I woke up in a hammock and looked around.
Where am I?
I saw a big scary looking man coming towards me and leaped to my feet.
"Get up sailor!" he flipped over the hammock that was above mine and Jack fell on his face at my feet.
"Aye sir!" Jack said respectively, then he looked up with a confused expression, "What?"
I shrugged and the man that was in the tavern last night came and shoved mops into our hands. Then he motioned for us to walk in front of him.
"There's been a horrible mistake." Jack tried to explain.
"Keep movin'." the man said.
"We're not supposed to be here." I turned to look at him.
He just shrugged, "Many a man's woken up at sea with no idea what when where for or why. And no memory of the night before."
"No no no, you don't understand, mate." Jack shook his head, "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. The original! The only!"
"Sylvia Bar-" I stopped myself, "Emerald."
"Scrum. And the pleasure's all mine. Now keep movin'." the man said and gently shoved us along.
We began swabbing the floor with our mops and I happened to look over and see a long box made of glass.
What in the world...
"Scrum!" I hissed the man's name and I continued to speak when he looked up, "Why is there a glass coffin down here?"
"Do I look like the man in charge?" he smirked.
I rolled my eyes.
"Where are we?" Jack squinted.
"'Scuse me Cap'n Sparrow, sir. And Miss Emerald. I be right 'onored to welcome you aboard a world renown vessel of infamy. Queen Anne's Revenge."
I froze. The last time I had seen this ship was on a dark stormy night. It had fired on the Pearl and the mast had fallen...
"What's wrong with 'er?" Scrum's voice broke through my memories, "Oi. Are you cryin'?"
"What?" I put a finger to my eye and found that there were indeed little clear drops of moisture seeping out, "Oh. I guess I was."
He threw up his hands, "I'll never understand women."
He went back to swabbing and I felt Jack looking at me, "Jack you don't want to know."
"This is the ship what sunk the Pearl isn't it?" he asked quietly.
"Aye." I whisper and my lip starts to quiver, "They took out one of the masts and it fell so it blocked the entrance to the hold. The crew was trapped. And when we tried to get to them, another mast came down and it was going to hit me, but-" I took in a shaky breath and let out a small sob, "It should have been me!"
Jack pulled me into a hug and spoke to me softly, "I'm sorry luv."
~
Later we were scrubbing the above deck and another big scary looking man came along and was whipping some of the sailors.
"He's a curious one." Jack commented.
"'E's been zombie-fied." Scrum explained.
I just stared at him, "What?"
"Zombie-fied. Blackbeard's doin'. All the officers are the same. Makes 'em more compliant." he made a face.
The zombie whipped another of the sailors.
"And perpetually ill tempered." Jack commented.
Apparently the zombie heard him because he glared at Jack, who looked a little scared.
"Come on." Scrum encouraged, "Scrub."
"Right." Jack mumbled and we continued with our work.
~
A little later when we were working on the sails, Jack made the comment that we must be at least five days underway.
"Aye!" Scrum sounded impressed, "You can tell that by the smell of the sea?"
"Smell of the crew." Jack made a face.
I had to laugh a little.
Then I looked up and saw a young man tied to the mast above us, "What did that poor man do? And how do we keep from avoiding making the same mistake?"
"'Im?" Scrum pointed to the man, "Churchly fellow. Always goin' on about the Lord almighty."
"Bible thumper on this ship?" Jack looked interested.
"A missionary is his story. What I 'eard was he got captured in a raid. Rest of the ship got kilt. But not 'im. First mate wouldn't let it happen on account of his premiere standin' with the Lord." he crossed his arms, "First mate stickin' her neck out for some prisoner. That you don't see-"
"Her?" Jack interrupted, "First mate is a her?"
"It's not that big a deal Jack." I put my hands on my hips, "I was first mate of the Pearl."
"That's only because-"
He was interrupted by a zombie yelling, "Back to work!"
We jumped and turned around, then I spotted Angelica up by the helm talking to the zombie that was steering.
"Steady as she goes." I heard her say before she shot a slight glare at me.
I glared back.
I don't like her at all.
~
Jack and I were in the hold when Angelica came down the steps. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her over to where we were.
"You are a ruthless soulless cross-grained cur." Jack glared at her.
You're too nice to her.
"I told you I had a ship." she looked smug.
"No. Blackbeard has a ship. Upon which we are now imprisoned." he squinted.
"We can do this Jack. The fountain of youth. Just like you always wanted." she leaned forward to kiss him, but I snarled at her.
He was my good friend and I wasn't about to let a woman like that get close to him. She glared at me, but leaned back against the post again.
"Blackbeard. Edward Teach. The pirate all pirates fear. Resurector of the dead in his spare time." Jack sounded like he was giving a lecture.
"He will listen to me." she looked confident.
He shook his head, "He listens to no one."
She smirked, "Maybe to his own daughter."
His own what!?
Jack looked slightly shocked, "Daughter as in begot by?"
"Long lost. Recently found. Who loves her dear Papa with all her soul." she pretended to look innocent.
I snorted, "He bought that?"
She glared at me, "I sold that."
Jack heard someone coming and shoved us across the room behind some crates.
"Then it's the fountain of youth for him." he looked disappointed, "Or him and you. Not you and me."
Or me. Thanks for remembering.
I rolled my eyes.
"No Jack. That's the best part." Angelica looked at him, "He will be dead."
"Ah. You'll be handling that part yourself then." Jack smiled.
"There is a prophecy. Maybe you don't believe in the supernatural..."
"Oh I've seen a thing or two."
I laughed shortly, "That's one way to put it."
She ignored our comments, "The prophecy is this. Blackbeard will meet his death within a fortnight, at the hands of a one legged man."
Hector will get his revenge.
I chuckled softly and her gaze shifted to me for a moment, then she looked back at Jack, "That's why he needs the fountain, Jack."
With that she went back on deck leaving us alone in that part of the hold.
