[a/n: Yea, um, this was kinda interesting to write. Hope you all can
tolerate it at the very least. And sorry about the Jack-torture that's
been going on.]
Chapter 8
Bo'sun raised the whip for another strike, but was stopped by an hand on his arm and a watch call above deck, sounding the hour.
"No. Any more lashings would risk killing him and he's the only connection we have to the Pearl. We can finish tomorrow." Kohler reasoned.
Jack was still hanging from his hands with sweat and blood trickling down his face and soaking into his shirt. His breath was coming in short, shallow gasps. Bo'sun slowly agreed, coiling the whip up and reattaching it to his belt. The three then left the brig without bothering to take Jack down from the hook.
Jack exhaled more fully when they were gone, but a small pool of blood-his blood-remained beneath him. Darkness rimmed his vision, but he fought it for all he was worth. He needed this time to strategize; to plot his escape. His eyes drooped shut as he tried to steady his breathing.
~*~
"Ana-Maria?" Gibbs asked, worriedly taking in her blank expression and trying to interpret it.
Something seemed to click in the female pirate. "Lengthen the ship; stem t' stern!" She yelled, jogging up the stairs towards the helm.
Gibbs followed the newly re-appointed captain up to the quarterdeck. The crew's collective gaze followed them as the individuals stopped their odd jobs.
"You heard th' cap'n!" Gibbs yelled down to the crewmen. "Git t' work!"
The crew quickly scampered back to their appointed tasks, many going aloft to let out the sails.
~*~
"Captain Sparrow," Chelsea called, descending into the dark brig, brandishing a tray of food.
No answer; not even a shift.
"I've brought you some breakfast . . ." She added, trying to get a reaction.
None came.
Getting slightly worried, Chelsea inched forward and peered into the darkness. The lack of light made seeing anything-even silhouettes- difficult, so she quickly set about finding a lantern. Once lit, she set it on the table and turned around.
What she saw made her gasp in horror. Jack was hanging by bindings on his wrists a half foot off the ground with blood soaking his clothing. There were multiple cuts and tears in his shirt where fresh whip lashes and knife cuts were still oozing blood.
"Jack!" She exclaimed, overcoming her initial shock as quickly as possible and heading towards him. "What happened? Jack??" She asked, almost pleadingly.
The pirate still didn't respond, which sent a chill of fear down Chelsea's spine. She slowly walked over to stand by his right side. She timidly looked him up and down, assessing the damage. Nine whip bites made themselves noticed on the right side of his face and neck. She began circling him, only to find multiple strikes across his back made by a nine- tipped whip. Coming on his left side, she found a deep gouge from a sword's blade. When she stood in front of him, she noticed his eyes were closed, his head drooping and his breathing extremely shallow. His lip was also split and bleeding.
"Jack?" She asked once more, timidly placing a hand on his left shoulder-one of the few places on his shirt that wasn't soaked in blood. How many more family members and friends did she have to lose?
A quiet mumble dragged her from her depressing thoughts and made her focus on the situation at hand.
"What?" She asked, snapping out of her reverie.
"Git 'tta 'ere." Jack mumbled weakly.
"Why? You need help!" Chelsea protested. "What happened, anyway?!"
Jack slowly lifted his head to look at her while they conversed. "Nothin' fer yer ears t' 'ear." He choked out, coughing up a bit of blood.
"I'm plenty old enough. I've ten and six years." Chelsea retorted stubbornly.
Jack shook his head, forcing a small smile despite his injuries. "'f ye were ol' 'nough . . ." He trailed off and broke into a fit of coughing. "Ye'd've guessed by now." He finished, his voice extremely hoarse and weak. Breathing seemed to come harder for him now and he looked even more exhausted. His eyes slowly fell shut once more, which caused the fear to reassert itself in Chelsea.
"Captain Sparrow? Are you okay?"
"Does 'e look okay?" A colder voice countered.
Chelsea spun to face the voice and gasped lightly when her gaze fell upon Bo'sun, Grapple, and Kohler. Bo'sun held a bloody nine-tipped whip coiled in one hand.
"You did this to him?!" Chelsea exclaimed in horror.
Bo'sun nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
Chelsea's jaw dropped in horror. Her shock, however, was soon replaced by rage. "How could you?! What has he ever done to you?!"
Bo'sun turned to Kohler and, jerking his head in Chelsea's direction, he grunted and order. Kohler nodded and headed for Chelsea. He quickly grabbed her arms and escorted her, none too gently, to the cell that once belonged to Jack. After tossing her in and locking the door, he rejoined his shipmates.
"Sparrow."
Jack's eyes fluttered halfway open at the sound of his name. "Aye?" He asked, his voice barely loud enough to be heard.
"Tell us where the Pearl is and we'll let ye go." Kohler said.
"Nay." Jack replied instantly.
Bo'sun allowed the tips of the cat-o-nine-tails drop to the brig floor threateningly.
