Even though I only got ONE review. . . which makes me wonder how many
people are reading/enjoying this. . . I've decided to post up another
chapter. . . hope you enjoy it ;)
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"I think it'd be best if you waited here. We won't be but a little while, and that way you can. . . unpack yer things and rest a little." I followed him onto the deck of a different boat. It was a great deal larger than the little boat we had "commandeered", and its appearance gave me chills.
"Ah," he sighed to himself, "Good to be aboard the Pearl again." He stroked the side of the ship fondly. I followed him further, taking notice of the black sails billowing in the wind above us. We continued below deck, to the Captain's chambers. "Here ya go, Love." He set my bag down on the bed.
"I'd actually like to come along if that's ok. I'm really not all that tired," I persisted, wanting desperately to go along to the meeting.
"Er. I don't think that would be best. . . Lotta rough scalawags gonna be there," he chuckled, "wouldn't want anything happenin' to you now would we?" I looked at him suspiciously, but forced myself not to address the subject anymore.
"I should be back in a little. Just make yerself at home." He gave me one last smile before closing the door behind him.
I looked around the room. There was a bed against the wall on my right, shelves built into the wall straight ahead, and a trunk in the left corner. I sighed and plopped down on the mattress.
'Well,' I thought, 'there's only one thing I can do.' And with that I hopped up and headed back up to the deck.
As I approached the end of the docks I spotted Mr. Gibbs. I darted behind the "Welcome to Tortuga" sign planted at the end of the docks to watch where he was headed. He sauntered past the bakery where we had bought breakfast that morning and continued on into the bar. 'Of course,' I thought, 'where else would Jack have a meeting?'
I waited a while behind the large wooden sign before I decided it was safe, and I approached the Inn. On the porch I spotted three men heading my way. One had a parrot on his shoulder that kept squawking while the other two rambled on in conversation. As they passed me and headed into the bar, I heard the one mention Jack's name. I watched them as they strolled straight through the bar (easier said than done. . .) and into a back room.
Glancing around the bar I realized that no one in there was attending the meeting. They must all be in the back room.
I crept around the side of the building until I spotted a window. Peering in, I spotted Jack seated at the head of a long table, his boots perched on the corner and crossed at the ankle. There were quite a few men in the small room with him; all seemed to be listening very intently to what he was saying.
I tiptoed around the corner of the building and to my delight there was a door. I pressed my ear to the keyhole and could just make out what was being said.
"So what yer tellin' us is that the li'l monkey took the gold pennants to the prisoners? If that be so, the monkey would have the curse, not the crew."
"The monkey can't get cursed but once. The curse states that any -mortal- that removes but a single piece shall be cursed, but the monkey is immortal after swiping just but one pennant. So the first mortal that took one of the many gold pieces the monkey had swiped was cursed as well."
"That's all fine and dandy, but why would Barbosa's crew want the curse back after all that time of wantin' it lifted?"
"Two reasons. One, they were headed fer the gallows; and two, they want revenge on me. . . fer killin' Barbosa and takin' the Pearl."
"Just tell us what ye're plannin' Cap'n," this voice I recognized as Gibbs', "ye haven't led us wrong yet."
"I 'eard they are docked on an island by the name of Cyprus- It's a couple o' miles off the Isla de Meurta-"
"YOU!" I gasped as I was grabbed roughly by the shoulders and spun around.
"I-I-" I stammered, unable to breathe, to the very large, burly man hovering over me.
He swung open the door to the meeting and shoved me inside, causing me to stumble to the floor.
"Look what we 'ave 'ere Cap'n- a li'l spy sittin' outside the door." Jack stood, a look of amusement and surprise on his face.
"It's all right Skud," he addressed the burly man. He took me gently by the arm and led me over to where he was sitting.
"Gentlemen," he introduced me, and gave me a seat next to his. "I suppose you've 'eard most of what's been said then, aye?" He gave me a grim smile as I nodded, still having difficulty speaking.
