Chapter 11
Jewel sat in the crow's nest. The night air was still all around. It was actually a little surprising the Pearl was sailing away from Tortuga.
She wasn't sure what to think, so she sat and pondered over life and those she had met in it. With Norrington onboard, there was going to be fun. It seems that karma hit him and now he has to be the very scourge he hunted to survive. Jewel smiled thinking of this, but her thoughts wandered to the other newcomer. With Elizabeth on the ship now, keeping the secret of Will being trapped onboard the Dutchman was going to be difficult.
She started wishing she could see him again. Wishing she could hug him or talk to him or something. But who knows where the Dutchman is on these waters?
A compass might know. A certain compass would. But she couldn't go looking for Jones on her own. No, she wouldn't. The very creature of her nightmares will not have the satisfaction of knowing she even thought about going to him. But still, Will... Jewel let out a sigh and climbed down on deck. It was empty except for James lying by the bowsprit. She shrugged and went over to him. He didn't move. She nudged him and he fell down on his back, blinking his eyes up at her. She giggled slightly and he pushed himself to his feet.
"What are you doing here Sparrow?" he asked
"I live here. What are you doing here Jimmy-boy?" she asked
"They won't let me have a hammock of my own." he replied
Good job men. Jewel thought
"Understandable." Jewel nodded her head, "After all, you have tried to kill us on numerous occasions, and you expect them to treat you kindly so suddenly?"
"At least you are talking to me as a civil human and not like those..." Norrington said before leaning on the railing. Jewel's anger spiked.
"Not like those what? Those pirates?" Jewel said
"It is what they are. But you're different. You should be a society woman. At least you wouldn't have to slaughter innocent people and destroy ships for your enjoyment." Norrington said. He didn't turn around. Jewel grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her.
"For your information, we are all pirates here, so am I, and so are you. Piracy is our chosen way of life, but that does not make us the vicious scum of the earth you've fought for years. Granted there are those who even we consider to fit that bill, but here on the Pearl, we are good people. All we want is freedom. That's all." Jewel said, calming down near the end.
"Is that so?" Norrington asked, leaning forward slightly. Jewel wrinkled her nose. She could smell that rum and whatever else he drank on his breath.
"Aye so you may as well get used to this life, because it's yours now." Jewel said. She started to walk away, but everything happened so fast. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He held her tightly as their lips were pushed together. She wanted to struggle, she tried, but... This was wrong. It tasted disgusting, but...
He let go and she took a small step back. The two stared at each other. He was drunk. He had to be. That's why he suddenly kissed her. But why didn't she fight back? She couldn't say that she liked it, but to say that she didn't would be a lie. He took a step forward and Jewel took another step back.
"W-Why, why did you do that?" she asked
"I wanted to taste freedom from a pirate." he said. Jewel spun around and began walking to her cabin, occassionaly looking over her shoulder to se if he was following her. So many thoughts were racing around in her head. She was confused, she felt sick, what would Jack think? What would her mother have thought? What about Will? Then again, what about Elizabeth? She went into her room and slumped in her hammock.
She tried to relax, but her mind wouldn't let her. Jewel wanted all of these thoughts to go away, but they refused to leave. She felt stained by that former commodore, disgusted by the memory, but why did she like it?
She rolled, but fell out of her bed with a shriek. Something else fell. She picked it up and saw it was the blue stone from the box. She wanted to throw it against a wall, make it shatter into a hundred thousand pieces. She couldn't think straight. She clenched her eyes shut and put her hands on her head.
Don't think about what happened, she thought, think of Will. Of being with Will. Will, Will, Wiil. William Turner on the Dutchman, doing whatever bloody Jones wants him.
Concentrating on the only image of Will Turner, Jewel didn't notice the stone she was holding shined a bit brighter. She didn't notice the strange tingling sensation spreading over her body.
She did feel different, without opening her eyes. She felt colder, and wetter, like she was in a storm of some kind. There was a loud boom of thunder above her. Jewel slowly opened her eyes and yelled, jumping back. She was not in her room on the Pearl. She was on the Flying Dutchman.
