We are abandoning the Black Pearl to the Kraken. It's the only means of escape. We have one longboat, with just enough room for me, Elizabeth, Jack, and the rest of the surviving crew members. I start to help the crew load what we'll need into the longboat. I start to climb down the rope ladder. When I look up, I see something that I wish I could just erase from my memory. It's Elizabeth, my fiancee', the woman I love and would do absolutely anything in the world for, was locking lips with Jack! I got a quick glance of their kiss, but before I could say or do anything, Gibbs ordered me to hurry up.
As I sit in the longboat, I'm thinking about Elizabeth and Jack. How? How could this happen? When did this happen? Were they in love? Was she leaving me for him? What was going on? Was it just lust? Love? I am hurt, but also angry. Once Elizabeth climbs down into the boat, I ask her, "Where's Jack?" She gives me a look like I said something terrible.
"He elected to stay behind to give us a chance."
Something is not right. Elizabeth is acting very strange. I don't take my eyes off her. The crew are reluctant to leave. "Go!" Elizabeth demands. We row away from the ship, and watch in sadness and horror as the tentacled sea monster takes down the Black Pearl along with its captain.
Pintel asks Gibbs where we should go, and Gibbs replies, "Upriver."
I have no desire to see that voodoo priestess again, but Gibbs says it's the closest place. As we row, I stare at Elizabeth, who won't even look my way. She's on the verge of crying. Part of me wants to take her in my arms and comfort her, but the other part wants me to scream at her. Ask her how she could betray my trust? I decide to just keep quiet for the time being.
It's nightfall now, and as we get closer to Tia Dalma's hut, we see a bunch of people in the water, holding a candlelight visual for the fallen Captain Jack Sparrow. I see a woman with tears coming down her face. I'm not one of Jack's biggest fans, but even I feel sad at the moment. I was angry with him for a lot of things, but I certainly didn't wish the man dead.
Tia Dalma isn't surprised at all to see us. She's not crying, but she's certainly not smiling, either. All she does is nod her head and motion for us all to sit down, and leaves the room. When she comes back, she's carrying a tray with drinks on it. I notice Elizabeth refuses the drink at first but takes it when Tia tells her "Against de' cold, an' de sorrow."
We all raise our cups to Jack in a toast. Elizabeth is crying. I was hurt by Elizabeth betraying me, but I still loved her, and I wanted her to be happy. "If there was anything that could be done to bring him back…"
Elizabeth looked up at me when I said these words. I stood up, and started to walk towards her, to comfort her, to ask her why she kissed Jack, but Tia Dalma interrupted, and asked us all if we would be willing to sail to the ends of the earth and beyond to bring both Jack and the Pearl back. We all agree. Unfortunately, Tia has managed to bring Barbossa back from the dead, and he will lead us to Davy Jones' Locker. It's good that we're getting Jack back, but the thought of Barbossa being back, makes my skin crawl.
Once Tia Dalma assured everybody that Barbossa could be trusted, for he owed her a great deal, we all deciding to turn in for the night, and would start planning our trip in the morning. There was only two bedrooms. Everyone agreed to let Elizabeth have one. Tia Dalma said she didn't need to sleep. Barbossa would take the other room, since he would be leading us on this voyage. Everyone else would sleep on the floor.
It didn't matter to me, really. We would all be going on a very dangerous mission, and no one would be able to get to sleep, I was sure. I must have dozed off for a little bit, because when I woke up, I saw that Elizabeth was outside on the porch of the hut. Standing next to her was Tia Dalma. I couldn't help myself. I was right next to the door, and I decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"I did a terrible thing," I heard Elizabeth say.
"I know, child," was Tia Dalma's reply.
"How do you know?"
"I know every'ting."
"I feel so rotten. It was the right thing to do, wasn't it?"
What was the right thing to do? What in the world was Elizabeth talking about? Did she mean kissing Jack? That was the right thing to do?
"Yes and no, Miss Swann. Yes, because you saved 'de crew, no, because you abandoned Jack to a fate worse 'dan hell."
"I told him I wasn't sorry."
"Are you?"
"I don't know. At first, I wasn't, but now, I think I am. If I could do it all over again, I – I don't think I'd be able to."
Tia Dalma put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "What's done is done, child. You can't change what you did, but you can fix it. Once witty Jack is back among the land of the living, every'ting will be right as rain."
Elizabeth nodded her head. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to know what happened. I stood up from my place on the floor and stepped on the porch.
"Good evening, Tia Dalma. Elizabeth."
"Why aren't you sleeping, William Turnah?"
"Just thinking about tomorrow."
Tia Dalma nodded and walked back inside the hut, leaving me alone with Elizabeth. She, too, turned to go back inside, but I stopped her.
"Elizabeth, we need to talk."
"You're right, Will. We do."
"What happened back on the Pearl between you and Jack? I saw you kiss him."
At this, Elizabeth's eyes widened in horror. "You did?"
"Yes."
"Did you see what I did afterwards?"
"No."
"I kissed him to distract him so I could chain him to the mast as Kraken bait."
What?! Was I hearing this correctly? Elizabeth left someone she admired to be taken by a giant sea monster with razor sharp teeth? Why? Well, wait a minute. She mentioned something about saving the crew.
"So the kiss didn't mean anything?"
"Of course not, Will. I love you! I always have. Believe me, I feel terrible about what I did to both of you. Jack might be many things, but even he doesn't deserve that kind of fate. Barbossa on the other hand…"
At this, I crack a smile. The first smile I had in days. She smiles, too. There are tear stains on her cheeks. I wipe them away with my thumb.
"I love you, Elizabeth, and I understand."
"Thank you, Will."
I lean forward and kiss her.
"And don't worry. Jack will be fine. We all will. Come on, we should get some sleep."
"Will, I- I know that we're not married yet, but would you stay with me tonight? No, nothing intimate before marriage, just be with me? Hold me?"
"It would be my pleasure, Elizabeth."
With that, we go back inside the hut, and fall asleep in each other's arms.
THE END