The sun beat down on me as I left the African coast behind on my way back to Jamaica.
I flew the British flag and was employed by the East India Trading Company. I'd happily do odd jobs here and there for my masters and mostly I enjoyed them.
At 49 years of age, I was the senior ship of the fleet. That mattered little to my crew and my captain in particular.
"Daydreaming again are we Wicked Wench?" He teased. "A bit." I admitted. "I'm more worried about the slaves than anything else. It's not right, what we're doing." I said.
"I know, do you think I ordered that course change for no reason." He replied. "What do you plan to do?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Drop them off at Zerzura and send them home." He said.
"Becket's not gonna be happy about this." I warned.
"So, he's never happy." He replied. "Never satisfied seems like the better word." I corrected. "Just like someone else I know."
"You think I'm unsatisfied?" He asked in mock surprise. "Let see, you chose not to reveal the location of Zerzura like you were supposed to and you took some of the city's treasure for yourself." I replied.
"You know why I did that!" He exclaimed indignantly. "Becket would've sent his fleet out and destroyed the city before turning all its inhabitants into slaves." He growled.
"Or Cortez's Sword?" I continued. "Oh that was entirely your fault." He retorted. "My fault, who led that Spanish murderer right to us, hm? You did steel his sword after all, of course he was gonna chase you." I shot back.
"Ok, ok you win happy?" He asked, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'm only happy when you're happy Jack, you know that." I replied. "Yes, I know." He said.
We stopped along the coast of what is now Namibia and quickly ordered our black cargo up on deck. Removing the shackles, Jack quickly ordered them away with the words "Make haste if you value your lives"!
I was happy to see them go. Instead of a life in chains, they'd live a life of freedom. I should've known that it'd not go unnoticed back in Jamaica.
When we arrived a few weeks later, Jack and the whole crew was arrested and imprisoned. I was placed under an armed guard.
Using our mental connection, I called out to my incarcerated captain. "Jack?" I asked. "I hear you Wench." He replied softly.
"Have you figured out a way to get us out of here?" I asked. "Working on it." He replied.
"Please hurry, it seems that Commodore Becket isn't too pleased with us." I said. "You think?" Jack asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
A day later, Jack was hauled in chains to his ship. Becket had ordered him to witness me being set on fire and burned down in front of him.
"She's just a ship made of wood. You'll burn your own vessel just get back at me?" He asked, pleading with Becket to spare my life. "She is more than that to you Jack." Beckett replied, his eyes betraying their hatred for him.
"Burn her." He ordered. "No!" Jack screamed. As they lit me on fire I turned my green gaze on him. "We must pay the price for freedom." I whispered.
"But not like this." He replied and breaking free of the guard's grip, raced onto me. He tried unsuccessfully to put the raging fire out but the flames were stubborn and persistent.
Jack could sense that they were being fed by another presence. Before he could form the words, a beam struck him on the head and he fell to the ground, dying. "Jack no." I moaned, struggling to fight against the flames reaching deep inside me.
As I sank beneath the surface and the flames dispersed, Jack made one last desperate attempt to save me.
"Jones, I know you're here. Come to me!" He yowled. The squid faced captain of the Flying Dutchman appeared. His dark beady eyes showed no sympathy for Jack.
"You want me to spare you my domain?" Captain Jones asked. Jack nodded. "And what will you exchange if I do spare you?" He asked.
"Make me captain of my ship for 13 years and I'll work on yours for 100 years after." Jack replied. Captain Jones' eyes flared with interest.
"Indeed. Your soul in my possession. 100 years before the mast. A steep price for just 13 years at the helm." He murmured. "I would welcome more time with Wench." Jack persisted.
Jones sighed. "Very well Jack, you strike a hard bargain though. I look forward to seeing you again in 13 years." He said and vanished.
At the same time, Jack felt himself rising as did I. We broke the water's surface with great force. When I settled, Jack took a look around and recognized the harbor we were in as Tortuga on the island of Haiti, a popular pirate port.
Unconsciously, he fingered the small coin that was strung on the end of one of his bead braids. It was a Piece of Eight, signifying that he controlled the Caribbean Sea. All its innocent shipping, all its reward was his to plunder unchallenged.
His eyes gleamed at the prospect. He hadn't been a pirate for some time, after Christophe he chose to leave that life behind for good. But now, he had no other choice.
"Wench, what do ya say we lower that company flag?" He asked. "Wha, you're not serious are you Jack?" I asked. "Oh yes I am." He replied.
I conceded and let my company flag be lowered. In its place was the pirate jolly roger. A skull with two swords crossed underneath, it was Jack's signature flag, one that his father Captain Edward Teague, had often used.
"You need your name changed, Becket's bound to come after us." Jack said. "I never would've guessed." I muttered sarcastically.
"Look at you, you're as black as a moonless night." Jack exclaimed. I looked at my reflection on the water. "You don't say." I muttered, turning my head to look at it with one eye, batting it several times.
"Show off." Jack muttered. I laughed. "Well, what's my new name?" I asked. Jack thought for a moment.
At last he spoke. "Pearl." He said. "Black Pearl."
And so Black Pearl I was called and for 13 years I ruled the Caribbean. I never learned of Jack's deal with Jones until he was searching for the key to the Dead Man's Chest.
Now I look into the eyes of the Kraken as she takes me under. Jack had sacrificed his soul for me.
"How great is the Price of Freedom." I whispered. And I was dragged down, down, down to the darkest depths of the seas where I would spend eternity in hell.
