AUTHOR'S NOTE: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review! I didn't want to resort to
begging but I guess I have to. If you love it, if you hate it, things you
want to see happen...please review. It'll be easier for me to update if I
know where to go with this and if anything needs to be changed. I want
input gals! =P
OK, ON with the story. Beh @ the slowness of it. _____________________________________________Chapter4:
Days had passed and Aria began to slowly heal. She remained unconscious most of the time due to dehydration, lack of proper nutrition, and just plain exhaust. When she was awake she rarely spoke to Jack and he kept his distance from her. On rare occasion they would make awkward and meaningless conversation, once or twice attempting to brainstorm their way off the island but never coming up with anything that would work. Jack never mentioned to Aria that he'd been on the island twice before.
The Rumrunners had managed to leave more rum on the island so Jack drank his pain away as often as possible. The water was gone. If he saw that Aria had awakened for a bit, he attempted to be a gentleman and offer her some rum. Once she had accepted, but after one swig wound up dry heaving for nearly an hour. That had been a day ago and he hadn't asked since. They were nearing their fourth day on the island together and nothing had been accomplished.
Jack awoke from a drunken midday slumber and shook his head free of the sleepiness that was bogging him down. He sat up and looked toward the place Aria had almost permanently been since he'd first laid her there. She was gone.
He immediately rose to his feet, but his head whirled as he'd stood too quickly. He swayed about for a minute, using his arms to regain his balance. He looked through wide eyes as he waited for the world to stop spinning. Once his composure had been regained he saw the frail-looking girl facing a tree, crouched over that olive green bag she'd held so close to her while she slept. He cocked his brow and silently watched her as she rummaged through the sack. Unmoving, he watched her empty its contents.
Aria opened her canvas bag and shuffled through it, unable to find her cell phone. Not realizing that Jack was watching her she dumped the bag over to let everything fall out. She quickly shuffled through the mess and found the small, silver flip phone hiding under the tank top she'd brought. In one smooth motion she flipped the phone up and pulled out the antenna, watching the screen intently as the phone turned on. "Yes," she thought, "the battery isn't dead yet!" Not knowing what else to do, she dialed 911. Nothing. She then dialed 411. Nothing. It wouldn't connect. She tried her wireless web. "PCS Currently Unavailable" flashed back at her as she threw the phone down in dismay.
"What's that, love?" Came a voice from behind her. Startled, she whipped around to see "Captain" Sparrow looming over her.
"I was just trying to call for help, that's all..." she muttered and started re-packing the items in her bag. Suddenly she noticed three Nutri-Grain bars she'd stashed for a snack the day she got lost. She turned around, a jovial grin on her tired face and looked at Jack. "Want half? I have three but we might need those later."
Jack simply stared at the thing with the shiny, red wrapping that Aria was holding up so victoriously. "What is it?" he asked as he curled his upper lip in disgusted confusion.
Aria rolled her eyes. "A strawberry cereal bar." She unwrapped the bar and broke it in half. "You've never had one before? Damn. Try it."
Jack took what she was offering. Had he been any less hungry he would have questioned whether or not it was poison, but at this point it didn't matter. He needed to eat. He took a bite. A strange taste exploded against his tongue as he chewed. It tasted sort of like a cake he'd once had near England. Oddly like strawberry jam. He ate it quickly and took a swish of rum. He chuckled at Aria, who was watching him and wincing. She nibbled on her food as if she wasn't hungry. "If ye're not hungry, darling, I'll have your half too." He said, only half-jokingly. She shot him an annoyed look and took a big bite in spite of him.
"My stomach hurts so I'm eating slowly." She spat irritably.
Jack looked taken aback. "Easy, lass. Old Jack was just jestin ye." He backed away from her and walked along the beach, toward the sunset. It was the most beautiful thing that time of day, the sun going down over the ocean; magnificent pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, purples swirling around it and dancing in its own reflection over the water. He stared across the horizon for several minutes, scanning the colors and the water and the sky, contemplating his time on the island. Suddenly a small shadow emerged from the west, as if it were beating its way through the light's last minutes. As it drew nearer Jack could see by the light of the moon- it was a ship.
His mind raced but he remained calm. Slowly he walked back to the bonfire.
Aria watched as Jack strode toward the fire they'd managed to keep up for the last four days. He stood and stared at the flames for a good two minutes, stroking the braids that fell from his chin as he thought. His eyes widened and he took off toward the underground rum stock. Aria stood up, craning her neck to see through the trees. Out of the corner of his eye he must have caught her looking, because he raised his arm and wildly motioned for her to come help him, his eyes wide and his lips twisted into a determined purse. She wearily sauntered over and watched as he began tossing bottles of rum onto the ground above him. He yelled at her to start throwing the bottles of rum into the fire, to make it as big as possible. " Use all the wood," he screeched, "Throw in anything that will burn!"
