Chapter 14: Dreamtime
She was running down a dark alley, lots of horrible somethings with red eyes and sharp teeth following her, but those weren't what she was running from. She couldn't remember her name, or why the terrible something was following her, but she knew she had to escape him or she would be lost, lost forever.
The little somethings were gaining on her; some ran past her, others nipped at her heels, making her run even faster, though it pained her bruised and torn muscles. She knew that he was getting closer. He was going to capture her. His hand was suddenly on her shoulder, shaking her, she screamed...
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Soft whimpering woke him from deep slumber. He blinked, confused, not entirely sure where he was. When he heard the whimpering again, memory returned, and he knew who it was that was whimpering and now tossing and turning. Arianne. She would tear the wounds open again if she kept this up, he thought. He got out of bed and went over to her, touched her shoulder lightly with no response. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her a bit. This only made her thrash more, and she screamed, coming wide awake and struggling.
"Arianne!" Will shouted. "It's me, it's only me!"
She stopped struggling and fell back against the bed, and he sensed her staring up at him in the darkness. "Will," she said, her voice quivering with relief and unshed tears.
"Hush, it's alright, you were dreaming," he said and stroked a few sweat-soaked strands of hair back from her face. Her hands reached up and grabbed his, holding it close to her as she curled up around him as well as she could. She was shivering. He ached inside. She needed someone to reassure her, tell her it was alright, to rock her to sleep. He stood up, gently disentangling his hand, and picked her up. He brought her over to his bed and laid her down. She immediately curled into a ball. He curled himself around her, putting his arm over her and holding her close to him, her head near his heart so she could feel the comforting beat. Arianne relaxed almost immediately. Pulling the blanket up over them both, sleep claimed him once more.
********************************
Early morning. Arianne woke to a beam of sunlight in her eye and unaccustomed warmth at her back. She laid perfectly still until memory returned to her. She was on Jack Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl. She shared quarters with Will Turner. Was that.? Turning carefully so as not to hurt herself or to wake whomever was curled around her so protectively, she looked into Will Turner's peaceful face, his lips curled up in a tiny smile. He had a bit of hair across his face, which she brushed back lightly, the better to see his much beloved face in a perfect state of peace.
Happy warmth filled her soul to bursting before she thought to question her good fortune. Why was she in the same bed as Will? She thought hard about this for a few moments before her head started to ache and she unwittingly fell back into a deep, deep sleep.
********************************
They floated in a pearlescent landscape, holding tightly to each other. His angel gently moved hair back from his face, smiling up at him softly. She stroked his cheek. He leaned into her touch, yearning for her to touch him again, to never stop. He whispered her name. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips, then released him and ran off, looking over her shoulder coquettishly. He chased after.
Finally, he tackled her. She laughed breathlessly, throwing her arms around his neck, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. He kissed her. He kissed her again, and still more. She kissed back, twining her fingers in his hair and stroking his back.
His need intensified to a burning inside that quickly became nearly unbearable. He was on fire. She put a finger to his lips as he bent down to kiss her yet again, and shook her head. He knew sudden desolation. She smiled softly at him in sympathy and the fire was doused in cool water. He was still warm inside, he still wanted to be with her, but he understood now.
He woke, soft breathing on his bare chest. He looked down and saw Arianne, her face absolutely peaceful for the first time since he'd known her. She looked innocent, her face was relaxed. Her mouth was open slightly. When she sighed, he smiled lovingly down at her. He loved her. He didn't know how this could have happened so fast, but he loved her all the same. It was hard to keep from telling her, but he didn't want to move too fast and scare her. He thought back to the dream, the angel with the golden hair and brilliant blue eyes.
Stroking her hair, he watched her, content for now to be with her just like this.
********************************
Jack finally took retreated to his cabin around one o'clock in the morning. He laid there for a while, unable to sleep, wishing he weren't alone. At least Will and Arianne had each other. He was proud of that, however, and didn't regret bringing them together, for it put him closer to his own goal. He was finally within reach of the one person he had ever even considered spending the rest of his life with, and he couldn't even have her with him when he wanted her most. He sighed. It must be for the better.
She had to stay behind, in order to convince the others that he and Will hadn't beaten Arianne, that they had taken her away of her own free will, that she had gone with them for her own safety. She couldn't be left within the city. If she had been, the guard would have come to escort her home, and Will and Jack would likely have been imprisoned for harboring her.
Sighing, he forced himself to relax and finally went to sleep.
She came to him wearing diaphanous white gown. She sat down and laid his head in her lap. She spoke to him, calming him, telling him he must be patient for her. He breathed the sweet scent of her, and reached up to stroke her cheek more gently than was his wont. She smiled down brilliantly at him. "I love you," she whispered before disappearing into the mist, leaving him alone with the memory of her scent lingering on the air.
**************************************************************************** ****************
Alrighty then. Dreamtime! What thinkest thou? Hope you like!
