AN: Hey there! Glad I got at least one review. Thanks a lot to ILoveAnime89 for your unending support to the story so far! I really appreciate that. Now, I shall move on to the story before the rest of you readers decide to stop reading. Enjoy!
"Mom...dad...Carrie...I'm so sorry...but please, let me worry about myself first." - Vanessa Silvestre
Hands of Fate
Darkness was the only thing that filled the room. Dark curtains were drawn down and kept anyone from seeing what was outside the windows. No one could tell whether it was day or night inside the room. Not even a single light illuminated the room. But someone who has been in the dark long, or someone with extra-ordinary senses, would be able to take note of a large lump on the bed. It was a body; its chest moving up and down as it breathed slowly in a rhythmic beat. Mumbles could be heard from the form as it occasionally shifted from left to right. The young woman on the bed sat up with a soft groan. Short, spiky black hair stood out in all directions, giving her a messy, sleepy look. She looked around her in confusion and rubbed her eyes just to make sure that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her.
"Where...am I?" She mumbled sleepily. Her mind was still fogged up from just waking up, so she didn't remember or notice where she was and what happened to her. She got out of her bed and walked over to the curtains, drawing them open and letting a flood of bright light burst into the room. Blue eyes twinkled, shined and blinked at the sudden change of colors in the room. She closed them and waited a few more minutes so her eyes could adjust to the light. When she opened them again, she stared out of the window and saw the gray street below. People in jeans, shirts, and the like passed by casually and ignored everyone else around them. Cars drove by and sometimes made beeping sounds when someone decided to go jaywalking.
So...am I really back?
She jumped in surprise at the sudden ringing that broke the silence in the room. She turned around and found the black cordless phone lying on the bed. She walked towards it, picked it up, and hesitantly placed it to her ear. The voice of a woman spoke through the receiver and she blinked at the familiarity of it.
"Aunt Tiffany? Aunt Tiffany, is that you?" She asked. The other end of the line suddenly became quiet. Just when she was about to decide that their connection was cut off, she heard the loud cry of the woman she was speaking to.
"Oh my gosh! Vanessa! Is that really you? I can't believe it! You're back. Oh thank goodness you're still alive!" She cried. "We were all so worried about you, with the way you suddenly disappeared. Carrie could barely sleep at night just thinking of what had happened to you. And your parents! I shiver to think of what you had put your parents through with your antics. Your co-workers and publisher were just as worried as we were. You've got some explaining to do young lady. But I am still glad that you've come back to us safe and sound." The young woman named Vanessa winced and pulled the phone away from her ear at arm's length as the other woman chattered on. Even from that distance she could still hear the other woman speaking. "Honey! Honey! It's Vanessa! She's back at her own home! I'm talking to her right now."
"Really? That's great dear! Carrie must be so happy to have found her just in time."
"In time? What is he talking about? Aunt Tiffany?" Vanessa asked as she placed back the phone to her ear.
"Yes Carrie must be jumping up and down and running all around the room by now. Where is our daughter? I expected to hear some sort of noise over the phone." She said. Vanessa looked around her and found no sign of any form of life. She only saw the gold aztec coin her foster parents gave her, lying on the ground. She picked it up then went out of her room and scanned the living room, the kitchen, the guest room, and even the bathroom. She titled her head in confusion as she spoke to the other woman on the phone.
"She's not here. I can't find her anywhere in my apartment."
"Oh she must have been out shopping for food or getting a bit of fresh air. She has been staying in your home ever since you disappeared, taking care of your house for you when you return. Vanessa, really you shouldn't have run off like that all of a sudden. You made everyone worry so much about you. We begun to think of all the horrible possibilities that could have befallen you."
"I'm sorry auntie, something suddenly came up...something that needed my attention. I had to go alone and I had to go immediately so I had no chance of telling any of you. But auntie, what did uncle Danny meant about me arriving just in time?"
"Oh I see, so that's why. But really dear, you shouldn't have left without a word. You should have told Carrie or called someone to notify us or sent a message or something. She was staying at your place when it came up right? Really Vanessa, that was pretty irresponsible of you."
