A.N. I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean etc etc
Chapter II
I slammed my book shut. I've read this about four times and still my vision blurs.
Enough adventure books on fictional characters in their own fictional worlds.
Reality is reality- no use escaping…right?
Groaning softly, I rubbed my eyes.
I fingered a small hourglass necklace. I held it up by the candle's flame to closely examine my most precious item. It was a glass hourglass, no bigger than my pinkie finger.
It had been a special heirloom from my mother, I absentmindly flipped it over. It was purely glass, hung from a fine gold chain, it had an unusual glow… and it was empty. A small hole was punctured at the side to let in sand to the hourglass…as strange as it was- I could not get the sand into this hourglass. Not even the fine sand from this island.
It just didn't….fit.
I studied its perfect curved shape, the beauty of its simple design. I breathed reassured by my recent worries. Slowly I let the necklace loosely hang from my neck.
A sudden image of my future fiancé flashed.
I groaned louder.
Father had brought the 'surprising' news just hours ago. Marrying Lieutenant Hemmingway would be his last wish of me, Father had announced.
How could I decline, I sighed bitterly, he wants the wedding to be next month.
A sudden sweep of panic and energy fueled my body awake as I paced back and forward. For hours and hours I've tried to come up with some escape. Some grand plan.
I didn't realize the difficulty of actually making those ideas work.
With some more time…I kicked the wall, regretting it terribly at the sharp pain that ached from my swelling toes.
"Jessica"
I jumped at the sound. My heart beating wildly and my throat dry.
"Richard!" I exclaimed croakily soundlessly patting my thumping .
"Surprise" Richard, whispered, slowly closing the door behind him.
Remembering our last acquaintance, I shut my mouth and faced the other way.
"What? Is it about Lieutenant Hemmingway?" I spat
"Well- actually…it is"
"Don't even try- I don't want to hear about it Richard"
"No- wait, it's not that," Richard pushed aside his dark hair, "I was just about to say that Hemmingway caught the pirate Jack Sparrow"
The candlelight flickered dangerously- almost ominously at the sound of that name.
"Jack Sparrow?" I worded slowly, "Do I know him?"
Richard suddenly frowned, "You've never heard of him?"
I glared, "Do you expect me to know every pirate in town?"
Richard met my glare with a sigh, "He's the pirate that made a complete fool out of the-the what's his name commodore- ah yes Commodore Norrington"
"I don't know him either"
"Forget it Jessica"
"I probably would"
"Why are you being so difficult?"
I could feel heat creeping from my face, "Because I don't care if Hemmingway is some kind of hero. What kind of pirate would get caught by Hemmingway?"
What kind of stupid pirate….
Must have been the worse pirate anyone has ever seen, I snorted.
"Leave me alone" it came out weary and convincing making my brother flinch.
"Hemmingway wanted to ask you if he could escort you around the beach tomorrow"
I didn't move.
Only our breathing could be heard.
"It's night, you must be tired" Richard walked away, "Goodnight- I'll leave you in peace"
"Wait"
I hesitated, "Tell him I'll be delighted to walk with him"
A spark of happiness lit my brother's azure eyes, "I'll tell him"
Click, the door shut closed and so were my eyes.
I need a plan
I need a plan
I need a plan
I need….
Jack awoke in a small musty smelling dungeon prison. The sound of dripping water and small skittering feet of rats echoed loudly in these stonewalls.
Groaning at his splitting headache, he gingerly felt a slight bump at the side of his head.
Blinking slowly, his eyes focused on the dim candlelights and his snoring neighboring fellow prison mates.
Yes, he was again behind solid iron bars again. Jack staggered up and leaned against the wall for support, "Bloody head"
A small lump lay inches away and Jack recognized it quickly as his beloved hat.
"Not as rude as in Port Royal- eh?" Jack softly muttered cautiously placing his hat on his pounding head.
Another thing Jack Sparrow had realized was the coldness and dampness of the prison. His eyes drifted on a pile of hay at the corner.
Looking around now, he noticed that he was the only one in his own prison, while many others were bunched together in one cell.
Perhaps they made an exception because he was a pirate, Jack grinned silently, Ah the privileges of being an outlaw.
Although, Jack crouched over to the pile of hay, It would have been nice to have some body heat around here…
It was a cold morning, and Lieutenant Hemmingway didn't seemed to mind.
My eyes were focused on his.
Hope this works.
We have been walking for about an hour, listening to Hemmingway's own speech autobiography, which could have been the most boring thing in the world.
"Miss Sullivan?"
"Yes?" I politely replied, awkward at his intent gaze.
"Well, I've been wondering about getting children…my love"
Was this man out of his mind?
"I don't like children" I snapped, instantly regretting my answer.
"Oh?"
"Yes" I softly answered.
"I see"
"Well- oh look!" I pointed at the docks, I pulled insistently on his arm, "Let's go"
Dismissing is bewildered looks, I urged him forward.
"It's beautiful" he weakly exclaimed, looking uncertain of the slightly shaking dock.
"Listen Hemmingway"
A look of astonishment captured his small face at the sound of my tone.
"M-Miss Sullivan?"
"I don't want to marry you"
His face was violet now, stammering for words, "B-but y-y-your father"
"He
told you I wanted to marry you?"
The poor man nodded jerkily.
"He lied," I muttered, "I'm sorry Lieutenant Hemmingway but no thank you"
His eyes bulged out, gasping for breath.
