A/N: I know it's kinda short, but I've been busy with GCSE's. Anyway, you know what I'm going to say… please, please, PLEASE review!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or Doctor Who.
Chapter 4
Rose flung her bag down in the cramped cabin and sighed. She was in a bad mood; the Doctor had deserted her and she was sure she was starting to smell like a pirate. She lay down on the cramped wooden bed and gazed up at the blackened ceiling, which was damp and peppered with small woodworm holes. "Still" thought Rose, "its not all bad, the Doctor…" At the thought of where the Doctor was sleeping Rose broke into uncontrollable giggling.
Below deck, tightly packed, damp riddled hammocks swung with the ship. Here and there large smelly men were draped across them, their snores vibrating through the cramped interior.
"'ere's your 'ammock" said the short, bald man. He snorted quietly with laughter before taking the lantern and leaving. The Doctor stood in the darkness and wandered why on earth he had picked a pirate ship.
An hour later, and he lay wide awake on his uncomfortable hammock. He sighed and turned over onto his side. Outside, the storm was still raging. The Doctor groaned and buried his head under his scratchy pillow, trying to block out the sounds of the crashing waves and rolling thunder. "The weather," he thought, "there's something unusual about that, and about that man…" he shifted again, "the goat man, the one Rose thought was creepy. She's right though, there's something about him, about the glint in his eye…" He swatted a buzzing insect, "what is it about him? Why doesn't he fit? I'm missing something here… the TARDIS shouldn't have crashed, there must be something…" but his thoughts were growing fuzzy with sleep, and soon he was dreaming of one legged goats and ghostly storms.
The sun struggled to rise through the thick blanket of storm clouds. Already awake, the Doctor was leaning over the side of the ship and gazing down at the grey, turbulent water, whilst thick droplets of rain stung the back of his neck and an icy wind blew against his frozen skin. Rose came out from her cabin and blinked sleepily in the weak sunlight. She smiled gently at the sight of the Doctor standing and shivering. He looked so small and lost in that moment, standing drenched and windswept, the droplets running down his face like tears.
"You'll catch your death." she called softly to him.
He turned and looked at her, dark eyes flashing, wet hair swept back, "Sleep well?" he asked.
"Alright. My bed was a bit lumpy though."
"You want to try sleeping on a rotting hammock, whilst the fat pirate next to you is practicing for the Olympic snoring competition."
Rose didn't laugh. She didn't even smile. She was too busy staring in horror as the sea in front of her began to bubble and hiss. "Doctor" her voice quavered desperately.
The Doctor looked down, and his eyes widened in shock "Malum Bestia." he murmured.
"What?" gasped Rose.
"Get away from the sea!" he dragged her from the side of the ship, then turned and stared at her, "go get Captain Jack, tell him to get up here NOW!"
From the seething mass of bubbles at the edge of the ship, a cloying black smoke began to rise; twisting and writhing it started to drag itself up the barnacle encrusted ship.
Jack lay snoring on his bed, having passed out in a rum induced sleep the last night. He was dreaming…
He was running, running through mires, running through an ankle deep mist. Oh! That mist, he remembered it well, the stench- a rotten, cloying smell, and the piercing cold… but the mist was just a warning, and he remembered what came through the mist… he remembered… the Malum Bestia.
There was a banging on the door. Jack struggled to rise, his head throbbing, "who's there?" he growled.
"Its Rose, you've got to-"
"oh, ye changed ye mind! Come to join me 'ave ye?"
"Don't be disgusting. The Doctor says the Malum Bestia have come!"
"What!" Jack squeaked, "I'm going to stay down here." He sat firmly down on his bed again with a thump.
"You've got to come up! They'll destroy the ship!"
"But…"
"NOW Jack!"
Grumbling Jack staggered up right and winced, "oh, me 'ead."
"Come on!" called Rose impatiently.
By the time they reached the deck, there was mass panic. Everybody was franticly scrambling to get away from the still rising black fog, which was just beginning to spill over the side of the ship. In the centre stood the Doctor, perfectly still and glaring at the chaos, with power radiating from him. Jack had gone white.
The Doctor turned as Rose dragged Jack over. "Did you think?" He asked, very quietly, "Did you think about the risks you were taking? Did you think about the lives you were endangering? Did you think at all? Or did you just do what seemed best for you at the time? Well look, look, what do you see? The Malum Bestia are here, and I- I don't know what to do."
Then Rose felt the cold chill of pure terror strike her heart, and for the first time since she had boarded the ship, she began to feel truly afraid.
And at the front of the ship stood a man, a man with a glint in his eye, an aura of evil, a man who could call the storms… a man who could command the Malum Bestia.
A/N: Again, please review!