Welcome back, everyone! I'm super excited for this chapter because it includes one of the first ideas I ever had for this SERIES. Hopefully I'll do it some justice, but I'll let you be the judge of that ;)
Well, that's all I've got. So let's jump into this thing! Feel free to drop a review because I adore reading them. And if someone is feeling super adventurous, go ahead and give "Mind the Tide" another review. It is ONE AWAY from 200 and it's been driving me crazy for forever. I'm dying over here. Haha!
Happy Reading!
~MisticLight
~.~.~.~
The further we sailed, the colder the air became. That last night with Will was the last I could stand being out past nightfall. Unless stationed there for the evening, of course. When not even the sun could protect us from the bitter breeze, it was obvious we were nowhere near the Caribbean anymore. No one knew specifically where we were anymore, but Barbossa seemed confident with his directions. There was some comfort in knowing he was not lost.
One morning I awoke to the ship covered in white. The iced rails glistened and blinded us as it reflected the rising sun. I held up a hand to shield my eyes and stepped onto the deck, but my footing slipped. I hadn't been in conditions like this since I left England all those years ago. I would have fallen onto the floorboards had it not been for the unwitting person behind me.
"Sorry," I mumbled, though it was barely heard above his immediate annoyance.
"Hey! Watch where ya fallin'!" Pintel's words glared. He pushed past me only to nearly fall on his side. Somehow he managed to catch himself, but the action alone made me feel less sorry about falling into him.
They were not the only ones unstable on their feet. The sudden temperature change was new to at least half the crew and most were not prepared for the way their legs reacted. They reminded me of my first time on a ship, albeit more falling and less retching. Gibbs tried to have us chip away at the ice, but some parts were already so frozen that our attempts were futile. It wasn't until we began to freeze that we were finally told to let it be.
Skin turned blue beneath layers of ice. Hair stiffened, patches clinging together through a translucent prison. Our breath seemed to freeze the moment we released it and our clothes no longer formed to our slowing movements. They remained still, refusing to shed even a layer of snow as we shivered through the passing hours.
We tried seeking warmth, but what limited blankets we had were quickly claimed. Initially I was given one of the larger blankets found on the ship.
"Take it," Will had said, passing the old covers to me. It was fuller than most, but not by much. When its weight filled my arms, I could feel the layer of dust lift from it to reside on my skin.
Though he said the words to me, his eyes briefly slid to Elizabeth standing behind. I could not tell by his expression if he intentionally passed the better covers to me or if he'd only just now registered her presence, but either way I could not accept them. There were more vital people on this ship than me: governor's daughter, soothsayer, captain… Will. They deserved its warmth.
I shook my head and passed the blanket back to her. "I'm not that cold."
"That's absurd!" I heard her say in return. "You're shivering as you stand. Here," she held the blanket out, "take it."
"No, I-" I put my hands up and shook my head.
"Evelyn, I insist!" Her gaze was fierce yet soft at the same time. "Please."
I didn't know what to do. I'd given her the blanket and I didn't want to simply snatch it back, regardless of it being offered. I looked back to Will to see if his face would relay any sort of answer, but he remained just as unmoving as when he first noticed his fiancée's presence. When I faced Elizabeth again, she looked past me to him. Without making eye contact they seemed locked in each other's gaze, and I somehow managed to be suck in the middle of it. Again. I nearly took the blanket just to end my unease, but Barbossa broke the silence for me.
"Enough with the chivalry!" he sighed, tossing some sort of shawl at me. It was the color of mud and thin, but at least it was enough to end this standoff. "Now you've both got somethin'. Satisfied?"
Will said nothing while Elizabeth straightened herself up. "Yes," she breathed.
"Thank you," I nodded at Barbossa. Though I appreciated the shawl and quickly draped it around my shoulders, I was mostly grateful for his interception. His response was a sneer, but I took it he understood both meanings.
