Yayies! More reviews!!!
Ok, regular disclaimer. Umm, well that's it, isn't it?
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Chapter Four - Surviving
Elizabeth stared down in horror at the immobile features of her friend. The crew lifted him up, and carried him off to his cabin. Elizabeth heard Gibbs mention some thing about 'wrapping him in sail canvas'.
She sat slowly down on to the deck. The waves were getting higher and more ferocious. The wind whipped at the ropes and sails of the ship, the wood creaking as it drifted toward some other port.
Suddenly, Elizabeth was grasped from behind, hauled to her feet, and pushed along the deck into her cabin once more. The door slammed shut. She heard Gibbs' voice outside.
"Mates! I know she be bad luck, but I don't have it in me to chuck o'er board. We leave her somewhere."
Another, harsher voice rasped out over the wind.
"But there be a storm brewin'! Tis like sentencing us to Davey Jones' Locker!"
There followed a soft thud, and then another louder. Gibbs coughed and apologised to the last speaker, who was apparently scrabbling on the floor at Gibbs' feet.
"I say we drop her off somewhere civilised."
A eerie silence followed.
"Yeah . . . Next port we come to, hey Gibbs?"
"Yeah, that'll be alright."
The men wandered off, laughing.
Elizabeth beat the walls of her makeshift prison in frustration. As she sat there, thought began to creep into her head. Thoughts like; "How could he have been killed?"
Eventually, she began to realise that it was nearly impossible. Leaning against the door, she tried to force it open. To no avail.
Elizabeth sat down on the bed. Surely they would bring food. She would overpower the guard, and get into Jack's cabin. He couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible.
Quite soon, the door opened. Seawater gushed in. Elizabeth had already armed herself with a candlestick. She leapt on the pirate, who slipped, throwing the food everywhere. Elizabeth dealt him three hard blows to his skull, before grasping her skirts, and stepping over the unconscious form.
Everyone was busy on deck, battling with the elements. Even so, it took her a surprisingly long time to reach the cabin door. The only way she could move without falling was to grip the door handles. Her cold wet and numb fingers struggled to hold on, but some how she managed it.
Pulling open the cabin door, she fell in, pushed from behind by a wave of water. Yanking the swaying door closed, she collapsed onto the soaking floor. The salty water seeped into her mouth, making her cough.
Sitting up, she saw Jack, lying peacefully on the bed. Walking across to him, she looked into his face. He couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible.
She leaned over his tanned face. But she stopped abruptly. Elizabeth could feel breath on her cheek.
She examined his face closely. Yes, he was breathing. Elizabeth suddenly felt that she had a unique opportunity. Lowering her face, she brushed her lips over his. It felt nice. She did it again, deeper. And again.
Elizabeth drew away, surprised at her own daring. She wanted to look around, to check no one had been watching. At least he was alive, but why wasn't he awake?
Elizabeth suddenly felt ill. She raised a pale hand to her forehead, feeling faint, and 'wobbly'. Slumping down to the floor, she placed a hand on her heart, which was aching uncomfortably. Her breathing felt faster and shorter, and painful. She could feel herself slipping into oblivion, and she didn't like it. Un-able to stop herself, she fell back against the wall, gasping, with her heart banging painfully against her ribs as the darkness overcame her.
It was only a few minutes that Elizabeth was under. She awoke slowly. Feeling her heart, she nearly cried out. It wasn't beating. Or at least, it didn't feel like it was beating. If she concentrated, she could almost feel it.
That was when she realised why Jack was lying, apparently dead, on the bed opposite. Elizabeth stood up. He wasn't physically injured. In fact, the only way he could have been, well 'killed', was by some sort of poison . . ..
. . . . And she had felt strange after kissing his lips. It all made sense.
"Jack! Jack wake up!"
She slapped him hard about the face, but to no result. However, one of the men came in, and stared at her.
"What you wench doin' in here?"
"Jack's alive!"
The pirate gave her a funny look. He grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her across the deck, which was awash with water. He threw her into her room, picked up the body of his unconscious comrade, and with a nasty sneer at her, left Elizabeth to herself.
For the rest of the journey, she was kept in her cabin. Elizabeth knew her only hope of escape was Jack. He was possibly the only crewmember who trusted her.
Without Jack, she might as well be on an enemy ship.
Eventually, she heard shouts. They woke her from her fitful doze. She crawled across to the door, and peered out.
The 'Pearl' had docked. Men's voices were shouting, ropes were creaking, carrying loads from ships to port. But the overpowering sound was shrieking. Men, women, and possibly children.
The door was pulled open, and Gibbs took Elizabeth's hand. He led her out on deck, and began to guide her down the gangplank. Elizabeth suddenly realised the full horror of her situation. They had docked at Tortuga.
The men were swarming off the 'Black Pearl', and vanishing into the rowdy, crowded town. Gibbs let go of her hand, and pushed her into the night. Elizabeth staggered forward, only to be grabbed by a drunken man, a glass in one hand. Elizabeth struggled to free herself, and get back to Gibbs, but he was gone. Instead, she fled into the torch-lit night, pursued by what seemed at least a dozen men, all intent of getting her out of her dress.
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Ok, before I get mobbed over the amazing potion, I need to explain.
For those who will argue that this isn't realistic . . .Erm, hello? How many people do you know who turn into skeletons in moonlight?
Yes, I know it's a bit of a steal from Romeo and Juliet, but allow me some artistic license. I don't own any rights to Romeo and Juliet, either.