"Yes I know auntie and I said I'm sorry for it. But I really want to know what you meant by-"
"We should go over there right now and make a big celebration for your safe return. I know! We can all go out to eat at some fancy restaurant. Danny and I will treat you out to this really popular restaurant that's just a few blocks away from-"
"Aunt Tiffany!" Vanessa snapped impatiently. "I understand how glad you are that I'm back and alive but please! Tell me what uncle Danny meant when he said that it was a good thing I arrived just in time. In time for what auntie? Tell me!" She gritted her teeth and took deep breaths as she tried to control her temper. It wasn't her fault that she sounded like a pain in the ass that moment. She knew that it was wrong to vent all her frustration on the woman who would be her only source of assistance right then. "I'm sorry aunt Tiffany. But really, I need to know. What did uncle Danny mean by what he said?" She repeated. She could hear someone sigh on the other line then the sound of someone whispering.
"Vanessa?" The low voice of uncle Danny came into her hearing. "Vanessa it's Danny. I'm sorry about Tiffany. She's just excited about knowing you're there. Now about what I said earlier...I...I hate to be the one to break this to you but...Didn't you read the papers this morning?"
"No I didn't. What is going on? Did something happen?" She could sense the hesitation on the other line as she waited for a reply. It felt like days passed before she heard the voice of her uncle speak into the phone again. His voice sounded sad, regretful, mournful and froze her in her movements.
"Vanessa. Your parents. They...they were murdered yesterday."
She stood under the dark clouds, staring blindly at the two wooden crates aligned side by side. They were made from one of the finest quality of oakwood anyone could find. One was painted black, the other white. It was something she knew they would have been amused at. It clearly depicted their personality, their whole selves. Complete opposites, yet combined to balance each other and make a complete and whole embodiment of what love and family should be. Some part of her was glad that they had died together. It seemed a fitting end for the wonderful couple who have shed light and hope upon her little, broken self. Another part of her was sad. Sad that they had not died through natural means.
The funeral was held at the cemetery of course, the short grass swayed as a very strong and cold wind brushed past them. Vanessa could smell a storm coming; a little trick she picked up from her alter ego. At the thought of her, a smile came upon her lips. She had thought of nothing but that the whole day yesterday. She wondered if she would still meet Jack or Will or Elizabeth or even Norrington in her dreams. She mused about them, wondering if they were thinking about her or if they had already forgotten about her. Was Marine dead in the world of pirates? Did her existence in the lives of those characters vanish when she came back to her own world? She sighed then shook her head of those thoughts.
"You're wasting your time worrying about something that shouldn't be worried over." She muttered to herself, her smile growing larger as she repeated one of the last things the man had told her. She didn't look at the DVD of the first movie or watched it one more time. She didn't need to. Her memories of everything that happened in the movie was engraved into her mind, stuck there for as long as she lived. Their faces were clear to her, as if she had taken a picture of them and kept them within her mind.
Especially his.
"What's with that goofy smile on your face Vanessa?!" One of her co-workers cried, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes as he and the rest of the crew came walking up to her. They were all wearing black, just like she was. Others had come to the funeral, aside from her co-workers and her publisher. Relatives and friends of both her father and mother crowded around the surrounding area, speaking, crying, mourning, drinking, eating. Honestly Vanessa had been hesitant about inviting relatives. They weren't exactly in the best of terms with each other. Everyone in their family had disapproved of her parents taking in a foster child. But her parents ignored any sort of advice against it and went through with accepting Vanessa into their lives. The relatives weren't angry about it, but it didn't mean that they had accepted the fact either.
Vanessa had to force a smile on her face as all of those who came to the funeral walked up to her and paid their respects, talked to her, gave her advice and the like. They expected her to break down, fall on her knees to the ground and cry her heart out. They had even prepared boxes of tissues to her amusement. But to their surprise, Vanessa didn't not seem mournful or grieving at all. She just seemed sad at a loss. Some whispered about it, and some even gave her open glares. She ignored them all and went on through the ceremony with a stony face.
