Chapter Ten-The Curse
"I thought I had ye figured, Jack," said Barbossa as he sat on a pile of gold waiting for his crew to return, "but turns out ye're a very 'ard man to predict." Jack stopped pilfering through treasure to turn around and reply.
"Me, I'm dishonest, an' ye can always count on a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones ye've got ter worry about." Jack walked up behind one of the cursed pirates who was waiting and guarding Will. "Ye never know when they're gonna do something." Jack looked straight at the boy, ".stupid." Will rammed into one of his guards as Jack grabbed the sword of the pirate whom he was standing behind and threw it to his young friend. He then drew his own cutlass and turned on Barbossa. As Will fought of the four or five pirates surrounding him, the two captains were locked in a fearsome duel. They chased each other about the cave, steel flashing as they advanced, first Barbossa, then Jack, Barbossa, Jack. Finally, Barbossa threw his sword down and held out his arms.
"This is pointless, Jack, I can't be killed!" Jack thrust his cutlass through his foe's abdomen. Barbossa just laughed, pulled the sword out of his own stomach and plunged it into Jack's. Sparrow gasped in shock, his eyes wide and his face pale as death. Clutching the sword, he staggered back into a stream of moonlight, and to the shock of everyone, turned into a skeleton. He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers.
"That's int'resting." Will looked up in surprise as he saw the skeletal Jack pull out a gold piece and twirl it in his bony fingers, making a loud clinking sound as it went from bone to bone. Jack grinned and turned his attention back to a stunned Barbossa.
"Couldn't help meself, mate." Barbossa charged, and their battle began again, even more fast paced and furious than it was before. As the duelers ran and leapt from rock to rock and treasure pile, to treasure pile, Will found himself without a sword and cornered by one of the gruesome buccaneers.
"I'm gonna teach you the meanin' of pain!" As Will braced himself for the blow, he heard another voice.
"Ya like pain," Elizabeth said as she knocked the pirate down with a massive gold staff, "Try wearin' a corset." Will stood up, took Elizabeth's hand, and the two ran off to fight the rest of the pirates. Catherine, however, found herself frozen to the spot as she watched Jack and Barbossa run in and out of the moonlight.
"My God." she muttered seeing Sparrow go from flesh to bone and back again. Elizabeth and Will had managed to spear all of the pirates together and blow them to bits with their own dynamite, and Will took this opportunity to run to the stone chest. Jack pulled out his gold piece, slit his hand, and threw it upwards as Barbossa sat down hard on a mound of gold by which Catherine was standing off to the side, her sister running towards her.
"Enough!" Barbossa shouted as he turned his pistol towards the girls. A loud shot was heard. The cursed pirate looked down at his chest in surprise and saw a bullet hole.
"Idiot," he laughed, "Ye save that shot fer ten years an' then ye waste it."
"He didn't waste it," Will said as he opened his own hand over the chest into which fell the two final gold pieces, soaked in Jack and Will's blood. A look of horror and surprise suddenly came onto Barbossa's face as he pulled open his jacket only to see a steady stream of blood pour from his wound.
"I feel.cold." he muttered, as he slowly lowered himself onto the treasure. A look of resignation was on Jack's face at the final execution of his revenge as he slowly lowered his pistol. Jack, Will, and the girls just stood there, watching their enemy die, when that evil look crept quickly and unexpectedly back into Barbossa's eyes for one fleeting moment. He raised his gun, fired, and fell over dead.
Total silence took over the cave as the onlookers stared at each other, waiting to see if the pirate's final shot had found its target. Jack looked over at Catherine. She was standing there, unmoving, pallid, wide-eyed, and clutching her abdomen. The others' hearts raced for what seemed like an eternity, until Catherine pulled one of her hands away, dripping with blood.
"No!" Jack screamed. He ran forward, catching Catherine as she fell onto the ground, panting, as tears began to fill her eyes. Jack hoisted her up in his arms, carried her up to the chest, and guided her hand into it.
"Take one, love, take a coin." Elizabeth was sobbing uncontrollably as her sister fragilely closed her fingers around the cold metal. The color rushed back into Catherine's face. Still silent, Jack carried her into the moonlight. He gently reached into her now open torso and took out the musket ball which was rolling over her bare ribs. Still holding her carefully in his arms, he took her back over to the cursed gold. He took out his knife, made a small incision on her open palm, and closed her fingers around the gold. Silent tears now beginning to fill the pirate's eyes as well, Catherine and Jack just looked at each other as the girl slowly dropped the coin.
No one moved for a moment until Catherine slowly pulled the soldier's shirt she was wearing up over her stomach, which was smooth and unmarked. Jack heaved a great sigh of relief and bowed his head over her body as Catherine looked up at him tenderly. Elizabeth, now crying harder than ever, moved toward her sister, but Will gently took her arm.
