get them rather large papers out o that little bitty pocket mate?" Jack said with baffled curiosity.
"Sorry Captain, my secret." The creature replied with a mysterious smile. "Now just affix your signature and we will have an accord."
"What's this POTC 4 the papers are talking about?" Jack asked.
"That's what is about to make you one of the richest men on the face of the earth Captain." The creature answered.
"Hmmm does sound interestin mate." Jack said as he signed his name with a flourish.
"Good!" the creature said as he took the papers, stuffed them back in his pocket, (Jack couldn't figure out how he did that either) and held his…paw out to shake on their agreement.
As Jack took his….paw and shook he said, "I don't believe I caught yer name mate."
"You can call me Mickey...Mickey Mouse." The mouse called back over his shoulder as he jumped off the table, ran to the porthole and disappeared over the edge. Jack heard a small splash a few seconds later and thought to himself, "Wasn't aware mouses could swim." And then with a chuckle, "Daft bugger, I'd a dropped him off at the nearest port if he'd have just asked.
The End
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