Chapter 19: 1740 - Hello Beastie!
Jack's gaze was still on Elizabeth as she hurried to heed the calls of the others to finally get on the boat so they could cast off, and she didn't turn round again...
And why would she...?
Her decision got made. The decision, which seemed to be the only one right for her at this moment and within this situation.
She did not hesitate to abandon him to his fate. Not for a split second. And she did not waste a split second on the thought, either, that he could have chosen to stay aboard anyway - even without her doing. As it seemed, it had taken Elizabeth Swann, daughter of the governor of Port Royal, less than a year to become more of a pirate than the boy who got born as the son of a couple of notorious pirates...
Jack heard Will's voice as Elizabeth got into the boat - concerned and still as naive as always: "Where's Jack?"
He also heard Elizabeth give the boy her answer - in a low voice, but still determined: "He elected to stay behind to give us a chance..."
For a wink, nothing happened, but eventually, faint taps of the oars told him that the boat was moving away from him and his "Pearl" along with all those who had survived the massacre caused by the creature Davy Jones had unleashed.
Jack knew he was on his own from now on, forced to rely on his cleverness and sharp mind, but even though this had been his plan from the very beginning, such was the situation itself, not the one he had contemplated. His plan definitely never intended being left behind with one of his hands chained to his ship's mainmast, when the moment was to come in which he would have to face his fate...
He just hoped Elizabeth Swann was satisfied with herself now and with the decision she had made for him.
What he still didn't know was how he deserved this decision she had made for him.
Was it something he had done?
Hardly...!
Was it something he had not done?
Possibly...!
But it was idle to keep thinking about it. The boat was out of range by now anyway, and Elizabeth had lied to the others to get them to finally row back to the island.
Van Dijk would know it was a lie, Gibbs would guess - both knew him well enough to know what was true and what was not.
The others—Cotton, Marty, Pintel, and Ragetti—would probably be glad they survived this adventure.
And who could blame them...?
As the boat receded, so did the voices on board and the sound of the oars.
Gradually silence spread around him and all Jack was able to hear was his breath, the groans and moans of his ship, and his heartbeat.
He was alone, and even if this was what he had wanted, he wasn't able to prevent panic from beginning to take hold of him nonetheless. And it was worse than within that moment in which he had decided to take the boat to get himself to safety ashore. The fear that the sea monster could drag him and the "Pearl" down with it, without even being able to convince himself that he was capable of putting up a fight, felt as if a giant's hand held his heart in an iron grip.
Therefore he decided that he had to get rid of these bonds, whatever the cost, and therefore he began to tug randomly at the chain, condemning him to inactivity while mercilessly tying him to the mast.
His hand and wrist ached more and more with each new attempt to break at least one of the chain links, and he cursed a little louder with each new failure: "Bugger, bugger, bugger...!"
Why didn't that bloody thing move?
There had to be a way to break free!
He couldn't just give up!
Not as long as Beckett and Mercer were still alive!
He couldn't just accept his fate!
Failing just because an overzealous former commodore decided at the last minute to give up on any decency for something like honour and promotion was something he didn't want to allow himself to do. If he didn't owe it to himself, he owed it to the woman he loved, and if he failed her, what sense would the search for her and all the adventures of the past few years have made...
He knew next time he would wake up he would do it in an endless white desert, but he would do it as a free man, and not with his hands shackled!
He knew he had nothing left to bargain with, but nothing and no one would stop him from searching the endless white desert for the someone who had provided him the courage to never give up...
Here and now, that someone found him: "Close your eyes and think!"
"Caith?"
"Close your eyes and think! You are Captain Jack Sparrow! Who, if not you would be able to escape from an awkward situation like this!"
Her black curls were dancing with the wind, her grey eyes were sparkling in the sunlight, and while her left brushed a few strands of hair from his face and while the fingers of her right intertwined with those of his left, he felt the panic in his heart vanish into thin air.
Her lips touched his, soft as a gentle breeze, then the moment was gone - and when he opened his eyes again, his gaze fell on one of the ship's lanterns, lying all intact and in one piece on the remains of tattered sails and cordage...
The lantern seemed out of reach, but wasn't he the master of chaos and improvisation?
He ignored his ship's increasing list and the massive tentacles winding along its hull.
He ignored the massive shadow slowly pushing its way between him and the glistening sun.
All he focussed on was the lantern and he drew his sword to pass its point through the ring on which said lantern was usually hung.
It took him some effort, and his bound wrist protested painfully as he stretched, but he decided it had been worth both the effort and the pain, when the lantern finally hung on the blade of his sword, and as he slammed it on the mast right above his wrist. Viscous oil trickled down the shackles, his wrist and fingers, and he carefully tried to squeeze his hand through the massive handcuff: "Come on... Come on..."
His fingers were slender and flexible, but still the pain in his hand was almost unbearable, and he thought he must hear his fingers break. But just at that very moment when he wanted to give up the attempt, he succeeded in freeing himself.
He didn't have much time though to enjoy this moment, for he knew what he would see as soon as he'd turn around:
The giant Kraken had wound itself around the "Pearl" at its full size, and the beast from the depths of the sea was ready to devour its prey.
Jack felt small and lost next to this almost unreal creature, but he knew there was no turning back. He was already bracing himself for what was to come next, as the massive leviathan let out an almost primeval roar and poured a cloud of stench, slime, and other undefinable liquid over him - followed by something which looked strangely familiar...
Jack gave himself a shake, wiped some slime from his hair and face as best as he could, and stared at the thing lying at his feet:
It was his tricorn!
A bold grin found its way back to his lips as he bent down for the unique hat, shaking off the slime and dirt, and placing it on his head in his usual manner.
He then grabbed his sword, inhaled one last deep breath, and threw himself at the monster from the deep sea in a mixture of fierce determination, desperation, and hope: "Hello, Beastie..."