She wasn't noticed yet. The entire crew seemed busy lifting a cannon. But there, past the crowd, there he was! Will! He looked normal. She looked at the fishmen around her. She then ran through to Will. She wanted to hug him, but considering he was pulling on a rope to help lift the cannon, she decided against it.
"Will!" she said
"Jewel, how'd you get here?" Will asked
"I don't know, and at this moment, I don't care." Jewel said, just happy to see him again.
"You should leave!" he said
"Secure the mast tackle, Mister Turner!" a fishman said, "Step to it." Jewel watched Will run past her, but noticed another going up the opposite stairway to him.
"Oh bugger." Jewel said, shaking her head before running after the two. By the time she reached them, Bootstrap had realized the boy in front of him was his son. He let go of the tackle and made the cannon crash to the deck.
"Bill." Jewel said. He turned around, shocked at Jewel's appearance.
"And what are you doing here?" he asked
"I don't know, but I..." Jewel started before hiding behind him. More fishmen started coming. One held a cat of ninetails, and it was pointed at Will.
"Haul that weevil to his feet!" he demanded. Two others lifted him up. "Five lashes to remind you to stay outta-" he started, raising the cat above his head. Bootstrap grabbed his arm to stop him.
"No!" he said. Jewel ducked for the back of the growing crowd. It was then she noticed she was still holding her stone.
"Impeding me in my duties. You'll share the punishment." the cat-fishman said
"I'll take it all." Bootstrap said
"Will ye now?" a scottish voice said. Jewel looked up and froze. Jones was by Bootstrap and Will.
Don't move, he might see you. Don't speak, don't do anything. she thought to herself upon seeing him.
"And what would prompt such an act of charity?" Jones asked
"My son." Bootstrap said, "He's my son." He looked at Will, who stared back at him. Jones looked at the two and began to chuckle. The sound sent chills down Jewel's spine.
"What fortuitous circumstance be this!" Davy said. "Five lashes be owed, I believe it is." He held his hand out to the fishman, who gave his captain his whip. Jones held the whip out to Bootstrap.
"... No." Bootstrap said, "No, I won't!"
"The cat's out of the bag Mr. Turner! Your issue will feel its sting be it the Bo'sun's hand, or your own." Jones said. Jewel shook her head
"No." she whispered
"No." Bootstrap said.
"Bo'sun!" Jones yelled
"NO!" Bootstrap said, pulling the cat out of his captain's hand. Bootstrap walked up towards Will. Will's shirt was pulled open, revealing his tanned back. Jewel looked away, her eyes closed. Then came the snap of the cat on Will's back. She winced at the sound.
It came down a second time. Her own scars felt as if they were burning at the very sound.
A third time. She held back the desire to yell for him to stop, but she couldn't watch this.
A fourth time. She couldn't take this. She needed to leave, but how?
The whip came down a final time. The steps of Davy Jones approached and Jewel ran. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she needed to find some place where he couldn't find her.
I wish I was back on the Pearl, in my nice safe cabin. Away from here! she thought. She stopped below deck near a cannon to catch her breath. She ducked down behind it, in case anybody was looking for a human girl. She looked at the stone.
"If you're the reason I'm here, be the reason I'm not." she whispered to it, begging it. "I want to be back in my cabin on the Pearl away from here."
"Is that so?" came a voice. Jewel looked up and scrambled to her feet to avoid Jones. She tried climbing over the cannon but her grabbed her right arm with his crab claw and lifted her up. Her heart beat at a mile a minute as she stared him in the eyes, unable to say anything.
"Now how did you get on my ship?" he asked
"Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, I don't know why I'm here, please." Jewel said, sounding close to tears.
Home home home home! she thought. The pressure on her wrist vanished and she fell down. She was in her cabin again. Her heart was still beating quickly. She needed sleep, rest, rum, anything. But after this night, how could she?
