I felt lonely after finishing Lost, so I thought I'd give you another
chapter of this to read.
A shirtless Jack Sparrow jumped elegantly down from the crow's nest of his new ship. The sun shone brightly over the warm air in the southern parts of Italy.
"Captain?"
Jack turned to the young man with light hair, dirtied by the weeks at sea. "Yes Thomas?"
"We should be arriving within the hour."
"Thank you." As Jack walked away, he had to fight not to let out a distinctly uncaptainly giggle. When he'd started out as a cabin boy with the Royal Navy, he'd never thought he'd end up captain of his own ship. Perhaps it was a pirate ship, but that didn't matter. As far as he was concerned, pirates had more fun. Instinctively, Jack rubbed the still- slightly-sore 'P' burned onto his right arm. They had more fun for the most part, anyway.
Jack looked straight up. The crisp white sails of the Black Pearl billowed in the wind. For the first time in a long while, he felt completely at ease. From the moment he'd first seen her, he'd known the Pearl was his. Women were lovely, but the Pearl would give him freedom. And now, here he was, captain of his ship off the coast of Italy. His crew might have been makeshift, but he'd find a more secure one. And at any rate, they called him captain, something he didn't think he'd ever get used to.
"Land ho!" Sampson yelled.
Jack scurried up the mast, looking out. He knew he wasn't acting like a proper captain, but nobody seemed to care. Looking far out into the distance, he could just make out the beginnings of land. Sitting up there, his chest gleaming in the sun, Jack felt the odd desire to sing. He didn't though, trying to maintain some form of humility. Instead, he climbed back down, heading for the captain's quarters, HIS quarters.
"Thomas, please inform me when we reach shore."
"Aye, sir."
As he continued walking, Jack felt that ridiculous grin spread across his face again.
As it turned out, Thomas had been exactly right when he said they'd arrive within the hour. Exactly fifty-six minutes later- not that Jack had been counting or anything- they docked. Before leaving the ship, Jack assembled his makeshift crew.
"Before you leave, I'd like you to know that you all make a fine crew. We've made if from East India to here without mishap. If you'd like to continue serving on the Pearl, meet back here in two days time."
Without looking behind, he left the ship, marching into town. As he walked, he was acutely aware of his swagger. He'd first developed it when he'd joined the Resolute Maiden as cabin boy. The other crewmembers at laughed at him, thinking he'd never gotten his sea legs. But Jack knew better. It wasn't a matter of sea legs; the ocean was calling to him, just as she always would.
He walked into a tavern, hoping to find some more permanent crewmembers. It was filled with sailors and whores, a surprising number of which spoke English at least decently. But one man in particular caught is attention. He sat at a table in the corner, speaking, presumably, to himself. He had long grey hair, that hung in is face as he stared at the table. Then suddenly he looked up and caught Jack's eye.
"You there!" he shouted. "Have you heard of the Isla de Muerta?"
Jack looked around, a slightly amused smile on his face as he wondered if this man could be talking to him. A few people had looked up briefly, but nobody else seemed to be paying attention.
"Yes Jack, I'm talking to you."
Startled into action, Jack moved closer to the man's table. "Excuse me?"
"You belong to the Sparrow, do you not?"
"Uh........."
"I've been waiting for you."
Intrigued, Jack took a seat beside him. "I don't understand."
"You will lose your heart's longing for a time, but wild treasure will belong to you."
Jack leaned closer. "Tell me more."
A shirtless Jack Sparrow jumped elegantly down from the crow's nest of his new ship. The sun shone brightly over the warm air in the southern parts of Italy.
"Captain?"
Jack turned to the young man with light hair, dirtied by the weeks at sea. "Yes Thomas?"
"We should be arriving within the hour."
"Thank you." As Jack walked away, he had to fight not to let out a distinctly uncaptainly giggle. When he'd started out as a cabin boy with the Royal Navy, he'd never thought he'd end up captain of his own ship. Perhaps it was a pirate ship, but that didn't matter. As far as he was concerned, pirates had more fun. Instinctively, Jack rubbed the still- slightly-sore 'P' burned onto his right arm. They had more fun for the most part, anyway.
Jack looked straight up. The crisp white sails of the Black Pearl billowed in the wind. For the first time in a long while, he felt completely at ease. From the moment he'd first seen her, he'd known the Pearl was his. Women were lovely, but the Pearl would give him freedom. And now, here he was, captain of his ship off the coast of Italy. His crew might have been makeshift, but he'd find a more secure one. And at any rate, they called him captain, something he didn't think he'd ever get used to.
"Land ho!" Sampson yelled.
Jack scurried up the mast, looking out. He knew he wasn't acting like a proper captain, but nobody seemed to care. Looking far out into the distance, he could just make out the beginnings of land. Sitting up there, his chest gleaming in the sun, Jack felt the odd desire to sing. He didn't though, trying to maintain some form of humility. Instead, he climbed back down, heading for the captain's quarters, HIS quarters.
"Thomas, please inform me when we reach shore."
"Aye, sir."
As he continued walking, Jack felt that ridiculous grin spread across his face again.
As it turned out, Thomas had been exactly right when he said they'd arrive within the hour. Exactly fifty-six minutes later- not that Jack had been counting or anything- they docked. Before leaving the ship, Jack assembled his makeshift crew.
"Before you leave, I'd like you to know that you all make a fine crew. We've made if from East India to here without mishap. If you'd like to continue serving on the Pearl, meet back here in two days time."
Without looking behind, he left the ship, marching into town. As he walked, he was acutely aware of his swagger. He'd first developed it when he'd joined the Resolute Maiden as cabin boy. The other crewmembers at laughed at him, thinking he'd never gotten his sea legs. But Jack knew better. It wasn't a matter of sea legs; the ocean was calling to him, just as she always would.
He walked into a tavern, hoping to find some more permanent crewmembers. It was filled with sailors and whores, a surprising number of which spoke English at least decently. But one man in particular caught is attention. He sat at a table in the corner, speaking, presumably, to himself. He had long grey hair, that hung in is face as he stared at the table. Then suddenly he looked up and caught Jack's eye.
"You there!" he shouted. "Have you heard of the Isla de Muerta?"
Jack looked around, a slightly amused smile on his face as he wondered if this man could be talking to him. A few people had looked up briefly, but nobody else seemed to be paying attention.
"Yes Jack, I'm talking to you."
Startled into action, Jack moved closer to the man's table. "Excuse me?"
"You belong to the Sparrow, do you not?"
"Uh........."
"I've been waiting for you."
Intrigued, Jack took a seat beside him. "I don't understand."
"You will lose your heart's longing for a time, but wild treasure will belong to you."
Jack leaned closer. "Tell me more."