Chapter 15
Everyone had gone. Everyone, that is, except Will, me, Jack, Barbossa, and three other clueless pirates. Two watched Will and I, and the other skipped stones in a puddle of water, completely concentrated. Barbossa grinned at Jack, sitting beside a mound of coins, watching him look thru assorted gold items. "I must admit, Jack, I thought I had ye figured," he said jovially. "It turns out that you're a hard man to predict." "Me? I'm dishonest," he replied truthfully. "And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest... Honestly." I smiled. He slowly walked up behind the pirate throwing stones, talking slowly. "It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly.STUPID." He grabbed the sword from the pirate's belt, kicked him in, and thrust the sword into Will's hands. The pirate behind Will grabbed his sword, but Will knocked it away from behind. My pirate shoved me onto the mound of gold before unsheathing his sword. Will had cut the ropes from his wrists, and was suddenly busy fighting three pirates at once. Jack and Barbossa were going at it like mad men. "You're off the edge of the map, mate," Barbossa sneered. "Here there be monsters." That didn't stop my Jack from attempting to slash him. I barely noticed the moonbeams streaming in from holes in the ceiling. Nor did I notice the pirates that stepped into it turning into living skeletons. I crawled up the pile of coins, searching for something sharp to cut the ropes. An abandoned sword with a gold hilt was buried deep in the coins, thank the stars above for that. I impatiently sawed the thick rope, rubbing my hands to retain feeling. I looked up to Will; he was backed against a corner, fighting for his life. With an angry growl in my throat, I snatched up the sword and a huge gold urn, sprinting over to my brother, where the pirates had their hands full. I thrust the urn over the head of the nearest pirate, slammed my sword against it, and kicked him into the water. He didn't even know what hit him. Another pirate, hollering in rage at me, charged with his sword in the air. I did the best attack move and ran away. As expected, he chased me. Good. Now Will only had to deal with one.
Jack and Barbossa were still going at it, slowly stepping up a steep embankment. Barbossa threw down his sword and raised his hands in the air. "You can't beat me, Jack," he said logically. Jack impaled him with a good hard thrust. Barbossa sighed and rolled his eyes. And in a move so quick I barely understood it, he ripped out the sword and stabbed it thru my Jack.
He took a deep gasp of air, choking and making small gurgling noises. I had no idea where my pirate was. I stood stock still, trying not to scream and trying not to pass out. Jack staggered backwards a few paces, and into a stream of moonlight.
And before my eyes, turned into a skeleton.
He raised his bony hands into the air, studying them curiously. "That's interesting," he murmured. There was a revered silence as Will stared as well. Tiny bits of dust floated gently about the air, adding a strange, tired effect to it. Jack raised his other hand, and the gold coin flickered between his fingers. He grinned cheekily. "I couldn't resist, mate," he said. With a yell of disgust, Barbossa grabbed his sword and charged again. Jack withdrew his own and the fighting continued.
I turned away and came face to face with my pirate. Before I could even raise my sword, he slashed me across the stomach, from one side to the other. I screamed.
"MEG!" Will cried, hearing my scream (as if he couldn't). I crumbled to my knees, the blood spurting from the slashed cloth. My hands were dripping. The pirate leered at me, and raised his sword for the final blow. I knocked it away, my sword still clutched in my grip. I took a deep breath and leapt up slowly, charging at him. I kept one arm across the wound, my rage boiling within.
If I had to die, I wouldn't die without a fight.
Jack had Barbossa corned on a mound of gold, directly beneath a beam of light. "So what now, Jack Sparrow?" Barbossa sneered. "Will it be it two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound?"
"Or you could surrender," he suggested. With an 'arrrrrrrrr' Barbossa leapt up again, swishing and attempting to stab. Jack ripped up his hat, still perched on his head. "Aha!" he cried triumphantly. Barbossa just got more pissed.
Meanwhile, Will was in a sticky situation. His sword was knocked out of his hand, and he was on his back. The pirate raised his sword in the air. "I'm gonna teach you the meanin' of pain," he snarled.
"You like pain?" a familiar voice snapped, and the pirate turned around. Elizabeth swung a gold-and-jewel incrusted staff, knocking the pirate to the ground. "Try wearing a corset," she said coldly. She handed one end to Will, who grabbed his sword and stood beside her. They watched Jack and Barbossa, still fighting like hell. "Who's side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked, clearly puzzled and frustrated.
Will shrugged. "At the moment?" he asked.