When outside, everywhere I looked there was bright, blinding white. I tried focusing on the activities of the ship, but that there was not much to look at. Most men had given up on their duties already in an attempt to find warmth. I passed by shivering bodies and pacing feet. Some seemed restless, while others became so still I thought them lifeless. Few remained focused. Barbossa and Gibbs were among them, trying to maintain a form of leadership. Our Captain stayed at the helm and Gibbs kept the ship in as good of order it could be within this frozen world.
Will and Tai Huang, also, stayed true to their cause. They appeared as frozen to the map as ice to the deck. When I wasn't walking around the ship to seek warmth, I sat with them. Typically, Will smiled as I pulled a crate up beside him and I would return the gesture, but otherwise we remained silent. Over the countless days of watching them work, it quickly became apparent Tai Huang only wished us to speak if it involved the charts. I'd been snapped at enough to learn. When I did speak about the map, though, he always appreciated the new perspective. So, he was particularly bad company.
When I approached them this time, however, all I had to offer were chattering teeth and a good disposition. Though, Will and I still exchanged our grins.
For hours, it seemed, I watched them rotate pieces and discuss the meanings of different phrases and pictures. The tiger I once saw had already been tossed out as a possibility, as well as any other picture they managed to create. Their attention now lied on words, regardless of the revealed language.
"We've formed so many terms throughout these past days," I sighed, rotating a section to see if I could form anything. My mouth fell slightly when my attempt led to nothing. "Surely there must be something we missed."
"Nothing here is said," Will said, taking control of the map again. His trembling fingers gripped four of the circles and turned them in unison. "It is hardly as accurate as modern charts."
"No," Tai Huang managed with an icy breath. "But it leads to more places."
I shifted forward to look at him. "You said once only we could find our intended path. Perhaps if we focus on words fitting our quest rather than a distinct label, we might have better luck?"
He pondered this, his eyes trailing to the thin rafter above. "Perhaps… but the Mao Kun Map will reveal itself when it is ready."
"I just hope we choose the right one," I breathed. My eyes trailed back to the map as Will fiddled with it more. The cold made his hands shake so badly I wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold tight, but I also knew that would not result in anything. My own hands were just as blue.
Then he stopped.
"Over the edge," he nearly whispered. "Over again." Tai Huang and I leaned in. Anticipation hovered in the air as we all stared down at the small words. He moved his hands down to finish aligning the phrase on the bottom. "Sunrise sets… flash of green."
For a long moment we stared at the words in silence, but then Tai Huang cracked the air: "We are sure this is correct?"
"It has to be." I stood in my excitement. "You said so yourself the map would reveal itself to us when it was ready, and it chose only moments after that to do so."
"Yes, but also remember this map references many things. How do you know we've found the right one?"
"Out of everything we tried, it makes the most sense. Look." Using Will as a balance, I put my hand on his shoulder to lean over the map more. I pointed to the top portion. "'Over the edge' could mean someone has crossed over or fallen off the edge of the world since Davy Jones's Locker is not physically located here. It seems to be a land beyond death. 'Over again," could mean we must follow after said person and therefore fall over the edge once more. What I don't understand is this bit." I shifted my finger to the bottom phrase, tapping it.
"What does a flash of green have to do with any of this?" Will asked.
I turned to him. Our faces hadn't been this close since before Singapore, but neither of us turned away. Every piece of frozen hair and fabric flooded my vision, but my focus lingered on the blush still managing to form beneath his icy cheeks. I felt my insides warms despite my freezing exterior, and I hoped the smile I sent him did the same in return. "Perhaps we should ask our beloved Captain."
"Perhaps," he sighed. I could hear the eye roll in his tone, though his pupils remained fixed on me. "He is the only one who can confirm our findings anyway."
Whether Will meant to be humorous or not, I felt my smile grow. I had to suck my lips in to prevent myself from laughing, which caused Will himself to smile. My brows rose. If not for Tai Huang rolling the map up in that moment, I think we both would have become fools laughing at nothing. The days had been tense, silent, and cold. I feared the further into this journey we traveled, the darker they would become. We had to take these moments when we could.
