MIND'S EYE
Jack swung open the cabin door as wide as it would go, then he stepped aside while two of his crewmen struggled to carry a richly ornate, full-length mirror into his cabin. "Easy now, men. I don't want anything damaged," he ordered. "If there's one scratch on either that mirror or me furniture, it's coming out of your profits." It was a nearly empty threat, as profits seemed to be in short supply lately. Even this latest plunder seemed to bare little fruit, and the most valuable item was now going to become a fixture in their captain's cabin. But all the same, the men wanted to keep what little they got, so they were careful.
"Where do you want it, Captain?" one of the men asked.
Jack hadn't thought of that. He stroked his beard as he surveyed the cabin looking for a place where it would be out of the way and yet easy to see.
The crewmen were becoming impatient. "Hurry up, will you! This here thing's heavy and I don't want to drop it," the other man complained.
Jack glared at him. When were these men going to learn to respect their captain properly? Well, the man had a point. If they dropped it, it would be ruined, not to mention there would be a horrible gash in his lovely wooden floor. He took one more glance around the cabin before a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Right here," he said as he strode over to an empty space against his wall. He turned his back to the wall to get the mirror's view and took note that he was looking right at his bed. Perfect.
The significance of the mirror's placement was lost on the men as they shuffled over there to set it down. They let out a simultaneous sigh of relief once they were able to let go, and within a minute, they had finished wiping their brows and were out of the cabin, leaving Jack alone to enjoy his new accessory. He posed in front of it, attempting to look like the most fearsome captain he could be. At first, he found himself having to try different expressions and positions to get the desired effect. But soon, he found that no matter how he stood, he just seemed to command authority. His very stature and composure almost dared someone to defy him and promised that only a fool would take him up on it. Even Jack felt a bit intimidated by his own reflection. It was wonderful! He should have gotten a mirror like this ages ago...
The mirror doesn't lie, or does it? When we look in the mirror, what is it that we really see? Do we see what the rest of the world sees, or do we see only what our mind imagines they see? The mind is a powerful tool, afterall. It can conjure up all sorts of imaginations, then project them onto the world around us, causing us to find proof of the most improbable things based on only a meager amount of evidence. It's these projections that gaze back at us when we look in the mirror. Whatever we expect to see is exactly what we will find. Those who expect to find beauty will find it. Those who don't will not. And nowhere is this more true than in The Twilight Zone...
"Jack, I demand you take us to Port Royal immediately!" Will said while pounding his fist on Jack's desk. Jack just sat there with his legs propped up and furrowed his brow a bit, not because he was angry, but because Will's outbursts were becoming tiresome. It seemed the longer they were out at sea, the more frequent they became. "You promised you would take Elizabeth to see Vera Cruz and return immediately," he continued. "Taking us along while you plunder a small village was not part of the bargain."
Jack rolled his eyes, "I did not take you along. I left you right here to watch me ship while me and my crew went to plunder. And it wasn't a village. It was more like a few random huts."
"We were supposed to go home!"
"We are," Jack snapped. He didn't shout. That would only give Will the impression that he was getting to him. But he would be damned if his integrity would be put into question by this whelp in his own cabin, even if perhaps he was right. In a calmer voice he went on, "We merely took a detour, is all. Besides, Elizabeth isn't complaining. I doubt she's ever enjoyed herself more. Did you notice the look on her face when I gave her that brooch I found? That's really what this is all about, isn't it? Making Elizabeth happy?" He smiled innocently, knowing Will would never deny that. The man lived for her, afterall. It was a little unsettling, really.
Will gritted his teeth. Yes, he had seen her face, and he didn't like it one bit. That filthy pirate had no right to give gifts of that nature to his fiancée. A stolen gift, no less. How was Will going to compete with that on a blacksmith's salary and remain an honest man? He loved Elizabeth dearly, but he became frustrated with the task of keeping a woman with her background happy with his limited means. He didn't need someone like Jack coming along and making it even more difficult by taking her wherever she wanted to go and giving her fancy gifts.