"Hello! Injured!" I yelled, catching their attention. Elizabeth clutched her staff tighter, and she and Will charged. She somehow stabbed them all in a row on the staff, and the two at the ends struggled to get out. Will snatched a bomb from one in the middle, lit it, stuck it back in his chest, and the two shoved them into the shadows. The pirate fumbled with his clothing, trying to get the bomb out. He looked up, despair written across his dirty, grimy face.
"No fair," he whined. Elizabeth grabbed my arm and hoisted me up, hobbling with me across the stepping stones. Jack placed the coin in his hand, sliced his sword across his palm, and tossed it to Will. Will tossed ours to me, and I wiped it across my stomach, cringing, and tossed it back as he climbed up to the chest. Barbossa had seen what I did, and aimed his pistol at me and Elizabeth. I had never feared more for my life than in that moment. I clung to Elizabeth, who grabbed my elbow, and squeezed my eyes shut.
There was the sound of a pistol firing, and I heard Elizabeth gasp quietly, felt her muscles go limp. I opened my eyes, terrified that he had shot my best friend. But there was no blood, no gunshot wound. Barbossa looked confused as well, and turned to Jack. His pistol was out, smoke wafting around his head from firing. Barbossa shook his head.
"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot," he mocked, grinning a wicked smile.
"He didn't waste it," Will's voice said sharply. Barbossa turned, his face paling, and Will dropped the two final bloody coins in the chest. I noticed his palm was bleeding sluggishly. He had cut himself, just in case. Barbossa stared blankly in shock, then pulled his vest open. The perfect bullet-hole, which moments ago was an empty hole, was now spurting blood like a fountain. He raised his head to Jack, his expression fixed on shock. A small smile flickered.
"I feel." he paused. "Old." He fell backward onto the coins, his eyes glazing over and staring blankly at nothing. The apple in his hands rolled from his hand and into the water.
And that was that.
Elizabeth lowered me down, trying to find some cloth to wrap around my wound, still gurgling blood. Jack knelt down beside me, and without a word, ripped off his shirt and proceeded to rip it into pathetic bandages. I bit thru my lip as Elizabeth tightened the cloth. I could barely breath. Jack kissed my forehead before waltzing off to gather some treasure. Elizabeth spaced out and walked away as Will came to me. "You sure you're all right?" he asked, obviously concerned.
"Who said I was okay?" I gasped, struggling to sit up. He placed a hand beneath my neck. "Thanks much. God, this hurts."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
I considered the sincereness of his words. "Yeah, probably." His head drooped. "But you've more than redeemed yourself. I'm truly proud of you." We both looked at Elizabeth, who's back was faced towards us. "Go tell her, Will." He didn't need to know what. He simply nodded, dropped my head, and walked slowly over to her. I groaned in frustration, banging my fists on the hard stone. Jack's face came into view above me, bed-decked in pearls and gold and diamonds. He grinned.
"What's yer favorite, diamonds or sapphires?" he asked. "I figure diamonds might look nicer, what with yer dark hair and eyes and all."
"Could I answer your question when I'm upright?" I snipped peevishly. He only grinned and held out a hand. I grasped it and rose slowly, trying to inflict as little pain as possible. He made me lean against a small replica of a gold ship. I tried to breathe as shallowly as I could and still breathe. We then proceeded to stagger over to the two lovebirds. Elizabeth was looking at Will with unspent tears. I had never seen someone look as miserable as she did at that moment.
"We should return to the Dauntless," she said softly. Will nodded.
"Your fiancé will be wanting to know your safe," he replied. I cringed. That kid's got to learn what to say when. Elizabeth turned away, tears spilling from her dark brown eyes. Jack sauntered up to Will.
"If you were looking for the opportune moment." He pointed. "That was it." He thrust me over to my brother. "Now if you'll be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off my ship." I stared after him, feeling as though my heart was breaking. I swallowed my tears and allowed Will to carry me carefully to the boat Elizabeth had taken from the Black Pearl. She sat inside it, unmoving and silent. I could easily feel and understand her misery. I leaned against her, facing out to sea and Will. He struggled to paddle us out against the strong current and waves outside the cove. Jack stood up, rocking the boat as he scanned the water for his ship.
I was first to express his thoughts. "It's not there." The only ship was the Dauntless. Jack was more than screwed. The only place he could go was to be hanged. Betrayed again. Elizabeth hid another sob.
"Jack, I'm so sorry," she whispered earnestly.
He was wearing the darkest look on his face. "They done what's right by them," he said in a low voice that had revealed defeat. "Can't expect more than that."