We followed Tai Huang around the hut to the helm. Neither my nor Will's smile faded until we rounded the final corner. Although we both preferred to speak to Barbossa as little as possible, it was Elizabeth's presence that took the joy from his face. My smile fell shortly after, accompanied by a sigh. I briefly closed my eyes Not this again.
She sat in the far back corner, the blanket nearly swallowing her despite how stiff the cold made it. I tightened my own blanket as I looked at her. She briefly glanced up at us, but I could tell her watery eyes went straight to Will's, who refused to meet her. I sent her a warm smile when she grazed over me, but her mind seemed pulled to the outer regions of the horizon. She'd been staring off like this more and more with each passing day, though no one else seemed to notice. She appeared as trapped and lost as Will, who refused to acknowledge this similarity. It was enough to make me angry with him… almost.
Why won't you sort this out? I silently asked him. What is keeping you from her?
Will turned to me in that moment, as though he heard my thoughts, though that was impossible. The warmth lining his eyes was enough to take my breath away. I turned from him.
"Found our course, did ye?" Barbossa smiled his greeting. His beard and the string of hair falling from his hat contained more ice than any other crewmember I had seen. Tai Huang handed over the map.
"We are hoping you can confirm it," I said as he uncurled the edges.
He said nothing as he analyzed the map and continued his silence as he lowered it to stare us down. Curious gazes passed over him, Elizabeth's included as she peeked over the edge of her blanket. Even Gibbs, who had hovered on the other side of the hut listening in, gave up on his secretive approach to instead stand with us. He chose to take his place by the railing, however, to make his appearance more natural.
"Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?" Will asked. His voice turned tense, the true displeasure of Barbossa's actions taking hold.
Our Captain looked wistfully to the sky before looking to his right. "Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?" He began rolling up the map as I shook my head. We were not getting a direction answer from him.
"I reckon I've seen my fair share," Gibbs offered. He turned to us, each word drawing him closer. "Happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without ever seeing it. Some claim to have seen it who ain't. And some say—"
"It signals when a soul comes back to this word from the dead." Pintel interjected. His sudden appearance made me jump back and nearly collide with Will. I had been so engrossed with Gibbs's description—enchanted, almost—that I had not even heard Pintel and Ragetti approach.
I was not the only one startled by them, either. Gibbs shot a glare that visually shifted from surprise to annoyance. He had been interrupted, after all. Pintel's features immediately softened. "Sorry," he whispered.
My attention turned back to Gibbs. "So this flash of green is merely what we're trying to achieve with Jack?"
"Aye," he replied despite his glare not leaving Pintel.
"Will…" I paused to look back at Will, though the force telling me to do so could not be explained. So I looked back at Gibbs. "Will we be able to see it? When we bring him back, I mean?"
The softness of my voice seemed to calm him for he finally turned from the interrupting pirate to me. He gently smiled. "I don't believe so, Missy. Some marvels just ain't meant to be seen by all. Though if you did, it would be the most emerald green you ever did ever see."
"I'll see it," I told him confidently. "One day." I had no indication outside of a feeling to make me certain I would see this flash someday. There had been many strange and mystical things to cross my path, more than any would see in one lifetime, so what was one more? As though to solidify my statement, I felt Will's hand on my shoulder. He gave it a small squeeze, supporting my claim no matter how absurd it sounded.
I smiled at Gibbs and kept the grin as I turned to Barbossa. "You've failed to answer us about the charts."
"Will they take us to Davy Jones's Locker?" Will added.
Barbossa's gaze shifted between us and he smiled. Then his vision rested on Will. "Trust me, young Master Turner," he handed him the map, "it's not getting to the land of the dead that's the problem… It's getting back."
