---
2
---
A pain swirling around his head, Jack realized that he was alive! He surely had thought that he would never open his eyes again. As he did open them, however, he was met with that horrible set of red eyes right in front of his own. He scrambled to his feet and cast a glance upwards toward the blinding flash of light which flew down at him from the uncovered opening, before grabbing firmly onto the ladder which led to the exit. Without looking to see if the eyes were still there or following, he began to mount the ladder. As his foot fell upon a higher rung and he pulled himself upwards, he felt a strong grip around his throat followed by a low growl. The eyes! The eyes had hands now. Jack choked and wheezed, removing his hand from its holding on one of the ladder's rungs and reaching around to bat at the hand which was placed around his throat.
His breath came out shortened and his face turned red as he struggled against whatever monster he had angered. Jack removed his other hand from its ladder holding and remained upright on the ladder's footing solely with his feet. He tried to pry the hand from his throat but it was as though it were made of steel. Suddenly his feet stumbled from beneath him. His eyes bulging, his breath coming out in small gasps, he began to fall backwards. He felt the hand release its grip on his throat and he continued his drop to the foundation, his arms flailing about, looking for any holding available.
His back hit the hard ground once again with a thud and as he lay sprawled along the dirty floor in pain, Jack realized that he was getting too old for these adventures. As he tried to collect himself and catch his breath, he felt the hand along his throat once again. He choked as he was lifted by the hand and placed upright upon his feet. Then he was pushed into the wall with a sharp jerk and he felt all of the wind become eliminated from his lungs. His chest heaved, trying to re-fill his empty lungs, he turned his eyes to gaze upon what cruel figure could be putting him through so much torment. But all he could perceive in the smoky darkness was a shady, caped silhouette. The red eyes burned brightly in their sockets, fixed on Jack with their menacing glow. Quick as lightning, a snake-like cord shot out from the silhouette and wrapped itself around Jack's wrist. He writhed with pain as it tightened excruciatingly around the skin. He shot out several breaths, gathering his energy, then moved forward, wanting to see who his captor really was.
As he moved closer into the beam of light that shined down and the smoke parted away from his direction, he lay eyes upon a terrible threatening figure. With an odd half-mask across the side of his face, his dark hair slicked back neatly and the glowing eyes of hatred staring out at him, Jack was only able to earn a look at the man's appearance for a moment more, for another rope shot out from the masked man's grip and entangled itself around Jack's neck. The masked man tightened the ropes which held Jack captive and drew him forward with a rough yank.
Jack stared at the man and a frown came to his face. He placed his hands together in a praying position and looked at him pleadingly. "Come on, mate. Can't we just reconsider this? I'll let you have 10 'o me plunder! 10!"
The man growled angrily at Jack's offer and pulled tighter on the ropes, bringing Jack's face only inches apart from his own.
"20?" Jack offered, nervously. He looked at the man for a response, but none was offered. He swallowed hard and adjusted his offer once more, hoping that it would now satisfy. "50?" He asked, regretting making the offer because it was so great of a percent and he didn't want to give up that much of his loot.
The masked man looked at Jack distastefully and pulled the rope so that Jack's nose was now touching his. His eyes burned into Jack's. "Who are you?" He asked in a deep, yet soft tone.
Jack gasped and tried to pull away from the man, feeling very uncomfortable, but the man's strength was impenetrable. "Me? I'm Jack Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow. Okay, how about 65 of my plunder? But that's my final offer. I couldn't possibly go any higher. It's a good deal, really. You'll never be able to fi--"
"Shut up!" The man yelled, his eyes illuminating with rage, and he pulled on Jack's ropes, the cord digging into his neck and causing red lines to appear on the surface.
"You refuse 65! Who are you?" Jack asked, aghast.
"I am... Erik, Mr. Sparrow--"
"Captain Sparrow."
Erik tightened the ropes yet again, making Jack gag. "Okay. Mr. Sparrow it is, then!"
"--but you will soon be dead so it is the least of your cares."
"Alright, Erik. I see. But can you just explain one thing before you kill me?"
"What would you like to be explained?"
"Why do you wear that funny ol' mask? It's kind of silly looking, if you ask me."
Erik roared with rage. "This mask? Silly? I'll have you know that this mask was my first unfeeling scrap of clothing."
"What's so bad underneath that you have to wear it?"
"My face," Erik said dryly. His grip loosened slightly on the ropes around Jack's wrist and neck, allowing Jack a better ability to breath.
"What's wrong with your face?"
"This face... which earned a mother's fear and loathing? Beneath this sheath lies a monstrosity so hideous that any man who dares set his eyes upon its abnormality is doomed to a lifetime filled with horrible recurring nightmares of my deformity."
"Aww, I'm sure it's not that bad. You're probably just exaggerating. May I see it?"
"No! Never! You do not see my face and forget it. One never forgets the Phantom of the Opera."
"Uhh... hello? Man about to die here. I've got nothing to lose-- Wait a second. Opera? Mate, do you have a vision deformity as well? Because I can clearly see no opera here. Just a dirty pit."
Erik bared his teeth at Jack and was about to tug on his cords, then did not but instead let them move looser in his grip. "I know," he said sadly. "I used to live in an opera and... well it's a long story."
"Oh, tell me! Tell me! I don't mind waiting. I've got all day."
"No you don't because you are going to die now," Erik replied, gaining his anger once more and tugging on Jack's ropes. Jack choked and his eyes bulged as a hand reached up to the rope around his neck and began trying to remove it.
"70 and I'll make you a Commodore!" Jack screeched painfully. "Commodore Erik! Commodore Phantom! Whatever you want! I'll buy you a... funny... hat..." Jack's speech drifted off as he passed out from his lack of oxygen. He fell forward on top of Erik who caught him in his arms and proceeded with leading him into the depths of his lair.