Lydia ran inside, eager to find the treasure. Jack followed her.
Upon entering the cave, they found gold and silver and jewels strewn on the
ground, but that wasn't what interested Lydia. Her eyes were drawn to the
chest in the center of the cavern. She dashed toward it and heaved it
open. The chest contained the most beautiful jewelry Lydia had ever seen.
Pearls, rubies, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, gold and silver glittered
from within. She cautiously lifted a diamond-studded tiara out of the
chest. All else was forgotten as she gazed at the headdress, until she
heard Jack rummaging in the corner. She looked up and saw Jack produce two
bottles, filled with what looked like rum.
"Ol' James knew what made a good treasure!" he said gleefully. He tossed a bottle to Lydia, who gratefully uncorked and drank it.
"I needed that," she responded. She slumped against the chest, with the tiara in her lap. Jack sauntered over and sat beside her. They drank in silence for a while. Suddenly Lydia placed the tiara on top of her head and proclaimed, "I am the queen of this island! All others serve me!" She began laughing uncontrollably. When she finally stopped laughing, she drank what was left in her bottle. "Is there anymore?" she asked Jack drunkenly.
"Let me go look, love," he replied, getting to his feet. He left his bottle by Lydia. She grabbed it and drained that also. She turned to the chest and began rummaging through it. She put on all the jewelry she could. Jack came back with two more bottles.
"Thank goodness," Lydia cried and grabbed the nearest one out of Jack's hand. She uncorked it and drank greedily.
"Lydia," Jack said tentatively, "maybe we should be thinking up a plan right now." He looked around for his first bottle, only to see it lying empty by Lydia. He sighed, and uncorked a new one.
"I am the queen and I say to hell with a plan!" she giggled. She struggled to her feet, but didn't quite make it. Jack had to help her. As soon as he let her go, she fell another time. Jack caught her dangerously close to the ground. He stood her up once more.
"I think you've had enough rum for now," he said attempting to take her bottle away. She resisted.
"Mutiny!" she cried. "Hang him!" She pulled away from his grasp but fell again, the fall seemed to knock her to her senses. "You're right," she said softly. She handed the bottle to Jack who took it cautiously, as if scared that she might pull it away. She didn't. "I don't want everyone to die," she whispered. "But I don't know what to do." Tears were running down her cheeks now.
"We'll think of something," Jack said reassuringly. She took off her tiara and jewelry.
"I used to want this treasure more than life itself, but it's not my life anymore," she sniffed. "This is all my fault!" she sobbed. "If I hadn't been so greedy, then none of this would have happened."
"Well, you are right about that," he replied. She began crying even harder.
"I know!" she bawled. She tucked herself into a tight ball, hands covering her head. "I know," she whimpered.
"Oh come on, it's not as bad as it seems," he said, taking her arms away from her face, and lifting her head up. He turned her head to face him, and proceeded to wipe away her tears with his fingers. "We'll find a way out of this, Captain Jack Sparrow always does."
"Really?" she asked, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Really," he replied. She then gave him a tight hug.
"Promise me, Jack, please," she whispered in his ear.
"I promise," he said, hesitantly patting her on the back. She hugged him tighter.
"Thank you," she murmured. She pulled out of her hug, but didn't let go of him. She brought her face close to his, and kissed him. At first, Jack looked shocked, but then he smiled and kissed her back. Jack knew she was drunk, but he didn't care.
"Ol' James knew what made a good treasure!" he said gleefully. He tossed a bottle to Lydia, who gratefully uncorked and drank it.
"I needed that," she responded. She slumped against the chest, with the tiara in her lap. Jack sauntered over and sat beside her. They drank in silence for a while. Suddenly Lydia placed the tiara on top of her head and proclaimed, "I am the queen of this island! All others serve me!" She began laughing uncontrollably. When she finally stopped laughing, she drank what was left in her bottle. "Is there anymore?" she asked Jack drunkenly.
"Let me go look, love," he replied, getting to his feet. He left his bottle by Lydia. She grabbed it and drained that also. She turned to the chest and began rummaging through it. She put on all the jewelry she could. Jack came back with two more bottles.
"Thank goodness," Lydia cried and grabbed the nearest one out of Jack's hand. She uncorked it and drank greedily.
"Lydia," Jack said tentatively, "maybe we should be thinking up a plan right now." He looked around for his first bottle, only to see it lying empty by Lydia. He sighed, and uncorked a new one.
"I am the queen and I say to hell with a plan!" she giggled. She struggled to her feet, but didn't quite make it. Jack had to help her. As soon as he let her go, she fell another time. Jack caught her dangerously close to the ground. He stood her up once more.
"I think you've had enough rum for now," he said attempting to take her bottle away. She resisted.
"Mutiny!" she cried. "Hang him!" She pulled away from his grasp but fell again, the fall seemed to knock her to her senses. "You're right," she said softly. She handed the bottle to Jack who took it cautiously, as if scared that she might pull it away. She didn't. "I don't want everyone to die," she whispered. "But I don't know what to do." Tears were running down her cheeks now.
"We'll think of something," Jack said reassuringly. She took off her tiara and jewelry.
"I used to want this treasure more than life itself, but it's not my life anymore," she sniffed. "This is all my fault!" she sobbed. "If I hadn't been so greedy, then none of this would have happened."
"Well, you are right about that," he replied. She began crying even harder.
"I know!" she bawled. She tucked herself into a tight ball, hands covering her head. "I know," she whimpered.
"Oh come on, it's not as bad as it seems," he said, taking her arms away from her face, and lifting her head up. He turned her head to face him, and proceeded to wipe away her tears with his fingers. "We'll find a way out of this, Captain Jack Sparrow always does."
"Really?" she asked, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Really," he replied. She then gave him a tight hug.
"Promise me, Jack, please," she whispered in his ear.
"I promise," he said, hesitantly patting her on the back. She hugged him tighter.
"Thank you," she murmured. She pulled out of her hug, but didn't let go of him. She brought her face close to his, and kissed him. At first, Jack looked shocked, but then he smiled and kissed her back. Jack knew she was drunk, but he didn't care.
