A/N Thanks reviewers!
Sarah:-
I threw myself against the door, screaming in irritation. Outside, the pirates were laughing and I could feel the rain lashing against the sides of the ship. I had followed Elizabeth's every move and what did I get? Thrown in a cabin and locked in by myself.
Even worse was the feeling of dread that if I failed, I could die. I was not Elizabeth. What if something happened? What if I could never get home?
I began to think through the next part of the storyline. Get captured- check. So what was next? Oh crap. Suddenly, everything I had ever learned about Pirates of the Caribbean popped out of my head. Double crap. How would I get through this?
A little voice piped up inside me. Get through what? Okay, now I was scared, very scared. I was locked in a cabin, of a ship, with pirates, and I had no idea how I was supposed to escape. Okay, brain was SO off my Christmas card list.
Half an hour later, I had racked my brains and was still unable to come up with anything more than. Captain Jack, Will, curse, die and kiss. Eventually, I gave up on trying to piece them together, but I could only hope that I was not the one who was going to die.
I started to hum a tune I had heard on the radio and then another, and then another. By the time I had gone through these, I was well and truly bored and I really needed the toilet.
I cleared my throat. "Excuse me, is there a toilet I could use?" No one and I began to pace the cabin and think about how I had got here.
It seemed like hours before the door opened and two pirates stepped in. Crap. What was I supposed to say?
"You'll be dinin' with the captain. And he requests you wear this." I stared at the pirate in disbelief, trying not to screw up my nose at the smell.
"Well, you may tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request." The pirates laughed and I turned away haughtily. "He said you'd say that. He also said if that be the case, you'll be dinin' with the crew...and you'll be naked." I grabbed the dress and disappointment shone on their faces.
"Fine." I sniffed loudly and stalked away, waiting for them to leave so that I could change. The dress was beautiful, but very hard to put on and it put up a good fight.
Once my corset was fastened and the dress secured, I picked up a hairbrush which was lying on a dresser and tugged it through my hair. It seemed strange that it was the same length as my own and that it was not curly and, deep down, I wished it had been in the beautiful ringlets Elizabeth was blessed with in the film. I wondered whether anyone would notice the difference but I resolved to curl it once I had dinner.
Another pirate stuck his head round the door and I laid down the brush. "You have to emerge in half an hour for dinner. It is being prepared just now." I nodded briefly and he withdrew.
Sensing another long wait, I scavenged in some drawers and found some handkerchiefs and some valuables which I presumed were stolen. I selected a clean handkerchief and a few tatty ones and then picked out a shabby pocket watch. I tucked the hanky and watch into a pocket in the dress and then proceeded to shred the other hankies.
There was a wash basin against the opposite wall and I dampened my hair using the water in it and wrapped sections around strips of handkerchief. My hair dried quickly and when I unwrapped the rags, my hair fell in ringlets to my shoulders.
I admired it in the mirror and then plaited it in a suitable fashion. I secured it with a ribbon just as the door opened. With a last look in the mirror, I followed the stinking pirate with my head held high.
***
In the captain's cabin, food was being laid out and I sat on the seat indicated. I began to eat daintily, not wanting to look rude.
"There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone. You must be hungry." I began to shovel food into my mouth. We would soon see who was repulsive. He held out a goblet. "Try the wine." I drank thirstily. "And the apples?" He reached into a bowl and pulled one out. "One of those next."
Only then did I realise that he wasn't eating. Trying not to spit on him, I spoke. "It's poisoned." I tried not to throw up. How could I have been so stupid?
"There would be no sense to be killing ye, Miss Turner." Oh good. I was not going to die. Wait. Why was I still there?
"Then release me, you have your trinket; I'm of no further value to you." I struggled to remain courteous. Be nice to evil man who could kill you Sarah, I mean Elizabeth. Wow. This was hard.
Barbossa took out the medallion. "You don't know what this is, do ye?" Nope. Okay, take a wild guess.
"It's a pirate medallion."
"This is Aztec gold... one of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."
I looked at him. Was I supposed to believe that? "I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."
"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner . Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it."