"Well. . . I suppose it'd only be fair fer ya to hear the rest - this meetin's just about over. . . Only thing left to tell ya is my plan," Jack's voice lowered and his eyes narrowed, bringing his attention back to the whole room, "I've 'eard there is another way to lift the curse. . ." He pointed his right index finger and squinted his eyes in thought, "I'm not sure what it is. . . but there's supposed to be an inscription on the side of the stone chest, statin' what it is ya need to do. We need ta go to the Isla de Meurta and fetch it. 'Tis the only way, are ya with me?"
"Aye!" Everyone shouted.
"Aye! I'll be meetin everyone back at the Pearl then- we'll need to be settin' off as soon as possible, so get goin'," With that everyone was up. I felt Jacks hand wrap around my arm again, just above my elbow, and he pulled me out the back door while everyone left through the bar. Around the corner he stopped and turned to me.
"So. . . I suppose that now ya know everything, yer wantin' to go back home?" I noticed a trace of, what appeared to be, sadness in his voice.
"I. . ." I didn't know what to say. I was mad at him. Mad for keeping this dangerous secret from me. Mad for not appreciating what I had done for him. Mad for not treating me like an equal. Mad because maybe I thought more of him than I should have.
If what I had heard were true, we would all be facing very real danger. I would be sailing with pirates. To escape dead people that could not die. Dead people who wanted revenge on the man I rescued from jail. This was insane! Why in the world would I want to stay with him? Why did I want to stay with him? My head was spinning; I closed my eyes in relentless confusion.
I felt a hand gently touch my forehead, brushing a strand of hair from my face and my thoughts came to an immediate holt. I slowly opened my eyes to see Jack gazing affectionately into them.
"Don't go home," he breathed so quietly I had to strain to hear them.
Immediately I knew what I had to do. Immediately I could label all my emotions that had been so brutally confusing. I took his hand that was touching my face. I brought his fingers to my mouth and lightly kissed them, surprising even myself on my boldness.
"I won't," I breathed back.
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This is the last chapter I have done, I hope everyone likes this so far- please, please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"I think it'd be best if you waited here. We won't be but a little while, and that way you can. . . unpack yer things and rest a little." I followed him onto the deck of a different boat. It was a great deal larger than the little boat we had "commandeered", and its appearance gave me chills.
"Ah," he sighed to himself, "Good to be aboard the Pearl again." He stroked the side of the ship fondly. I followed him further, taking notice of the black sails billowing in the wind above us. We continued below deck, to the Captain's chambers. "Here ya go, Love." He set my bag down on the bed.
"I'd actually like to come along if that's ok. I'm really not all that tired," I persisted, wanting desperately to go along to the meeting.
"Er. I don't think that would be best. . . Lotta rough scalawags gonna be there," he chuckled, "wouldn't want anything happenin' to you now would we?" I looked at him suspiciously, but forced myself not to address the subject anymore.
"I should be back in a little. Just make yerself at home." He gave me one last smile before closing the door behind him.
I looked around the room. There was a bed against the wall on my right, shelves built into the wall straight ahead, and a trunk in the left corner. I sighed and plopped down on the mattress.
'Well,' I thought, 'there's only one thing I can do.' And with that I hopped up and headed back up to the deck.
As I approached the end of the docks I spotted Mr. Gibbs. I darted behind the "Welcome to Tortuga" sign planted at the end of the docks to watch where he was headed. He sauntered past the bakery where we had bought breakfast that morning and continued on into the bar. 'Of course,' I thought, 'where else would Jack have a meeting?'
I waited a while behind the large wooden sign before I decided it was safe, and I approached the Inn. On the porch I spotted three men heading my way. One had a parrot on his shoulder that kept squawking while the other two rambled on in conversation. As they passed me and headed into the bar, I heard the one mention Jack's name. I watched them as they strolled straight through the bar (easier said than done. . .) and into a back room.
Glancing around the bar I realized that no one in there was attending the meeting. They must all be in the back room.
