Disclaimer: I do not own any of the POTC characters mentioned in this chapter and story, which I really hope is old news. The only things that are 100% original are the character Jackeus and the plot. :)

Summary: Jackeus continues his tale of the curse that currently haunts him. The gold coin is now lost, and it is up to Will to get it back.

Chapter 8- The Timing of Tragedy

"He's your son?!" Elizabeth shouted, flabbergasted. "How could you not tell me that?!"

"I did tell you!" he replied earnestly, stroking his brown- grey beard. "Didn't you understand the reason why I jumped up and down hysterically on the dock? I haven't seen my son in over ten years! I've been in hiding!"

"Exactly," Jack added. "Bootstrap here was thought to be dead all this time, but in reality, he was alive!" Elizabeth still had a perplexing look on her face.

"Allow me to explain," Bootstrap offered, clearing his throat. He knelt down beside Elizabeth, folded his hands, and began his tale.

"When I was a member of the Black Pearl, there were things that happened that I did not approve of, despite the fact that I was engaged in piracy all my life. One was when Jack was marooned on an island, left to die. Another was when The Jackal, a fellow pirate, was killed because he was accused of stealing gold for himself. The third and final thing was when they tried to kill me. They tied a cannon to my bootstraps, and allowed me to sink to Davy Jones' Locker. The one thing that they forgot was that I sent an Aztec gold piece to my son, Will, back in England. I had stolen a gold piece, which meant that I was cursed just as much as they were. I spent much of my time underwater, a place where it was not likely that I would be found. I've been trying to find my son ever since."

Elizabeth sat there, motionless, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Ah, it's not yer fault," he said wisely. "Tis the fault of Captain Barbossa, the one man I never wish to see again."

"That won't be a problem," Jack interrupted. "He's dead. If you can remember, he left me a pistol with one shot in it was I was marooned, savvy? When Will's blood came into contact with the last coin, I shot Barbossa, and watched him depart from the world into the world he now belongs."

"Hell itself," Bootstrap muttered.

"Most likely," Jack said cheerfully, laughing at his own joke.

"So, Elizabeth," said Bootstrap. "How long have you and Will known each other?"

"About eight years," she replied. "I was on board the ship that rescued him when he was found, close to a shipwreck. I've known him ever since then."

"Well, I say that we better get moving. I think you two have been apart long enough."

"I agree," she said. "Let's go."

"Go on," Will said, allowing Jackeus to continue his story.

"Now," Jackeus said, adjusting himself on his seat, "what I was going to tell you is that I noticed something a few months back, during the time of the last full moon. It was the middle of the night, and I thought that I was dreaming, but I noticed that I had no skin! Completely bone! When I woke up the next morning, I was back to normal. I realized that when the pirates didn't have the curse, I did! Being the owner of the coin, I was the one plagued with the curse!"

Will's eyes widened at the surprising news. "And you don't know where it is now?"

"No idea," he replied bitterly. "I've got to find it and get rid of it."

Will looked around the inn. "And you're sure that all of the pirates are dead?"

"Positive," Jackeus said. "I made sure of that. Now, if you'd be so kind, we did have a bargain."

Will rolled his eyes and walked over to the tall black man lying on the floor. He grabbed his sweaty legs, and dragged him out the door. He walked all the way out to a dock that overlooked deep water. He slowly but surely pushed the pirate in, and watched him sink into the water before him.

He had barely turned around when he heard a gunshot. However, after hearing the loud 'boom,' he was unable to move. Instead, he fell onto his knees, and then to the ground. Pain surged through him as he realized that he was the one who had been hit. He closed his eyes in pain, and breathed his last breath before being picked up and thrown into the water by a man referred to as The Jackal.

The Savage Link arrived in a French Harbor, right next to the Reincarnation, at around six o' clock that evening. Not bothering to retrieve any items on the ship that might be useful, Elizabeth bolted off the ship quickly, running to the first place that she thought Will might be located. Jack and Bootstrap ran after her, but came to a holt before entering the inn in which she ran. The words Jackal's Inn glimmered brightly in the sunlight.

"Whoa," Bootstrap remarked.

"Guess ol' Jackeus got around after being killed," Jack said. "He must have stolen the Miracus coin."

"Aye," Bootstrap said. "Come on." They walked into the shop to find Elizabeth constantly ringing the bell that lay on the registration desk.

"Hello!" she shouted. "Is anyone here?!"

"Coming, miss," a man shouted from upstairs.

Jackeus "The Jackal" Sphinx had not changed in the slightest. He was still thin and bony, but didn't look as dirty as he had once been when aboard the Black Pearl. He stopped in his tracks when he layed eyes Jack and Bootstrap.

"Jack--Bootstrap--my old friends," he said, walking over to them. "I thought you two were dead!"

"As did we," said Bootstrap.

"You haven't by chance seen a young man with brown hair and two swords pass through here, have you?" Elizabeth asked hopefully.

Jackeus' eyes widened. Then he looked down at the ground. "I'm so sorry, miss," he said, almost in tears. "You're friend was murdered over three hours ago. Shot in the back by some mad pirate. I'm terribly sorry."

Elizabeth looked as if she was going to scream, but instead did something that is too terrible to describe in detail. She pulled a pistol from her belt, put it to her stomach, and pulled the trigger......

That's the end of Chapter 8! Despite what you may think, this story is not over! If you think I should continue, please say so in your review! Thanks again!