Chapter 8 Revealing

Amèlie sat on the railing, at the exact spot she was sitting before Jack came back from the prison. The ship sailed towards the direction her father had showed, although they were quite insecure about it, whispering around, when they passed each other. Mr. Cotton stood behind the wheel, his parrot never leaving his shoulder.

The young girl sighed, shoving some hair out of her face from the pony, which was getting too long. She never had the time to cut in some way when they stopped in Tortuga, mostly because she hadn't left the ship whenever they sailed into an island. She didn't want to go on dry land, not after the Isla de Muerta and especially not after the long time she had to spent in the rock of a land. Her place was outside, her destination to sail the seven seas. And nothing else. Though there were many things she had to deal with since her father was Jack Sparrow. And if you were a Sparrow you wouldn't have peace for too long. And for Amèlie's taste it was already too long.

Nothing happened much in the past month, no. The Navy hadn't caught them yet and the weather was quite good, expect for the thunderstorm right now. But still Amèlie loved it here on the Black Pearl. If it was just her and the water, the ship, she could sit on the railing forever. But the peace didn't last forever.

Danger, danger Amèlie's head snapped up. Danger, danger she narrowed her eyes. What's going on? She looked around to see if anybody was close, but everybody were downstairs now, trying to sleep she assumed.

Danger, there is danger on the ship Danger on the ship. "Who is speaking?" Amèlie muttered to herself, sliding down from the railing, her feet barely making any noise. Danger, danger it spoke again. She couldn't recognize the voice. It was definitely none of the crew, she would know. So, there is someone else here on the ship. Someone who doesn't belong here. Amelie slowly got a hold of the halter from her sword, her other hand moving up to push the all too big hat from her face to see better.

Danger, danger From where did it come? Amèlie couldn't even locate the source. It was like it was speaking right in front of her ears, but then again everywhere.

Danger...Jack...danger...jack.. Amèlie's eyes widen. Jack is in danger?

"On deck all hands!" Amèlie tensed as rumbling footsteps came up on deck from the hold, her hand gripping the halter tightly. But she knew the voice. Jack

"Make faster - gasket! On deck! Scurry!" his voice sounds panicked. Amèlie thought. What's going on? "Scurry on! Move it! Move it! I want movement!"

Chaos erupted downstairs as the crew woke up from the shouts of their captain.

"Lift the skin up!" Amèlie made Gibbs voice out. She saw Jack appearing from the stairs, seizing a cloth he wrapped around his left hand. Amèlie furrowed her eyebrows.

"All on deck!" he yelled. "And keep running!" Running? "Run as if the devil himself and itself is upon us!" Probably it is in your panic attack...

She leapt down the stairs, making her way towards the mast where Jack stood. His face was pale as much as a tanned skin could pale. He still wrapped the cloth around his hand with some difficulties.

Gibbs appeared on the other side of the mast. "Do we have a heading?" Jack seriously jumped at the voice, not realizing the girl not much far away at all.

"Ah! Ohh..." he relaxed slightly as he recognized his first mate. "Run! Land!" He turned away, hiding behind the mast. Gibbs threw a bewildered glance at Amèlie, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were fixed on her father without any pause as if merrily his silhouette could tell what was going on. Probably it can for her... Gibbs thought as he rounded the mast.

But there was no one. At least not until Jack looked up again, jumping with a yelp at his sight. Amèlie's eyes narrowed even more. "Which port, captain?" he asked again.

I didn't say port. I said land, any land." was all Jack replied. Suddenly an undead monkey jumps down out of nowhere, causing everybody to jump. He got a hold of Jack's hat, climbing away. "Ah!" Jack exclaimed as the other same-named hissed at him. Causing Amèlie to roll her eyes, her father hissed back.

The monkey consciously threw the hat overboard. The crew froze before everybody leaped towards the railing.

"Jack's hat!" Gibbs called out. "Bring 'er about!" he ordered. They were about to act, but no one else than the captain himself stopped them.

"No no! Leave it" There was a shocked silence "Run!" he said with a scared, obeying his own order. For some reason, Amèlie didn't even want to know why, the crew turned to look at her as their captain disappeared from their sight. She looked pointedly at Jack's first mate, raising an eyebrow as if to say Aren't you obeying him?

"Back to yer station!" Gibbs eventually understood. "The lot 'o ye!" He walked up to the young girl. "For the love of mother and child, Amèlie what's going on with him?" He asked her quietly so nobody could listen. Amèlie sighed and turned to look after her father.

She spotted him under the steps that lead up to the wheel, the lights of the inside of his cabin shining eerily on his paled face. It didn't make him look better to be half in the shadows and eyes widen, back pressed stiffly on the wall between the doors. Amèlie walked up to him, Gibbs hurrying after her.

The daughter took in every little detail of her father as if his mere body could tell what was going on with him. And it could. She narrowed her eyes at the cloth wrapped around his left hand. Did he hurt himself? But he wouldn't make such a big fuss about it nor wanting to get on land without a port. No, something is going on with the hand, Amèlie thought as Gibbs asked Jack what was going on. The asked glanced at them from the corner of his eyes.

"Nothing" he left them in their silence by going inside his cabin, shutting the door a little too firmly close. Amèlie frowned. What was going on? She had never seen Jack that distraught. Alright, she hadn't seen him for her whole fifteen life before, but still. Amèlie could understand him as much as herself. Sure, she was his daughter after all...