"Leave them." He led Elizabeth over to another part of the cave, leaving the infamous pirate and the governor's eldest daughter sitting alone on a pile of gold. Jack lifted his head to look at the woman still nestled in his arms, tears running down his face. Catherine placed her hand gently upon his cheek, smiled, and said,
"Would you kindly make sure the next evil, mutinous pirate you've just released from a curse is completely dead before you lower your weapon next time?" Jack let out a hearty laugh.
"Aye, darlin', I'll be sure to do that. Thought I'd lost ye there fer a moment," the pirate said as he looked lovingly over Catherine's tear stained face. "I don' know what I'd.I mean I.I." She put a finger over his lips.
"I know, Jack, so do I." He leaned over and kissed her softly and tenderly, as he'd never kissed a woman in his life. They drew apart, beaming. Catherine looked up at the man above her and grinned playfully.
"Bloody pirate." Jack smirked, flashing his gold teeth and putting his drunken manner back on and replied,
"Cap'n Jack Sparrow at yer service, milady."
"Don't you milady me. You've never faced the likes of me before, savvy?"
"Aye, love, never indeed."
Back on board the Dauntless, the pirates all suddenly ceased fighting, as one of their fellows fell over, dead. The stared at each other's human forms, and then up at the pale moon which was uncovered by clouds. The pirates stared back at their opponents and one by one dropped their weapons upon the deck. Commodore Norrington withdrew his sword.
"Gentlemen, the day is ours." Heart cries of huzzah rang out over the water.
On the island, Jack and Catherine had walked into the cave where Elizabeth and Will were standing, the air filled with tension. Catherine muttered,
"Kiss her, idiot," to which Jack replied,
"Aye." The two smiled at each other as they went to join Will and Elizabeth.
"We best get back to the Dauntless," Elizabeth said without emotion and the four companions walked towards the exit of the cave. Jack led the way with Catherine, one of his hands on the small of her back and the other clutching an armful of treasure, while Will and Elizabeth followed silently. They apparently had missed the opportune moment. When they approached the rowboat, Jack said merrily,
"Now, I'd be much obliged if ye'd kindly drop me off at my ship." Catherine and Elizabeth looked at each other, frowning, as the pushed off into the water. They explained to Jack that he didn't have a ship, his crew having taken it and left. The pirate looked down solemnly as they rowed towards the Dauntless. "They done right by them, I can't ask fer anythin' more."
"I thought I had ye figured, Jack," said Barbossa as he sat on a pile of gold waiting for his crew to return, "but turns out ye're a very 'ard man to predict." Jack stopped pilfering through treasure to turn around and reply.
"Me, I'm dishonest, an' ye can always count on a dishonest man to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones ye've got ter worry about." Jack walked up behind one of the cursed pirates who was waiting and guarding Will. "Ye never know when they're gonna do something." Jack looked straight at the boy, ".stupid." Will rammed into one of his guards as Jack grabbed the sword of the pirate whom he was standing behind and threw it to his young friend. He then drew his own cutlass and turned on Barbossa. As Will fought of the four or five pirates surrounding him, the two captains were locked in a fearsome duel. They chased each other about the cave, steel flashing as they advanced, first Barbossa, then Jack, Barbossa, Jack. Finally, Barbossa threw his sword down and held out his arms.
"This is pointless, Jack, I can't be killed!" Jack thrust his cutlass through his foe's abdomen. Barbossa just laughed, pulled the sword out of his own stomach and plunged it into Jack's. Sparrow gasped in shock, his eyes wide and his face pale as death. Clutching the sword, he staggered back into a stream of moonlight, and to the shock of everyone, turned into a skeleton. He held up his hand and wiggled his fingers.
"That's int'resting." Will looked up in surprise as he saw the skeletal Jack pull out a gold piece and twirl it in his bony fingers, making a loud clinking sound as it went from bone to bone. Jack grinned and turned his attention back to a stunned Barbossa.
"Couldn't help meself, mate." Barbossa charged, and their battle began again, even more fast paced and furious than it was before. As the duelers ran and leapt from rock to rock and treasure pile, to treasure pile, Will found himself without a sword and cornered by one of the gruesome buccaneers.
"I'm gonna teach you the meanin' of pain!" As Will braced himself for the blow, he heard another voice.
"Ya like pain," Elizabeth said as she knocked the pirate down with a massive gold staff, "Try wearin' a corset." Will stood up, took Elizabeth's hand, and the two ran off to fight the rest of the pirates. Catherine, however, found herself frozen to the spot as she watched Jack and Barbossa run in and out of the moonlight.
"My God." she muttered seeing Sparrow go from flesh to bone and back again. Elizabeth and Will had managed to spear all of the pirates together and blow them to bits with their own dynamite, and Will took this opportunity to run to the stone chest. Jack pulled out his gold piece, slit his hand, and threw it upwards as Barbossa sat down hard on a mound of gold by which Catherine was standing off to the side, her sister running towards her.