He turned the ship as he spoke, then addressed us no more. Our conversation was finished. Will and I shared a look as the others dispersed. Tai Huang and Gibbs went towards the bow while Pintel and Ragetti began speaking of riddles. I nervously looked at Will, who spun us around as soon as he saw my face. No longer did the flash of green hold my attention.
"What do you suppose he meant by 'getting back'?" I asked before Will could question my reaction. "He does know how to do that… doesn't he?"
"I…" he began, then stopped himself. Confusion washed over his face. We reached the spot beneath the hut we occupied moments before, and he heavily sat down on an open crate. I took the spot beside him. "I would assume so."
"Then why mention returning would be an issue? Is it because we may not?" I felt my voice grow higher with panic the more I spoke. Though this quest to return someone to the living was not one I thought possible, I never considered the true consequences of such a journey. I did not know if I was ready to give my life up fully. There was still plenty of things I wanted to do in the world, words I still needed to say.
I locked eyes with Will. He must have seen the rising panic because he put the charts down and reached for my hands. They were cupped within his, ice held within ice. The frozen atmosphere made us shake in unison. I took deep breaths to calm myself.
"We will be all right, Evelyn. You'll see," he said. His voice held a promise, thought he avoided turning it into words. "He must know what to do. Why else would he be our Captain?"
"Yes, but Tia Dalma brought him back. We have to get Jack. There must be two different methods, depending on the death. What if Barbossa can only take us there?"
Will nodded, not daring to speak. He didn't want to lie to me, and my reasoning made sense.
At length, he let out a sigh. "Perhaps the map has a clue?" He unraveled it and made to move some pieces.
"Don't!" I cried, leaping to my feet and grabbing his hand. Our fingers hovered directly over the middle of the map. "We've only just figured out this riddle. If it's as extraordinary as Tai Huang claims, then we may not find the correct map again."
"Right," he nodded. When I was sure he wouldn't change anything, I let go and went back to where I was sitting.
He grabbed the map again but instead of moving the pieces, he angled it so we could both analyze it. As we did, a wave of darkness befell the ship. I looked up. Barbossa had sailed us into a cave of some sort. Ice dangled delicately across a slit splitting the opening above, but even then, the sun could not reach us. The world was still too frozen for that.
All remained idle as we pushed through.
~.~.~.~
The deathly cold vanished just as suddenly as it appeared. One night we were surrounded by ice with the deck sparkling beneath the moonlight, and the next morning all traces of white were gone. Instead, we found ourselves in a place where the water reflected the sky so perfectly it was impossible to locate the horizon. Clouds disappeared, stars taking their place as the nights grew longer until we entered a place of perpetual darkness. These stars were what saved the crew from growing mad, for they twinkled as brightly above as they did within the water. It was quite beautiful.
Yet despite the ice leaving, Will and Elizabeth remained cold.
Every day I saw Elizabeth fade further away from existence. She stared into the stars silently, as though praying for its end yet anticipating their promise. I, too, wanted Jack back, but there was something different in her desire. Not a yearning for him, as Will saw, but something more contemplative. Deeper. As though she dreaded something as much as she welcomed it.
I tried speaking with her on numerous occasions, but she always remained short and polite, a look of sadness lingering within her eyes. Whatever troubled her, it turned her more inwards and made Will upset. The two could hardly be within ten feet of each other anymore and they had yet to utter a single word. It was agonizing to watch. There was still so much between, and even though it shattered my heart, I wanted them to find each other again.
For Will to find happiness again.
"I've had enough," I said to Will one night. We were taking a walk around the perimeter of the ship. This was not something we normally did, but I noticed Elizabeth was alone at the bow and a plan formulated.
Will sharply looked at me, his brows creasing together. "Enough of what?"
"Of you and Elizabeth." He took a breath to respond, but I held up a hand. "I know, I know. She's been avoiding you and you are afraid what will happen once you speak. However, have you considered what may happen should this continue? Just look at Elizabeth! She's drifting further and further from reality the longer you both remain this way. And you! I've never seen you so tense before. So… unhappy."
