Chapter 1:

Hallucinations

"Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence." ----Ralph Waldo Emerson

Will Turner sat back against the side of the ship, a breath of relief escaping his parched mouth. It was a bloody hot day and there wasn't even the slightest breeze. He was now beginning to wonder why he had even decided to join Jack on the voyage toDover in the first place. It almost killed him to be apart from his dear Elizabeth for more than a day, let alone a whole voyage. He had managed, however, and the separation was bearable.

As if reading his thoughts, Mr. Gibbs found his way over to Will and placed himself down in the shade next to him.

" Would ya be missing Miss Elizabeth, lad?" he asked, pulling out his liquor pouch and taking a long swig.

Will nodded and turned to the older man. " I'm not used to being away from her so long, I suppose," he confessed.

Gibbs laughed and shook his head. " Aye, that would be young love, lad. Give it a few more years and you'll be'a beggin' to get out o' the house."

Will only shrugged. He could hardly imagine wanting to be separated from such a beautiful creature for very long. Especially one so lovely as his Elizabeth.

" Do the two of you have nothing better to do than block the way to my quarters?" A voice snapped above them. The two men looked up with shock, finding Captain Jack Sparrow glaring down at them with a foul mood evident in his black eyes.

" Sorry, captain. Won't happen again." Gibbs said, quickly standing to get out of the way. Will did the same, a look of shock still on his face. Jack said nothing else, but continued on into the captain's quarters, slamming the wooden door behind him.

Will watched for a moment, a startled look still on his face. He finally turned back to Gibbs who seemed unphased by the captain's uncharacteristic behavior. The same behavior which had carryied on for more than a week now.

" Gibbs, what's put him in such a bad mood?" he asked, a little worried that he was...well...the only one worried.

" Ah, that would be his own business, William," the older man said, avoiding eye contact with the young sailor.

" His own business?" Will asked, turning to the captain's shut door. He eyed it curiously before turning his gaze back to Gibbs. " Then you know what's wrong?"

" Aye, he's told me bits and pieces, lad. But not everything..." he confessed, taking another swig of his drink. " But it's not my place to tell ye, boy. Hear?"

Will nodded, knowing that the secrets held between the captain and his first mate were always kept. Still unsure of Sparrow's new personality, Will made his way below deck. Maybe he could find some relief from the horrible heat there. At least, if he were cooler, he could think things through.

" Will!" Annamaria called from the doorway. " Will! It's time to go. We've reached Tortuga."

Aye, Tortuga. The crew had been planning on making it to England, but a fourth of the way there, they realized that over half of their supplies had rotted, leaving them with no choice but to head back to some port and re- stock. So Jack (unsurprisingly) had decided on Tortuga, the nearest port where they would be welcomed without question. Besides, he wanted to have a bit of time to himself there... That, and a bit of rum, of course.

The son of Bootstrap Bill stepped up the stairs behind Annamaria into the moonlight and stretched his weary limbs. He wasn't expecting to go ashore so late at night, but knowing Jack, it shouldn't have surprised him.

" Jack!" he called, turning to look up at the helm. The captain wasn't standing there as usual. In fact, he was no where to be seen. " Jack?" he called again, his eyebrows furrowing with worry.

Marty, the smallestmember of the crew,walked up to him, flinging a sack over his shoulders. " Captain's gone ahead already, mate," he stated.

Will nodded his confirmation and looked out at the sea towards the docks. He could just barely make out Jack's lone figure heading up towards the city.

Turner just shook his head, ridding the confusion from his eyes. Something is deffinately wrong with that captain, he told himself.

A glass shattered in the distance and the loud brawling in the middle of the pub was drawing closer and closer to Captain Jack's table. He didn't notice, however. He was too wrapped up in the fact that he was enjoying his night on the town...alone. That is, of course, until he stepped into the pub where the rest of his crew was drinking. Even good ol' William. But they had mind enough to leave the brooding captain by himself.

" It doesn't even matter anyways, mate," he slurred to himself. " You'll have forgotten the whole matter by the end of the week..."

" What matter, Jack?" A barmaid asked, coming to sit next to him at the table. She handed him another full mug of rum and watched with lustful eyes as he took a large gulp from it.

" Nothing, luv." He finally said, slamming the pewter mug down on the table. He turned his black eyes to the somewhat attractive whore sitting next to him. He was pretty sure he'd had 'aquantences' with her before, but all he noticed at that moment were her desire-filled brown eyes. A smug grin spread across his mouth, flashing his silver and gold teeth. He leaned forward, letting his long dark hair fall around his shoulders as he placed a ringed hand on the barmaid's leg. " Now... 'ow 'bout you show Captain Jack Sparrow... a good time, 'ey?"

The girl was practically in his lap that moment, plundering his mouth with her tongue. He didn't mind it, however. Just as long as he could get lost in the feel of it all. Lost in the passionless embrace.

It was no a secret that Jack Sparrow was experienced when it came to the female race. In fact, he knew every woman in Torguga and had been slapped by practically every one of them too!

He was known as a ruffian, a scoundrel, who laughed in any man's face who mentioned love. He was a pirate. Lustful for gold and lustful for women. Snatching both away with no conscience. But that was his life. A pirate's life. Where the open sea left him hungry for satisfaction, taking him to the Faithful Bride or any other pub whenever he could reach one. But that satisfaction would only last a short while before it would burn away.

" Oh, Jack!" the barmaid moaned, pushing up against him on his chair. Her arms encircled around his neck, while Jack's heavy arms wrapped around her waste. Her lips made a trail across his cheek and down to his bearded chin. The feel of it, however, stirred something inside of him he had never felt before. Something strange seemed to call out to him, snapping him out of his lustful endeavour.

Jack's eyes opened with confusion and he jerked back, placing two strong hands on the wench's shoulders, pushing her away from him.

The girl looked at him with confusion as he did this, almost stunned that he would turn her away. But he just studied her with an almost horrified look on his face.

Before him, he saw her dark brown eyes slowly melt away into beautiful sparkling blue pools. The same ones that had been haunting him the past few nights. His hands lifted from her shoulders as though they had burned him.

" What's the matter, Jack?" She asked with a whining, arrogant tone. " Not good enough fer ya?"

His eyes widened as he saw her eyes return to brown and his eyebrows dropped. He'd been seeing things again! " Damnit!" He cursed himself. Why was this happening to him? Was it the rum?

" Are ya deaf, Jack?" the wench cried out to him. Jack's gaze darted back up to her fiery brown eyes and he jumped up from his chair, trying to avoid being slapped in the face. " F-forgive me, luv," he stuttered. " I'm afraid I remembered something I need to do...something very important." He turned around, ignoring the questioning look Will sent him, and bolted from the pub.

Turner remained in his chair, holding his drink and thinking. He'd seen the wench go up to Jack and was almost frightened at what he might do to her. But he seemed to have welcomed her company at first. That is until she was rejected suddenly without any apparent reason. That made Will wonder. He turned around to the other crew members who had not even noticed the scene take place, but were lost in an argument about 'God knows what'. " I'll be heading back to the Pearl," he told them, setting his mug down. Nobody even looked up as he exited the same way their captain did.