He got up and started stroking the ugly monkey. Slowly and carefully, with my tongue sticking out of the side of my mouth with concentration, I reached out for a butter knife. I grabbed it and laid it on my dress, folding it inside before he turned around again. "There is one way we can end our curse." He went on. "All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."
I gulped. "And the blood to be repaid?"
"That's why there's no sense to be killin' ye...yet." As a look of horror crossed my face, he picked up another apple. "Apple? Arr."
Without thinking, I lunged forwards and pulled out the knife. It struck him in the chest and I pulled my hand away in shock. I might just have killed someone. He looked down and smiled at me before yanking it out. Oh good, he was okay. Wait- he was okay?
"I'm curious – after killin' me what was it you plannin' on doing next?" I ran out of the cabin and instead of pirates, there were skeletons doing chores. I screamed as I was thrust into them and thrown into the air. I was passed between them until I landed in front of Barbossa.
"Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are." I did not want to look. I would not look at those h... horrible things.
"We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. For too long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing – not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh."
He reached out to me and as the moonlight shone on him, his flesh shrivelled and rotted until he was left as a skeleton.
"I know, I know. I'd best start believing in ghost stories. I'm in one!" He looked at me, bewildered.
"How did you...?" He grinned again and then I remembered that he was still an evil skeleton thing. Wait! I'd remembered something. We were definitely getting somewhere.
The pirates advanced menacingly and I let out a shrill scream and fled back into the cabin, slamming the door behind me.
I could hear the pirates laughing outside and heard someone pouring a drink down their throat. "What are ye looking at? Back to work!"
The other pirates echoed. "You heard the Captain. Back to work." As they dispersed, I curled up in the corner of the cabin and shook and cried.
A/N Excuse any mad comments. After all, it is Easter and I have just been eating chocolate. Don't worry, I won't do much more from the film. Most of it is for afterwards. I have it ALL planned out but I'd like to hear any ideas you might have! Review please!
Sarah:-
I threw myself against the door, screaming in irritation. Outside, the pirates were laughing and I could feel the rain lashing against the sides of the ship. I had followed Elizabeth's every move and what did I get? Thrown in a cabin and locked in by myself.
Even worse was the feeling of dread that if I failed, I could die. I was not Elizabeth. What if something happened? What if I could never get home?
I began to think through the next part of the storyline. Get captured- check. So what was next? Oh crap. Suddenly, everything I had ever learned about Pirates of the Caribbean popped out of my head. Double crap. How would I get through this?
A little voice piped up inside me. Get through what? Okay, now I was scared, very scared. I was locked in a cabin, of a ship, with pirates, and I had no idea how I was supposed to escape. Okay, brain was SO off my Christmas card list.
Half an hour later, I had racked my brains and was still unable to come up with anything more than. Captain Jack, Will, curse, die and kiss. Eventually, I gave up on trying to piece them together, but I could only hope that I was not the one who was going to die.
I started to hum a tune I had heard on the radio and then another, and then another. By the time I had gone through these, I was well and truly bored and I really needed the toilet.
I cleared my throat. "Excuse me, is there a toilet I could use?" No one and I began to pace the cabin and think about how I had got here.
It seemed like hours before the door opened and two pirates stepped in. Crap. What was I supposed to say?
"You'll be dinin' with the captain. And he requests you wear this." I stared at the pirate in disbelief, trying not to screw up my nose at the smell.
"Well, you may tell the captain that I am disinclined to acquiesce to his request." The pirates laughed and I turned away haughtily. "He said you'd say that. He also said if that be the case, you'll be dinin' with the crew...and you'll be naked." I grabbed the dress and disappointment shone on their faces.
"Fine." I sniffed loudly and stalked away, waiting for them to leave so that I could change. The dress was beautiful, but very hard to put on and it put up a good fight.
Once my corset was fastened and the dress secured, I picked up a hairbrush which was lying on a dresser and tugged it through my hair. It seemed strange that it was the same length as my own and that it was not curly and, deep down, I wished it had been in the beautiful ringlets Elizabeth was blessed with in the film. I wondered whether anyone would notice the difference but I resolved to curl it once I had dinner.