"Don't tell me you're happy that they're dead." Another piped in, in agreement to the other. Vanessa snapped her head towards the latter and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Of course I'm not happy! Why should I be happy about a death of someone I loved and cared about? What do you think I am? Heartless?" She asked him. The man backed away from her and held up his hands in defense.
"Hey, don't look at me! You were the one with that large smile on your face earlier. What were you thinking then?" He asked curiously. Vanessa's gaze softened and she turned to face the sky. It was definitely going to rain soon. The others surrounding her looked up as well, staring at the cloudy sky in confusion. They saw Vanessa smile again as she looked back at all of them.
"It's not that I'm happy they're gone. It's just that...well they've taught me not to bring myself down over something like this. They would want me to move on with my life and be happy. And if that's what they want, then that's what I'm going to do. In gratitude for everything they've done for me ever since they took me in that day." She explained to them. "I was thinking of a movie I watched. I think, maybe, I'm going to watch it again." They all looked at her in confusion.
"Huh? Watch it again? What for?"
"Oh it's something you guys won't understand." She told them teasingly. She looked around again, then stopped when something caught her attention. "Hey, the priest is calling me over. I think it's time to start the burial." She motioned for them to follow her as she walked ahead towards where all the other people began to crowd in. She caught up with the priest, and bowed politely as he smiled sympathetically at her.
"How are you my child?" He asked.
"I'm fine father...thank you for asking." She replied with a small smile. She glanced to her side, where the two coffins lay together, before turning back her attention to the man before her. "Could you please make it quick? I don't think I feel comfortable standing with them now..." The priest gave her a smile and patted her head lovingly like a father would have done to his child. As he did this, her eyes caught sight of a large and burly bald man who entered through the gates of the cemetery. He walked across the tombs and made his way towards them with an air of confidence, strength and arrogance. She immediately knew who he was, from his blue jacket, pinned with some shiny badges of excellence and recognition, down to the black belt wrapped around his blue pants where a gun hung casually in its holster. Once she saw him she quickly looked away and tried not to stand out from the crowd.
When Officer Ramsey first called her home to ask for Carrie, she had answered and had to go through trying to explain her disappearance to him. In the end, the officer said that she should go to the station to be asked some further questions. Vanessa didn't want to go, and used the reason of being at the funeral as an excuse. That was how the officer found himself standing inside the cemetery, walking towards a funeral. Vanessa didn't want to talk to the officer. She wasn't sure that the lie she used on Carrie's parents would work on them, and she didn't feel like thinking up of a strong and valid excuse for the man. But she knew that she would have to sooner or later. She had no choice in the matter.
Not only that, the sudden disappearance of Carrie as soon as she appeared posed a lot of questions on everyone's part. It seemed too much a coincidence for that to happen. Vanessa was very worried about her young friend, but if she can't think of something to save herself, that will be the least of her worries. Officer Ramsey walked towards a few of the relatives and spoke with them; most likely to ask for her whereabouts. She gave a small smile to the priest, excused herself from him, and walked farther away from the man. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists in frustration.
What the hell am I going to do about this?
"Vanessa! Yooohoo, Vanessa dear. Over here!" A loud, high-pitched voice cried in the midst of all the whispering and talking, making Vanessa jump in surprise. She looked for the source of the voice and grimaced when she saw Carrie's parents, Tiffany and Danny Lockheart, walking towards her in their black ensemble. Unfortunately for her, Officer Ramsey heard it as well and he found Vanessa with a small grin on his face. Tiffany and Danny stopped in front of her with sympathetic smiles on their faces.
"We are truly sorry for your loss Vanessa. Your parents were very good people, who deserved better." Danny began. Vanessa gave a weary sigh and waved an arm at them.
"It's alright uncle. You don't have to do this. I'm tired of listening to the same thing over and over again anyway." She said. Danny gave a soft chuckle and patted her shoulder.
"You are, are you then? Well let us say one last thing before we end this discussion." He said.
"You know that no matter what happens, Danny and I will always be here to help you out in whatever problems happen in your life." Tiffany finished for him. "If you need some support or some company, you know where to find us. Although Carrie isn't here at the moment, I'm sure she'll be happy to help out too. But it is worrisome that she suddenly disappeared the day you came back. Are you sure you didn't see her or any note from her about her absence? Normally Carrie would let at least one person know that she'll be away."
