Dear Journal,

It is quite a shock that you and I have been united! Ms. Brooklyn Swann, one of the twin girls that I am in charge of, was snooping through my trunk and informed me that she was "extremely disappointed that I had nothing written in it". Her sister, Elizabeth, was mad that I had no "tragic romance". How silly these girls! But I do adore them and am honored to be their governess. So much has happened since I received you sixteen years ago, and so much more since my mother purchased you eight years prior to that! Both of my parents have since passed. My mother died when I was three years of age from some disease or another, and my father, Captain "Lucky: O'Reilly, died just after I received you. His ship was crashed in a terrible battle and I was one of the only survivors. I was then put under the charge of Captain Tiegg Sparrow, but that did not last long! I fled from the pirates for good when I turned eighteen and went to an all women's boarding school. I excelled in all of my studies and graduated after seven years. After a year of odd jobs, I became the governess for Governor Weatherbee Swann of Port Royal. I do love this job very much and hope to keep it until they are wed and sent away and I shall never see another pirate again! It shall be a splendid lifestyle.

I shall write again soon,

Clarisse O'Reilly

Dear Journal,

I have spoken too soon. This morning everything was going great! The girls did not complain too much and breakfast was delicious. Then I found out why this was all being done; the twins informed me that their father is going to propose to me. Oh journal he is a kind, smart man, but he's so much older than I and I cannot see myself ever falling in love him…but he does provide security, wealth, a good home, and I am long past my prime of ever wishing for another man to want me...Anyways, after he left the girls began begging me to play outside. I figured that one afternoon lesson outside could not hurt! So we began our study on French history. I never do like starting with history, but Brooklyn is always so insistent on it! She is fascinated by pirates and is starting to get Elizabeth hooked, and you know how I feel about the subject of pirates! But I decided that to get Brooke distracted with something else, I'd let the girls run around and play for a bit. They ran all over, chasing each other and picking flowers and we were all having a splendid time.

~A scream suddenly rang from Elizabeth. Brooke and Claire looked at each other and quickly ran towards Elizabeth's panicking cries for help. They stopped at a hole, about two feet taller than the average man, and twice as wide. Elizabeth sat in the bottom of it, her skirt dirtied and her face red.

"The gardeners must have been doing some landscape remodeling! Dumb fools for not finishing their work accordingly!" Claire said bitterly.

"I shall save thee damsel!" Brooke cried, but Claire quickly grabbed her.

"I think not! Go sit down Ms. Swann," Brooke grumbled, but obeyed Claire's orders.

Claire sighed and got down on her knees. She reached down and stretched out her hand for Elizabeth to grab with her own. Claire began to steadily pull her up when a strange, yet familiar smell stopped her.

"Well love, I never excepted to see you from this angle," came a deep, scruff voice from behind Claire.

She gasped loudly and dropped Elizabeth, you began to cry again. Brooke ran to the hole, but stopped dead at the sight of the man. He had shoulder length black hair which was partially braided and decorated with beads and other strange objects. He smirked at her and removed his worn leather hat.

"'Ello there! Aren't you a little scalliwag?" Jack bowed.

"A…a….pirate! No way!" Brooke almost fainted.

"What! How does Ms. O'Reilly know a pirate?" Elizabeth yelled from the hole, desperately trying to get a better look at the infamous Jack Sparrow.

"You awful, deceitful, terrible man!" Claire shouted, shoving him back, "Leave at once!" her heart pounded so hard that she thought it might pop out and she barely held back tears.

"Nice to see you again too," he said sarcastically and then walked to the hole.

"Don't touch her-" but it was too late.

Jack bent down, swiftly grabbed Elizabeth by the shoulders, and set her on the ground before him. Elizabeth stared at him in shock and awe. He smiled, as if very pleased and turned to face Claire again. She didn't hesitate, but pushed him aggressively into the hole. He made a umph as he hit the bottom.

"Girls, get inside at once! Clean up and speak to no one of this, understood? They will be rewards for the two of you if you keep quiet," Claire said as she nudged the girls back towards the house.

They nodded and ran back, giggling the whole way.

~I stood there, my chest was on fire with anger. I couldn't believe that he had the guts to show up! After all these years! And after what he did to me…oh I shall explain myself journal. You see, when I was put under Captain Tiegg's command I knew no one. I have two older brothers, but they had left to start their own crews. Anyways, Jack became my one and only companion. We were inseparably, really and he protected me from Captain Tiegg's punishments for doing something wrong, and for being a girl. Well one night I was having a night terror, as I often suffered back then, and Jack had come to comfort me. Little did I know that he was drunk and, Jack being the greedy pirate he is, tried to have his way with me. I, of course, fought him off and escaped. From that day on I swore that I should never be a pirate or live with pirates again.

I looked down at him, "Jack Sparrow!" was all I could manage or think of to say.

"Captain, actually," he said, still not phased that I hated him, "You're looking quite good these days Claire," he grinned.

"Shut up! I do not know why you're here and I don't honestly care, but I do suggest that you leave immediately before I call the guards or bury you here alive!"

"Actually, I'm just here for a short visit really," he said, climbing out of the hole.

He stood next to me and tried to put an arm around me, but I slapped him, causing him to stumble a little.

"Alright, I deserved that," his face suddenly changed to a more serious mode, "But what have you become love? The Governor's little miss, eh?"

"Jack, I am a governess. I am educated and I educate for the Governor's daughters. I am a woman of class now and I love it here! Now, just go! I never wish to see you again. I can't believe you followed me here…everything was so perfect," I turned and began to walk back towards the house.

"Keep telling yourself that O'Reilly!" he called after me, "One day you'll come back, you'll see! Want to know why? Because you miss it; the Pearl, the freedom…once a pirate always a pirate!" I ignored him and continued to the front door, ignoring his calls.

I quickly took to the stairs and went to my personal chamber, locking the door behind me. I sat down on my bed and broke down crying and thinking about Jack Sparrow.

The Governor came home several hours later, at dinner time, and made sure to knock on my door occasionally, inquiring whether or not I was alright. I firmly told him that I had taken ill, but with quiet and sleep I would be alright in the morning, even with no dinner. Oh journal, I just hope the girls didn't say anything to him or my dreams will be ruined! I shall be kicked out, or even hanged for being associated with piracy, and I'll never have my second chance at life! The strange thing though, is how Jack makes me feel. How he makes he want to feel! I even have a very small portrait on a necklace chain in my dresser next to my bed. You see, whenever I get scared, I pull it out and holding it or wearing it is very comforting to me. But I have to forget Jack Sparrow! I hope he just leaves and forgets me too so then I shall never have to see him again! It is getting late though, so I shall write again tomorrow.

Clarisse O'Reilly