Pirates of the Caribbean : The Bermuda Triangle

Chapter 9 - The hidden message

It was about midnight and Panther couldn't sleep. Getting up slowly, she made her way towards Jack's room, as there was light coming from under the door. She knocked twice and the door creaked open. Jack was sitting in a chair by the window, observing the map of Bermuda seas carefully. He didn't even notice his niece.

"Find anything interesting?" Panther sat down beside him, as Jack finally took his eyes from the piece of paper in his hand.

"You tell me" he handed her the map "See anything?"

"You mean the triangle? Yeah I see it, so?"

"No, not the triangle. Inside it."

"What?" Panther asked looking really confused.

"It's just a map, right?" Jack looked at his sibling, who nodded in agreement. "But if you look at it this way" he took the candle and put the map just above it, so it was kind of see-through. "See?"

Panther's eyes widened. You could just about make out a few sentences.

"It's a hidden message!" Panther smiled, thinking that they were on to something. "What does it say?"

Jack reached over to the table and handed her a piece of paper with a bunch of scribbles on it.

"That's all that I could make out." he said, as Panther read aloud.

The only ones who faced the curse

Are the ones who always feared

Who did not bother read this verse

In the triangle they disappeared

But there's just one way to escape

The deadly triangle at dawn

To get the treasure, sacrifice

The Blood-red, ruby stone…

"A red ruby…" Panther looked at her hand "Think this can be it?" she pulled a gold ring with a triangular ruby off her engagement finger.

"Where did you get that?" Jack looked closely at the ring.

"Stole it from Turner's pocket when I first met him." she smiled.

"I think this might be it." Jack twirled the ring around

"I was thinking" Panther rested her head on her hands "Would you be prepared to sacrifice the Pearl?"

Jack stared "Why?"

"Well it just seems that if we go out to the triangle…um…area, we'll be risking the Pearl, as well as our lives."

"But we're gonna get the kid to sail out, aren't we?"

"But what is he gonna sail out on? If we give him some other ship, he'll get suspicious."

"We'll think of something" Jack shook his head, refusing to admit that he might have to lose the most important thing in his life.

"Well I hope we do, coz I wouldn't let anything happen to the Pearl" Panther yawned "Ok, I'm going to bed" she rubbed her eyes and disappeared in the doorway, with Sparrow staring at the door. He looked like he was daydreaming. Panther seemed to be really important to him, she was his family.

..:In the morning:..

The breakfast was beautifully laid out on the dinner table.

"Eat something, you'll starve!" Jack looked at Panther who seemed to have lost her appetite completely.

"I don't want to" she shook her head.

"Is it about sacrificing the Pearl?" Jack stopped and his eyes were wide open, as he realised that they weren't the only people at the table.

"What are you talking about?" Will took a piece of bread from the plate next to him.

"A…nightmare…yes! A nightmare that Panther had last night." he smiled weakly and the girl gave him a threatening stare to which he gulped.

"That's your idea of a nightmare?" Elizabeth laughed "Losing a ship? What about losing someone you love?"

Jack and Panther exchanged looks, giggling.

"Captain Black Panther does not love" Jack said in a strange French accent.

"Are you serious?" Elizabeth turned to the girl, with a full plate, left untouched in front of her.

She smirked, meaning yes. "The Black Pearl is the most important thing in my life, anyone tries to take it from me will find their throats cut in a second."

Will choked and Jeremy grabbed onto his throat, scared.

"It's my ship" Jack stared.

"Things change, Sparrow" she smirked "Some get weaker, others get stronger and…" she snapped a piece of bread in half "…you lose things"

He gave her a mean stare "You wouldn't dare, Kara!" his eyes lit up with fire

"Watch me, Jack!" they both got up and grabbed their guns.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Jack screamed running up to his niece and grabbing her by the waist, which caused her to fall into his arms and they both fell onto the floor laughing.

Will, Jeremy and Elizabeth exchanged weird looks.

"I guess it runs in the family" Will whispered.

"I guess it does" Elizabeth giggled, as they watched the two legendary pirates laugh their heads off, pretending to shoot each other on the floor. They were a real family.