"Now. It's - only - a matter of - cutting through these...vines" Jack said, slashing viciously through the thick growth. "Then we're home-free!"
Mr. Gibbs mumbled something under his breath Jack didn't quite catch. "What was that Gibbs?"
"Nothing..." He muttered.
A few long hours later, they had possibly reached the base of the mountain. The terrain slowly ascended upwards, but it was still quite hard to tell with all the trees.
"Not long now," Jack chirped. He obviously was still in a good mood, even from all the trekking.
"Captain..." Gibbs started. He stopped to catch his breath and leant against a tree. "Can't...we... stop...just for a minute?"
Jack turned around to see Gibbs quite worn out, and his eyes begging them to pause.
"Well, I guess...for a minute"
There was a few seconds of heated eye contacts, until Emily broke away and ran out of the room, tears running down her cheeks. John Attenborough watched her as she slammed the door in fury.
"That was," He said, pausing. "A little bit harsh sir, if I may say so"
"No, you may not say so, because" He said pausing from his scribbling to look at him though his glasses. "You won't get a single shilling of mine if you don't marry that freak of nature"
John flinched faintly at the cruelty of this man, speaking of his own daughter like trash. But after all, there were rumours he had beaten his wife to death and blamed it on the girl for being born.
"Excuse me" He said, getting up from the chair and leaving him to work. John slipped out and heard a soft sobbing down the hall. It was Emily, sitting on the floor hugging her knees.
He bit his lip. He wasn't really used to dealing with crying women. He walked over to her side of the hall and crouched down beside her.
"He didn't mean it..."
"Of course he did" She spat. "I am a disgrace, I killed my mother, and I'm spoilt brat and look at me"
She looked up into his eyes with sorrow, brimming with tears. "I'm a freak of nature..."
The exact words her father had used...
Gibbs gave of a hacking cough.
"C'mon...Gibbs...Almost..." Jack had just begun to loose his breath, but stopped in mid sentence when he saw a small, dark opening. "Well well, I guess we're here!"
"Thank...the Lord..." Gibbs gasped.
"Ok Gibbs, I'll go in first - let you catch your breath."
"Great. Plan. Jack" He said slowly recovering. Jack nodded and slowly began to edge into the darkness...
"Come with me" He said gently.
"To get married" Sniff. "You must be kidding me"
He laughed. "No, I'll tell you a secret,' he paused for a while, thinking about how to put it.
'I don't...really like...um women...do you...know ?"
Sniff. "Really?" She croaked. "So we could...pretend to get married?"
"Yes, and you can get out of here, and we'll go to the authorities and get that man put away. If that's what you want of course."
She broadly smiled and nodded vigorously. There was a brief space of silence while she preened herself. "So, why would agree to marry me in the first place?"
"Well - it's a long story. I met your father at a social gathering and he insists we wed. He offered me a LOT of money. Sorry..."
She wiped her blotchy cheeks "No, it's alright."
"And I need money for my mother's operation and - to visit someone special" He said a bit dreamily, eyes glazing. "Both cost an awful lot of money, I just have enough to support my family and these costs."
She smiled and wished someone would love her as much as he loved his mother and partner.
It was strangely hotter in this cave thing. It was also very dark. Jack walked for a few minutes until a small light came into sight. A light? In a cave? How strange. He walked on further on until he found out what the source of light was coming from. A candle.
"Excuse me sir, A butler said, rapping lightly at the door. Mr. Lane mumbled, to signify he was listening.
"I just heard some...interesting news in the hallway."
"So it's settled then?" John said. "We leave this place tomorrow at the crack of dawn"
Emily smiled in thought of leaving this place behind. Tomorrow I'll have a new life...
A candle. I knew it; this ghost story was just a trick, Jack thought. He walked over to it and examined the objects on the table. Just ordinary objects you'd find in a house. Apples, paper and quill, a large emerald... Jack picked up the emerald and took a closer look in the candle light.
It glowed and reflected his face. And someone else behind him.
Emily awoke the next morning. She was so happy. As happy as she had ever been in her life. Everything was ready for a new life. Clothes and belongings stood ready to go at her door. She quickly dressed and took her luggage to John's guest room door. It was still dark outside and she didn't want to wake anyone by lighting any candles. She glanced around at the hauntingly moonlit hallways and gently knocked on John's door.
"John...John?" She whispered. No answer. Carefully, making sure the door didn't creak, she opened the door slightly and slid through. Closing the door again, she turned to see John's gas lamp on, giving off eerie shadows on the walls. He was still in bed, his back to her.
"John?" She whispered. "It's almost dawn, why aren't you up? John?"
She crept over to his bed and tapped him on the shoulder. "John?" She grabbed his limp arm and pulled him towards her. His body rolled on its back. His eyes were huge. There was a dagger in him, dragged down his chest, exposing his blood and guts. She carefully removed the lunged dagger. Some of his insides slid onto the bed as result. She was horrified. She couldn't scream, she couldn't move, she could only stare at John's vacant expression and his mutilated body.
Who could do such a thing. She slowly backed up towards the door, breathing irregularly.
Out of nowhere, arms shot out, one wrapped tightly around her waist and the other muffling any screams coming from her mouth. She knew that hand. She knew the feeling of it against her cheek.
"Hello Dear Emily," Her father whispered in her ear, slowly and sickeningly. Emily gave a small scream which was muffled by his great hand. "Think you were going to get away with marrying a fag did you? Going to go to the Queen to tell her to kill me were you? Think again dearest"
He was crazy. Absolutely crazy. "My precious little child... You're going to pay for the crime of killing my beloved wife, and being the devil herself... You're going on a little trip to the bottom of the ocean, you are" Emily's breathing quickened. There was no use fighting back. There had to be another way...
Jack turned quickly to find himself face to face with Gibbs. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.
"Dear lord Gibbs, you scared me out of my boots!" Jack chuckled. Gibbs didn't laugh with him.
Gibbs didn't have an expression on his face. Gibbs' body leaned towards Jack. Jack dodged him and Gibbs hit his head on the hard table. Jack was extraordinarily shocked and looked down at his limp body. There was a dagger in his back.
"Gibbs?"
"Can I help you with something?" said a silky voice in his ear. He slowly turned around to see the face of Gibbs' murderer. A young albino woman.
A/n: Firstly, I would like to thank my very first reviewer! Thanks Down2MarsGirl, your words inspired me beyond reason… You get an ultra-MEGA-super-special-cyber cookie for that! Sorry jennifer123, you were just too slow… I hope this chapter was ok… sigh I think I'll own Pirates of the Caribbean another day. I just don't feel like it right now…