Before Will could think of a good retort, Gibbs poked his head through the cabin door. "Captain, looks like your needed out here on deck. Ragetti and Cotton are at it again, and Ragetti won't let the bird go 'til Cotton gives him his eye."
Jack seemed almost relieved by the interruption. He turned to Will and said, "Oh look, more pressing matters. We'll have to continue this later." Then he stood up and left the cabin with Gibbs following right behind him. Will was left alone standing in front of Jack's desk, fuming at how the pirate always seemed to get the best of him. He paced the room a little as he debated on whether he should stay and wait for Jack to return (if he returned) or just cut his losses and leave. He walked back and forth several times before he noticed the large, decorative mirror standing near the wall.
Will stood in front of it and gave himself a good, hard look. He didn't understand how someone like Jack could tickle the fancy of a woman like Elizabeth. Will knew she had a fascination with pirates that dated back to her youth, but she was clearly old enough now, and had seen enough of that lifestyle, to know that there was nothing in it for her. What was it about Jack that seemed to intrigue her still? Will may not have been able to give her a lifestyle deserving of a governor's daughter (although her father would probably see to it that she didn't want for anything), but at least he wasn't a criminal.
He continued to mull these things over in his head as he studied his reflection, when suddenly, some sort of quick movement caught his eye near the edge of the mirror. It was white and likely part of something larger that was just out of view near Jack's desk. He turned around quickly to see what it was, but there was nothing. Or at least there was nothing moving. Will approached the desk carefully, though, just to make sure. He glanced over the top of it, moved around some of the charts and other clutter, walked around to the back of it, and looked under it. He even turned around to the cabinets that lined the back wall and opened a few to make sure nothing was hiding. He could have sworn he had seen something, but maybe he had just imagined it, or perhaps the sun reflected off of something and a flash of light caught his eye.
Once it was established that there was nothing there, Will turned around and headed toward the door to leave. Afterall, what was there to discuss with Jack at this point? It did appear they were going home now, and once they were back in Port Royal, hopefully Elizabeth would forget all about him. Will glanced at himself once more as he passed by the mirror with no intention of staying there, but again, something moved near the edge. Will stopped, turned back to the desk to confirm nothing was there, then looked back at the mirror. All was still.
A chill ran through him. That was twice now that he had seen it. It had to be something. He watched the edge of the mirror carefully as he approached it, waiting to see if the object returned. As he got closer, his view of the room around him expanded slightly, but not enough to include the desk. Finally, an idea came to him that was ridiculous by any standard, but he couldn't shake the necessity of ruling it out. He grabbed hold of the mirror and slid it around to face the desk. What he saw froze him. He and Jack were at the desk, just as they were only minutes ago, having a heated conversation. He couldn't hear it, but he recognized the scene immediately. The white object he had seen was his own sleeve as he moved around and flailed his arms in anger. And oh, how ridiculous he looked. The red hue and whining expression on his own face compared to Jack's coolness made it appear that he had lost all control of the situation. He knew he was upset, but was it really that bad? He was almost ashamed. He had no idea he had let Jack get to him that much. He jumped slightly as he watched himself bang his fist on the desk. If this was really how he behaved when he became angry (and he was fully aware that it happened all too often), it was no wonder Elizabeth would prefer Jack.
At that moment, the cabin door flew open and Jack walked in. He looked surprised to see Will standing there. "I thought you'd be gone by now," he said while making no effort to mask his disappointment. "And what are you doing rearranging me furniture? Has no one taught you manners?" He walked over to the mirror and jerked it around to its previous position, double checking to make sure that it squarely faced the bed.
"Where did you get this mirror?" Will asked him.
Jack looked at him skeptically. "I acquired it from that little place you called a village. If you even suggest I take it back, I'm dropping you off right here in the middle of the ocean."
"Do you realize what this does?" Will continued, ignoring Jack's comments completely. Jack only stared at him, trying to decide if it was a trick question. Will explained, "It shows you things which have already happened."
"You mean the past?"
"Yes, the past!"
Jack laughed nervously, "Well, that's a relief. I thought you were going to say it showed the future. Now, that would have been ridiculous. You haven't been into me rum, have you?"
"No."
