Chapter 7-Isla de Muerta
Jack leaned backwards as Rowena fell into his arms. She had been acting very strange since she woke up, so he just let her lie there, positive she wasn't dead. She had screamed an ear-shattering scream before passing out, and claimed to have heard Ragetti talk to her. Very strange indeed. Jack found this all very interesting, to tell the truth. His crew, possessed by god knows what evil forces, the stupid Ragetti wooden eye having a brother with a brain and a knack for reading minds, and Captain Rowena, especially her compass. His compass too.
Normally you didn't see too many decent pirate captains that were women. And if you did find one, they didn't hide in a hat or behind a fake name. They were proud. A bit too proud, Jack thought. They were all full of themselves. But not her. Not the fearless Captain Rowena Maynard. She wanted to fight out her life on the edge just between life and death. Jack admired this trait. He loved to do just the same. Why not stay and fight it out, even if it put you in danger?
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Whatever was wrong with her would pass, hopefully, and she would go on being the fearless thing that she always was. "Don't count on it, Jack." Ragetti said from behind him. Jack turned his head enough to see Ragetti's looming figure by the wheel, hunched over himself, as if to ward off the cold. But it wasn't cold, nor could Ragetti feel a thing. He was a victim of the curse, and they couldn't feel anything. Not sea spray, not sun, wind, or rain. Jack pitied Ragetti for some reason. Not even being able to feel the spray as it flew up from the waves.
But he didn't pity him enough to stop hating him. For doing something to his crew, his ship, and Rowena. He knew in his gut that Ragetti was behind all of what he told Jack about. How else would he know so much? Or did he just decide to have some fun and read Gibbs' mind, or maybe even Annamaria's? 'Stop it.' Jack willed himself, regretting it because Ragetti was probably listening to everything he thought. "My, my, my. Finally brightening up and catching on to what old Marlin Ragetti said to yeh? Aye, is that the case mate?" Ragetti stood over Jack, laughing evilly into the distance. Jack scowled. "We'll be headin' into Isla de Muerta by sundown. Are yeh ready, MATEY?" Ragetti laughed again and truned from Jack.
He decided to have some fun with his gift of telepathy. Driving the girl insane wasn't enough. Maybe he'd drive Jack mad, as a bonus, or simply because he could. 'Don't let him get to yeh.' Jack told himself as Ragetti walked away. "No, Jack. Don't. It won't take long 'till yeh lose it like the rest of 'em." Jack jumped. Ragetti's voice sounded like it came from inside his head! But, why would Ragetti talk to him in his thoughts? "Did yeh say something?" Jack asked, sure that this was a stupid question.
"No, not a word. And by the way Jack, that wasn't a stupid question."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Bloody Mary pulled into the dreaded docks of Isla de Muerta soundlessly, and alone. It was the dead of night, and not a creature stirred on the banks of this feared beach. Jack was still awake, thinking, not caring if Ragetti heard, about what Ragetti had done. Spoken to him, in his thoughts. About what Ragetti had said in Jack's mind, and about his compass. Rowena was still in his arms, but now she stirred, muttering uncomfortably as she woke. "Jack!" She said, sitting upright. "He. . .he talked to me! In my head, he said that he listens when he wants to! He. . ." Jack put his hand up to her mouth and shushed her. He saw the banks of Isla de Muerta approaching and widened his eyes. For once, everything was silent on the island.
"Jack, where are we?" She whispered. "We're on the dreaded island: Isla de Muerta, luv." "Isla de Muerta? To yer crew?" "Aye." Jack answered her. "I have t' find out wha' Ragetti meant by the livin' dead an' all tha'" She nodded. "I know what yeh mean, Jack. Sounds excitin'" She encouraged him. "Are yeh scared, luv?" He asked her. She considered lying to him, saying that she was brave and fearless, but she couldn't. The sincere look in his eyes softened her into telling him the truth. "Yes, I'm dead scared, Jack. Ragetti's trying to take over my mind, yer crew is completely insane, the lot of them, and I'm stuck on an island called the "Isle of the Dead". That doesn't sound so promising, to say the least."
"No, yer right. It don't. But yer a pirate. . .yeh aint supposed to be scared o' some island." He told her. "I know." He looked at her. Her eyes were shining with tears that she forced herself to hold in. "Yeh look like yeh could use some rum." He pulled a flask out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her, but she shook her head. "Still refusing to drink rum, eh?" She nodded up at him. "Well, yer loss." He took a long sip. "Ah," He said when he finished. "Rum could cure anythin'" He assumed.