"I don't understand," she said out loud.
"Just do it!" Jack ordered. "There's a ship heading toward us from the west. If you want off this island as much as I do we'd best get a move on!" His tone was harsh and urgent, so she obeyed quickly. Her body yearned for rest as she threw what she could find into the fire, standing as far away as she could, taking long shots with the rum and praying it wouldn't blow up in her face. "This must be 151," she thought, "to be so flammable." She was glad Jack had thought of it because in her state, she never would have.
Once the rum had all been burned and they'd done all they could, the flames were reaching up past the trees and the bed of the fire had increased drastically in size. Jack looked sadly at the broken glass, the flames that were being fed by his precious rum. Aria heard him mutter, "I did what I had to do, didn't I?" She almost felt sorry for him, but quickly remembered she hated rum. Jack seemed to have a . . . problem. . . with alcohol anyway.
"What do we do now?" She wondered.
Jack looked at her as if he'd just lost his favorite puppy. "We wait," he said softly. He swayed over to a spot on the beach, watching the ship sail. Had they seen the fire? Would it matter to them that it seemed an entire island was aflame? What if all the rum was gone for nothing?
Within an hour the vessel had begun steering toward the little island. Aria was fast asleep again on the sand, exhausted from building the fire. Jack kept an eye on her as he watched the outline of a ship coming towards him.
Only too late he could see the crew members rowing into shore, once he could see the ship better in the moonlight. . . It was a ship he'd know anywhere- - he should, as it was his own. At first, upon seeing Gibbs and Cotton rowing towards him he felt nothing but pure elation. He was a pirate, yes. He didn't need anybody. But if he could have sailed with anyone for the rest of his life, it would have been Gibbs and the crew of the Pearl. When Gibbs saw that his captain was alive and well he smiled. "I was worried we'd come back and find ya dead, Cap'n." He said in a morose tone.
"Ah, Gibbs, me best First Mate." Jack cooed, gratefully slamming Gibbs on the back with a hearty pat.
Suddenly it hit him. "DAMN!" He roared, clenching his hands into fists.
"WE WASTED ALL THAT RUM FOR NOTHING?"
OK, ON with the story. Beh @ the slowness of it. _____________________________________________Chapter4:
Days had passed and Aria began to slowly heal. She remained unconscious most of the time due to dehydration, lack of proper nutrition, and just plain exhaust. When she was awake she rarely spoke to Jack and he kept his distance from her. On rare occasion they would make awkward and meaningless conversation, once or twice attempting to brainstorm their way off the island but never coming up with anything that would work. Jack never mentioned to Aria that he'd been on the island twice before.
The Rumrunners had managed to leave more rum on the island so Jack drank his pain away as often as possible. The water was gone. If he saw that Aria had awakened for a bit, he attempted to be a gentleman and offer her some rum. Once she had accepted, but after one swig wound up dry heaving for nearly an hour. That had been a day ago and he hadn't asked since. They were nearing their fourth day on the island together and nothing had been accomplished.
Jack awoke from a drunken midday slumber and shook his head free of the sleepiness that was bogging him down. He sat up and looked toward the place Aria had almost permanently been since he'd first laid her there. She was gone.
He immediately rose to his feet, but his head whirled as he'd stood too quickly. He swayed about for a minute, using his arms to regain his balance. He looked through wide eyes as he waited for the world to stop spinning. Once his composure had been regained he saw the frail-looking girl facing a tree, crouched over that olive green bag she'd held so close to her while she slept. He cocked his brow and silently watched her as she rummaged through the sack. Unmoving, he watched her empty its contents.
Aria opened her canvas bag and shuffled through it, unable to find her cell phone. Not realizing that Jack was watching her she dumped the bag over to let everything fall out. She quickly shuffled through the mess and found the small, silver flip phone hiding under the tank top she'd brought. In one smooth motion she flipped the phone up and pulled out the antenna, watching the screen intently as the phone turned on. "Yes," she thought, "the battery isn't dead yet!" Not knowing what else to do, she dialed 911. Nothing. She then dialed 411. Nothing. It wouldn't connect. She tried her wireless web. "PCS Currently Unavailable" flashed back at her as she threw the phone down in dismay.
"What's that, love?" Came a voice from behind her. Startled, she whipped around to see "Captain" Sparrow looming over her.