I swallowed the last word. It stung knowing even my best attempts appeared to not enough, but I pushed forward. We had reached the bow and Elizabeth's figure lied just beyond. All he had to do was turn around. I stopped short.
"Please, Will. You must speak with her." I gestured in her direction.
He looked behind him, nearly groaning when he realized who I led him to. "Why should I be the one to talk to her when she's never tried to do the same?"
"Because…" I shrugged, trying to find a reason to give him but knowing none. It wasn't that I dreamed of the day Will and Elizabeth fully reunited, but I knew the longing in my heart would never come to pass. Not when they both still had a chance of happiness together. I was not going to be the one to take that away from them… from him. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Honestly, I don't have an answer for you. All I can say is I feel like this would be good for you both. You've been holding so much in… it's unsettling to see you this way."
He looked from me to Elizabeth, then back to me. An array of emotions crossed his brown eyes, but they filtered by so quickly I hardly registered them. At length I took a breath. "Please, Will. I'm trying to help you make things right."
I felt my heart crack as the words left my lips, but I held my face together. He would have seen my faltering otherwise.
He sighed. "If I spoke to her, would that make you happy?"
"What? How do I matter in all this?"
"Please, Evelyn. I need to know." He took a step closer to me and I held my breath. "Would this make you happy?"
The answer was easy despite the pulling of my heart. "Yes."
"Then I will go, but promise me you will stay close by. I need…" he paused, adjusting the sentence in his head. "You give me strength."
"I promise," I said, my heart pounding. As he made his way towards the bow, I could hardly catch my breath. Every time I thought I had this man figured out, he tossed a new emotion my way. Why was my opinion so important? And why did it matter how I felt? This was his engagement and his love. My thoughts meant nothing when compared to his and Elizabeth's.
So why ask me?
My thoughts reeled as I leaned against the railing, but answers failed to find me. There was no knowing, but perhaps, in time, everything would reveal itself. Once Jack was back, maybe. He'd always been one to sort out the complexities.
I remained close by, as Will asked, but far enough to not hear their words. But they did not speak for long. It seemed as though only a few sentences were exchanged. No sooner had he approached Elizabeth than she turned to leave, and I noticed she did not look happy. She headed towards me but paused once she registered my presence. Then she made for the other side of the ship.
When she passed, she shot me a sideways glance I could not fully read. There was anger, I noticed, but also relief and uncertainty. I smiled at her, but she did not return it as she normally did. Instead, she looked away and hugged herself, the sadness returning. I turned back to where she left, finding Will had yet to leave. He occupied the space Elizabeth had, staring forward just like her. I felt slight guilt over making him talk to her, but there had to be some sort of improvement. If there hadn't been, there would have been a more noticeable drift between them.
"Will?" I hesitantly called as I approached him. When he didn't respond, I pressed forward. "Will, I'm sorry if this didn't work out as expected. All I want to do his help and—"
"You are!" he said, quickly. He spun around so I could see the sincerity in his eyes. "She's not."
"Please, don't be angry with her. I'm sure she's going through just as much pain as you and—"
"How do you know?" Although his voice sounded accusing, I could tell it was something else causing the reaction and not me. Possibly something Elizabeth had said. I opened my mouth to answer his question, but he continued. "I don't understand how you can have so much faith in her when I have none."
"Oh, Will," I sighed, taking another step. I wanted to reach for him but was afraid of risking anything. "I just believe in her. It's not anything she's said or done… it's just a feeling. I truly don't believe you would allow someone that close to your heart who was inherently bad." He smiled at that, but it was fleeting. I took a breath. "Did you at least ask her about that day? Or…" I thought about the glance she cast me, "tell her about anything else?"
His eyes narrowed and his shoulders tensed. "I didn't have to. She mentioned on her own how everything would be fine once we rescued Jack. That's all I needed. It's confirmation she's in love with him and not…" His voice caught in his throat, but for his sake I pretended not to notice.
