Chapter Nine: A Captain goes down with his Ship
The Kraken wrapped it's tentacles around the Black Pearl and slowly dragged it down into the depths, along with it's Captain. As the ship sunk, I felt that I too, had sunk into the cold, lonely, and depressing ocean. I no longer wanted the chest to return to Port Royal, the Black Pearl was where my freedom lay as well as its Captain. My heart ached when I thought of Jack. But he didn't die for us, as my sister said, he died for her.
Our longboat drifted through the fog-swept swamp towards Tia Dalma's shack. The last rays of sun filtered through the spanish moss. Flames lit the dark shore, a hundred candles are held by men, women, and children, some standing waist-deep in water. It was eerie, a silent vigil. Our boat past the ancient jungle surrounded by silent figures.
I sat on a wooden seat inside the shack, staring at the ground, not speaking, no-one was. Will was absentmindedly throwing his dagger into the table top and pulling it out again, Gibbs was outside on the veranda, and everyone else was just sitting there. Tia Dalma came around, offering the crew drinks.
"It's a shame." She told Will. "I know you're t'inking that wid the Pearl, you coulda captured the devil and set free your faddar's soul.
"Doesn't matter now." Will went on, sadly. "The Pearl's gone. Along with it's Captain." Tia offered me a drink next but I shook my head.
"It will warm de heart of misery." She insisted. I took a mug.
"Already the world seems a bit less bright." Gibbs said, coming inside. "He fooled us all right to the end. But I guess that honest streak finally won out. To Jack Sparrow!"
"Never another like Captain Jack!" Ragetti agreed.
"He was a gentlemen of fortune, he was." Pintel stated.
"He was a good man." Elizabeth put in. Will didn't say anything, neither did I. I couldn't. Everyone took a gulp from their mugs except for me. Will noticed that Elizabeth was feeling down.
"If there was anything could be done to bring him back… Elizabeth…" He began.
"Would you do it?" Tia Dalma interrupted. "What would you…? What would any of you be willing to do? Would you sail to de ends of de eart', and beyond, to fetch back witty Jack and 'im precious Pearl?" I finally looked up, and for the first time in a while, I was sure that the decision I had made was a right one.
"Aye." It was the first thing I'd said since Jack had died.
"Aye." Gibbs agreed.
"Aye." Pintel said.
"Aye." Ragetti repeated.
"Awk! Aye!" Cotton's Parrot answered. Elizabeth looked at Will.
"Yes." She whispered.
"Aye." Will finished.
"Alright." Tia smiled. "But if you're goin' to brave de weird, and haunted shores at world's end, den… you will need a Captain you knows dose waters." Suddenly, I heard heavy footsteps, walk steadily down the wooden stairs. A man with matted blonde hair, a scar on his right cheek, and a small monkey on his shoulder appeared. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was impossible… the man was Barbossa.
"So tell me, what's become of my ship?" He crunched into a green apple, making juice dribble down his chin and laughed.
