Disclaimer: Pirates... not mine... i wish...
Thanks for the reviews and the corrections. I need as much help as I can get!
"We best be movin' on… and quick-like."
Tortuga, a sweet, proliferous bouquet, the sights and sounds of piracy packed into one town. A small schooner was docked at a port, it's crew enjoying the "sights and sounds". All except two men, standing guard against the inhabitants of the Haitian town.
"And why would we be doin' that?"
The two men had now been joined by a third member of the crew, an older man who had been a powder monkey since he joined the crew the last time they stopped at Tortuga. Needing all the hands they could find, the captain of their ship had taken him aboard only to find that he lacked any skills at all. Assigned as one of the gunners assistants, the old man had always been laughed at, but the crew allowed him to stay due to pity. "Any day now old Jones's locker will be filling up again," the crew would say behind the man, chuckling at their own joke.
"I here tell of a cursed bride that haunts these docks, lookin' for a crew to drag down to Davy Jones' locker," The old man's face paled as he began his tale. "She was said to be mournin' her husband-to-be, lost at sea he was, now she wanders boat to boat searchin' for her lost fiancée…"
At that, one of the men guarding the boat began with a start, "…and if she don't find 'em…" The man drew his finger across his neck and pretended to slit his throat.
The second sailor laughed, "Oh yeah! And how'd she get here, the Black Pearl?"
"There's been talk in town 'bout a trade ship lookin' for a cheap port, the crew told a bull story 'bout the "mourning bride", that's what they called her, left 'em a sign to dock at this here dock in Tortuga." Now the first sailor started to look around wary. "Least, that's what I heard."
The old powder monkey began to shake, "But that was after they found her dress on their deck, threatened to throw it overboard they did. From what I heard, after Tortuga, they never made their next setting. Cursed I tell ya!"
By now the second sailor was fed up with the crazy old bat. "Rubbish, as much rubbish as that joke 'bout an undead crew and cursed gold… pah!"
"You say what you wants, but when she comes my way I…I…What's that?" The old man look confused at the water hitting up against the ship. In the moonlight, a bundle could be seen.
The second sailor grabbed a pole on the deck and fished the bundle out of the water, holding up and shaking it out to inspect the unknown cloth.
"Don't touch it!" The first sailor's face was now as white and frightened as the older man's.
"Why not, It's just a … a dress?" A wet, wedding gown was now clutched in the second sailor's hands.
"She's here, the mournin' bride!"
"Mercy, Mercy….!"
The three men ran in the opposite direction of the "cursed" dress as it floated back into the water and started back out to sea.
