The sea was cold. Cold and brisk, and so freezing it gave you a
headache just to skim your fingers along the top- much like the sensation
of eating ice cream too fast- brain freeze. Elizabeth gulped in a breath
of fresh air before the wild waves knocked her under again. The salt stung
her eyes, but there wasn't much to see anyway. The sky was the color of
pitch and overridden with black, menacing rain clouds pouring their entire
contents onto the out of control sea. Elizabeth's mouth unwillingly drank
in more than it's share of the sea water. She choked on it, and tried to
cough out the repulsive, salty liquid.
"Will!" was all she could manage before going under again. "Will!"
Suddenly, she felt as if someone- or something- was shaking her.
"Elizabeth, wake up dear."
Elizabeth rubbed her salt-encrusted eyes to find that she wasn't drowning in the middle of the ocean, she was in fact, lying safe and sound in her bed at home next to Commandeer Norrington, her fiancée and the father of the child she was carrying.
"Are you all right?" He asked concernedly. "You were coughing up a storm and saying the name 'Will' over and over again."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look positively horrid."
But Elizabeth wasn't paying attention anymore. That dream. well, it was more a memory than a dream. It was that night, exactly ten years ago that night that she had last seen Will Turner, the only one whom she had ever longed for. Every year, on the anniversary of his leaving, Elizabeth had had that dream. She had been all set to go to Tortuga with Will and Jack and to live a pirate's life. But a terrible storm had started up which threw Elizabeth out of the Black Pearl. She had suffered through the torrent of water for forty-five minutes before the crew had been able to rescue her.
After that, Will decided to leave Elizabeth home for one escapade, but would surely be back within six months for her. She had reluctantly agreed, and had waited eagerly for the day to come in which First Mate Will Turner would come and whisk her away to Tortuga on the Black Pearl. But six months passed and there was no sign of him. Seven months came, then eight, then nine, and around twelve Elizabeth simply stopped counting. Oh, she knew he would come. Will would come on his own time. But he never did. After five years had passed, Elizabeth's father, the governor, gently asked her to reconsider her rejection to the Commandeer.
Elizabeth and Norrington had been wed on the night of the sixth year's anniversary. While Norrington made love to Elizabeth that night, she was inwardly crying for the sweet, handsome man whom she had loved, and still did.
"Well, if you are quite all right as you say, then I don't suppose you would mind if I went back to sleep, eh?"
Not even waiting for a response, Norrington yawned loudly and quickly went back to his nightly routine of loud, boorish snoring. It didn't particularly matter, for Elizabeth never heard his question. Drifting out of bed, she walked over and sat on the window seat, thinking of the last thing Will had spoken to her.
"And darling, if you ever think of me when I have not yet returned, then sing this song (my mother taught it to me when I was a child): 'Yo-ho, yo- ho. Oh where, oh where did my love go? Yo-ho, yo-ho. Through the sea he shall row. Yo-ho, yo-ho. Back to me, you know. Yo-ho, yo-ho. With our love all aglow. Yo-ho, yo-ho.'"
Elizabeth gazed out the window at the rippling sea, rising and falling with the wind. "Yo-ho, yo-ho." she sang softly. "I love you," she whispered to the sea.
A single salty tear flowed freely down her flawless skin. Salty like the ocean.
"Will!" was all she could manage before going under again. "Will!"
Suddenly, she felt as if someone- or something- was shaking her.
"Elizabeth, wake up dear."
Elizabeth rubbed her salt-encrusted eyes to find that she wasn't drowning in the middle of the ocean, she was in fact, lying safe and sound in her bed at home next to Commandeer Norrington, her fiancée and the father of the child she was carrying.
"Are you all right?" He asked concernedly. "You were coughing up a storm and saying the name 'Will' over and over again."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look positively horrid."
But Elizabeth wasn't paying attention anymore. That dream. well, it was more a memory than a dream. It was that night, exactly ten years ago that night that she had last seen Will Turner, the only one whom she had ever longed for. Every year, on the anniversary of his leaving, Elizabeth had had that dream. She had been all set to go to Tortuga with Will and Jack and to live a pirate's life. But a terrible storm had started up which threw Elizabeth out of the Black Pearl. She had suffered through the torrent of water for forty-five minutes before the crew had been able to rescue her.
After that, Will decided to leave Elizabeth home for one escapade, but would surely be back within six months for her. She had reluctantly agreed, and had waited eagerly for the day to come in which First Mate Will Turner would come and whisk her away to Tortuga on the Black Pearl. But six months passed and there was no sign of him. Seven months came, then eight, then nine, and around twelve Elizabeth simply stopped counting. Oh, she knew he would come. Will would come on his own time. But he never did. After five years had passed, Elizabeth's father, the governor, gently asked her to reconsider her rejection to the Commandeer.
Elizabeth and Norrington had been wed on the night of the sixth year's anniversary. While Norrington made love to Elizabeth that night, she was inwardly crying for the sweet, handsome man whom she had loved, and still did.
"Well, if you are quite all right as you say, then I don't suppose you would mind if I went back to sleep, eh?"
Not even waiting for a response, Norrington yawned loudly and quickly went back to his nightly routine of loud, boorish snoring. It didn't particularly matter, for Elizabeth never heard his question. Drifting out of bed, she walked over and sat on the window seat, thinking of the last thing Will had spoken to her.
"And darling, if you ever think of me when I have not yet returned, then sing this song (my mother taught it to me when I was a child): 'Yo-ho, yo- ho. Oh where, oh where did my love go? Yo-ho, yo-ho. Through the sea he shall row. Yo-ho, yo-ho. Back to me, you know. Yo-ho, yo-ho. With our love all aglow. Yo-ho, yo-ho.'"
Elizabeth gazed out the window at the rippling sea, rising and falling with the wind. "Yo-ho, yo-ho." she sang softly. "I love you," she whispered to the sea.
A single salty tear flowed freely down her flawless skin. Salty like the ocean.