"Perhaps, something very important and urgent had occurred that she did not have the time to notify anyone of her sudden departure." A low and rough voice spoke behind them. "It is the same thing that had occurred with you did it not Miss Silvestre?" Vanessa barely bit back a groan as she turned around and faced the large man with a forced smile on her face.
"Why, yes, isn't that a strange coincidence? Officer Ramsey I presume?" He gave a curt nod to Vanessa then turned his attention to Danny and Tiffany first.
"If you will please excuse us Mr. and Mrs. Lockheart, I must ask her some questions concerning her sudden disappearance and the disappearance of your own daughter." Tiffany placed a hand to her mouth and gasped in shock.
"Officer...you don't think Vanessa had anything to do with my darling Carrie's disappearance? The two of them are the best of friends! Vanessa would never do such a thing to her." She said defensively. Vanessa couldn't help but smile gratefully at Tiffany for trying to stand up for her. Danny sensed the seriousness in the request and grabbed his wife's arm a bit firmly.
"Now dear, let us go and see how the other relatives are doing and give these two some time to discuss whatever it is they need to talk about..." He gave a supporting, hopeful grin at Vanessa's direction before turning his attention to his chattering wife and walking away with her. Vanessa couldn't help but smile and chuckle as she watched the two grow smaller in her vision. A short cough made her sigh and turn her attention back to the officer. Before he could open his mouth and speak, she did so first.
"Look Officer, I know how important this is to everyone, but can you please give me the rest of the ceremony to myself before I start answering your questions? You did arrive at a very sensitive time..." She muttered in irritation. The burly man's lips thinned into a straight line as he stared at her intensely. Just when Vanessa feared that he was not going to agree to her terms, the officer smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt and held up 5 fingers at her.
"5 minutes Miss Silvestre. I'll give you 5 minutes to finish up. I will be waiting at the gate." He answered with a gruff voice before walking away. Vanessa watched him go, and exhaled the breath she didn't realize she had held as she spoke with him. The pounding in her heart began to slow down as she stood there longer. Her hand came up to rub her face as she felt an imaginary headache attack her.
"Mom...dad...Carrie...I'm so sorry...but please, let me worry about myself first."
The loud, ear-splitting crack of thunder reached Vanessa's ears as she stood before the two lumps of soil in front of her. Her mind had been away from the cemetery throughout the whole burial ceremony; thinking of what to do about Officer Ramsey, who was waiting for her at the entrance. Her hand had moved on its own as she threw the first soil onto the top of the two coffins. She watched, without actually seeing, as others came and began to shovel dirt onto the coffins, burying them permanently from above ground. She listened, without actually hearing, as relatives and friends gathered around her and gave her words of consolace; patting her back, giving her hugs, telling her that she should feel free to call them when she needed to. Those offers were nothing, she knew. They were just words of politeness and courtesy; empty words that would be forgotten the next day, or even later that night, in their own warm and safe beds.
It was unfortunate that Carrie was not there to comfort her as well. She thought it ironic that the one person she needed the most in her time of sadness was not there, just like she had not been there for Carrie when she was the one who went through all the trouble, while she herself was out on the Black Pearl, having the time of her life. She wanted to hear her voice as she tried to cheer her up with movies, food, and the like. It would have been wonderful to relax, let go, and enjoy a small vacation with her friend while they both healed from the death of their loved ones. She wondered now where Carrie was, what she was doing, if she was safe and sound or if she was being held unwillingly by some madman or serial killer. Guilt raided her whole self as she thought of those things. Here she was, maybe not happy, but safe and sound while Carrie is somewhere out there probably scared and alone. She promised to herself that once she's freed from the clutches of the authorities, she would do everything in her power to find Carrie and get her back no matter what.