Rowena stood up warily, followed closely by Jack, who put his arm around her shoulder reassuringly. Ragetti lowered the ship's anchor and climbed down the side, beckoning them to follow him. They jumped down off the side after climbing down a bit, and landed in knee deep water. It was freezing cold, and Rowena felt something brush her leg. She jumped and ran out onto the beach, away from whatever had passed her by.
Jack smiled as he walked up to Rowena. "A bit jumpy, aren't we?" He asked her, rustling her hair as he walked past. She followed him closely, bumping into him when he stopped, and stepping on his heels when he walked. He turned to face her. Please, luv. Give me some space, just to walk a little, savvy?" She nodded, and fell back a bit. Ragetti led them into a cave. A dark cave, with shinning walls and no stalagmites or stalactites. Ragetti lit a torch, and Rowena saw that the walls were made of a crystal looking rock. Its shininess almost blinded her as she walked faster to keep up with Jack and Ragetti.
"Here we are." Ragetti said gruffly as they entered a huge section of the cave. The walls were still made of crystal, and sparkled when she looked at them. Jack's crew was standing by the far wall in a line, looking straight ahead at nothing. Jack walked up to them suspiciously. Their eyes were glazed over, dull and sagging like they hadn't had any sleep in months. "Gibbs!" He called out to an older man at the end of the line. The man turned and fixed his eyes on Jack, now they were glowing red.
"Gibbs? What's happened to yeh?" He wondered aloud to his first mate. Gibbs turned back forward and just stared. "Well, that was weird." Jack commented roughly, walking back over to Rowena and Ragetti. "Jus' like I said Jack." Ragetti reminded him. "They aren't themselves anymore." Jack rolled his eyes. "Well that's completely obvious, yeh don't have t' be smart to see that!" Jack said loudly. "No?" Ragetti said mockingly. "But, what's happened to them?" "Ah, I knew yeh'd ask that sometime or another."
Jack scowled again at Ragetti. "Well?" He demanded. "Calm down, calm down. I'll tell yeh. But yeh gotta do sumthin' for me first." "What?" Jack said desperately. "Name yer price." Ragetti smiled dangerously. "Yeh have to give me yer compass."
Jack leaned backwards as Rowena fell into his arms. She had been acting very strange since she woke up, so he just let her lie there, positive she wasn't dead. She had screamed an ear-shattering scream before passing out, and claimed to have heard Ragetti talk to her. Very strange indeed. Jack found this all very interesting, to tell the truth. His crew, possessed by god knows what evil forces, the stupid Ragetti wooden eye having a brother with a brain and a knack for reading minds, and Captain Rowena, especially her compass. His compass too.
Normally you didn't see too many decent pirate captains that were women. And if you did find one, they didn't hide in a hat or behind a fake name. They were proud. A bit too proud, Jack thought. They were all full of themselves. But not her. Not the fearless Captain Rowena Maynard. She wanted to fight out her life on the edge just between life and death. Jack admired this trait. He loved to do just the same. Why not stay and fight it out, even if it put you in danger?
He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Whatever was wrong with her would pass, hopefully, and she would go on being the fearless thing that she always was. "Don't count on it, Jack." Ragetti said from behind him. Jack turned his head enough to see Ragetti's looming figure by the wheel, hunched over himself, as if to ward off the cold. But it wasn't cold, nor could Ragetti feel a thing. He was a victim of the curse, and they couldn't feel anything. Not sea spray, not sun, wind, or rain. Jack pitied Ragetti for some reason. Not even being able to feel the spray as it flew up from the waves.
But he didn't pity him enough to stop hating him. For doing something to his crew, his ship, and Rowena. He knew in his gut that Ragetti was behind all of what he told Jack about. How else would he know so much? Or did he just decide to have some fun and read Gibbs' mind, or maybe even Annamaria's? 'Stop it.' Jack willed himself, regretting it because Ragetti was probably listening to everything he thought. "My, my, my. Finally brightening up and catching on to what old Marlin Ragetti said to yeh? Aye, is that the case mate?" Ragetti stood over Jack, laughing evilly into the distance. Jack scowled. "We'll be headin' into Isla de Muerta by sundown. Are yeh ready, MATEY?" Ragetti laughed again and truned from Jack.
