Catharsis
My eyes traveled to the knife the boy had used to pin me to the deck. Why did it seem familiar somehow?
Then I realized. I remembered.
"Get yourself to land and stay there…"
"I take this with a promise…"
"William…" I breathed. The boy who I had fought was my son! My captain had killed my son!
Rage and grief filled my mind and I tore free of where I was pinned, launching myself with a wordless roar at the monster that was Jones. I caught him completely by surprise and we toppled around the deck, struggling furiously. I had no weapon, but I struck him as hard as I possibly could, putting all my weight behind my blows.
It was no use. Jones overpowered me quickly, slamming me into the bulkhead and raising his sword. "You will not forestall my judgment!" he roared.
I knew I was going to die. "Do you fear death?" he had asked me, so long ago. I had then. I didn't even know now.
Then he stopped short, letting out a choked-off gasp. His tentacles writhed desperately. My gaze traveled over his shoulder. Will had stabbed Jones' heart.
Jones and I stared at them in shock. A single word escaped my captain's lips.
"Calypso…"
Then he was gone, in the maelstrom's fury.
It was over. The captain I had served under all these cruel years was dead. Finally. But at what price had our freedom been won?
I reached to pull the knife from the rail and looked towards my son, Elizabeth, and Jack. The ancient chant rose as the rest of my fellow crewmembers emerged on deck. "Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship. Part of the crew, part of the ship…"
"Part of the crew..." I breathed as I knelt by Will's side, seeing Jones' sword in his heart. "The Dutchman must have a captain," I whispered, tears trickling down my face. As I raised the knife to plunge it into my son's chest, I could only think one thing.
It wasn't supposed to have happened this way.