Chapter 3: Unseen Family
Tortuga was a horrid place, all three girls decided upon landing. It smelled, there were scumbags sleeping right in the street. It was loud; there were women in the scantiest dresses they had ever seen in their lives, making leering faces at them.
"Genny, would you stop touching your hair? You look fine!" snapped Charlotte, as Genevieve once again pulled at her rather short hair.
The three of them had a hard time looking the part, but it was the hardest for Genevieve. For reasons that were unknown to them, her face just refused to look like a guys. Eventually the just cut off pretty much all of her hair, leaving only about three inches on it. It was still wavy, but at least she could pass for a very feminine boy.
Both Charlotte and Gemma's hair reached just below their ears, and hung in their eyes. They had had the most difficult time getting the right clothes, eventually resorting to grabbing what they could from the ribbon shop, leaving Charlotte in a loose patterned red shirt, and baggy green pants, while Genevieve sported an outfit from the Asian culture; it was black, with red trim. Gemma wore a brown loose shirt and loose brown pants, tucked into tall black boots.
"Now what are we going to do?" hissed Genny, obviously wishing she was at the Hudson Ball right now.
"Well, we have to find work…" Gemma theorized, "So let's go to the inn."
They walked up to this hideous building that looked like it could fall down in a moments notice. They all looked it up and down distastefully.
"Oh," said Genny picking up a grey cat with a white patch over its eye, "oh, look at this sweet creature, Gem. Who do you suppose left it here?"
Naturally we all went over to inspect the cat. It was a sweet little tom cat, rubbing its head and purring loudly in Genny's hands.
"Oh, do you suppose I could keep him?" Genny asked as we started back into the inn.
"I think so," I replied, searching for an authority figure, and saw instead a sign that read 'SAILORS WANTED. PLEASE ASK FOR GIBBS.'
"What do you suppose?" Charlotte asked as we approached the desk. In it was a very dirty, rather large man with awful sideburns and graying hair.
"Excuse me?" I asked, and hesitantly poked the man.
"Blimey!!!" he screeched jumping up scaring Genny's cat into hissing.
"Are you Gibbs?" Charlotte asked as Genny glared at him, petting the cat.
"That be me." Gibbs replied, shaking our hands (Genny looked revolted at the thought of touching his hand.). "D'you wants to join our crew?"
"Uh, where are you going?" I asked slightly suspicious.
"To waters that are rarely sailed. Young'uns like yourselves wouldn't know their names."
"Uh-huh," we conferred in a little huddle.
"I think we should take it," Charlotte said, looking eager, "it will get us away, and he seems humorous."
"He's unsanitary!" Genny said, glaring at the both of us, "I would hate to see how he looks out of the public eye,"
"While I do agree with that thought, Genny, I will have to say, that ultimately, Charlotte is right." I said, causing Genny to gasp. "It will get us away, and that's what we need, more than anything."
"Fine, but only if they let me bring Gris."
"…You named it Gris?"
"Yes," she glared, "Do you have a problem with his name?"
We got out of our little huddle and turned to a very confused looking Gibbs.
"We will come if you let my friend bring he-his, his cat."
"That seems to be an odd request, but so be it!" Gibbs shook my hand again, "What are your names?"
"Uh…" I thought hard, "my name is, um, Theron, yes, and these are my friends, Avery" I pointed to Charlotte, who looked surprised, "and Alva." Genny still was in a huff.
"Right well, lads you will be in charge of the animals on board the ship."
"Really?" Charlotte asked intrigued, "what kinds of animals?"
"Oh, we have a cat and a falcon and a snake."
"S-s-s-snake?" I asked, blanching. If there was one thing I hated, it was snakes.
"Ay, snake. A fine creature he is too,"
Gibbs led us to a rather decrepit looking ship. The elegant scrawl said it was called "the Black Pearl". The Black Pearl, the Black Pearl. Why did that name sound so familiar? I racked my brain as I stepped on to the deck.
"Cap'n!" called Gibbs, "I got the rest of the crew! Three lads to watch the animals, just like ye requested!"
Suddenly a figure appeared out of the dark, and I suddenly remembered where I had heard of the Black Pearl before. I felt Genny and Charlotte's eyes burning into me.
Jack Sparrow eyed us all up and down, then broke into a grin, "What fabulous lads you've found Mister Gibbs. Now, let's set sail to the Isle of the Sprites."