He decided to have some fun with his gift of telepathy. Driving the girl insane wasn't enough. Maybe he'd drive Jack mad, as a bonus, or simply because he could. 'Don't let him get to yeh.' Jack told himself as Ragetti walked away. "No, Jack. Don't. It won't take long 'till yeh lose it like the rest of 'em." Jack jumped. Ragetti's voice sounded like it came from inside his head! But, why would Ragetti talk to him in his thoughts? "Did yeh say something?" Jack asked, sure that this was a stupid question.
"No, not a word. And by the way Jack, that wasn't a stupid question."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Bloody Mary pulled into the dreaded docks of Isla de Muerta soundlessly, and alone. It was the dead of night, and not a creature stirred on the banks of this feared beach. Jack was still awake, thinking, not caring if Ragetti heard, about what Ragetti had done. Spoken to him, in his thoughts. About what Ragetti had said in Jack's mind, and about his compass. Rowena was still in his arms, but now she stirred, muttering uncomfortably as she woke. "Jack!" She said, sitting upright. "He. . .he talked to me! In my head, he said that he listens when he wants to! He. . ." Jack put his hand up to her mouth and shushed her. He saw the banks of Isla de Muerta approaching and widened his eyes. For once, everything was silent on the island.
"Jack, where are we?" She whispered. "We're on the dreaded island: Isla de Muerta, luv." "Isla de Muerta? To yer crew?" "Aye." Jack answered her. "I have t' find out wha' Ragetti meant by the livin' dead an' all tha'" She nodded. "I know what yeh mean, Jack. Sounds excitin'" She encouraged him. "Are yeh scared, luv?" He asked her. She considered lying to him, saying that she was brave and fearless, but she couldn't. The sincere look in his eyes softened her into telling him the truth. "Yes, I'm dead scared, Jack. Ragetti's trying to take over my mind, yer crew is completely insane, the lot of them, and I'm stuck on an island called the "Isle of the Dead". That doesn't sound so promising, to say the least."
"No, yer right. It don't. But yer a pirate. . .yeh aint supposed to be scared o' some island." He told her. "I know." He looked at her. Her eyes were shining with tears that she forced herself to hold in. "Yeh look like yeh could use some rum." He pulled a flask out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her, but she shook her head. "Still refusing to drink rum, eh?" She nodded up at him. "Well, yer loss." He took a long sip. "Ah," He said when he finished. "Rum could cure anythin'" He assumed.
Rowena stood up warily, followed closely by Jack, who put his arm around her shoulder reassuringly. Ragetti lowered the ship's anchor and climbed down the side, beckoning them to follow him. They jumped down off the side after climbing down a bit, and landed in knee deep water. It was freezing cold, and Rowena felt something brush her leg. She jumped and ran out onto the beach, away from whatever had passed her by.
Jack smiled as he walked up to Rowena. "A bit jumpy, aren't we?" He asked her, rustling her hair as he walked past. She followed him closely, bumping into him when he stopped, and stepping on his heels when he walked. He turned to face her. Please, luv. Give me some space, just to walk a little, savvy?" She nodded, and fell back a bit. Ragetti led them into a cave. A dark cave, with shinning walls and no stalagmites or stalactites. Ragetti lit a torch, and Rowena saw that the walls were made of a crystal looking rock. Its shininess almost blinded her as she walked faster to keep up with Jack and Ragetti.
"Here we are." Ragetti said gruffly as they entered a huge section of the cave. The walls were still made of crystal, and sparkled when she looked at them. Jack's crew was standing by the far wall in a line, looking straight ahead at nothing. Jack walked up to them suspiciously. Their eyes were glazed over, dull and sagging like they hadn't had any sleep in months. "Gibbs!" He called out to an older man at the end of the line. The man turned and fixed his eyes on Jack, now they were glowing red.
"Gibbs? What's happened to yeh?" He wondered aloud to his first mate. Gibbs turned back forward and just stared. "Well, that was weird." Jack commented roughly, walking back over to Rowena and Ragetti. "Jus' like I said Jack." Ragetti reminded him. "They aren't themselves anymore." Jack rolled his eyes. "Well that's completely obvious, yeh don't have t' be smart to see that!" Jack said loudly. "No?" Ragetti said mockingly. "But, what's happened to them?" "Ah, I knew yeh'd ask that sometime or another."
Jack scowled again at Ragetti. "Well?" He demanded. "Calm down, calm down. I'll tell yeh. But yeh gotta do sumthin' for me first." "What?" Jack said desperately. "Name yer price." Ragetti smiled dangerously. "Yeh have to give me yer compass."