That and knowing he was upset caused me to feel the same. I'd never seen him this distraught before. I felt tears prickle my own eyes, but I blinked them back. Rather than say anything and chance my own voice catching, I grabbed his hand. This time I did not stop myself.
As soon as my hand touched his, the hurt and anger visibly drained from his face. His focus went straight to my touch, and I responded by giving him a gentle squeeze. Then he smiled. Though I was ecstatic I could help heal him, there was something interrupting my joy.
The sound was definitely water, but it sounded different from the ship cutting through it. The pace was faster, as though the speed had picked up without me feeling its pull. I cocked my head to hear better, causing my grip to loosen. Will looked up.
"Do you hear something?" I asked.
He immediately straightened and went further up the bow, pulling me after him. We investigated what could be the horizon, but I saw nothing aside from newly arising fog. I turned back to his face as his eyes darted across the imaginary line. Witnessing his expression slowly turn into horror was enough to frighten me.
"Will, what is it?" Desperation entered my voice, jarring him from his trance. I felt my pulse quicken.
"We need Barbossa," he said as steadily as he could, trying to hide his panic. "Now."
He backed up, his eyes still focused on what I could not see, but I hardly registered his weight. I was too transfixed on the rushing water. How could water move so slowly when it was so flat? All I saw were stars and fog… well, what I thought was fog until it passed over my skin.
Mist.
Everything fell together as it cleared before me.
We were headed straight for a waterfall. My hand gripped Will's tighter. He finally backed away far enough that I, too, followed along. When we turned around, though, we found we were no longer alone. Tia Dalma stood, just as silent as she had approached. I was on such high alert I nearly screamed when she appeared, but I stifled it with my other hand.
"For what we want most," she began, her eyes locking with each of us. I dared not turn my head from her even when her eyes darted to our hands and refocused on Will. "There is a cost must be paid in the end." Then she looked back to me. "Only you can protect what is already yours."
The words pulled at my memory, to a time that seemed so far away yet not entirely far at all. She'd said those words to me once, in her shack, long before any of this had started. I made to ask her what she meant when I noticed the locket hanging around her neck. I'd seen that somewhere too, but outside of her shack. But where…
My eyes widened. A new memory filled my mind. One of a soft tune accompanied by the image of a cold ship and a sleeping Davy Jones.
"Impossible," I whispered as I mentally made preposterous connections. Yet I was already in motion with Will and had no time to dwell on such thoughts. Time was ticking away.
Will propelled me forward as we quickly ran for the helm and our Captain. Whether the pace of our stride or how our feet pounded upon the floorboards, those we passed seemed to pick up something was not right. Crewmembers rose to their feet as we dashed by them, with a few even following us.
"Barbossa! Ahead!" Will said when we arrived, out of breath from the growing alarm of the situation. He looked back, as though making sure we were still sailing into a waterfall. I allowed my hand to slip from his.
"Aye, we're good and lost now," Barbossa smiled. Will and I exchanged a confused glance as the rest of the crew joined us. They arrived in time to hear his statement, so their befuddled reactions caused him to grin.
"Lost?" Elizabeth sharply asked from beside me. Her fire spread to my voice.
"If you know the way," I started with as much annoyance as her, "then how are we lost?"
Barbossa rose a brow. "For certain ya have to be lost to find the place that can't be found. Elseways everyone would know where it was."
"But you are our guide!" I huffed. "If we are to now end up in Davy Jones's Locker, who will come for us?"
He held up a finger, stopping any further questions. "If we end up in the locker. Believe me, I have no other destination in mind, but one can never tell where we might end up."
I narrowed my eyes until his meaning set in. We could die, I realized. Though not surprised Jack Sparrow managed to get us all killed, I did not think truly we would have to follow down a similar path. Or that at least we would find him first. Panicked, I turned to Will.
"We're gaining speed," Gibbs said from my right.