"Good, then leave. I've things to do." Jack was able to shoo Will out of his cabin without a protest, which worried even him. There was obviously something wrong with the lad, but he didn't have the patience at the moment to try to figure it out. Perhaps Elizabeth could help him. That's what she was there for, wasn't she? He opened his rum cabinet, counted the bottles, then grabbed one for himself.
Once Will was back on the main deck, he found Elizabeth standing on the starboard side of the ship looking out to sea and came up behind her. "He says we're going home now," he told her before she had a chance to turn around and notice him.
When she finally faced him, Will noticed she looked slightly disappointed. "He did? Well, I suppose it was bound to end sometime. I have to say, though, I'm in no rush to return."
"Don't you think your father will be worried about you?" he asked.
"He always worries about me," she laughed. "He doesn't trust Jack to look after us. I haven't been able to convince him that one can be on friendly terms with a pirate."
"Your father's a wise man," he said more to himself than to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth nudged him playfully. "You enjoy sailing with Jack as much as I do. Why else would you insist on coming along?"
"To keep you out of harm's way...and out of his hands." Will was quickly becoming annoyed with the conversation, and it was beginning to show in his tone.
The playfulness was suddenly gone from Elizabeth's expression. "Honestly, Will. Is that what all of this is about? Is that why you're in such a hurry to get back to Port Royal, because you think Jack is going try something with me? If that was the case, don't you think he would have done so by now?"
"Hasn't he?" Will's eyes automatically shot toward the silver brooch she was wearing on her shirt, in spite of the fact that it looked odd with her men's attire.
Elizabeth knew what he was looking at and clasped her hand around it. "It was a gift, only a gift!"
"Of course, a gift! Why else would a pirate be giving away jewels? There couldn't possibly be anything in it for him." Will's temper was starting to flare now, but he remembered what he saw in the mirror and was careful not to lose control again.
Now Elizabeth was angry. "I thought you had more faith in me than that, Will. Perhaps not." She shoved past him and headed below deck. Just before she reached the stairs, Jack emerged from his cabin. Elizabeth stopped and tore the brooch from her shirt, then tossed it to Jack, who fumbled with it a bit but managed to catch it. "Thank you for your generosity, Captain Sparrow, but my fiancé doesn't believe it's proper for me to accept gifts from you." She glared at Will then made her descent.
Jack stood there for a moment with the brooch in his hand, obviously confused by what he had stepped in the middle of. Then a subtle smirk crept onto face as he looked at Will. He gave a nod in Elizabeth's direction and said, "There's one pigeon who won't be caged. Faster you learn that, Mate, the better off you'll be."
"And who are you to be giving me advice about Elizabeth?"
Jack pondered that for a bit before answering. "A kindred spirit, perhaps? I like to think so, anyhow." He tossed the brooch a couple of times in the palm of his hand, shrugged, then slipped it into his coat pocket. Afterall, if Elizabeth didn't want it, he was sure he could find someone else who did, for a price this time. Then he turned and headed toward the helm.
Will had no idea what woke him in the middle of the night, but he was grateful for whatever it was. Elizabeth's hammock, which was right above him for her protection, was empty, and a quick glance around the lower deck told him she was nowhere around. He grabbed his sword and took it with him as he went to the main deck to search for her. A full moon was out that night, and it cast a silvery light onto everything, making a lantern unnecessary. He could clearly see a few men keeping busy with whatever midnight tasks they had been given, and Marty standing on a couple of crates at the helm, but he didn't see Elizabeth anywhere. Then he heard her voice...and Jack's. It was coming from the other side of the fo'c'sle near the bowsprit. Will crept onto the fo'c'sle and sat there quietly in the dark to listen in on their conversation. He didn't know what it was about, but just the fact that they were sitting alone in the moonlight while they thought he was sleeping was enough to boil his blood. But before he accused them of anything, he wanted to know exactly what their offense was.
It was Jack's voice that first became coherent. "You don't have to tell him, you know. When he finds you're missing, I'm sure he'll figure it out. He's a smart lad."
