CHAPTER FIVE

When we entered the bar, we sat down at the table and ordered another round of rum, my treat.

"Where did you get that?" Jack said, gesturing toward the bag of money I had stolen earlier that evening.

"I stole it." I stated simply, knowing he would ask from whom.

"And who, may I ask, did you steal twenty shillings from?"

"A man I met here earlier."

"And why did you steal twenty shillings from a man you met?" Jack was clearly confused.

"Because he offered me a drink."

"Well, bloody hell, take it, love! You must be daft!"

"No no, I did, but you don't understand, he thought I was a whore. So I threatened him with my pistol-"

"Which has no shots," Annaclara interjected.

"Which has no shots, yes, and when he ran away from me, I took the money he left and it is now mine, not very much, I must say, but gold is gold."

We all talked and laughed and got moderately drunk (except for Jack, of course, who was nearly falling out of his seat with sheer drunkenness), then we bid our goodnights and Jack left, accompanied by Annamaria and Mr. Gibbs. When Annaclara and I returned to our little flat, I told her all about what had taken place and what was to take place the following morning.

"So you are going to go live aboard Jack's ship and sail the seas as a pirate?"

"Yes, that is how it seems," I said.

"Well that's amazing!" Annaclara shouted.

"Yes, it is..." I said dreamily, already thinking about my first commandeering of a ship and my first raid with my father. Then what she had said hit me like a ton of brick, "What do you mean, 'that's amazing'?" I asked, slightly hurt that she was happy to see me go.

"No," Annaclara said soothingly, detecting the hurt feelings in my voice, "It's amazing because I am going as well!"

"You what?" I said, completely taken off guard by what she had just said.

"I wasn't going to tell you until tonight, but Annamaria asked me last night while you and Jack were gone.

"So... we're going together, then," I said, still somewhat dumbfounded.

"That's fantastic!" Annaclara said. After we had comprehended all of this, we went to sleep, both most likely to dream of the following morning.

I awoke, still a bit dreamy, and rushed to get the bag I had packed the previous evening. Annaclara was already waiting for me by the door of the bar and we set off together. When we arrived at the beach, Jack and Annamaria were already waiting for us. When we approached them, something seemed rather odd. They weren't smiling; they were just standing there. When I reached Jack, I asked what was wrong. He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out his pistol and shot Annaclara. Everything was hazy; I could feel myself falling ...

I woke up on the floor with a start. Thank God it had only been a dream. Annaclara was standing by my side.

"You took a bit of a fall, didn't you?" She asked with a touch of sarcasm.

"Shut up." I said, "Hurry up and pack. It's time to go. We have to get there by sunrise or they'll leave without us."

Annaclara just stood there. "GO!" I shouted.

"I have everything I need, you?"

"I packed last night," I told her matter-of-factly, suddenly remembering my dream.

"Well then, I guess we're off." She replied. And we were.

When we arrived at the beach it was empty. At least a pirate doesn't have to be at all punctual I thought to myself. We sat down on the sand and waited.

And waited.

And after about three or so hours, two specks appeared in the distance.

"Annaclara," I shouted, awakening Annaclara, "look! There by the horizon!"

"All I see is a couple of.... PEOPLE!" She screamed, "Rose it's people! They're finally here- what should we say? What does a pirate say to a fellow pirate? Ahoy? Hello? No, that sounds too formal, what about Yo Ho? Or maybe..."

"Annaclara," I interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Shut up. They're nearly here. Why don't we just let them say something first, then we'll answer accordingly. Yes?"

"Yes. Good." She said affirmatively. By that time they were no more than three or four meters off and we stood ready to greet them. Only, as we stood there, we exchanged glances and each of us knew what was going through the other's head. These two were not Annie and Jack. They were two big, dirty, smelly men. With another quick glance I could also see that Annaclara was as confused as I was about this.

"Erm, excuse me, but... who are you?" I asked when they had come closer.

"We're 'ere to take ye to the Captain," the shorter, burly one said, "Ye must be Rose," he said looking me up and down, "and ye," he said looking at Annaclara, "Are Annaclara?"

"Yes, I am, actually... But... How did you know which was which?"

The taller, more slender one answered this time, "You," he said looking at me, "are a spittin' image of Captain Sparrow." I really didn't know whether to take that as a flattering remark or not, but providing both Annaclara and Annamaria were discreetly swooning about my father, I assumed it was a good thing to look like him.

And after a brief moment we left. Toward my father's ship, the ship I would live on from now hopefully until the end of my days. Just me, my father, and the sea.