She was running down a dark alley, lots of horrible somethings with red eyes and sharp teeth following her, but those weren't what she was running from. She couldn't remember her name, or why the terrible something was following her, but she knew she had to escape him or she would be lost, lost forever.
The little somethings were gaining on her; some ran past her, others nipped at her heels, making her run even faster, though it pained her bruised and torn muscles. She knew that he was getting closer. He was going to capture her. His hand was suddenly on her shoulder, shaking her, she screamed...
********************************
Soft whimpering woke him from deep slumber. He blinked, confused, not entirely sure where he was. When he heard the whimpering again, memory returned, and he knew who it was that was whimpering and now tossing and turning. Arianne. She would tear the wounds open again if she kept this up, he thought. He got out of bed and went over to her, touched her shoulder lightly with no response. He grabbed her shoulder and shook her a bit. This only made her thrash more, and she screamed, coming wide awake and struggling.
"Arianne!" Will shouted. "It's me, it's only me!"
She stopped struggling and fell back against the bed, and he sensed her staring up at him in the darkness. "Will," she said, her voice quivering with relief and unshed tears.
"Hush, it's alright, you were dreaming," he said and stroked a few sweat-soaked strands of hair back from her face. Her hands reached up and grabbed his, holding it close to her as she curled up around him as well as she could. She was shivering. He ached inside. She needed someone to reassure her, tell her it was alright, to rock her to sleep. He stood up, gently disentangling his hand, and picked her up. He brought her over to his bed and laid her down. She immediately curled into a ball. He curled himself around her, putting his arm over her and holding her close to him, her head near his heart so she could feel the comforting beat. Arianne relaxed almost immediately. Pulling the blanket up over them both, sleep claimed him once more.
********************************
Early morning. Arianne woke to a beam of sunlight in her eye and unaccustomed warmth at her back. She laid perfectly still until memory returned to her. She was on Jack Sparrow's ship, the Black Pearl. She shared quarters with Will Turner. Was that.? Turning carefully so as not to hurt herself or to wake whomever was curled around her so protectively, she looked into Will Turner's peaceful face, his lips curled up in a tiny smile. He had a bit of hair across his face, which she brushed back lightly, the better to see his much beloved face in a perfect state of peace.
Happy warmth filled her soul to bursting before she thought to question her good fortune. Why was she in the same bed as Will? She thought hard about this for a few moments before her head started to ache and she unwittingly fell back into a deep, deep sleep.
********************************
They floated in a pearlescent landscape, holding tightly to each other. His angel gently moved hair back from his face, smiling up at him softly. She stroked his cheek. He leaned into her touch, yearning for her to touch him again, to never stop. He whispered her name. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the lips, then released him and ran off, looking over her shoulder coquettishly. He chased after.
Finally, he tackled her. She laughed breathlessly, throwing her arms around his neck, looking up at him with sparkling eyes. He kissed her. He kissed her again, and still more. She kissed back, twining her fingers in his hair and stroking his back.
His need intensified to a burning inside that quickly became nearly unbearable. He was on fire. She put a finger to his lips as he bent down to kiss her yet again, and shook her head. He knew sudden desolation. She smiled softly at him in sympathy and the fire was doused in cool water. He was still warm inside, he still wanted to be with her, but he understood now.
He woke, soft breathing on his bare chest. He looked down and saw Arianne, her face absolutely peaceful for the first time since he'd known her. She looked innocent, her face was relaxed. Her mouth was open slightly. When she sighed, he smiled lovingly down at her. He loved her. He didn't know how this could have happened so fast, but he loved her all the same. It was hard to keep from telling her, but he didn't want to move too fast and scare her. He thought back to the dream, the angel with the golden hair and brilliant blue eyes.
Stroking her hair, he watched her, content for now to be with her just like this.
********************************
Jack finally took retreated to his cabin around one o'clock in the morning. He laid there for a while, unable to sleep, wishing he weren't alone. At least Will and Arianne had each other. He was proud of that, however, and didn't regret bringing them together, for it put him closer to his own goal. He was finally within reach of the one person he had ever even considered spending the rest of his life with, and he couldn't even have her with him when he wanted her most. He sighed. It must be for the better.
She had to stay behind, in order to convince the others that he and Will hadn't beaten Arianne, that they had taken her away of her own free will, that she had gone with them for her own safety. She couldn't be left within the city. If she had been, the guard would have come to escort her home, and Will and Jack would likely have been imprisoned for harboring her.
Sighing, he forced himself to relax and finally went to sleep.
She came to him wearing diaphanous white gown. She sat down and laid his head in her lap. She spoke to him, calming him, telling him he must be patient for her. He breathed the sweet scent of her, and reached up to stroke her cheek more gently than was his wont. She smiled down brilliantly at him. "I love you," she whispered before disappearing into the mist, leaving him alone with the memory of her scent lingering on the air.
**************************************************************************** ****************
Alrighty then. Dreamtime! What thinkest thou? Hope you like!