But she couldn't help but let her mind wander through her other thoughts. That was when her memories of Port Royal and her adventure with the cursed ship came back to her. She missed her other friend. The other person she would allow herself to let go all of the emotions tumbling and rumbling inside her. She had done it only twice, but those two times comforted her and made her feel that it was supposed to be that way. There was something in the way he held her, the way he comforted her, that made her feel so secure and protected in his arms. If felt like nothing could ever hurt her as long as she was with him. The fact that he admitted to doing the same thing she did only intensified her decision in trusting him with her emotions. Strange as it was, she was confident that Captain Jack Sparrow would never let her down; would never betray her or hurt her.
The thoughts soon had to be interrupted as the priest bid his goodbye to her. She gave a short and curt nod of acknowledgment as he blessed her and walked past her back to the entrance. As she stared at the tombs with her parent's name etched onto them, she realized something. It had just occurred to her then that she had thrown the first soil; symbolizing her acceptance of her foster parent's deaths and the fact that she was never going to see them again. The problem was, she didn't want to accept it. She looked up, and felt raindrops pelt onto her face gently. It was soft and slow at first, then just as suddenly, the rain began to pour down on her hard. She blinked as the rain abruptly stopped and looked to her side to see Carrie's father, her uncle Danny, holding an umbrella above her.
"We should all go back home now, where there's a roof to protect us from the rain and where we can all get some warmth and comfort." He said gently. Vanessa smiled at him and nodded.
"I will...just after I attend to some of the important things I've been putting off for a while." Danny nodded to her approvingly then turned to his wife who was holding another umbrella and was standing a few feet away from them. She was waving excitedly, most likely calling for her husband. The two looked at each other and chuckled together. Then after a while, Danny looked at her with a serious expression on his face.
"Be careful alright Vanessa? This strange occurrence isn't good for any of us. You know that we're not suspicious of you, but please don't do anything to give them more reason to suspect you." He muttered. Vanessa gave a weary sigh and nodded to him with a small, grateful smile on her face. She knew she could count on her aunt and uncle to help her out of this mess, but lord only knows how much they could in their position.
"I will uncle Danny, I promise. Aunt Tiffany looks eager to go. Maybe you should go to her now. It's alright, I don't mind being left here. I want to be left alone for a few more minutes." She told him with a continuous flow; never giving him the chance to reply or contradict her decision. Danny sighed as well, knowing he couldn't convince Vanessa otherwise, then nodded to her, handing her the handle of the umbrella.
"If you say so, I'll go then. Here, you can have the umbrella. No, it's alright, I'll go over to my wife and share the other one with her. No need to thank me, just return it later." He said in imitation to her previous attack.
Vanessa couldn't help but laugh as she took the umbrella and kissed Danny on the cheek gratefully. She watched him smile and wave at her before walking off towards his wife and speaking to her quietly as they walked together under the umbrella. A smile came upon her lips as she watched their forms slowly disappear and become obscured in the pouring rain. It was a beautiful picture of two lovers, a wonderful couple, both happy and content with each other, sharing one umbrella as they walked together under the rain in peace. Once they were gone, she noticed that she was standing before the tombs alone. Everyone else had left, now that the ceremony and all the courtesies are over. She was glad that they were gone. They wouldn't have understood what she was about to do next.
The umbrella dropped to her side, the rain falling onto her felt wonderful on her skin. She closed her eyes, looked up at the sky and simply reveled in the peaceful, wonderful feeling. What no one saw, whether there were people standing about or not, were the tears that fell along with the raindrops on her face. They mixed together and fell to the ground in endless drops, splashing little of the water onto her black, high-heeled shoes. She released everything she'd kept held inside of her ever since she heard of her foster parent's death. All the grief and depression that she had; all poured out in one single moment. An uncontrollable sob escaped her lips and every muscle in her body tensed as she silently cursed the hands of fate.
Her hands automatically reached for the gold aztec coin that hung around her neck through a nylon chord. She gripped it firmly, her hold on it so tight that her knuckles turned white. It was the only, remaining thing she had of her parents. Sure she could still go to their old home and live there; keep their presence as alive as she could with everything they owned. But it wasn't the same. They were just furnitures and some other junk that had lost their meaning when her parents were killed. Even the car would disappear over time, either sold, stolen, or destroyed. The coin was different. It was their present to her. It was hers, with the soul and the love of her parents inserted into it. She thought that if she kept it, her parents would be there with her, standing by her side and watching her every move. She knew that she would never let it go now. Not when it was the only thing keeping her from totally breaking down and sulking in grief.