I crept around the side of the building until I spotted a window. Peering in, I spotted Jack seated at the head of a long table, his boots perched on the corner and crossed at the ankle. There were quite a few men in the small room with him; all seemed to be listening very intently to what he was saying.
I tiptoed around the corner of the building and to my delight there was a door. I pressed my ear to the keyhole and could just make out what was being said.
"So what yer tellin' us is that the li'l monkey took the gold pennants to the prisoners? If that be so, the monkey would have the curse, not the crew."
"The monkey can't get cursed but once. The curse states that any -mortal- that removes but a single piece shall be cursed, but the monkey is immortal after swiping just but one pennant. So the first mortal that took one of the many gold pieces the monkey had swiped was cursed as well."
"That's all fine and dandy, but why would Barbosa's crew want the curse back after all that time of wantin' it lifted?"
"Two reasons. One, they were headed fer the gallows; and two, they want revenge on me. . . fer killin' Barbosa and takin' the Pearl."
"Just tell us what ye're plannin' Cap'n," this voice I recognized as Gibbs', "ye haven't led us wrong yet."
"I 'eard they are docked on an island by the name of Cyprus- It's a couple o' miles off the Isla de Meurta-"
"YOU!" I gasped as I was grabbed roughly by the shoulders and spun around.
"I-I-" I stammered, unable to breathe, to the very large, burly man hovering over me.
He swung open the door to the meeting and shoved me inside, causing me to stumble to the floor.
"Look what we 'ave 'ere Cap'n- a li'l spy sittin' outside the door." Jack stood, a look of amusement and surprise on his face.
"It's all right Skud," he addressed the burly man. He took me gently by the arm and led me over to where he was sitting.
"Gentlemen," he introduced me, and gave me a seat next to his. "I suppose you've 'eard most of what's been said then, aye?" He gave me a grim smile as I nodded, still having difficulty speaking.
"Well. . . I suppose it'd only be fair fer ya to hear the rest - this meetin's just about over. . . Only thing left to tell ya is my plan," Jack's voice lowered and his eyes narrowed, bringing his attention back to the whole room, "I've 'eard there is another way to lift the curse. . ." He pointed his right index finger and squinted his eyes in thought, "I'm not sure what it is. . . but there's supposed to be an inscription on the side of the stone chest, statin' what it is ya need to do. We need ta go to the Isla de Meurta and fetch it. 'Tis the only way, are ya with me?"
"Aye!" Everyone shouted.
"Aye! I'll be meetin everyone back at the Pearl then- we'll need to be settin' off as soon as possible, so get goin'," With that everyone was up. I felt Jacks hand wrap around my arm again, just above my elbow, and he pulled me out the back door while everyone left through the bar. Around the corner he stopped and turned to me.
"So. . . I suppose that now ya know everything, yer wantin' to go back home?" I noticed a trace of, what appeared to be, sadness in his voice.
"I. . ." I didn't know what to say. I was mad at him. Mad for keeping this dangerous secret from me. Mad for not appreciating what I had done for him. Mad for not treating me like an equal. Mad because maybe I thought more of him than I should have.
If what I had heard were true, we would all be facing very real danger. I would be sailing with pirates. To escape dead people that could not die. Dead people who wanted revenge on the man I rescued from jail. This was insane! Why in the world would I want to stay with him? Why did I want to stay with him? My head was spinning; I closed my eyes in relentless confusion.
I felt a hand gently touch my forehead, brushing a strand of hair from my face and my thoughts came to an immediate holt. I slowly opened my eyes to see Jack gazing affectionately into them.
"Don't go home," he breathed so quietly I had to strain to hear them.
Immediately I knew what I had to do. Immediately I could label all my emotions that had been so brutally confusing. I took his hand that was touching my face. I brought his fingers to my mouth and lightly kissed them, surprising even myself on my boldness.
"I won't," I breathed back.
*********
This is the last chapter I have done, I hope everyone likes this so far- please, please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!