CHAPTER 3
Bethany had never felt so terrified in her entire life; and that was saying something. As if being snatched by some pirate wasn't enough, and being in the midst of a pirate assault complete with cannon fire but now she was being dragged down the stairs and was going to. . .
Bethany's foot snagged on the hem of her dress, she toppled forward straight into the pirate and they both crashed down the narrow staircase. Bethany let out a small cry as she hit the last step of the staircase. The pirate lay beside her clearly disorientated, his hand held to his forehead he shook his head violently. She took her chance and scrambled to her feet; gritting her teeth against the pain that flared up through her ankle she hobbled at high speed towards the door.
She emerged into the cold night air and for a moment believed it to be morning, the light of the fires popping up all over Port Royal creating the illusion of daylight. Chaos prevailed everywhere she turned; Bethany could barely catch her breath, where could she possibly run?
She looked around in all directions in search of a hiding place; surely the Navy would defeat the pirates soon? Spotting a dark alleyway Bethany limped over, leaning against the wall she slumped to the floor grimacing down at her ankle. What a fine mess she'd gotten herself in; Alice had been right, she was foolish.
Bethany reached down to rub her ankle and for the first time realised that she was bare footed. She cursed under her breath, suddenly the pain was excruciating as she observed the bloody mess that were her feet. That was adrenaline for you, but where was it now when she still needed it.
"Here, aint she the spitting image of ol' Maggie" a voice came through the incessant sounds of battle.
Bethany looked up from her feet praying that the voice wasn't talking about her, no such luck. Two pirates stood at the end of the alleyway eyeing her up.
"Yeah!" the other agreed as they both began advancing on her.
Bethany couldn't take much more of this.
"Why does everyone want to kill me tonight!" she screamed out "Argh!" she jumped to her feet; the pain suddenly gone; thank you adrenaline she thought and flew off in the opposite direction of the two pirates.
She couldn't see where she was running, two buildings rose either side of the small alleyway obscuring all light until suddenly she emerged at the end and found herself on familiar territory. Footsteps clattered behind her, Bethany looked left then right, made a hasty choice to run to the right. She needed to disappear and fast, she grappled at the first door she came across, ran inside and slammed the door behind her and stared at the closed door expecting it to burst open at any moment.
"Ello luv" a voice said directly behind her.
Bethany jumped up in the air and swivelled around feeling the blood drain from her face as she saw the familiar face of the pirate from her home. She quickly turned back to the door to open it.
A hand shot out inches from her face, the pirate bracing himself against the door and obstructing her escape route.
"I wouldn't be doing that," he said so close to her that she could feel his breath against her neck.
Bethany tugged at the door in vain, unwilling to yield.
"Move!" she said through gritted teeth still pulling on the door relentlessly.
"Well if you want to be killed be my guest luv" his arm dropped from her view. She moved to open the door but stopped considering what he'd just said; he may have a point.
"Do you have a name?" he asked.
She hated this, how she hated this.
"Bethany Redfern" she said through clenched teeth, then turned to face the pirate "And you sir?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow at your service" he said with a bow.
"Well Mr Sparrow."
"Captain!"
Bethany took a moment to compose herself; how he grated on her nerves.
"Well CAPTAIN Sparrow why exactly is it that YOU wont be killing me?"
"Maybe later" he said with a grin ". Joke!" he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
The door suddenly bowed under some outside pressure. The motion was repeated; someone was trying to break the door in. Bethany found herself looking to Jack for aid and cursed herself for doing so. A bang sounded from the back entrance.
"Can you climb?" he asked
"If the occasion calls for it"
"It calls for hit" suddenly his hands were around Bethany's waist and he was boosting her up onto the beams that ran above their heads. He joined her a few seconds later just as the door was broken down and the room was filled with pirates; including her two pursuers from earlier.
Jack held one finger to his lips, took Bethany's hand and they quietly sidestepped down the beam on which they were stood into the shadows. While the pirates were searching, what turned out to be the Blacksmiths, Bethany took the opportunity to scrutinise 'Captain Jack Sparrow'.
Her first analysis of him at the docks was proving to be spot on, well almost. An odd man; possibly. An odd pirate; definitely! What kind of pirate helped people? Bethany felt a smile tug at her lips but was snapped from her reflection by a familiar name.
"I'm telling ye she was the spitting image o' Maggie Redfern, might e' been Maggie actually"
"Too young!" the other chipped in shaking his head in disagreement.
"Find her!" a voice boomed out "And bring her back alive!" the pirates dispersed from the blacksmiths out into the anarchic streets of Port Royal.
Jack's eyes burned into the back of Bethany's head as he considered this interesting development. His dark eyes lit up as he observed Bethany's reaction to the name and the pirates' fervour where this Maggie and Bethany were concerned. He decided that this little encounter might prove to be quite profitable after all.
* * * * * * * * *
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I've received. I'm so happy people are actually reading this, AND enjoying it! I hope I'm writing Jack okay; he's such a difficult character to pin down; so if anyone has any suggestions on how I can improve (although I have to admit we haven't seen much of Jack yet) I'd really appreciate it. Also be assured there will be more Jack from now on! Emily xx
Bethany had never felt so terrified in her entire life; and that was saying something. As if being snatched by some pirate wasn't enough, and being in the midst of a pirate assault complete with cannon fire but now she was being dragged down the stairs and was going to. . .