"We have to do something," I whispered. Will nodded.
"Aye!" Barbossa responded to Gibbs.
I continued. "But what can we do? We may be too close to the edge."
Will desperately looked around. I could practically see each idea forming and disintegrating. Then he looked at me, finding some sort of clarity. "To stations!" he said to those assembled around us. He rounded the hut and I could hear his call to the remaining crew. "All hands to stations!"
The ship came alive. Since leaving Singapore, we never had so many people running around and shouting orders. I tried weaving a path to my station, but each turn was met with a push to the shoulder or a jab in my side. People were thrown into disarray. Some managed to keep a level head and follow Will's orders while others were so curious about what was going on, they stuck to the sides of the ship, looking beyond the horizon to locate what was happening.
My station was at the bow, so getting there was made all the more difficult with the flurry of crewmen not following orders. Instead I stumbled onto Gibbs's position on the starboard rigging for he had abandoned it to look at the approaching falls. Will was already at his directly across the way, pulling on some rope.
"Run aboard! Run aboard!" Will yelled above the crowd as best he could. I followed his orders to make up for the vacancies. "Gather away!"
"Nay, belay that!" Barbossa quickly followed.
I, like many others, paused our work at the command. He was the Captain, but if the Captain turned mad were we to still follow him? I returned to the rope before me, pulling it free from the poll it was looped around.
"We respectfully belay your belay, Captain," I shouted. Those who had stopped before took that as a sign to continue Will's orders. He nodded his thanks, but I barely had time to register it. My original post was still unoccupied, and I had to get up there. So, reaching my hand out, I caught the arm of a crewman passing by and handed him the rope. "Finish this," I commanded. He took the job without complaint.
Two steps later and I heard Barbossa shout out: "Let her run straight and true!"
"You would run us straight into our deaths?" I shouted at him.
He cast me a wicked smile and came towards me. "Better to go with dignity than futilely making up for your mistakes." He grabbed my upper arm and dragged me towards the front.
"For your mistakes," I spat while shaking my arm free. He released me, but it was only to push me towards the railing with everyone else. So I could see the fate awaiting us and therefore learn from some sort of twisted lesson he had.
Though I saw the falls only moments before with Will, they were much closer now. They expand to the outer reaches of sight on both my sides. The ship seemed to rush towards it, as though it wanted to fall over. "We'll never get turned around in time," I said to no one in particular. Elizabeth was the only one to react.
"No," she breathed before leaving the railing. Then I heard her say, "You've doomed us all." When I looked back, I saw Barbossa still wearing that vile smile.
I turned to him, too, and crossed my arms. Despite the dropping of my stomach, I tried my best to stand tall like Elizabeth. "How could you so willingly lead all of us to this place? To this end?"
"You wanted access to the Locker, and I've brought ye to the Farthest Gate. Is this not what you asked of me?" The Captain cocked his head. Neither I nor Elizabeth moved to respond. To an extent, he was correct. We wanted to reach the Davy Jones's Locker and save Jack, but not by perishing before ever saving him. Barbossa shrugged. "Don't you be forgettin', both of you volunteered to brave these shores."
"Yes, but not like this," I shook my head. "You are a horrible Captain."
"Don't be so unknind," he groaned, taking the final step towards us. He rested a hand on the railing and shifted his gaze between us. The other, he reached out towards us. I stepped away, but Elizabeth held her place. Even when he had her cheeks between his fingers and pressed slightly, she did not move. "You may not survive to pass this way again. And these be the last friendly words you'll hear."
Elizabeth finally spun back to me, panic tainting her eyes. What are we to do? She seemed to ask. When I had no response to her, she turned her attention back to the falls. I did try to speak, though. My mind was just too focused on what Barbossa had said to form words. How we, truly, may not survive. The hint of death had been with us since we figured out the charts and spoke with Barbossa about it, but only now had it finally reached our reality.