To her sudden displeasure, a strong wave of water came down upon her and almost drowned her as she spluttered and coughed out water that she had accidentally swallowed from her shock. Afterwards she realized with even greater shock that she was swimming while the raging storm went on. She had no idea how it happened, and didn't have time to think it through as something invisible grabbed her ankle and dragged her deeper into the depths of the water. It reminded her of the time she came to Port Royal the first time and wondered if she was going to go there once more. She held her throat, and struggled to keep whatever air she had managed to take in for as long as she could. She struggled with whatever was dragging her down in vain and after a while was about to give up when the force of the wave threw her to some shore. She gasped and took deep ragged breaths, basking in the feel of fresh air flowing through her lungs. Her vision swirled before her and it took great strength to crawl closer to land and away from the wave before she fell to the ground and fell unconscious right there.
One month has passed, she knew. And within that month she had done nothing but hide from the Royal Navy and anyone else who might have recognized her. Vanessa had been surprised to find herself wearing her black dress and her black high-heeled shoes when she woke up a few hours later after she had been washed onto shore. She wondered what happened and why it happened. From her inquiries, after stealing and wearing just a simple, very long, black coat to cover herself and keep people from discovering her modern made dress, she learned that she had only been gone a day after Jack Sparrow escaped his hanging. She had also learned, from all the asking, that Will and Elizabeth were going to get married in a few months. She was glad for the happy couple, but wondered if the events in Dead Man's Chest would follow through in this time and world.
She was tempted to go look for Elizabeth in the Governor's mansion, but knew that she couldn't do that and not risk herself. She didn't want to bother Elizabeth as well, knowing it would have been hell for her if she agreed to help Vanessa hide. Not only that, her reputation as a high class, well respected woman would be destroyed if word got out that she tried to help a pirate escape the gallows from Commodore and his men...again. Aside from that, since only Jack and Elizabeth knew of her true story, if she appeared now, it would only bring in a lot of questions from other people whom she didn't want to explain herself to at the moment.
That was why she spent 30 days jumping from one inn to another and managing to escape the owner's clutches without paying, sometimes sleeping near the alleyways or inside stableyards on top of a stack of hay in desperation. She hated it, but it was either that or be sent to prison to her death. On that certain day, she simply lounged around the daily, crowded market, stealing food and some money if she felt like it. She was planning on sleeping in one of the stables again that night. She had gone through all of the available inns in Port Royal and knew that if she stepped into one of them again, she was going to get it.
She could go to the docks, steal a passage on a ship and make her way to Tortuga, where her frequent hangout was, but she didn't feel like hiding for months in a cramped place wearing nothing but a dress and killer high-heel shoes. She would pay someone to take her there, but she could only steal enough to survive for only one day. She wasn't expecting Jack Sparrow to arrive on the shores of Port Royal. That was being too idealistic. Lastly, the most important reason why she didn't leave Port Royal, was because something was tugging at the back of her mind. She couldn't explain it, but she had a feeling that she was supposed to stay there for now. There had been times when she had these kinds of feelings, and from her experience, it was better to follow them and see what happens.
She sat on a bench, the dark coat wrapped firmly around her whole self, now with a matching hat to place on her head. With her present outfit, she could be seen as a small man and thus, hiding her real identity from those who shouldn't know of it. She pulled the rim of the hat down to keep anyone from seeing her face as she slouched and observed the people who passed by diligently. The guards of the Royal Navy roamed around town from time to time, and Vanessa couldn't help but smile smugly at their ignorance. Her smile grew widest whenever she saw Commodore Norrington walking about town with that wig of his and with the arrogant stride in his steps. Elizabeth and Will walked together with him from time to time, but it was Norrington whom she frequently saw. Most of the time he would be in his office, and she would be tempted to throw something at his window just to catch his attention. The stiff, methodical man amused her greatly.