"Mister Hemmingway- are you all right?" suddenly I was concerned for this man, "M-mister?"
He suddenly toppled and was knocked out, and then I didn't feel so brave anymore.
I reached out for him, but he coughed violently and rolled off dock and splashed down to the ocean.
A scream pierced through the cold dreary morning.
I couldn't bear.
I screamed too.
Jack pretended to snore as a prison guard walked up to his cell, unlocking the gates.
Nimbly, he stood up, watching eagerly at the opening cell.
"Ah no you don't" the guard spat, "You stay put, I have extra guards who aren't afraid to shoot"
"Then why open the gates?" Jack asked slowly, jerkily looking at the open door- his freedom…
A sudden figure was pushed and had fallen next to him with a small thump.
"Have fun with you're new cellmate" the guard snickered as he locked the gate again and whistled back upstairs.
"Well now, that's interesting" Jack stared at the stairs where the guards had walked off.
Turning to his new prison friend, he squinted through the candlelight.
"Ye all right lad?"
A soft gasp came from the figure.
Jack's eyes widened.
Well now, that's interesting….
I stared at the skeletal figure before me. His face illuminated slightly giving it a more gruesome look to him. His clothes were in tatters and something about his grin made you want to run away.
"My apologies, miss" a soft voice came from that figure, his voice was deep but strangely slurred as if drunk.
Oh God, he's not drunk is he?
I'm alone with a drunken man in a cell.
A wave of nausea hit me in the stomach.
"Ye have a name lass?"
As stunned as I was, I didn't answer him.
What am I doing here?
Why?
Get me out of here.
Now.
As if someone heard me. Footsteps pounded from upstairs, and a person ran down looking through cell by cell until he stopped right in front of the cell I was in.
A person…
My eyes widened.
"Richard" I cried, forgetting about the frightening man besides me and running up to the iron gates.
"Jessica" my brother replied desperately, holding my hand through the bars, "It's not true is it?"
A lump clawed through my throat, tears escaped my eyes.
"No- its not true- I didn't kill him, you have to believe me"
"I believe you Jessica" Richard whispered at my ear, "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here in no time."
"When?" I tried to ignore the moving figure behind me.
"Soon"
Suddenly Richard's jaws dropped slowly, "Jessica…there's a man behind-"
"I know" I cried, "I know"
"Hey you!" Richard called to my cellmate, "You!"
"Ye talkin' ter me?" the same nonchalant and yet carefree voice called out lazily.
"If you so much touch the hair on her head" Richard gritted, "You're dead- do you hear me?"
"I heed ye" the voice answered and was silenced in the dark.
An anxious frown invaded Richard's stubborn lips.
"Don't worry Richard" I firmly stated not feeling as brave.
"I have to go" Richard sighed, "I'll be back at dawn- you could wait a couple of hours…right?"
I nodded
"Just stay away from that criminal you hear?" Richard warned.
I nodded numbly.
With a small nod, he walked away, "Be strong Jessica…"
"So- he's yer lover?"
The question threw me off guard as I stared blankly at the unseen monster.
"Excuse me?"
"Jes wonderin'"
Biting my tongue I refused to answer the bloody criminal-
"No- he's my brother" I hotly exclaimed.
Silence from the skeletal figure.
Well then.
I scowled- thank goodness.
Something ticked in my mind. A strange feeling. Curiosity perhaps…
"Who are you?" I whispered letting my voice carry through the cold air.
The figure didn't answer right away.
"Do you honestly think I am honest enough to tell ye lass?"
"I wouldn't know- why- did you honestly think I honestly thought you were honest enough to tell me?"
A chuckle escaped the man, bringing odd chills up my spine.
"Yer a feisty lass"
"Yer annoying- just say you don't want to tell me your name then" I snapped.
"Jessica- is it?"
That bloody filth listening to our conversation.
My fear for this sudden being instantly melted and was replaced by pure annoyance.
"I guess it's only fair to know me name if I know yers, eh love?"
I flinched.
Love.
Last time someone called me that he suffocated and died. My eyes fluttered closed at the memory.
Poor Hemmingway.
I didn't mean to-
"What's yer story fer bein in a prison like this?"
"What mister? Are you so bored that you need to talk to feisty lass like myself?"
I could sense him grinning behind the shadows.
I shuddered to think how he really looked like.
A picture of a gruesome skeletal man with shallow and pale yellow skin came to mind.
Slowly I curled in the corner opposite of the stranger and pulled my head down.
"It's very interesting talking to a sharp-tongued lass like yourself" he murmured, his long legs visible from the moonlight.
My heart felt so heavy.
Why was I doing in prison?
I didn't do anything.
Nothing.
But here I am.
Talking with a bloody criminal.
"I don't deserve to be here" I whispered softly, half wondering if the stranger heard.
The figure shifted in his pile of hay and with an amused voice he spoke, "I've heard that many a times lass-"
"I don't" I indignantly overrode his voice, "But people like you do"
An eerie silence swept the cell.
"Honestly I don't"
Oh God.
I didn't want to hear him anymore
My fingers were cold, my toes freezing, my face froze, and the tears on my cheeks icy.
I glanced at the pile of hay the stranger was sitting on.
I sniffed through the cold.
Let him have the bloody hay- I'll be out of here by dawn….
My hand instinctively reached my necklace for comfort.
I'll be out of here by dawn
I'll be out of here by dawn
I'll be out of here by dawn
I'll be out of here by dawn
I'll be out-…………………