Will, I thought, taking a sharp breath. Where was he? My eyes darted around the deck, not finding his form. I stepped past Barbossa and ran to the helm. He was more than happy to step aside, snickered even I went by, though that was all the attention I cared to give him. Will was more important than that. We had precious little time before our ship reached the end of the world, and I wanted to at least see him one last time. Needed to.
I bumped into more crewmen as I pushed my way back. They were running around, now, hopeless about our situation. Some hustled to prepare the Hai Peng to turn, though there were not many determined souls left. There was a fleeting moment I thought that perhaps we could, indeed, get this ship turned around and sail back to safety, but then I saw Tia Dalma. She was crouched over a barrel, mumbling to and tossing about her charms. Though I did not know their meaning, if she were as terrified as the rest of the crew, then certainly doom was upon us.
My chest tightened and my pull for Will strengthened.
When I found him, he had already taken ownership of the helm. He threw out orders, still trying to save us, though I sensed even he knew it was impossible. My face fell at the hopelessness before us and I wanted to cry without tears, but I found my lips turning up at mere the sight of him. Then he noticed me.
His response held a similar reaction. Though he smiled and I saw relief fall over him because I'd found him, we were by each other's sides, there was also a sadness and determination hardening his expression. He wanted us to live just as desperately as I did. My eyes pleaded with him, but whatever hope they held I knew was swallowed in fear. His own eyes softened when they locked with mine, as though he knew none of this was going to work yet would try until the very end.
In that moment, all I wanted to do was hold him close and never let go.
"Hold on," he yelled as he pushed into the helm. The entire ship sharply turned, pulling my body to the port side. I held so tight to the edge of the ship my knuckles turned white. Spray from the water powdered my face, beckoning me to look down as we dangled off the edge of the world. When I did, all I recognized was the darkness simmering below.
I could not move. The world was turning so fast, yet I lacked the ability to go along with it.
"Evelyn," I heard. Though my name sounded far, I could recognize Will's voice anywhere. Just hearing him relaxed my breathing and offered warmth to my frozen form, but all I managed to do physically was turn my eyes away from the sight below us. Then I heard my name again. "Evelyn!" This time louder, sharper, more urgent.
"Will," I managed to gasp. Fear filled each syllable. When I turned to him, the same wild panic flowing through me reflected in him. The last possibility of life had left us.
This was not how I wanted to die—locking a fearful gaze with the man I loved without him knowing the extent of my emotions. Yet how was I to tell him? Each passing second brought the ship's axis closer to tipping. There was no time! I had waited too long; pushed my desire away for the convenience of others. Now all that awaited was a deathly unknown.
If this were the end, then I would at least allow myself a final satisfaction.
Determination and courage pried my fingers from the banister, but love granted me the strength to move—to run! There was only a short distance between us, but I did not want to waste any more time. When I reached Will, he held me close, not wanting to lose me as the Hai Peng began to fall. As the last bit teetered over, I fiercely pressed my lips into his.
Desire, desperation, fear, love. They swirled through me as I pushed myself deeper, for once not caring whether anyone saw us or how this would change our relationship should we somehow survive. I was met with no protest. His hands trailed both up and down my back, encouraging more while securing me to him. Our feet lifted, but we would not part. We were so close not even the falling air could pass between us.
It took the floor slamming against my head for us to part.
We'd flipped with the ship and this impact pulled me back with a painful gasp. Will's hold on me loosened from his now crushed fingers. I felt myself falling away. My head spun as I tried to cling to any part of him, but it also felt so good just to shut my eyes and let everything go.
To let everything slip away.
Something caught my hand, but was not strong enough to keep me. My name echoed in the air. I knew it was all Will. He was probably grasping at the air between us, desperate to not lose me, but I did not want that image to be my final thought. So instead, I focused on my lips. On that final, true moment and the warmth still lingering there from him. A swirl of mist and colors whirled through me as fog prickled my skin, but I refused to let them consume me. My mind only had space for Will.
It left me floating.