Another pirate stuck his head round the door and I laid down the brush. "You have to emerge in half an hour for dinner. It is being prepared just now." I nodded briefly and he withdrew.
Sensing another long wait, I scavenged in some drawers and found some handkerchiefs and some valuables which I presumed were stolen. I selected a clean handkerchief and a few tatty ones and then picked out a shabby pocket watch. I tucked the hanky and watch into a pocket in the dress and then proceeded to shred the other hankies.
There was a wash basin against the opposite wall and I dampened my hair using the water in it and wrapped sections around strips of handkerchief. My hair dried quickly and when I unwrapped the rags, my hair fell in ringlets to my shoulders.
I admired it in the mirror and then plaited it in a suitable fashion. I secured it with a ribbon just as the door opened. With a last look in the mirror, I followed the stinking pirate with my head held high.
***
In the captain's cabin, food was being laid out and I sat on the seat indicated. I began to eat daintily, not wanting to look rude.
"There's no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone. You must be hungry." I began to shovel food into my mouth. We would soon see who was repulsive. He held out a goblet. "Try the wine." I drank thirstily. "And the apples?" He reached into a bowl and pulled one out. "One of those next."
Only then did I realise that he wasn't eating. Trying not to spit on him, I spoke. "It's poisoned." I tried not to throw up. How could I have been so stupid?
"There would be no sense to be killing ye, Miss Turner." Oh good. I was not going to die. Wait. Why was I still there?
"Then release me, you have your trinket; I'm of no further value to you." I struggled to remain courteous. Be nice to evil man who could kill you Sarah, I mean Elizabeth. Wow. This was hard.
Barbossa took out the medallion. "You don't know what this is, do ye?" Nope. Okay, take a wild guess.
"It's a pirate medallion."
"This is Aztec gold... one of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold...a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."
I looked at him. Was I supposed to believe that? "I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Barbossa."
"Aye. That's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it, we did. There be the chest. Inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company. The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize...the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Turner . Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it."
He got up and started stroking the ugly monkey. Slowly and carefully, with my tongue sticking out of the side of my mouth with concentration, I reached out for a butter knife. I grabbed it and laid it on my dress, folding it inside before he turned around again. "There is one way we can end our curse." He went on. "All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."
I gulped. "And the blood to be repaid?"
"That's why there's no sense to be killin' ye...yet." As a look of horror crossed my face, he picked up another apple. "Apple? Arr."
Without thinking, I lunged forwards and pulled out the knife. It struck him in the chest and I pulled my hand away in shock. I might just have killed someone. He looked down and smiled at me before yanking it out. Oh good, he was okay. Wait- he was okay?
"I'm curious – after killin' me what was it you plannin' on doing next?" I ran out of the cabin and instead of pirates, there were skeletons doing chores. I screamed as I was thrust into them and thrown into the air. I was passed between them until I landed in front of Barbossa.
"Look! The moonlight shows us for what we really are." I did not want to look. I would not look at those h... horrible things.
"We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. For too long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starving to death and haven't died. I feel nothing – not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor the warmth of a woman's flesh."
He reached out to me and as the moonlight shone on him, his flesh shrivelled and rotted until he was left as a skeleton.
"I know, I know. I'd best start believing in ghost stories. I'm in one!" He looked at me, bewildered.
"How did you...?" He grinned again and then I remembered that he was still an evil skeleton thing. Wait! I'd remembered something. We were definitely getting somewhere.
The pirates advanced menacingly and I let out a shrill scream and fled back into the cabin, slamming the door behind me.
I could hear the pirates laughing outside and heard someone pouring a drink down their throat. "What are ye looking at? Back to work!"
The other pirates echoed. "You heard the Captain. Back to work." As they dispersed, I curled up in the corner of the cabin and shook and cried.
A/N Excuse any mad comments. After all, it is Easter and I have just been eating chocolate. Don't worry, I won't do much more from the film. Most of it is for afterwards. I have it ALL planned out but I'd like to hear any ideas you might have! Review please!