Aye, the sequel to 'That's CAP'N t'ye, savvy?'. How thoroughly excitin'. Ha, I don' think I made it clear tha' there was goin' ta be a sequel so sorry if I left ye thinkin' tha' tha' was the end of the tale. Far from it. It was actually a strange place t'leave the end of tha first part, aye? Not even an' even number of chapters or nothin'. Ah well, jus' like fer the first one, I don't own anythin' from Pirates Of The Caribbean, regardless of wha' I ave led ye t'believe in the past. Hope ye like it. Please review, ye lazy gits. Ha.
Ludernway was a small, pleasant island, seldom spoken or heard about. It was rarely visited by travelers and rarely left by it's inhabitants. The people had similar schedules, revolving around their occupation, their family, gossip and attending church on Sunday mornings. Those who proclaimed themselves atheists in Ludernway were never spoken to by those who claimed Christ was Lord.
The Church was in the centre of the island, tall and proud. Ancient, it's walls climbed towards the sky, seeming to never want to return to the ground in rubble and ruins, always to be unaffected by time. Inside, through the uninviting, two heavy wooden doors, the Church was no less regal than it seemed to be from the exterior. It's wooden pews lined up like soldiers, facing the tower that was the pulpit behind which hung a large declaring cross, the crucified Jesus nailed through his wrists and feet to it. Stained glass windows depicting the apostles and Mary let the sunlight through in filtered, coloured rays, giving a sereal aspect to the visual nature of the Church.
On this one particular Saturday afternoon, the only occupant was a boy, almost a young man, sweeping the cold, stone floors in preparation for the next morning's service. Ross Williams was an alter boy, heartily devoted to the Church and the Lord. He swept without the dreary obligation one would expect, considering the task but rather with a cheerful joy that he had the opportunity to do it, his wide blue eyes glowing with a realization that he was in his Father's house. He wiped his brow, his naturally flushed cheeks now a heated pink, his long robe making his task a little more difficult in the summer heat. After a short break, he continued sweeping and began whistling the tune of one of the many hymns heard floating from the building on a Sunday morning.
Like most of the children on Ludernway, Ross had been taught the golden rule of the island that it's people were to follow at all costs. Serenity, solitude and peace were embraced and adventure, trouble and undesirable acquaintances were to be avoided.
Who was to know that all three of the said to be avoided would swagger onto shore, manifested in one pirate captain, his crew of questionable persons and the two upper class women who had somehow been accepted into the group that now hastened into the town. After only a few minutes of the visitors' arrival, Ross was interrupted from his chores by an urgent rapping on the unwelcoming wooden doors at the back of the church. Ross put down his broom and started towards the entrance, quickening his steps as the knocking continued, growing louder and more demanding.
Ross hastily unbolted the doors and heaved one open. No sooner than when the door had opened but a crack did a dozen or so strangers file swiftly into the Church, talking urgently amongst themselves. Ross watched, wide eyed as the dreaded hair, slurring man who seemed to be the leader of the bizarre parade shouted at the rest of the people to go as deep into the Church as they could. A stunning woman, however disheveled and frightened looking, lingered behind with the apparent Captain as he rebolted the doors, taking no notice whatsoever of Ross as he searched his mind for an action or words that would fit the unexpected situation.
"Ex-...Excuse me," he managed finally, just as the pirate and the lady were starting to follow after the rest of the strangers.
The pirate swayed to look at him as did the lady, eyes wide and surprised at finding another person in the Chrurch.
"Did you know he was here?" the pirate asked the lady in confusion.
"The door didn't just magically open, Jack. He opened it," the lady pointed out.
"We have t'get goin'," the pirate shrugged the matter off, grabbing the woman's hand and preparing to hasten to the front of the church.
"Wait!" the lady cried, jerking back her hand and motioning at Ross, "We can't just leave him here."
Reinforcing her words, a loud thundering sounded outside the doors to the Church and they creaked under the unseen pressure. Ross turned, startled, towards them and stumbled backwards.
"What's yer name, lad?"
Ross looked up to find the pirate staring directly at him, awaiting an answer.
"Ross Williams, sir," he answered numbly as the doors leaned mournfully inwards again, unbelievingly faltering against the tremendous force on the outside.
"An' yer age?"
"I turn seventeen in two months, sir."
The pirate turned back to the lady, triumph on his tanned features, "Are yer suggestin' tha' the best place fer a sixteen year old alter boy is on the Black Pearl with me crew, Christina?"
The lady motioned at the door as another deafening thud landed against it, "Anywhere is better than here at this moment in time."
The pirate rolled his eyes in defeat, turning back to Ross with a forced smile, "How would ye like fer me t'make ye a pirate, lad? Ye can learn t'swordfight, drink rum, sail the seven seas... what d'ye say?"
Ross stared at him as though he were growing an extra limb from the side of his head, "N-no thank you, sir."
The pirate lowered his brows, "What d'ye mean 'no thank you'? It's every boy's dream t'become a pirate. What's wrong with ye?"
"Sorry, sir. I'll... be fine here," Ross shook his head again as the first splintering cracks sounded, the doors losing the battle that raged on the other side.
"To the contrary, lad, I highly doubt that," the pirate replied grimly. After staring at him probingly for a long moment, he shrugged, turning back to the lady, "He doesn't want t'come, luv."
"Well, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to convince him otherwise, Jack! There's a bunch of scary, undead woman on the other side of that door!"
Ross gulped at this new news, however strange and unbelievable but slowly proving itself as the doors became weaker and weaker under the attack of the powerful force outside. The pirate turned back to him, "I'm goin' ta ask ye one more time, lad. Do ye want t'come with us... or stay here?"
Ross snuck a fearful glance at the doors before summoning up as much courage as he could muster and shaking his head definitely at the pirate, "I'll be fine here, sir."
The pirate eyed him with disappointment and a strange remorse, "Well, I'm very sorry, lad."
"What for?" Ross frowned.
The answer he got was a sharp pain on the side of his head before his world clouded to darkness.
"That was unnecessary," Christina commented as Jack put down the heavy candlestick and heaved the alter boy over his shoulders.
"I beg different Miss 'we can't just leave him here'," Jack grunted under the weight of the surprisingly heavy young man.
"So, how are you planning to escape?" Christina asked as the doors creaked under one of the final blows they could take before they gave in.
Jack smirked, "Did I ever tell ye about the time I was a cleric of the Church Of England?"