Everyone had gone. Everyone, that is, except Will, me, Jack, Barbossa, and three other clueless pirates. Two watched Will and I, and the other skipped stones in a puddle of water, completely concentrated. Barbossa grinned at Jack, sitting beside a mound of coins, watching him look thru assorted gold items. "I must admit, Jack, I thought I had ye figured," he said jovially. "It turns out that you're a hard man to predict." "Me? I'm dishonest," he replied truthfully. "And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest... Honestly." I smiled. He slowly walked up behind the pirate throwing stones, talking slowly. "It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly.STUPID." He grabbed the sword from the pirate's belt, kicked him in, and thrust the sword into Will's hands. The pirate behind Will grabbed his sword, but Will knocked it away from behind. My pirate shoved me onto the mound of gold before unsheathing his sword. Will had cut the ropes from his wrists, and was suddenly busy fighting three pirates at once. Jack and Barbossa were going at it like mad men. "You're off the edge of the map, mate," Barbossa sneered. "Here there be monsters." That didn't stop my Jack from attempting to slash him. I barely noticed the moonbeams streaming in from holes in the ceiling. Nor did I notice the pirates that stepped into it turning into living skeletons. I crawled up the pile of coins, searching for something sharp to cut the ropes. An abandoned sword with a gold hilt was buried deep in the coins, thank the stars above for that. I impatiently sawed the thick rope, rubbing my hands to retain feeling. I looked up to Will; he was backed against a corner, fighting for his life. With an angry growl in my throat, I snatched up the sword and a huge gold urn, sprinting over to my brother, where the pirates had their hands full. I thrust the urn over the head of the nearest pirate, slammed my sword against it, and kicked him into the water. He didn't even know what hit him. Another pirate, hollering in rage at me, charged with his sword in the air. I did the best attack move and ran away. As expected, he chased me. Good. Now Will only had to deal with one.
Jack and Barbossa were still going at it, slowly stepping up a steep embankment. Barbossa threw down his sword and raised his hands in the air. "You can't beat me, Jack," he said logically. Jack impaled him with a good hard thrust. Barbossa sighed and rolled his eyes. And in a move so quick I barely understood it, he ripped out the sword and stabbed it thru my Jack.
He took a deep gasp of air, choking and making small gurgling noises. I had no idea where my pirate was. I stood stock still, trying not to scream and trying not to pass out. Jack staggered backwards a few paces, and into a stream of moonlight.
And before my eyes, turned into a skeleton.
He raised his bony hands into the air, studying them curiously. "That's interesting," he murmured. There was a revered silence as Will stared as well. Tiny bits of dust floated gently about the air, adding a strange, tired effect to it. Jack raised his other hand, and the gold coin flickered between his fingers. He grinned cheekily. "I couldn't resist, mate," he said. With a yell of disgust, Barbossa grabbed his sword and charged again. Jack withdrew his own and the fighting continued.
I turned away and came face to face with my pirate. Before I could even raise my sword, he slashed me across the stomach, from one side to the other. I screamed.
"MEG!" Will cried, hearing my scream (as if he couldn't). I crumbled to my knees, the blood spurting from the slashed cloth. My hands were dripping. The pirate leered at me, and raised his sword for the final blow. I knocked it away, my sword still clutched in my grip. I took a deep breath and leapt up slowly, charging at him. I kept one arm across the wound, my rage boiling within.
If I had to die, I wouldn't die without a fight.
Jack had Barbossa corned on a mound of gold, directly beneath a beam of light. "So what now, Jack Sparrow?" Barbossa sneered. "Will it be it two immortals locked in an epic battle until Judgment Day and trumpets sound?"
"Or you could surrender," he suggested. With an 'arrrrrrrrr' Barbossa leapt up again, swishing and attempting to stab. Jack ripped up his hat, still perched on his head. "Aha!" he cried triumphantly. Barbossa just got more pissed.
Meanwhile, Will was in a sticky situation. His sword was knocked out of his hand, and he was on his back. The pirate raised his sword in the air. "I'm gonna teach you the meanin' of pain," he snarled.
"You like pain?" a familiar voice snapped, and the pirate turned around. Elizabeth swung a gold-and-jewel incrusted staff, knocking the pirate to the ground. "Try wearing a corset," she said coldly. She handed one end to Will, who grabbed his sword and stood beside her. They watched Jack and Barbossa, still fighting like hell. "Who's side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asked, clearly puzzled and frustrated.
Will shrugged. "At the moment?" he asked.
