Authors Note:
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And, please continue to do so.
Chapter 15:
The Gallows
The next morning I woke up to the sound of my cell opening. I yawned and then rubbed my eyes to make my sight clearer. My eyes widened as I saw James in front of me. He walked into the cell along with a few guards. He then bent down to my level and asked " Isn't it a glorious day?" I rolled my eyes at his question and responded with a simple question "And why is it so glorious you rusty old hick?"
James then grabbed my arm and then yelled at me "You better swallow your tongue pirate or else I will remove it for you!" I nodded my head a few times and then I said while smiling "Aye, that would be an inconvenience both on your part and mine". James then grabbed both of my arms and stated "Indeed."
He put shackles around my wrists and I sighed and asked "How long before the hanging?" James smiled at my question so he asked "Anxious are we?" I smiled and replied sarcastically "Oh, most definitely". James chuckled and pushed me out of the cell while yelling at the guards "Keep an eye on this one men. If at anytime he seems too restless then don't be afraid to use your swords on him."
I then rolled my eyes and asked "If I may ask as an outsider with no interest in the topic, why does that matter? I am going to be hung in a couple of hours". James looked back at me while laughing. A few seconds later he muttered "Oh did you think that the swords for killing you? No Jack, if you at any second get rebellious, the swords will be used to carve out a few certain parts of you." He then moved his face closer to mine and he whispered "I'll let you in on a little secret pirate, if the swords at anytime will be put to use. Then there will be little or no evidence that you are a man".
My eyes widened when he finished, and I squinted my eyes in disgust. James gave me a small smirk and then once again began to push me through the jail cell. The guards followed us, each one of them with their guns and swords at the ready.
- - - -
In the mean time Elizabeth was waking up back at the Swann residence. She opened the draperies and opened the window. She let out a sigh as she felt the suns heat on her face. As she looked out the window she spotted the ocean and smiled. But her moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. Elizabeth put on her robe and then asked, "Who is it?" Her father replied, "It is me daughter".
Elizabeth once again sighed and responded, "You may come in father". A second later the door opened and her father walked into the room along with two servants. Elizabeth then asked, "What is it father?" Her father then replied, "It is almost noon Elizabeth. You must get dressed for the hanging." Elizabeth then looked down at the floor sadly while replying, "I am not going".
Her father then smiled at her and said "Elizabeth you must be joking". Elizabeth sighed and replied "No I happen not to be". She then walked over to her bed and laid down in it while saying "In fact I intend to spend the whole day in bed". Her father walked over to the bed angrily and raised his voice while saying "Elizabeth! Where are your manners? That bloody pirate has had a horrible effect on you!"
Elizabeth then got up and said furiously "That bloody pirate will be dead today father, and I don't intend to see the man that I love being hung". The Governor muttered crossly "You are not to speak that way to me! I will not have my daughter disgrace me"! Elizabeth then began to cry and she whispered softly "I am not going, father".
The Governor then grabbed Elizabeth's hand softly and whispered seriously "Daughter, you are never to say the word love and pirate in the same sentence ever again. Do I make myself clear?" Elizabeth sobbed and nodded at the same time as her father continued "You are to get dressed for the ceremony right this instant and when you have finished I will be waiting for you in the carriage."
Elizabeth then sobbed and whispered, "I do not wish to go father". Her father began to walk towards the door, he then snapped and the servants walked towards Elizabeth and began to dress her. The Governor then said with his back turned to his daughter "Things don't always go our way, daughter." Elizabeth then began to cry out in sadness as the maids began to dress her.
- - --
On the way to my hanging people in the town stared at me. I closed my eyes thinking about how this would be the last time I would ever feel the wind across my face, or anything for that matter. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard a man scream my name "Jack". My eyes flew open as I looked around to see who had called me. The image in front of me shocked me quite a bit.
It was Will pushing his way through the guards, so I asked, "What are you doing here?" James then answered for him "Excuse me Mr. Turner but don't you have some sheep to take care of?" Will then looked at James angrily while shouting "I am a black smith"! James then replied, "Yes, well. I knew it was something that required no level of intelligence. (Pause) If you would please get out of the way, Jack Sparrow needs to be taken to his death".
Will did not budge, and he then muttered to me "Jack, I need to talk to you." I chuckled and then whispered, "This is not the best time mate". I then was pulled byy Norrington and Will pulled me back towards him while shouting "This is the only time!" My eyes widened as I saw how serious he was, so I let him speak. "I only want you to know one thing." I then asked curiously "And what's that mate?" Will then put his hand on my shoulder and said, "If Elizabeth says you're a good man, then you must be."
My eyebrows narrowed as he said this to me. I asked uncertain "I mate?" Will then nodded as James interrupted us once again by shouting "Mr. Turner you are to leave this area at once!" Will then nodded and whispered, "Fine, I will Commodore. Besides I've got some swords to sharpen..." He then paused and said sarcastically "...and some sheep to take care of".
- - - -
A few hours later I was standing on the gallows and a rope was being placed around my neck. I looked around the place and spotted Elizabeth and I smiled at her. From where I stood she looked like she was crying. She was standing beside her father. Next to her father was that scallywag Commodore Norrington. I sighed and I decided to take one last and final look at her before fate could catch up to me.
I looked down at my hands sadly realizing they were tied up with cloth. The official began to read the proclamation "Jack Sparrow, be it known that you have…." I rolled my eyes sadly and whispered "Captain…It's Captain Jack Sparrow." I closed my eyes as he continued to read the proclamation.
"…For your willful commission of crimes against the crown. Said crimes being numerous in quantity and sinister in nature, the most egregious of these to be cited herewith? Piracy, smuggling…"
As he continued to read Elizabeth shouted out quite loudly "This is wrong." A numerous amount of people turned around to look at her, and as did I. She then looked down the ground embarrassed as the Governor whispered to her "Commodore Norrington is bound by law. As we all are."
I then smiled at her and whispered "This be wrong, I know 'tis 'Lizabeth'. The official continued reading "…. impersonating an officer of the Spanish Royal Navy, impersonating a cleric of the Church of England…" I smiled at that last one and I looked around to see the executioner glare at me.
Elizabeth then whispered "Father I cannot stand to watch". She then began to walk away from the gallows but Norrington grabbed her arm and said to her "You must watch Elizabeth". Elizabeth then pulled her hand back angrily while shouting "No I will not! No one will ever make any of my decisions for me ever again"! She then ran away from the ceremony and out of sight.
As Elizabeth ran away she bumped into Will. Elizabeth then asked him confused "I thought you said you weren't going Will?" Will then smiled and said, "I decided to come. Now where are you going?" Elizabeth began to whisper, "I cannot stand to watch him die." Will then grabbed her hand and whispered into her ear "Promise me that you will go straight to the docks". Elizabeth then asked confused "Why Will?" Will then said quickly "I've got no time to explain. Just please go…" Elizabeth then looked at him confused, and Will then grabbed her face and kissed her once more. He then pushed her away and screamed, "Go!" So Elizabeth did what she was told.
In the mean time the official was just about done reading the proclamation when I spotted Will in the audience. I sighed sadly once more when the official said "May God have mercy on your soul". The executioner then started to pull the handle and I took my last breath. But once I had taken my last breath I realized that something was underneath my feet. I looked down to see what was my foothold and noticed that it was a sword that was keeping me up and living.
Authors Note:
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