"What are you doing?!" Chelsea's voice demanded nervously form the cell she was imprisoned in.
"Quiet, wench." Grapple growled, effectively silencing the girl.
"Leave 'er 'tta thi'." Jack slurred weakly, gasping with each word.
"Quiet!" Bo'sun snapped, slashing the whip and doubling the cuts on the right side of Jack's face.
Chelsea put a hand to her mouth and gasped as Jack's head snapped away from the whip's strike and blood trickled from the fresh and reopened wounds. Jack's breath was coming in even shorter gasps than before and he looked on the verge of passing out.
"Stop it! He doesn't deserve this!" Chelsea yelled, gripping the cell bars tightly.
"QUIET!" Bo'sun yelled back, flinging the whip in Chelsea's direction.
Chelsea backed away from the bars just as the blood-coated tips struck the metal. Even though she managed to avoid the lash, blood from the tips flew in, spattering her skin and clothes. She didn't seem to notice the blood as Bo'sun stepped towards Jack once more, brandishing the whip.
~*~
"Sail ho!" The sentry called down from the crow's nest.
Ana-Maria's gaze shot up to scan the horizon at the call.
"There." Will said, pointing to a dark spot on the horizon.
Ana-Maria followed Will's indication and quickly saw the vessel. She grabbed the spyglass from the young blacksmith and aimed it at the ship. A few moments later, she lowered the instrument.
"Is it them?" Will asked.
Ana-Maria's eyes narrowed at the ship on the horizon. "Aye." She growled. "Let the sails run free! Load the guns! Run out the sweeps!" She screamed, shoving the spyglass back at the blacksmith and setting the Pearl on a course for the unmarked vessel.
~*~
Jack's body convulsed as the cat dug nine more deep gouges in his back, drawing more blood and sending jolts of seething pain throughout his entire body. As the tips withdrew, he slumped forward as much as the bindings would allow, spots clouding his already fuzzy vision. He coughed weakly, blood flying from his mouth and adding to that already on the ground.
"That's enough!" Chelsea screamed once more, on the verge of tears.
"Silence!"
"Sail ho!"
The three torturers looked up the stairs of the brig at the call.
"This'll 'ave t' wait."
Kohler and Grapple nodded as Bo'sun coiled the whip and the three stormed upstairs. Jack kept his head up until he heard the three new sets of footsteps above deck. Once he knew his three tormentors were gone, he gave into the darkness, his body falling limp, suspended by the ropes.
[a/n: Please review.]
Chapter 8
Bo'sun raised the whip for another strike, but was stopped by an hand on his arm and a watch call above deck, sounding the hour.
"No. Any more lashings would risk killing him and he's the only connection we have to the Pearl. We can finish tomorrow." Kohler reasoned.
Jack was still hanging from his hands with sweat and blood trickling down his face and soaking into his shirt. His breath was coming in short, shallow gasps. Bo'sun slowly agreed, coiling the whip up and reattaching it to his belt. The three then left the brig without bothering to take Jack down from the hook.
Jack exhaled more fully when they were gone, but a small pool of blood-his blood-remained beneath him. Darkness rimmed his vision, but he fought it for all he was worth. He needed this time to strategize; to plot his escape. His eyes drooped shut as he tried to steady his breathing.
~*~
"Ana-Maria?" Gibbs asked, worriedly taking in her blank expression and trying to interpret it.
Something seemed to click in the female pirate. "Lengthen the ship; stem t' stern!" She yelled, jogging up the stairs towards the helm.
Gibbs followed the newly re-appointed captain up to the quarterdeck. The crew's collective gaze followed them as the individuals stopped their odd jobs.
"You heard th' cap'n!" Gibbs yelled down to the crewmen. "Git t' work!"
The crew quickly scampered back to their appointed tasks, many going aloft to let out the sails.
~*~
"Captain Sparrow," Chelsea called, descending into the dark brig, brandishing a tray of food.
No answer; not even a shift.
"I've brought you some breakfast . . ." She added, trying to get a reaction.
None came.
Getting slightly worried, Chelsea inched forward and peered into the darkness. The lack of light made seeing anything-even silhouettes- difficult, so she quickly set about finding a lantern. Once lit, she set it on the table and turned around.
What she saw made her gasp in horror. Jack was hanging by bindings on his wrists a half foot off the ground with blood soaking his clothing. There were multiple cuts and tears in his shirt where fresh whip lashes and knife cuts were still oozing blood.
"Jack!" She exclaimed, overcoming her initial shock as quickly as possible and heading towards him. "What happened? Jack??" She asked, almost pleadingly.
