Ch 10 The Island

Just as Gibbs said, they were all staring at a tiny island just after the week had died.

"Are you sure this is it?" Cass asked Mr. Gibbs.

"Am I sure it is the correct island, no. But whether it's the one Jack wants to find… well… we'll see soon."

"How?" asked Bill.

"The Kraken skeleton," said Bootstrap.

"You don't mean the monster of…"

"Davy Jones? Yeah, yeah that's what I mean."

Cass was confused. "I thought it couldn't die! If it's even real, that is."

"It was real, alright. And it can't die, unless by the hands of its master. Davy Jones was forced to kill it about thirty years ago, Then Jones himself died. Everyone does, and it just took the old bastard a few more years to."

"Davy Jones is dead? But we still hear about him all the time! At least from old sailors!"

Bill turned to Bootstrap before the old man continued. "The Dutchman, according to recent legends, has a new captain. A captain with a good heart."

"Who do the stories say is the new captain? His name?"

Bootstrap shrugged and looked back at the island. Cass was not satisfied with that answer, so she went to Bootstrap's other side.

"You know who it is! Why aren't you telling me?" she demanded.

"It's… complicated…." Said Bill.

"You know too?" Cass demanded, getting very angry by now. "Well, we've got time! I think I deserve at least that after you called me a….."

Just then, Jack walked by with a paddle singing "Row, row, row your boat." He stopped when he saw the Turners. "Well, come on! Ship can't get too much closer! We need to row!"

Cass looked at Bill, but he wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Gibbs! You're in charge!" yelled Jack.

What seemed like hours later, Jack, Bill, Bootstrap, and Cass got out of the boat and stepped into the sand. Just as Bootstrap had said, there was an enormous rotting carcass maybe 50 meters away. Cass wanted to get away from the stench on the beach, so she went into the jungle. None of the others saw her go in.

There wasn't much too see. There was certainly no fountain as far as she could tell. But after several paces, she could hear the sound of running water. Was it possible….

"'ello poppet," said a threatening voice.

Cass turned around to see two men, pirates most likely, staring at her. One was larger with long hair and the other was tall and thin. Both had their fair share of wrinkles and gray hair.

"Who are you?" she questioned.

"That makes no difference, does it now?" said the thin man.

"What does matter," continued the first, "is that we're getting' off this island. And you're gona help us do it!"

Cass back up several steps. "What?"

"Yeah, that's right! You're gona help us get off this island…." The men lunged toward her.

Cass ran to the side just in time to avoid the thin man's arms. She grabbed a stick from off the ground and managed to hit the other men away. But as she turned to run, one of them grabbed her ankle and Cass fell over. She screamed for help.

"Shut it!" yelled the fat man, holding up a pistol. "We don't want to hurt ya…."

"Leave her alone!" yelled a voice from behind. The larger man grabbed Cass and put the gun to her forehead. "We just wana get off this island!" yelled the thinner man. "Let us on your boat, or we will shoot."

Jack and Bootstrap came to the scene. "Pintel? Ragetti?"

The pirates' jaws dropped and Cass used the distraction to get away.

"You know them?" she panted.

Jack nodded. "They were on my ship. I've known the pair of them a long time."

"We're sorry miss," said Pintel.

"We just want to get off this island…."

Jack lifted a finger, then spoke. "We will let you come if… you can help us find the fountain."

"What fountain? There's only two on this island and the only one with something special is the one nearby with the rotting corpse from Singapore!"

Bootstrap stepped in. "Jack believes the Fountain of Youth is somewhere on this island."

Pintel and Ragetti thought a minute before answering. "So, after all these years, Jack Sparrow has not found the Fountain of Youth?"

"That is about to change," said Jack, "now do you… do either of you know where the Fountain of Youth is?"

"No…"

"But if," continued Pintel a second after Jack gave them a look, "it really be anywhere on this island, it's gona be on that mountain, he said pointing toward the middle of the island."

Jack stared for a minute, but started walking. Cass was very glad they were walking. All the time spent on the ship made her legs cramp. She was still slightly shaken from the gun experience, but was quickly getting over it.

"… so we came here," continued Pintel.

"So the Pearl… she is gone?" asked Jack sadly.

"No, not gone. Just taken."

"By who?" Cass interjected.

Pintel looked uncomfortable. "Well, it's a long tale that one is. He boarded the ship and said 'who here is Jack Sparrow?' he did. Barbossa said, 'none among us. Left the coward behind years ago.' We didn't hear no more because Ragetti there and me left. We left in a little boat and came here."

"But you did not say…" said Jack "… WHO took the Pearl."

"Jolly Rodgers!" cried Ragetti.