CHAPTER 1

The moon rippled and fractured in the water as the Hai Peng silently cruised through the midnight waves. Elizabeth Swann's arms were wrapped around herself as she gazed solemnly into the deep depths, as if she could see through to Davy Jones' Locker- through to Jack.

'Jack…' she thought, bowing her head in an unspoken prayer- "please, let us rescue him. I'm so sorry."

The sound of boots clinking across the deck behind her startled her from her thoughts. Before she could turn to enquire about their identity they stood directly behind her, their hot breath on her neck making her shudder.

Tia Dalma chuckled as she gently brushed Elizabeth's hair from her face, leaning over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the rippling surface.

"Ahhh. You be looking for Jack?" she whispered. It wasn't a question.

Elizabeth ignored her, turning around in order to find solitude again. She began to walk, but Tia Dalma grabbed her arm, gripping it in an embrace too tight for it to be kind.

"You want-" she paused, displaying her blackened teeth as she closed her eyes, grinning crookedly- "…forgiveness."

Elizabeth stiffened in her grip.

"Don't get you hope up. For forgiveness…" she let go of Elizabeth's arm, already bruising, and gazed deep into her eyes. Elizabeth raised her arms around herself once more, although this time to protect herself from Tia Dalma's gaze rather than the cold.

"…or for rescuing you witty Jack" she finished, leaving Elizabeth alone once more.

Tia Dalma looked up to the bow of the ship, where Will Turner was standing, face grave as he stared across the ship at his fiancé, despair radiating from his body. She smiled to herself as she walked, ignoring the questioning looks she received from Barbossa, stood behind the wheel of the ship. She walked slowly, carefully carrying herself with the self respect the pirates lacked, reaching the table and grasping the edge of the splintering piece of wood.

Humming tenderly, speaking in tongues, she gathered her ancient crab claws in her hands and threw them across the dark surface, the ship lurching beneath her.

"I hope dey ready for what be coming," she softly said to herself,

"For dey own sake… and Jack's."

"Hahahaha! I'll be the best pirate ever!"

"The-Man-Who-Might-Be-Father…"

"I regret nothing, ever"

Pain. Betrayal. No regret.

"ARABELLAAAAAAAAAA!"

On the run- an outlaw- from the law and the pirates.

"People aren't cargo mate."

Pain. Betrayal. No regret.

"One shot."

Pain. Betrayal. No regret.

Pain.

Betrayal.

Never regret-

Jack Sparrow awoke with a groan, nursing his head as he struggled to his feet, groaning. He was suffering from the worst hangover he could recall, but then again he couldn't recall much at all, just sporadic memories from his dream.

He forced his eyes open.

"What's goin' on?" he managed, waving his bejewelled fingers extravagantly in front of his eyes.

Black.

Not even a glint of light captured his rings. Either he was blinded or it was extremely dark wherever it was he'd found himself.

He forced another moan, casting his mind backwards over everything that had happened.

He recalled warm lips on his- Elizabeth's lips- and then…

Pain. Betrayal and…

The Kraken?

Instantly alert he began feeling around, coming across the wall.

"What do we have 'ere eh?" he muttered, resting his hand upon the rough surface of the wall. It pulsed beneath him, wet and organic. Bringing his hand back his face contorted as he felt the slime coating it.

"Ewwwwwwwwww." He wiped his hand on his trousers, relieved to notice that he could make out the faint outline of his hand. He wasn't blind. Yet.

Suddenly the floor lurched beneath him, sending him swiftly into the wall. He was now covered head to toe in the strange phlegm-like substance, and it felt…familiar? Struggling to regain his balance he soon realised that the wall was actually curving inwards, possibly towering over him.

"Not good. Not good." he grumbled. He had no idea what the hell was going on. If he could find another person he could possibly convince them using his unctuous tongue to give him information; perhaps even a trade?

"Hello? Anyone?"

The floor lurched once more, Jack managing to keep upright this time. What was going on? Was he in the locker? And why was this slimy substance so familiar to him?

He paced. Five steps to his left. Five steps to his right. Five steps to his left. Five steps to his right. Three steps to his left. Pause, leg frozen in midair.

The substance was exactly the same as the stuff covering his hat when he retrieved it from the Kraken.

"Ergo, this is Kraken phlegm, explaining t'… phlegmy… phelgmness of it all." He thought out loud, his voice echoing through the dank space.

He was somewhere featuring an abundance of Kraken bodily fluids. There was no light. The last thing he remembered was diving, rather heroically he thought, into the Kraken's mouth.

"Buggary. I'm inside t' Kraken." He managed, eyes wide with horror.

Meanwhile, Captain Barbossa staggered to shore, followed by a spluttering Elizabeth and a squinting Will, the crew not too far behind them.

"Welcome, t' Davy Jones' Locker!" Barbossa announced, mouth splitting into an enormous lecherous grin.

"Where's Jack?" Will said, looking around. He could see the Sea, he could see the sand, but he could not see a Sparrow.

"The ship is ruined. Even if we find Jack, how are we to return?" Elizabeth gasped, trying to get her dripping wet hair out of her eyes, occasionally coughing sea water from her lungs.

"Miss Dalma?" questioned Barbossa, bringing attention to the only other woman in the crew. She smiled, looking none the worse for wear after their tumble down the edge of the world.

A crab scuttled under her skirts as she replied, a rumbling sound coming from over the sand dunes, "You Black Pearl be closer dan you tink."

With the wind caught in her sails the Black Pearl cruised down the banks as if she was cutting through water, an abundance of crabs propelling her into the watery depths below.

As the mismatched crew gazed upon the beautiful ship sailing off without them Tia Dalma held a knowing smirk.

Barbossa's fury was unleashed as he held his arms aloft and screamed to the heavens what the majority of the crew were thinking-

"WHERE ON BLASTED EARTH IS THAT BLOODY SPARRO'?"