"Enough!" Barbossa shouted as he turned his pistol towards the girls. A loud shot was heard. The cursed pirate looked down at his chest in surprise and saw a bullet hole.
"Idiot," he laughed, "Ye save that shot fer ten years an' then ye waste it."
"He didn't waste it," Will said as he opened his own hand over the chest into which fell the two final gold pieces, soaked in Jack and Will's blood. A look of horror and surprise suddenly came onto Barbossa's face as he pulled open his jacket only to see a steady stream of blood pour from his wound.
"I feel.cold." he muttered, as he slowly lowered himself onto the treasure. A look of resignation was on Jack's face at the final execution of his revenge as he slowly lowered his pistol. Jack, Will, and the girls just stood there, watching their enemy die, when that evil look crept quickly and unexpectedly back into Barbossa's eyes for one fleeting moment. He raised his gun, fired, and fell over dead.
Total silence took over the cave as the onlookers stared at each other, waiting to see if the pirate's final shot had found its target. Jack looked over at Catherine. She was standing there, unmoving, pallid, wide-eyed, and clutching her abdomen. The others' hearts raced for what seemed like an eternity, until Catherine pulled one of her hands away, dripping with blood.
"No!" Jack screamed. He ran forward, catching Catherine as she fell onto the ground, panting, as tears began to fill her eyes. Jack hoisted her up in his arms, carried her up to the chest, and guided her hand into it.
"Take one, love, take a coin." Elizabeth was sobbing uncontrollably as her sister fragilely closed her fingers around the cold metal. The color rushed back into Catherine's face. Still silent, Jack carried her into the moonlight. He gently reached into her now open torso and took out the musket ball which was rolling over her bare ribs. Still holding her carefully in his arms, he took her back over to the cursed gold. He took out his knife, made a small incision on her open palm, and closed her fingers around the gold. Silent tears now beginning to fill the pirate's eyes as well, Catherine and Jack just looked at each other as the girl slowly dropped the coin.
No one moved for a moment until Catherine slowly pulled the soldier's shirt she was wearing up over her stomach, which was smooth and unmarked. Jack heaved a great sigh of relief and bowed his head over her body as Catherine looked up at him tenderly. Elizabeth, now crying harder than ever, moved toward her sister, but Will gently took her arm.
"Leave them." He led Elizabeth over to another part of the cave, leaving the infamous pirate and the governor's eldest daughter sitting alone on a pile of gold. Jack lifted his head to look at the woman still nestled in his arms, tears running down his face. Catherine placed her hand gently upon his cheek, smiled, and said,
"Would you kindly make sure the next evil, mutinous pirate you've just released from a curse is completely dead before you lower your weapon next time?" Jack let out a hearty laugh.
"Aye, darlin', I'll be sure to do that. Thought I'd lost ye there fer a moment," the pirate said as he looked lovingly over Catherine's tear stained face. "I don' know what I'd.I mean I.I." She put a finger over his lips.
"I know, Jack, so do I." He leaned over and kissed her softly and tenderly, as he'd never kissed a woman in his life. They drew apart, beaming. Catherine looked up at the man above her and grinned playfully.
"Bloody pirate." Jack smirked, flashing his gold teeth and putting his drunken manner back on and replied,
"Cap'n Jack Sparrow at yer service, milady."
"Don't you milady me. You've never faced the likes of me before, savvy?"
"Aye, love, never indeed."
Back on board the Dauntless, the pirates all suddenly ceased fighting, as one of their fellows fell over, dead. The stared at each other's human forms, and then up at the pale moon which was uncovered by clouds. The pirates stared back at their opponents and one by one dropped their weapons upon the deck. Commodore Norrington withdrew his sword.
"Gentlemen, the day is ours." Heart cries of huzzah rang out over the water.
On the island, Jack and Catherine had walked into the cave where Elizabeth and Will were standing, the air filled with tension. Catherine muttered,
"Kiss her, idiot," to which Jack replied,
"Aye." The two smiled at each other as they went to join Will and Elizabeth.
"We best get back to the Dauntless," Elizabeth said without emotion and the four companions walked towards the exit of the cave. Jack led the way with Catherine, one of his hands on the small of her back and the other clutching an armful of treasure, while Will and Elizabeth followed silently. They apparently had missed the opportune moment. When they approached the rowboat, Jack said merrily,
"Now, I'd be much obliged if ye'd kindly drop me off at my ship." Catherine and Elizabeth looked at each other, frowning, as the pushed off into the water. They explained to Jack that he didn't have a ship, his crew having taken it and left. The pirate looked down solemnly as they rowed towards the Dauntless. "They done right by them, I can't ask fer anythin' more."