"I was just trying to call for help, that's all..." she muttered and started re-packing the items in her bag. Suddenly she noticed three Nutri-Grain bars she'd stashed for a snack the day she got lost. She turned around, a jovial grin on her tired face and looked at Jack. "Want half? I have three but we might need those later."
Jack simply stared at the thing with the shiny, red wrapping that Aria was holding up so victoriously. "What is it?" he asked as he curled his upper lip in disgusted confusion.
Aria rolled her eyes. "A strawberry cereal bar." She unwrapped the bar and broke it in half. "You've never had one before? Damn. Try it."
Jack took what she was offering. Had he been any less hungry he would have questioned whether or not it was poison, but at this point it didn't matter. He needed to eat. He took a bite. A strange taste exploded against his tongue as he chewed. It tasted sort of like a cake he'd once had near England. Oddly like strawberry jam. He ate it quickly and took a swish of rum. He chuckled at Aria, who was watching him and wincing. She nibbled on her food as if she wasn't hungry. "If ye're not hungry, darling, I'll have your half too." He said, only half-jokingly. She shot him an annoyed look and took a big bite in spite of him.
"My stomach hurts so I'm eating slowly." She spat irritably.
Jack looked taken aback. "Easy, lass. Old Jack was just jestin ye." He backed away from her and walked along the beach, toward the sunset. It was the most beautiful thing that time of day, the sun going down over the ocean; magnificent pinks, reds, oranges, yellows, purples swirling around it and dancing in its own reflection over the water. He stared across the horizon for several minutes, scanning the colors and the water and the sky, contemplating his time on the island. Suddenly a small shadow emerged from the west, as if it were beating its way through the light's last minutes. As it drew nearer Jack could see by the light of the moon- it was a ship.
His mind raced but he remained calm. Slowly he walked back to the bonfire.
Aria watched as Jack strode toward the fire they'd managed to keep up for the last four days. He stood and stared at the flames for a good two minutes, stroking the braids that fell from his chin as he thought. His eyes widened and he took off toward the underground rum stock. Aria stood up, craning her neck to see through the trees. Out of the corner of his eye he must have caught her looking, because he raised his arm and wildly motioned for her to come help him, his eyes wide and his lips twisted into a determined purse. She wearily sauntered over and watched as he began tossing bottles of rum onto the ground above him. He yelled at her to start throwing the bottles of rum into the fire, to make it as big as possible. " Use all the wood," he screeched, "Throw in anything that will burn!"
"I don't understand," she said out loud.
"Just do it!" Jack ordered. "There's a ship heading toward us from the west. If you want off this island as much as I do we'd best get a move on!" His tone was harsh and urgent, so she obeyed quickly. Her body yearned for rest as she threw what she could find into the fire, standing as far away as she could, taking long shots with the rum and praying it wouldn't blow up in her face. "This must be 151," she thought, "to be so flammable." She was glad Jack had thought of it because in her state, she never would have.
Once the rum had all been burned and they'd done all they could, the flames were reaching up past the trees and the bed of the fire had increased drastically in size. Jack looked sadly at the broken glass, the flames that were being fed by his precious rum. Aria heard him mutter, "I did what I had to do, didn't I?" She almost felt sorry for him, but quickly remembered she hated rum. Jack seemed to have a . . . problem. . . with alcohol anyway.
"What do we do now?" She wondered.
Jack looked at her as if he'd just lost his favorite puppy. "We wait," he said softly. He swayed over to a spot on the beach, watching the ship sail. Had they seen the fire? Would it matter to them that it seemed an entire island was aflame? What if all the rum was gone for nothing?
Within an hour the vessel had begun steering toward the little island. Aria was fast asleep again on the sand, exhausted from building the fire. Jack kept an eye on her as he watched the outline of a ship coming towards him.
Only too late he could see the crew members rowing into shore, once he could see the ship better in the moonlight. . . It was a ship he'd know anywhere- - he should, as it was his own. At first, upon seeing Gibbs and Cotton rowing towards him he felt nothing but pure elation. He was a pirate, yes. He didn't need anybody. But if he could have sailed with anyone for the rest of his life, it would have been Gibbs and the crew of the Pearl. When Gibbs saw that his captain was alive and well he smiled. "I was worried we'd come back and find ya dead, Cap'n." He said in a morose tone.
"Ah, Gibbs, me best First Mate." Jack cooed, gratefully slamming Gibbs on the back with a hearty pat.
Suddenly it hit him. "DAMN!" He roared, clenching his hands into fists.
"WE WASTED ALL THAT RUM FOR NOTHING?"