The pirate still didn't respond, which sent a chill of fear down Chelsea's spine. She slowly walked over to stand by his right side. She timidly looked him up and down, assessing the damage. Nine whip bites made themselves noticed on the right side of his face and neck. She began circling him, only to find multiple strikes across his back made by a nine- tipped whip. Coming on his left side, she found a deep gouge from a sword's blade. When she stood in front of him, she noticed his eyes were closed, his head drooping and his breathing extremely shallow. His lip was also split and bleeding.
"Jack?" She asked once more, timidly placing a hand on his left shoulder-one of the few places on his shirt that wasn't soaked in blood. How many more family members and friends did she have to lose?
A quiet mumble dragged her from her depressing thoughts and made her focus on the situation at hand.
"What?" She asked, snapping out of her reverie.
"Git 'tta 'ere." Jack mumbled weakly.
"Why? You need help!" Chelsea protested. "What happened, anyway?!"
Jack slowly lifted his head to look at her while they conversed. "Nothin' fer yer ears t' 'ear." He choked out, coughing up a bit of blood.
"I'm plenty old enough. I've ten and six years." Chelsea retorted stubbornly.
Jack shook his head, forcing a small smile despite his injuries. "'f ye were ol' 'nough . . ." He trailed off and broke into a fit of coughing. "Ye'd've guessed by now." He finished, his voice extremely hoarse and weak. Breathing seemed to come harder for him now and he looked even more exhausted. His eyes slowly fell shut once more, which caused the fear to reassert itself in Chelsea.
"Captain Sparrow? Are you okay?"
"Does 'e look okay?" A colder voice countered.
Chelsea spun to face the voice and gasped lightly when her gaze fell upon Bo'sun, Grapple, and Kohler. Bo'sun held a bloody nine-tipped whip coiled in one hand.
"You did this to him?!" Chelsea exclaimed in horror.
Bo'sun nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
Chelsea's jaw dropped in horror. Her shock, however, was soon replaced by rage. "How could you?! What has he ever done to you?!"
Bo'sun turned to Kohler and, jerking his head in Chelsea's direction, he grunted and order. Kohler nodded and headed for Chelsea. He quickly grabbed her arms and escorted her, none too gently, to the cell that once belonged to Jack. After tossing her in and locking the door, he rejoined his shipmates.
"Sparrow."
Jack's eyes fluttered halfway open at the sound of his name. "Aye?" He asked, his voice barely loud enough to be heard.
"Tell us where the Pearl is and we'll let ye go." Kohler said.
"Nay." Jack replied instantly.
Bo'sun allowed the tips of the cat-o-nine-tails drop to the brig floor threateningly.
"What are you doing?!" Chelsea's voice demanded nervously form the cell she was imprisoned in.
"Quiet, wench." Grapple growled, effectively silencing the girl.
"Leave 'er 'tta thi'." Jack slurred weakly, gasping with each word.
"Quiet!" Bo'sun snapped, slashing the whip and doubling the cuts on the right side of Jack's face.
Chelsea put a hand to her mouth and gasped as Jack's head snapped away from the whip's strike and blood trickled from the fresh and reopened wounds. Jack's breath was coming in even shorter gasps than before and he looked on the verge of passing out.
"Stop it! He doesn't deserve this!" Chelsea yelled, gripping the cell bars tightly.
"QUIET!" Bo'sun yelled back, flinging the whip in Chelsea's direction.
Chelsea backed away from the bars just as the blood-coated tips struck the metal. Even though she managed to avoid the lash, blood from the tips flew in, spattering her skin and clothes. She didn't seem to notice the blood as Bo'sun stepped towards Jack once more, brandishing the whip.
~*~
"Sail ho!" The sentry called down from the crow's nest.
Ana-Maria's gaze shot up to scan the horizon at the call.
"There." Will said, pointing to a dark spot on the horizon.
Ana-Maria followed Will's indication and quickly saw the vessel. She grabbed the spyglass from the young blacksmith and aimed it at the ship. A few moments later, she lowered the instrument.
"Is it them?" Will asked.
Ana-Maria's eyes narrowed at the ship on the horizon. "Aye." She growled. "Let the sails run free! Load the guns! Run out the sweeps!" She screamed, shoving the spyglass back at the blacksmith and setting the Pearl on a course for the unmarked vessel.
~*~
Jack's body convulsed as the cat dug nine more deep gouges in his back, drawing more blood and sending jolts of seething pain throughout his entire body. As the tips withdrew, he slumped forward as much as the bindings would allow, spots clouding his already fuzzy vision. He coughed weakly, blood flying from his mouth and adding to that already on the ground.
"That's enough!" Chelsea screamed once more, on the verge of tears.
"Silence!"
"Sail ho!"
The three torturers looked up the stairs of the brig at the call.
"This'll 'ave t' wait."
Kohler and Grapple nodded as Bo'sun coiled the whip and the three stormed upstairs. Jack kept his head up until he heard the three new sets of footsteps above deck. Once he knew his three tormentors were gone, he gave into the darkness, his body falling limp, suspended by the ropes.
[a/n: Please review.]