Chapter 13

Morning found Will Turner still searching the streets for clues as to what had happened to his fiancee'. He scoured every street, every shop, and every house, asking anyone who was awake if they had seen the colours of the pirate ship that had attacked them last night. Receiving no useful information, he decided to return to Fort Charles and see the extent of the damage, his reasoning being that this was the attackers main target therefore perhaps some of the soldiers there would have a better idea of who they should be pursuing. As Will passed the Governor's house, he decided a quick search of the house to see if any evidence had been left behind by the pirate that kidnapped Elizabeth, wouldn't be a bad idea. As he started climbing the stairs, he suddenly remembered the envelope that he was still carrying in his trowser's pocket. Reaching in, he pulls it out, cracks the seal and begins to read. Immediately he realizes what it is. A Letter of Marque, signed by the King of England and issued to none other than Captain Jack Sparrow, Will looks at it with complete astonishment.

"Jack?" he says aloud. He can hardly believe it's true! Then he puts two and two together and realizes that not only did Elizabeth probably have possession of this letter, but the pirate that he saw carrying her through the streets last night was Jack. Not only that, the ship in the harbour who was attacking the fort, was most likely the Black Pearl. Will's amazement quickly turned to anger towards the pirate, "How dare he kidnap Elizabeth! After all that she had done for him in the past and now she even had a Letter of Marque for him and he has the audacity to..." It finally hit home. "She went willingly!" he realized. The shock of this sent his senses for a loop but he quickly came back to earth when he realized that she was also leaving him for a pirate. Shock turns to anger, Will crumples the letter in his fist and turns and heads back out the door and walks down the beach. Eventually he finds himself on the path where he had met Elizabeth the evening they had been so worried about her because she had went missing. This time, he followed the path to the seashore and looking to his right he spots a small, deliberately shaped, pile of rocks. He walks over and tears them down, underneath he finds a small, brown rum flask, he uncorks it and looks inside. Spotting a piece of rolled parchment, he pulls it out, opens it and begins to read.

Dearest William,

I see you've found mine and Elizabeth's secret hiding place. Well done, son! I always knew you had it in you!

Now is your chance to keep your word and ensure Elizabeth's safety even if it means giving your own life. You're holding it in your hand as you read this and placing it inside the rum flask would not only ensure her well being, but it would also allow me to shower Elizabeth with all manner of trinkets and gifts, many of which you would never in a single lifetime be able to afford. Think about it, son, then do the right thing. This is the opportune moment, don't miss it.

Sincerely,

Captain Jack Sparrow

Will reads the letter again, letting the logic of what Jack is saying sink in. Elizabeth had left willingly, and now Will realized he never really had her in the first place. But all of that didn't change the fact that he still loved her, and probably always would. He once said he would die for her if it meant saving her, and he had also told her just yesterday that her happiness was what was truly important to him. He was a man of his word, he couldn't change that. He smoothed the Letter of Marque, rolled it up and slipped it into the flask. Replacing the flask he returned it to it's hiding place under the rocks and buried it well.

It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do, but he knew it was the only thing left he could give her that she would really want from him. He walked back to the mansion and up to Elizabeth's chambers, looking for something, anything, that he could keep to remember her. As he searched he saw the ring that he had given her sitting on her nightstand. He picked it up and walked over to the window, examining it closely under the bright sun. Also draped over the window sill, was Elizabeth's favorite dress, she had left it behind. He picked it up and pressed the fabric to his face, inhaling deeply he could still smell her. He shifted his gaze to the seas in the hopes of seeing the Pearl, but the horizon this morning was empty.

As he stood there, trying to absorb the events of the last 24 hours, he started to detect a slight rumble beneath his feet. Soon the rumble evolved to a violent shake that made it impossible for Will to maintain his footing. He grabbed onto the window ledge with one hand, still clutching Elizabeth's ring in the other, the shaking grew steadily worse and he saw the walls of the house start to collapse around him. There was little he could do but hang on and soon he started to realize that this woudn't save him from his inevitable fate. He looked out to sea as the walls came down, and he thought of her and wondered if she even once thought about him being left behind. He felt the floor disappear from under his feet, he watched as the cliff the mansion was built on started to slide into the sea and then he felt himself fall to the floor below. He opened his eyes after hitting the bottom, feeling the sliding motion of the earth beneath the foundation, then, the lower walls collapsed on top of him and Will Turner plunged into eternal darkness.

Several hours after the earthquake, the Governor was allowed to return home. He and Norrington quickly rushed up to the remains of his house, calling for his daughter and frightened to find out what her fate may be. The entire two stories of the house lay in ruins, and both men hoped that young William had managed to get her to safety the evening before. Her father had been up all night, sick with worry when neither his daughter or Will arrived at the fort as instructed by the Commodore. They had both suspected that cannon fire had prevented them from reaching them, and they had complete faith that Elizabeth's fiance would get her to safety.

"Elizabeth!" the Governor cried out. But no reply was heard. The two men, along with a small group of soldiers searched through the rubble for clues.

"Sir!" one of them finally called out. "Over here!"

Governor Swann moved quickly, Norrington reaching out and trying to stop him from viewing a potentially grisly sight, but failed to do so in time. Looking down, Elizabeth's father was gazing into the face of Will, Norrington uncurls Will's hand and see's Elizabeth's ring sitting in it's palm. Looking out a few feet, the ocean is now trying to claim what remains of Elizabeth's dress. It's easy to see what has happened here, and the Governor turns his head in pain, he knows the fate of his daughter.