The Empress was suctioned back into the world of living with a puissant roar, and the ocean swirled around the red sails, squalling cruelty. Jack and Elizabeth lifted their eyes to behold fury and murmurings of incantations.

"It is Calypso!" Jack hollered to Elizabeth over the inclement weather, retracting his hand. "We... infuriated her."

"I don't suppose fighting would allow us to run away like last time!"

"I am truly melancholy on informing you that we are under the sea goddess's ultimate control."

Elizabeth eyes were averted to the hatch. "Take William! The chest! We cannot lose the chest!"

The woman thundered down the staircase as men scurried about her, bawling signals and frantically trying to free themselves of the catastrophe. Elizabeth entered her chamber, swaggering from the violent quakes. She flicked open the trunk, removed the chest, and using a spare chunk of rope, she bound the small chest to her wrist. She clambered through the hatch, faltering only once before discovering Jack and William at the helm, both expressing distraught countenances as the storm bellowed their sentence. Just as she ascended the short staircase, the sea goddess assailed upon the main mast, and the shredded red sails catapulted into the storm, and the mast collapsed onto the Empress' deck, shattering men and splintering the vessel. Elizabeth shrilly squealed in fright as she held the fragile chest and grabbed onto Jack's arm.

"We will not escape if we stay onboard." Jack emitted while William buried his head in Jack's tweed coat.

"Is there any way we can resolve the conflict?"

"No, we must jump!"

Elizabeth swelled with horror and hesitation. "We could be killed!"

"And we will die if we stay here, Elizabeth." he replied solemnly and grasped Elizabeth's moist free hand. "Come!" He guided her to the main deck with his other arm wrapped around William and ignored the crew's calls and preparing to step up on the railing. "If you can't beat them 'em, might as well join 'em. Savvy?"

"Jack, but what if-" Elizabeth stepped in reverse, but Jack brought her back with his steady gaze and unwavering balance.

"Trust me on this one, love."

The pair released their grip to remove their heavy laden bodies as the wind slapped against t heir faces and tore off Elizabeth's black cap. Jack merely removed his weapons, except for his pistol, but Elizabeth rapidly flung off her boots, baldric, and belt. Jack clutched her hand tightly as they stepped up on the railing. With the chest tucked beneath her arm, they gazed into the churning ocean as the whirlpool increased in velocity, and Calypso snarled for their departure.

"Don't let go, Jack!" He nodded in response.

Their feet shifted from side to side as rain oozed from the bleak gray sky. Elizabeth and Jack's legs flailed as they squeezed their eyes closed. Utter blackness enveloped them as the couple launched. Their hands paled as they swirled in the undertow. Currents of Calypso yanked Elizabeth down and wrestled with the chest.

She could hear the piercing screeches of the creature. "Let go!"

Elizabeth burst through the severe waves screaming. "Jaack!" the woman could still feel his hand entwined with her own, but what of William? Keep holding on, she thought as the woman fought the thrashing ocean. The chest was thrusted toward her and smacked Elizabeth on her cheek. She broke the surface and caught sight of a glinting bead. Jack, she thought, God, please be Jack. She clung to the body and felt a three year old's brown quivering figure. Her head ached, and Elizabeth struggled to stay conscious. The wind whined, the ocean chewed, and the beating heart thumped faster in the maelstrom of sorts.

From the depths she felt her feet scrape a grated floor, and her head was once again smashed against the chest. No, it wasn't the chest. It was too firm. The Flying Dutchman gasped for the trio as it emerged from the land of the dead and rose under the Turners and Jack Sparrow. The woman slid down the mast and crumpled on the deck with her legs skewed toward her lower back, and her head drooped in a depressing manner. Her eyes fluttered as she witnessed the pirate reassuring William and felt arms wrap around her. "You will never let go," she whispered to the man, "Jack, dear Jack."