THE GHOST

CHAPTER 1

The night was dark, one of the darkest he had ever seen. The sky was covered in clouds so there was no moon to speak of and no stars to guide you through the night. Of course with no wind the ship wasn't going anywhere anyways. The crew was on edge this was the kind of night that didn't sit well with a ship full of superstitious sailors.

His first mate walked by muttering something about ghosts being on the prowl and not a safe night for man nor beast. The captain had learned to ignore his superstitious mutterings it was just part of the makeup of the man. He himself always called it the lull before the storm.

Far out on the horizon lightening could be seen dancing across the sky. Even though it was too far away to be heard he was positive that thunder was accompanying the light display.

He walked across the deck stroking the darkened railing like he was stroking a lover's cheek. Running his ring bedecked fingers along the wood he sighed and looked towards the other horizon away from the display of lights and that's when he saw it a red glow. Just as he saw it so did the lookout.

He ordered all lanterns to be extinguished on the ship and the crew hurried to do his bidding. It was obvious, what with them being in the middle of the ocean that a ship was on fire. Ships did not catch on fire for no reason. The only reasons being the magazine exploded, attack by pirates or they were pirates and attacked by the Navy. There was no way of tell and he wasn't going to take any chances with his ship.

The crew stood at the railing watching the glow. They had no way of moving closer Mother Nature was against them this night. If upon the morn they had wind they could only hope to find survivors.

The crew, being on edge, did not get much sleep that night and when the fireball of the sun cleared the horizon everyone was eager to see what had happened. And luck was with them the wind decided to grace them with it's presences with a breeze, it wasn't much but it was something. Gratefully the sails took the breeze and the ship moved towards the area of the glow the previous night.

As the ship moved forward towards the direction of the glow from the night before they started to encounter debris. When the water became choked with the debris Jack order the anchor to be lowered; he then sent men among the debris in long boats to look for survivors.

After about 30 minutes a cry went up; a survivor had been found. Men ran to the railing to help haul the man aboard. He was unconscious and a dead weight in their arms. Once aboard he was put on the deck the men stood around looking down at him.

"He looks ta be a pirate," stated a man with a wooden eye.

"Yah scallywags move away and let the man breath." Jack pushed his way through the men and looked down at the lone survivor.

"What ship da ya think that was capt'n?"

Jack looked out at the debris, "Unless he be survivin' we'll be never knowin'." Jack walked away and the crew picked up the unknown man carrying him below deck.

"Where we be headin' capt'n?" asked the first mate Mr. Gibbs.

Jack looked out at the horizon and waved his hand, "That a way!"

The crew stood staring at Jack's retreating back until Gibbs turned around, "Ya heard da capt'n we go that a way," he waved his hand out towards the horizon.

The crew hurried away to their stations bumping into each other, Jack walked up to the quarterdeck and as the breeze started filling the sails he caressed the wheel. Looking up at the billowing sails he swung the ship around and they were on their way.

It was a couple of hours later and Jack was weaving across the deck when one of the crew came running towards him.

"Sir, sir da man we picked up, he be awake and he be carryin' on somethin' fierce!"

Jack turned, "He is…lead me ta him boy."

The lad turned hurrying across the deck and Jack followed sauntering after him. Captain Jack Sparrow was a force unto himself; at first glance you would always think he was drunk on the rum he always carried around in a bottle but one look into his eyes told you otherwise. There was a shrewdness about them that defied his drunken manner but Jack was always careful to hide that side of him.

Before he even reached the crew quarters he could hear the hoarse hollering coming from the open room. The young man led him to a hammock that was surrounded by several men. He pushed the men aside making room for the captain.

"This be our capt'n ya be tellin' him what ya be tellin' us."

Jack looked down at the man whose eyes were filled with fear.

When the man saw Jack he grabbed his coat, "Sha came…outta nowhere…there was nothin' and…then it was there. Rammed us she did;…we didn't stand a chance."

"First what be ya name?" Jack asked.

"Me name…be Samuel."

"Alright Samuel what colors was this other ship flyin', boy?"

"I know not the…colors she be flyin'. She rammed…us and then left…leavin' us ta die…The magazine blew…we didn't hav a chance atal."

"What was the name of ya ship"? asked Jack.

"It be the Good Fortune."

"Thomas Anstis ship?"

"Aye…did ya find…any more survivors?"

Jack shook his head no and looked at the men around them who was also shaking their heads.

"They took her!" he suddenly had a fit of coughing and had trouble catching his breath.

"Easy, someone get the man some water." Jack ordered.

A tankard of water was thrust forward and one of the men held his head up while another held the mug for him. After getting a few sips and calming his cough he continued.

"I thought they be takin' her but…"

"Who…who took her and who would said she be?"

"She is…the daughter of…Capt'n Anstis,…she was travelin'…with us. I was in charge of her…and now…"

"Why ya be thinkin' she was takin' she could hav drown," Jack questioned.

"No the ship… it came back and was…lookin' the waters over. I tried ta hide her…under debris but…I be hit on da head…or somethin' I don' remember. But she be…a good swimmer she was." The man tried to get up but was held down by some of the men. "I hav ta…go lookin' for her."

"Ya not be goin' anywhere," the ship surgeon forcibly replied.

The man clutched at Jack's sleeve, "Ya mus promise…me that ya will look for her."

"I wouldn't be knowin' the first place ta look or what ta look for."

Samuel leaned back closing his eyes, "Ya right…she be gone…forever," he resigned himself to the fact.

Jack left the crew quarters and went back up on deck speculating on what Samuel had said. He knew for a fact that there wasn't enough wind for the Pearl that night so how is it that another ship was able to ram The Good Fortune.

As the days moved forward Samuel's condition became worse and worse until the surgeon told Jack that he probably wouldn't make it through the night. By the next morning he was gone and they gave him a proper pirate burial. And just like the pirates that they were they continued on without a backwards glance to the place where the man slipped beneath the surface of the water.

Two days later and the call came down from the crows nest, "SHIP AHOY!"

Jack looked up and the young man above him pointed to the west.

"What color is she flyin', James?" Jack yelled up to the crows nest.

"Can't right tell yet, sir, it's still be ta far away."

Before jack could speak Gibbs was beside him holding out his brass spyglass. With a mumble jack extended it to it's full length, held it to his right eye and tried to see what flag the other ship flew but did indeed find out that the ship was too far away. The Pearl tacked along and Jack kept a close eye out on the ship in the distance. Finally they got close enough for Jack to see through his glass the flag that flew atop of the ship.

Jack quickly jerked the glass down and in a slow drawl stated, "It seems Mr. Gibbs that we have a ship of the Royal navy sharing the sea with us today."

Jack too over the helm of his beloved Pearl, "Let's see if we can discover what the'r yonder ship is up ta without us bein' seen," Jack murmured under his breath while unconsciously caressing the big wheel.

The Black Pearl and her crew kept the British ship within site throughout the day. Most of the time only the top of the main mast could be seen and Jack hoped that they hadn't been spotted. At one point Jack thought that the ship had spotted them but as always luck was with them and towards dusk the British ship anchored in the waters off of a small island. Jack promptly maneuvered the pearl to the opposite side of the island and dropped anchor.