Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean or the character of Long John Silver.
Chapter 57: Diablo's Gate
Camille rolled over, and before she even opened her eyes she knew that she and Gretchen weren't the only ones present. She opened her eyes. "Gretchen!" she said, shaking the woman next to her. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!"
Gretchen knew enough now not to ask questions when told to run. She followed, being able to run much faster in her recent change of clothing. Camille found it horribly difficult to keep herself together. They were being chased, she witnessed a whole village murdered, and now Jack had died. But she couldn't let it sink in; she wouldn't. Not until they were off this island and safe.
"Camille!" Gretchen cried out, pulling her back from running off the edge of a cliff. Camille caught her breath as she dizzily looked down. She had been thinking too much again, and it had nearly cost her life.
They both turned around. "What were we running from?" Gretchen asked, not seeing anything.
"Silver," Camille replied darkly. "The beast's not dead yet, I can sense it. And he's watching us too, laughing at the foolish women." She took out her pistol and shot at nothing, eliciting a far off cry from the jungle. "Is that funny, Silver!" she yelled.
To Gretchen's horror, the pirate revealed himself. He was clapping slowly. "That's very funny, Miss Camille, very funny. And an ill effort on your part. Your suffering will now be three times as painful," he said, signaling for his men to come out. "Ah, I'd almost forgotten. I've got a surprise for you."
"And the suspense is killing me," Camille replied, biting her tongue. She really had to watch that sarcasm. And she shouldn't have used "killing". She felt like she would start crying again when one of the pirates appeared, holding the struggling little Priscilla.
"Priscilla!" Gretchen cried. "Let her go!" she yelled.
"Where is Gabriel?" Camille demanded.
"The boy? He's dead," John replied.
"I am not, you conniving bastard!" Gabriel's voice shouted. It was a bit further away, but they could see that he was being dragged by two more pirates.
"Well, this is turning out to be one happy family reunion," John said, pulling out the map. "And we've only 50 more paces to go."
Camille looked down again, then back at Long John. He nodded, grinning his psychotic grin. "Oh yes," he said, getting closer. "And since you seem to be so much of a heroine, I think you should go first," he said before pushing her with all his might.
She wailed at the top of lungs as she fell backwards off the cliff and headed straight for the rocks. It seemed like time stopped and she was falling in slow motion. She could see Gretchen's shocked face, and John's grin as they watched her slowly fall away from them.
Before long she was underwater, and she shook her head as the surfaced, smacking the water out of her ears. She collapsed on a rock, panting for what seemed like hours. She couldn't believe that she of all people had survived that and avoided splattering on the rocks. But Long John was no less clever for it. With only her down here, the Gate still could not be opened.
She looked around the cave. It was very big, and she wasted no time springing to her feet and surveying as far back as she could go. The cave was dark and cold, and as she went further back light began streaming in. She tried not to shiver as she ran faster. The faster she ran, the more images of Long John murdering Jack flashed through her mind. Finally, the images took over and she lost concentration and slipped. She cried out, flying back and landing on her hand. She laid there on her back, wet among the uncomfortable rocks as she stared up at the stalactites.
Listening closely, she could hear voices somewhere inside. She sat up, cringing as she used her left wrist. It hurt terribly when she had tried to use it, and she cradled it with her other hand. It could still move very slightly, so perhaps it was only a strain.
She sat still, listening. Long John's voice was very recognizable. She wrapped up her wrist, standing up. "Hurry up, Captain Silver!" she called bravely. "And leave Gretchen alone!"
John's unforgettable laugh was reverberating closer. "So you're still alive, eh Quartermaine? Very good."
Camille climbed back up above the rocks she'd fallen on. Two shadows could be seen, and she ignored them as the sunbeams grew brighter. There was barely any water in the part of the cave where she stood. It looked like she was standing inside some sort of grotto. The surrounding walls went straight up, but one of them had a split down the middle of it.