A woman dressed in an elegant white, pearl embroidered dress walked towards Norrington's office, together with an equally well dressed man who tied his hair below the nape of his neck. She smiled under her hat as she watched them enter the large building. They seemed to be headed for some party or something, judging from the way they presented themselves. A few minutes later, they left the building together with Commodore Norrington. Vanessa watched them walk away while they spoke with each other. And all of a sudden, a spur of the moment, Vanessa grabbed a small pebble on the ground in front of her and followed the three people from behind. She wanted to know whether she could get away with hitting the Commodore, as crazy and illogical as that seemed.
She wove her way through the busy crowd, brushed past vendors screaming their wares and dirty, ragged children chasing each other around, while keeping up with the three the whole time. She heaved a sigh of relief as they began to walk away from the chaos and towards a quieter, less crowded area. The only problem was, with less places to hide in, there would be a bigger chance of the Commodore finding her out. She firmed her grip on the pebble in her hand with a determined look on her face. Despite the obstacles and the risks she was going to take, she still wanted to hit Norrington. She ran past them through the confusing alleyways and jumped into a pile of boxes at the side of a house, before the three. As they passed by her, she aimed the pebble at Norrington and threw it at him as hard as she could.
"Ouch! What on earth was that?" Will cried as he rubbed the spot where the small rock connected to his head. Vanessa widened her eyes and looked at her hands. She was clearly aiming for Norrington. She couldn't understand why it had hit the blacksmith instead. There were no obstacles; no factors that could have made the rock lose its momentum towards its supposed target. As Marine, her accuracy in hitting targets was incredible. Her precision was precise and exact. It should have hit its target without fail. Vanessa saw that Will was looking around for the one responsible and immediately ducked behind the crates. She heard Will shouting and Norrington's whistle as footsteps began running towards her direction. She cursed inwardly and lied down on her stomach as she crawled away from the boxes as quickly and quietly as she could. She was still crawling when she heard the Commodore's curt and loud demand.
"Do not move any further." Vanessa froze in panic and was beginning to think up of ideas on how to escape her predicament when the noise grew softer in her ears. She blinked in confusion and risked lifting her head up to see what was happening. What she saw confused her even more. There was fighting at the stone fortress; the place where she had jumped from and met Jack Sparrow as a result. Elizabeth had rushed towards a young woman while Will and Norrington were trying to capture the other men. The three thugs froze just as she did at Norrington's voice and looked at him in fear. Vanessa heard the sound of many pairs of footsteps coming her way and decided that she wasn't going to risk herself any longer. She walked away as casually as she could and passed by the dozen uniformed guards, who rushed towards the Commodore, without any problems. Her legs and knees were shaking as she walked, and her hands itched to wring her clothes in an attempt to calm her nerves. She had to look and act natural or she will be discovered.
She didn't dare turn her head around in case one of the soldiers would notice her and become suspicious of her. She was being a bit paranoid, but it was better to be very cautious than to be caught off-guard. Her steps were quick and brisk as she made her way back to the crowded market. She didn't realize how grateful she was as she stood beside a small food stall, trying to take deep, calming breaths. If Will's attention had not been caught by whatever it is at the stone fortress, she would have been discovered. She thanked whoever was listening for her strange stroke of luck.
Once she had recovered from the sudden rush of adrenaline, she began to walk aimlessly about the market. She swore to herself that she was never going to do such a ridiculous and careless thing like that. Whatever possessed her to throw a rock at Norrington was gone, and now she began to think back on her previous actions and scold herself mentally. She walked, and casually, skillfully snatched an apple from a fruit stand without letting the owner realize it. She bit into it and chewed thoughtfully.
"Wonder who that woman was..." She murmured to hereself. She didn't get a good glimpse of the young woman, but she did see blond hair. The only thing she saw in the woman in fact, with Elizabeth hanging all over her like a worried mother hen. She looked up at the sky and noted the reddish clouds as the sun slowly began to set in the west. There were less people roaming about as well; most probably returning to their homes to sit before a warm fire with delicious food. She had better find a place to sleep in before it gets dark. Casually throwing the core of the apple to the side, she began walking through the dirty roads with a bit more purpose.