Bethany's foot snagged on the hem of her dress, she toppled forward straight into the pirate and they both crashed down the narrow staircase. Bethany let out a small cry as she hit the last step of the staircase. The pirate lay beside her clearly disorientated, his hand held to his forehead he shook his head violently. She took her chance and scrambled to her feet; gritting her teeth against the pain that flared up through her ankle she hobbled at high speed towards the door.
She emerged into the cold night air and for a moment believed it to be morning, the light of the fires popping up all over Port Royal creating the illusion of daylight. Chaos prevailed everywhere she turned; Bethany could barely catch her breath, where could she possibly run?
She looked around in all directions in search of a hiding place; surely the Navy would defeat the pirates soon? Spotting a dark alleyway Bethany limped over, leaning against the wall she slumped to the floor grimacing down at her ankle. What a fine mess she'd gotten herself in; Alice had been right, she was foolish.
Bethany reached down to rub her ankle and for the first time realised that she was bare footed. She cursed under her breath, suddenly the pain was excruciating as she observed the bloody mess that were her feet. That was adrenaline for you, but where was it now when she still needed it.
"Here, aint she the spitting image of ol' Maggie" a voice came through the incessant sounds of battle.
Bethany looked up from her feet praying that the voice wasn't talking about her, no such luck. Two pirates stood at the end of the alleyway eyeing her up.
"Yeah!" the other agreed as they both began advancing on her.
Bethany couldn't take much more of this.
"Why does everyone want to kill me tonight!" she screamed out "Argh!" she jumped to her feet; the pain suddenly gone; thank you adrenaline she thought and flew off in the opposite direction of the two pirates.
She couldn't see where she was running, two buildings rose either side of the small alleyway obscuring all light until suddenly she emerged at the end and found herself on familiar territory. Footsteps clattered behind her, Bethany looked left then right, made a hasty choice to run to the right. She needed to disappear and fast, she grappled at the first door she came across, ran inside and slammed the door behind her and stared at the closed door expecting it to burst open at any moment.
"Ello luv" a voice said directly behind her.
Bethany jumped up in the air and swivelled around feeling the blood drain from her face as she saw the familiar face of the pirate from her home. She quickly turned back to the door to open it.
A hand shot out inches from her face, the pirate bracing himself against the door and obstructing her escape route.
"I wouldn't be doing that," he said so close to her that she could feel his breath against her neck.
Bethany tugged at the door in vain, unwilling to yield.
"Move!" she said through gritted teeth still pulling on the door relentlessly.
"Well if you want to be killed be my guest luv" his arm dropped from her view. She moved to open the door but stopped considering what he'd just said; he may have a point.
"Do you have a name?" he asked.
She hated this, how she hated this.
"Bethany Redfern" she said through clenched teeth, then turned to face the pirate "And you sir?"
"Captain Jack Sparrow at your service" he said with a bow.
"Well Mr Sparrow."
"Captain!"
Bethany took a moment to compose herself; how he grated on her nerves.
"Well CAPTAIN Sparrow why exactly is it that YOU wont be killing me?"
"Maybe later" he said with a grin ". Joke!" he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.
The door suddenly bowed under some outside pressure. The motion was repeated; someone was trying to break the door in. Bethany found herself looking to Jack for aid and cursed herself for doing so. A bang sounded from the back entrance.
"Can you climb?" he asked
"If the occasion calls for it"
"It calls for hit" suddenly his hands were around Bethany's waist and he was boosting her up onto the beams that ran above their heads. He joined her a few seconds later just as the door was broken down and the room was filled with pirates; including her two pursuers from earlier.
Jack held one finger to his lips, took Bethany's hand and they quietly sidestepped down the beam on which they were stood into the shadows. While the pirates were searching, what turned out to be the Blacksmiths, Bethany took the opportunity to scrutinise 'Captain Jack Sparrow'.
Her first analysis of him at the docks was proving to be spot on, well almost. An odd man; possibly. An odd pirate; definitely! What kind of pirate helped people? Bethany felt a smile tug at her lips but was snapped from her reflection by a familiar name.
"I'm telling ye she was the spitting image o' Maggie Redfern, might e' been Maggie actually"
"Too young!" the other chipped in shaking his head in disagreement.
"Find her!" a voice boomed out "And bring her back alive!" the pirates dispersed from the blacksmiths out into the anarchic streets of Port Royal.
Jack's eyes burned into the back of Bethany's head as he considered this interesting development. His dark eyes lit up as he observed Bethany's reaction to the name and the pirates' fervour where this Maggie and Bethany were concerned. He decided that this little encounter might prove to be quite profitable after all.
* * * * * * * * *
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews I've received. I'm so happy people are actually reading this, AND enjoying it! I hope I'm writing Jack okay; he's such a difficult character to pin down; so if anyone has any suggestions on how I can improve (although I have to admit we haven't seen much of Jack yet) I'd really appreciate it. Also be assured there will be more Jack from now on! Emily xx