Yes, this chapter is very short. I have come to a bit of writer's indecision (not writer's block, mind you.) I have an ending written, and it would be very easy to work towards it, but I am afraid that my ending would not be well-recieved. I didn't put angst as a category, and I don't want anyone following the story to be disappointed or anything. (As if a fanfic would be that important to any of you, but anyway..) If any of you have any opinion on this, PLEASE in the name of all that is good, please review and state said opinion. I need HELP. :)
In the dark lower room of the boat, Jack and Stella sat quietly at the small wooden table. A dim candle sat on the center of the table, adjacent to a glass bottle, almost full of rum, that seemed to glow in the light.
"Are you afraid?" Stella asked Jack. He was quiet, and hadn't touched the rum, two things very against the grain of his character. Jack looked up at her, rather suddenly, as if stunned into revelation.
"It's not the pirates' way to be scared, love." he said, trying unsuccessfully to force a smile.
"Yes, but are you afraid?" Stella asked again.
Jack fidgeted a bit, and ran his shaky fingers through his hair. "I am...very afraid. Afraid for me. Afraid for you. Afraid that nothing we've done will amount to anything, afraid that this will be it. There will never be a real life for us.," he stammered, gaining strength with each word. "Are you afraid?"
Stella took a deep breath and looked to the ceiling. "Of course I am," she sighed, looking back at Jack. "I mean, we are just stuck here waiting in hopelessness. There's nothing to do but be afraid."
Jack nodded, and leaned back in his chair. At that moment, a large blast came at the ship's side. Stella and Jack jumped out of their chairs, fleeing the large fiery hole in the side of the ship that was cracking wider and filling the lower compartment with water. They ran up the steps, that seemed to sink beneath their footfalls. They reached the deck, and through the gathering smoke they could still see Iago's ship beside them, and they felt the water creeping onto their feet. Another blast was heard, and it appeared to be coming right at them.
"Jump!" Jack yelled, grabbing her hand. They both went hurdling into the water. They rose from beneath the waves, knocking split wood and other debris away from them, and trying to see where to go for safety. The grey line of land that they had seen earlier was now rather close, and Stella could see the trees lining the shore.
"Should we swim there?" Stella yelled, trying to be heard over the continuing blasts.
"We'd only be confronting them! We'd be sitting ducks!" Jack shouted in return.
"Well what do you suggest we do?" Stella yelled back.
Jack paused, and unable to suggest any better plan, nodded reluctantly and began to move with Stella towards the shore.