"Can't ye do somethin'?" Gibbs asked her with some desperation. Amèlie looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe I can...Take care on deck for a while." With that she went inside the cabin, leaving Gibbs to boss the others around. It was as dark as before when she entered the little cabin. Surely the desk was a mess and the one bed with the hammock Jack had ordered to place up for her made the room look small and dark. She squinted her eyes to see through the shadows.

There he was. Sitting on his chair in the darkness, his back too straight and too stiff for his usual appearance. "Jack" she spoke softly but still he jumped as if he just noticed her presence. Though Amèlie didn't have the meaning to come inconspicuous. "What's up with you? What is after us?"

"Nothing is after us. Why do ye think someone is after us? Or something?" he asked too fast in a row. He stopped in a nervous movements. Amèlie dipped her head with a knowing look.

"Is it a long story?"

"What do ye mean? There is no story."

"So there is nothing after us?"

"No"

"Are you sure?"

"Aye"

"Therefor there is nothing after us?"

"No"

"There is really something after us?" she spoke fast enough to bewilder him.

"Aye" Amèlie grinned slightly. "And what?" Jack sighed and she knew he understood that this time she wouldn't just let him be. Not when he looked so scared. He sat back down on the chair as if to prepare for a long story.

Amèlie taking the hint, laid down on the hammock, another spot she loved on the ship.

"Tell me, Amèlie" he started. "What do you know about Davy Jones?"

"Is he after us?"

"That wasn't my question."

"But he is, isn't he?" Jack sighed. Damn, this girl knew him too much for her age. "I know some things about him you have to know. Why?"

"I've made a pact...with him" Jack said hesitating. Amèlie's eyes widen for a fraction. "Oh oh"

"Aye...thirteen years ago..."

"It's stupid to get into a pact with Davy Jones..." Amèlie spoke as he ended. He told her that he agreed with the captain to bring the Black Pearl up, after Cutler Beckett had let sink to the bottom of the seas. He must really love this ship she thought, staring at the ceiling while she imagined how the situation had been years ago. If he is even making a pack with Davy Jones... "You know what he will require from you after the thirteen years"

"Aye" her father replied, absent-minded. "And the thirteen years are over now?"

"Aye"

"And what do you plan to do?" she asked him although she had quite the feeling he wasn't listening. But he did. "Go on land"

"So you cower away from the deal you made. From the 100 years of serving on the Dutchman?"

"Aye" Amèlie raised an eyebrow. Not very brave, are we? "And by going on land you're avoiding him since he can only get one day after ten years on land..."

"Aye" It wasn't such a bad idea, but a question got stuck inside her. Couldn't the other servers go on land? And attack him? Well, as long as the crew is with him...danger can be damaged. Danger, danger. There is danger on the ship. It flashed through Amèlie's mind. For a moment she thought she heard the weird voice again, but then it was only her imagination. But before it wasn't she was sure.

"Jack?" she spoke with an uneasy voice.

"Aye?" now he really wasn't listening to her. Probably making up a plan in his mind far away while his body was only here. But Amèlie needed to tell him. Maybe he could help. But that even didn't matter to her, she just wanted to tell. Never came something up to her she couldn't put a finger on, never before. Of course not, if you were living in Tortuga for the most of your life, nothing could really unsettle you much.

"Jack" she called out louder.

"Aye?" still absent-minded. Causing her to try something she had never said. "Papà!" Jack jumped with a startle before his eyes rested on her, widen in surprise. "What?" To be honest, she didn't intend to call him like that. But it just slipped out her mouth naturally. For some reason. Amèlie breathed in.

"Were you in danger?" she asked him insecure, playing with the leather strap she had bounded around her right wrist, unsuccessfully trying to hide the 'P' brand mark a little further above. Well, the white shirt had to help then.

"When?" he asked back in true confusion.

"I don't know..." Jack stared at her like he had never seen her before. She sighed. "There was a voice on the ship...Not from one of the crew, I would have known...but it said always something..."

"What?" her father asked, leaning forward as if he was suddenly very interested. Amèlie bit her lip. "It said...Danger danger and then Jack jack. But I didn't know from where it came" she hurried to continue, feeling stupid. "I couldn't locate it. As if the ship has spoken..."

"Aye..." Jack agreed, though Amèlie didn't know with what. "Aye, the ship has spoken to you" He looked too serious, too serious, to mean it as a joke or something. Amèlie stared into his dark brown eyes that were so much like hers.

"To me?"

"Aye...or more to the ones who can hear them." he explained, pointing at himself. "Someone like me" At this Amèlie listened attentively.

"So, you can hear the voices, too?"

"Aye" was there a glint of pride in his eyes. And meant directed not to himself but Amèlie?

"So you did hear the voice before?"

"No" the young girl's shoulders sank down. "But that can mean that you've only heard it because I was in danger, savvy?" Amèlie thought about. The idea to hear a ship sounded crazy in her ears. But also exciting. Then it sunk in what he just said. "Were you in danger?"

"No" he retorted simply, but she could hear the avoiding in his tone. Her eyes flickered down to his hand. "What do you hide in there?"

"Where?" he immediately asked. Amèlie nodded her head to his left hand. Of course he showed the right first. "No, the other one. Let me see it"

Jack hesitantly obeyed under her stare, feeling he was obeying a little too much for his taste as he shoved the cloth away an inch. Revealing what was in there. The black spot.

Amèlie raised her eyes to her father's face. He didn't look at her, but at the wall, seemingly in thought. So that's what is after us...

the Kraken.


So, this was it again. Honestly, I love writing this story as well as I hope you do. Please tell me by reviewing.