Hey guys! Thank you for all the lovely reviews... you guys rock!

Carn: I know you're in London at the mo and can't read this yet, but... well. Poor old Norrity, he really does get the brunt of things doesn't he? Still, there's worse to come... but I won't give anything away...

rose-eye-blonde91: How much fun was it to write the punch??? I could do it again...and again... and again... but I mustn't! Don't be too hard on him though... the poor thing gets some more strife later on....

genevieve: Yes, that was kind of an 'omigod' moment...

ilfirin912: Thanks! I love the beginning of this chap as well. Evil Norrity. But he's not really evil...just mean and twisted... watch this space!

Arein: Hi! OK tell ya what, you give me a nice review and I'll email you the chapter with your name in it, so you can punch him for real... savvy?

On with the story...

Norrington yells in pain and stumbles backward, clutching his mouth, into the crowd, obviously having been unaware that I can hit as hard as I just have. The guards look at one another and dart towards me, but Sparrow and Will are already in front of me, swords drawn, and fend them off. I begin to run towards the docks. Will and Sparrow follow me.

I turn around and see hordes of guards sprinting after us, interspersed with peasants unwilling to miss this dramatic event, but I am not looking where I am going and I trip on a water bucket lying in the road. Before I can even move, Will and Sparrow have each grabbed one of my arms and are dragging me unceremoniously through the streets.

"Let me down!" I scream, but they take no notice and don't stop until we reach the docks. Sparrow yells something unintelligible and points at a ship docked near to us, but I scream in dissent – stealing Norrington's favourite boat would be a major mistake. Will hoists me onto another, older, ship, a black one I've never seen before, and he leaves me there, lying on deck, as he and Jack race around, untying ropes and letting loose the huge white sails for launch.

I pick myself up off the deck and peer over at dry land. The Navy guards are just rounding the corner towards us now; I spot Norrington, who, I am pleased to see, is bleeding fairly heavily from the mouth; yet he has recovered well enough to steal someone's horse for pursuit, bellowing at his guards and waving his ceremonial sword around in the air. The guards charge towards us. I shriek for Will, who comes running, sword in hand. The guards are just mounting the ramp to get on deck, Norrington in the lead, when Sparrow appears out of nowhere with an axe. At the exact same moment as Norrington tries to get on board ship, Sparrow hacks at the ramp with the axe; the ship pulls away from deck with surprising speed; the ramp splinters, and Norrington, the horse and several red-clad guards fall into the water with an almighty splash.

I cheer heartily and wave at the floundering men. Norrington howls something after me, raising his fist, but loses his balance, and abruptly sinks beneath water level. I laugh so hard I am in danger of falling over; then I realise someone is behind me. I turn around, still laughing softly, to see Will smiling down at me.

"Best escape we've ever made," he says, grinning distantly.

I nod in agreement, perhaps a little too feverishly. I wish my body would stay under control when in the presence of Will. "Thank God he didn't catch us; the last thing we need right now is someone being put in the stocks," I gabble, but Will seems not to be listening; he is staring restlessly out to the enveloping mist over the grey sea. I can make a guess what his mind is on, and my stomach contracts with guilt.

"We'll find her," I say, while actually hoping the exact converse. Will turns to me, and smiles again, but it seems as though he's not really smiling for me, he's smiling out of politeness. "Yes," he agrees, and I see just how much he believes we will; just how much I've built his hopes up; what he's going to feel when he finds she is dead; what he's going to say to me when he finds out I've been lying all along.

I open my mouth to tell him what really happened, but Sparrow's voice interrupts from the other side of the ship. "Hey, lover boy, come here a second." Will glances at me, and walks away, leaving me gazing into the murky gloom. It's too deadening, too huge and void; just as shadowy and grey as my future; when I try to look ahead, all I get is grey, grey, dreary, dull colours interspersing in my imagination.

I can't take the feeling; I retreat below deck to look around. Whoever owns the ship is a serious alcoholic. The hold is stocked with barrels upon barrels of rum, wine, beer and whisky. I find some rusty keys hanging on a hook, lock the door, and decide to keep the keys for bribery purposes whenever I need a favour from Jack.

The ship's kitchen is a small room with a fireplace, a large cooking pot, and several cupboards. There is a cabin with several bunk beds, and another large hold, full of gunpowder this time. I come back up onto deck. Will and Sparrow are nowhere to be seen, but I spot another hatch and climb down it. An elaborate mahogany door, covered in spirals and twists, stands before me. It has no handle, but a huge, ornate keyhole. I select a key and try it in the lock, but it does not fit. I try another, and another, until I have gone through them all, but none of them fit the door. I kick the door in frustration. I really want to see what is behind it.

The door, however, has other ideas, and, no matter how hard I hit it, refuses to open. I give in, and climb back up to deck. The mist from before has thickened now and obscures vision. I can barely see the other end of the ship. I call for Will, to get him to come and try to open the door, but there is no answer. I shout again, louder this time. Silence. I try yelling Sparrow's name, but he doesn't answer either.

I climb up to the stern. Will and Sparrow are both standing, staring out to sea. "There you are," I say, and march over to them, keys brandished, mouth open to tell them about the mysterious door, but their eyes are glazed and they just continue staring outwards, seemingly horrified.

I turn my face to where they are looking and my mouth drops slowly open into a scream.

Ooh, major cliffie... and just a minor warning, the next chapter might be an eensy bit gorey. OK, it WILL be LOTS gorey. But anyway, even if you do puke all over your computer screen I want you to review... savvy?

Luv ya, JB x