Ok, regular disclaimer. Umm, well that's it, isn't it?
***********************************************************
Chapter Four - Surviving
Elizabeth stared down in horror at the immobile features of her friend. The crew lifted him up, and carried him off to his cabin. Elizabeth heard Gibbs mention some thing about 'wrapping him in sail canvas'.
She sat slowly down on to the deck. The waves were getting higher and more ferocious. The wind whipped at the ropes and sails of the ship, the wood creaking as it drifted toward some other port.
Suddenly, Elizabeth was grasped from behind, hauled to her feet, and pushed along the deck into her cabin once more. The door slammed shut. She heard Gibbs' voice outside.
"Mates! I know she be bad luck, but I don't have it in me to chuck o'er board. We leave her somewhere."
Another, harsher voice rasped out over the wind.
"But there be a storm brewin'! Tis like sentencing us to Davey Jones' Locker!"
There followed a soft thud, and then another louder. Gibbs coughed and apologised to the last speaker, who was apparently scrabbling on the floor at Gibbs' feet.
"I say we drop her off somewhere civilised."
A eerie silence followed.
"Yeah . . . Next port we come to, hey Gibbs?"
"Yeah, that'll be alright."
The men wandered off, laughing.
Elizabeth beat the walls of her makeshift prison in frustration. As she sat there, thought began to creep into her head. Thoughts like; "How could he have been killed?"
Eventually, she began to realise that it was nearly impossible. Leaning against the door, she tried to force it open. To no avail.
Elizabeth sat down on the bed. Surely they would bring food. She would overpower the guard, and get into Jack's cabin. He couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible.
Quite soon, the door opened. Seawater gushed in. Elizabeth had already armed herself with a candlestick. She leapt on the pirate, who slipped, throwing the food everywhere. Elizabeth dealt him three hard blows to his skull, before grasping her skirts, and stepping over the unconscious form.
Everyone was busy on deck, battling with the elements. Even so, it took her a surprisingly long time to reach the cabin door. The only way she could move without falling was to grip the door handles. Her cold wet and numb fingers struggled to hold on, but some how she managed it.
Pulling open the cabin door, she fell in, pushed from behind by a wave of water. Yanking the swaying door closed, she collapsed onto the soaking floor. The salty water seeped into her mouth, making her cough.
Sitting up, she saw Jack, lying peacefully on the bed. Walking across to him, she looked into his face. He couldn't be dead. It wasn't possible.
She leaned over his tanned face. But she stopped abruptly. Elizabeth could feel breath on her cheek.
She examined his face closely. Yes, he was breathing. Elizabeth suddenly felt that she had a unique opportunity. Lowering her face, she brushed her lips over his. It felt nice. She did it again, deeper. And again.
Elizabeth drew away, surprised at her own daring. She wanted to look around, to check no one had been watching. At least he was alive, but why wasn't he awake?
Elizabeth suddenly felt ill. She raised a pale hand to her forehead, feeling faint, and 'wobbly'. Slumping down to the floor, she placed a hand on her heart, which was aching uncomfortably. Her breathing felt faster and shorter, and painful. She could feel herself slipping into oblivion, and she didn't like it. Un-able to stop herself, she fell back against the wall, gasping, with her heart banging painfully against her ribs as the darkness overcame her.
It was only a few minutes that Elizabeth was under. She awoke slowly. Feeling her heart, she nearly cried out. It wasn't beating. Or at least, it didn't feel like it was beating. If she concentrated, she could almost feel it.
That was when she realised why Jack was lying, apparently dead, on the bed opposite. Elizabeth stood up. He wasn't physically injured. In fact, the only way he could have been, well 'killed', was by some sort of poison . . ..
. . . . And she had felt strange after kissing his lips. It all made sense.
"Jack! Jack wake up!"
She slapped him hard about the face, but to no result. However, one of the men came in, and stared at her.
"What you wench doin' in here?"
"Jack's alive!"
The pirate gave her a funny look. He grabbed her by the arm, and pulled her across the deck, which was awash with water. He threw her into her room, picked up the body of his unconscious comrade, and with a nasty sneer at her, left Elizabeth to herself.
For the rest of the journey, she was kept in her cabin. Elizabeth knew her only hope of escape was Jack. He was possibly the only crewmember who trusted her.
Without Jack, she might as well be on an enemy ship.
Eventually, she heard shouts. They woke her from her fitful doze. She crawled across to the door, and peered out.
The 'Pearl' had docked. Men's voices were shouting, ropes were creaking, carrying loads from ships to port. But the overpowering sound was shrieking. Men, women, and possibly children.
The door was pulled open, and Gibbs took Elizabeth's hand. He led her out on deck, and began to guide her down the gangplank. Elizabeth suddenly realised the full horror of her situation. They had docked at Tortuga.
The men were swarming off the 'Black Pearl', and vanishing into the rowdy, crowded town. Gibbs let go of her hand, and pushed her into the night. Elizabeth staggered forward, only to be grabbed by a drunken man, a glass in one hand. Elizabeth struggled to free herself, and get back to Gibbs, but he was gone. Instead, she fled into the torch-lit night, pursued by what seemed at least a dozen men, all intent of getting her out of her dress.
***********************************************************
Ok, before I get mobbed over the amazing potion, I need to explain.
For those who will argue that this isn't realistic . . .Erm, hello? How many people do you know who turn into skeletons in moonlight?
Yes, I know it's a bit of a steal from Romeo and Juliet, but allow me some artistic license. I don't own any rights to Romeo and Juliet, either.