Jack Sparrow tilted his head back and glanced at the darkening sky,
fingering his gun with one hand.
He had tried to use the one shot, put the barrel to his head and pulled the trigger, a few days after the rum ran out.
It had been then that he had discovered that Eldred hadn't left him a bullet.
There was still some food, but not enough for a lifetime, and there were fish in the shallows, but not fresh water, only saltwater that left him perpetually thirsty.
And so he could wait to starve, or he could just die beforehand.
He was thin, very thin. It had been weeks since he had been stranded here for a third time, this time with only the hopes that his old replenished stores of rum and food would last long enough for his crew to find him. They had been scattered - those who had refused to join Eldred. Anamaria had fought, and been either imprisoned or killed. Jack had never found out which. He hoped, for her sake, she had been killed.
He thought he was insane.
There were dreams of old days, of he and Will and Elizabeth riding the waves, of the last time he had seen them, of gold coins and crew members long dead, of the days when he had been young instead of this thin aging man. Days when he had been Captain Jack Sparrow and they had remembered him, always.
But they were only dreams, and Will and Elizabeth were far away with their son and perhaps even more than just one child, never responding to letters, never coming as he had always been sure they would.
And now he knew that they would never come, and he would never see them again, because he was going to die. The pirate in him, the fighting rogue, was already dead, and he found that he didn't really care.
***
Pain Dreams lost Age Betrayal The curses of any adventurer When his adventures are drawing to an end.
***
Will lost track of how long it took him.
He sailed up to the island in late summer, unsure whether it had been a week or a year since they had taken James, unable to remember food or sleep if they ever came.
He anchored the ship and went ashore.
And he walked all around the island, and although he didn't find what he was looking for, he did find a man who claimed his name was Jack Sparrow.
***
"You changed, Will," Jack said quietly, tearing off another chunk of bread and taking another swig of rum.
"So did you," Will answered quietly. It was absolute truth - they were both fourteen years older, fourteen years different.
There was a silence. Jack realized suddenly that they were strangers. Neither had even recognized the other at first - the thin, drawn man lying on the beach and muttering madly to himself, and the wide-eyed, stumbling man who had walked up and stood beside him for what seemed like years before speaking.
But Jack broke the silence. "You never wrote back."
"Back to what?" Will asked quietly.
"You never got my letters, did you?"
Will shook his head, not seeming to care.
"Why did you come? How did you know where I would be?" Then Jack thought of a better question - "Where are Elizabeth and James?"
Will flinched as if slapped.
"Oh no," the other man whispered. "Oh, no. Will, my boy, I'm sorry. When? How?"
"When James was three," Will said in a constricted voice. "Elizabeth got the fever. She was dead within five days."
"What about James?"
Will looked up with dull eyes. "I was out," he said. "The Pearl attacked and they took James. I - I knew it wasn't you - it couldn't be - and so I thought -"
Jack reached across the table and lay a hand on Will's arm.
"Let's sail," he said quietly.
***
We're at the wind once again Racing to an unknown horizon Get here get there get out get in Let's raise that flag now.
He had tried to use the one shot, put the barrel to his head and pulled the trigger, a few days after the rum ran out.
It had been then that he had discovered that Eldred hadn't left him a bullet.
There was still some food, but not enough for a lifetime, and there were fish in the shallows, but not fresh water, only saltwater that left him perpetually thirsty.
And so he could wait to starve, or he could just die beforehand.
He was thin, very thin. It had been weeks since he had been stranded here for a third time, this time with only the hopes that his old replenished stores of rum and food would last long enough for his crew to find him. They had been scattered - those who had refused to join Eldred. Anamaria had fought, and been either imprisoned or killed. Jack had never found out which. He hoped, for her sake, she had been killed.
He thought he was insane.
There were dreams of old days, of he and Will and Elizabeth riding the waves, of the last time he had seen them, of gold coins and crew members long dead, of the days when he had been young instead of this thin aging man. Days when he had been Captain Jack Sparrow and they had remembered him, always.
But they were only dreams, and Will and Elizabeth were far away with their son and perhaps even more than just one child, never responding to letters, never coming as he had always been sure they would.
And now he knew that they would never come, and he would never see them again, because he was going to die. The pirate in him, the fighting rogue, was already dead, and he found that he didn't really care.
***
Pain Dreams lost Age Betrayal The curses of any adventurer When his adventures are drawing to an end.
***
Will lost track of how long it took him.
He sailed up to the island in late summer, unsure whether it had been a week or a year since they had taken James, unable to remember food or sleep if they ever came.
He anchored the ship and went ashore.
And he walked all around the island, and although he didn't find what he was looking for, he did find a man who claimed his name was Jack Sparrow.
***
"You changed, Will," Jack said quietly, tearing off another chunk of bread and taking another swig of rum.
"So did you," Will answered quietly. It was absolute truth - they were both fourteen years older, fourteen years different.
There was a silence. Jack realized suddenly that they were strangers. Neither had even recognized the other at first - the thin, drawn man lying on the beach and muttering madly to himself, and the wide-eyed, stumbling man who had walked up and stood beside him for what seemed like years before speaking.
But Jack broke the silence. "You never wrote back."
"Back to what?" Will asked quietly.
"You never got my letters, did you?"
Will shook his head, not seeming to care.
"Why did you come? How did you know where I would be?" Then Jack thought of a better question - "Where are Elizabeth and James?"
Will flinched as if slapped.
"Oh no," the other man whispered. "Oh, no. Will, my boy, I'm sorry. When? How?"
"When James was three," Will said in a constricted voice. "Elizabeth got the fever. She was dead within five days."
"What about James?"
Will looked up with dull eyes. "I was out," he said. "The Pearl attacked and they took James. I - I knew it wasn't you - it couldn't be - and so I thought -"
Jack reached across the table and lay a hand on Will's arm.
"Let's sail," he said quietly.
***
We're at the wind once again Racing to an unknown horizon Get here get there get out get in Let's raise that flag now.