"Hello! Injured!" I yelled, catching their attention. Elizabeth clutched her staff tighter, and she and Will charged. She somehow stabbed them all in a row on the staff, and the two at the ends struggled to get out. Will snatched a bomb from one in the middle, lit it, stuck it back in his chest, and the two shoved them into the shadows. The pirate fumbled with his clothing, trying to get the bomb out. He looked up, despair written across his dirty, grimy face.
"No fair," he whined. Elizabeth grabbed my arm and hoisted me up, hobbling with me across the stepping stones. Jack placed the coin in his hand, sliced his sword across his palm, and tossed it to Will. Will tossed ours to me, and I wiped it across my stomach, cringing, and tossed it back as he climbed up to the chest. Barbossa had seen what I did, and aimed his pistol at me and Elizabeth. I had never feared more for my life than in that moment. I clung to Elizabeth, who grabbed my elbow, and squeezed my eyes shut.
There was the sound of a pistol firing, and I heard Elizabeth gasp quietly, felt her muscles go limp. I opened my eyes, terrified that he had shot my best friend. But there was no blood, no gunshot wound. Barbossa looked confused as well, and turned to Jack. His pistol was out, smoke wafting around his head from firing. Barbossa shook his head.
"Ten years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot," he mocked, grinning a wicked smile.
"He didn't waste it," Will's voice said sharply. Barbossa turned, his face paling, and Will dropped the two final bloody coins in the chest. I noticed his palm was bleeding sluggishly. He had cut himself, just in case. Barbossa stared blankly in shock, then pulled his vest open. The perfect bullet-hole, which moments ago was an empty hole, was now spurting blood like a fountain. He raised his head to Jack, his expression fixed on shock. A small smile flickered.
"I feel." he paused. "Old." He fell backward onto the coins, his eyes glazing over and staring blankly at nothing. The apple in his hands rolled from his hand and into the water.
And that was that.
Elizabeth lowered me down, trying to find some cloth to wrap around my wound, still gurgling blood. Jack knelt down beside me, and without a word, ripped off his shirt and proceeded to rip it into pathetic bandages. I bit thru my lip as Elizabeth tightened the cloth. I could barely breath. Jack kissed my forehead before waltzing off to gather some treasure. Elizabeth spaced out and walked away as Will came to me. "You sure you're all right?" he asked, obviously concerned.
"Who said I was okay?" I gasped, struggling to sit up. He placed a hand beneath my neck. "Thanks much. God, this hurts."
He shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault."
I considered the sincereness of his words. "Yeah, probably." His head drooped. "But you've more than redeemed yourself. I'm truly proud of you." We both looked at Elizabeth, who's back was faced towards us. "Go tell her, Will." He didn't need to know what. He simply nodded, dropped my head, and walked slowly over to her. I groaned in frustration, banging my fists on the hard stone. Jack's face came into view above me, bed-decked in pearls and gold and diamonds. He grinned.
"What's yer favorite, diamonds or sapphires?" he asked. "I figure diamonds might look nicer, what with yer dark hair and eyes and all."
"Could I answer your question when I'm upright?" I snipped peevishly. He only grinned and held out a hand. I grasped it and rose slowly, trying to inflict as little pain as possible. He made me lean against a small replica of a gold ship. I tried to breathe as shallowly as I could and still breathe. We then proceeded to stagger over to the two lovebirds. Elizabeth was looking at Will with unspent tears. I had never seen someone look as miserable as she did at that moment.
"We should return to the Dauntless," she said softly. Will nodded.
"Your fiancé will be wanting to know your safe," he replied. I cringed. That kid's got to learn what to say when. Elizabeth turned away, tears spilling from her dark brown eyes. Jack sauntered up to Will.
"If you were looking for the opportune moment." He pointed. "That was it." He thrust me over to my brother. "Now if you'll be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off my ship." I stared after him, feeling as though my heart was breaking. I swallowed my tears and allowed Will to carry me carefully to the boat Elizabeth had taken from the Black Pearl. She sat inside it, unmoving and silent. I could easily feel and understand her misery. I leaned against her, facing out to sea and Will. He struggled to paddle us out against the strong current and waves outside the cove. Jack stood up, rocking the boat as he scanned the water for his ship.
I was first to express his thoughts. "It's not there." The only ship was the Dauntless. Jack was more than screwed. The only place he could go was to be hanged. Betrayed again. Elizabeth hid another sob.
"Jack, I'm so sorry," she whispered earnestly.
He was wearing the darkest look on his face. "They done what's right by them," he said in a low voice that had revealed defeat. "Can't expect more than that."