"I couldn't do that to him," Elizabeth said. "He would worry himself sick, and next thing you know, he would go looking for me. Then he'd never forgive me. I'll just have to tell him. That's all there is to it."
"Whatever you think is best, Love" Jack said, "but don't blame me when he starts raving like a madman again."
There was a moment of silence before Elizabeth spoke again. "I'm just curious what's gotten into him lately. He's not usually like this." There was a chuckle from Jack. "It's the truth, Jack. He's usually a gentle, mild-mannered soul." Another chuckle. "You just don't know him like I do, is all. But I must confess, he's been an absolute wretch on this voyage. You should have seen the way he was behaving because of that brooch today."
"I saw quite enough, thank you," Jack said.
Elizabeth let out a sigh. "It really was a lovely gift, but there's no way I could keep it."
"Do you still want it?" he asked
"It hardly matters now," she said.
"Of course, it matters. If you want it, you should have it. It's sitting in me coat pocket. Would only take a minute to go to the cabin and get it. You can come with me if you like. Maybe open up a bottle of rum or two, sing a few songs together, just like before."
Now Elizabeth laughed. "That was a lot of fun, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline. And that goes for the brooch as well. I appreciate the thought, but it would only make Will angry."
Will couldn't listen anymore. When he first went to eavesdrop on them, he had every intention of confronting them and even slicing Jack to bits over her if need be. But he could see now that the battle was already lost. Not only did Jack have much more to offer her (or at least, he had convinced her that he had more), but Will himself had helped to drive her away by attempting to stifle her free spirit and allowing his temper to get the best of him. And now she and Jack were stealing away in the night and making plans for running away altogether. No, another bout of anger wouldn't solve anything. He removed himself quietly from his hiding place and returned to the main deck, contemplating how he might win her back. Perhaps if he allowed her to keep the brooch, that could be the first step in showing her that he knew how to be a reasonable man. He headed toward Jack's cabin.
The entrance was dark, shielded from the moonlight so that it was unlikely that anyone would see him. Will looked around to make sure he had gone unnoticed, then he tried the door handle, fully expecting it to be locked. It turned easily in his hand, which surprised him. Perhaps there was someone else in there? He opened the door slowly and poked his head in to find the cabin was completely dark except for the moonlight that came in through the windows. When he was sure he was alone, he continued in and looked around for Jack's coat. It was easy enough to spot laying carelessly on top of his desk. Will picked it up and rummaged through the pockets, but after pulling out several small items that he mistook for the brooch, he became frustrated and took to shaking it. Coins, peanut shells, corks, a stop watch, dice, all sorts of odd, practically useless items spilled out onto the desktop. Then finally, the brooch appeared.
Will picked it up and examined it in the moonlight. It was a heavy piece in the shape of intricate flowers and vines. An open rose adorned its center, offset by a small bud. Even Will, as skilled as he was with metal, would have had a difficult time creating something so complex, but perhaps he could try one day. He could take a few silver coins, no, gold coins, and melt them down to make her something even more beautiful. He placed the brooch in his own pocket, returned all the odds and ends to Jack's pockets (he didn't know to which pockets they belonged, but he doubted Jack knew either) and turned to leave.
On the way out, the mirror caught his eye. It was nothing unusual this time, only his own reflection as he passed, but all the same, he had to stop. He was sure of what he had seen earlier that day, and yet Jack acted as though he had no idea what Will was talking about. Or maybe he did know what that mirror was capable of, and that's why he stole the gaudy thing in the first place and kept it in his cabin. He wouldn't put it past Jack to find something like that and keep it for himself.
Will took hold of the mirror and turned it toward the desk, just to satisfy his curiosity. At first, he saw nothing except Jack's coat laying exactly where he left it. Then, after a few seconds, the reflection became brighter, as though someone had lit some candles in the room. Will turned around to see if anything in Jack's cabin had changed, but it was as dark as ever. He returned to the mirror and watched. There was movement, ghostly figures in motion near Jack's desk that gradually became more opaque until Will recognized them. They were Jack and Elizabeth. Once again, he heard no sound, but he understood what was happening. Elizabeth sat on the edge of the desk with a half empty bottle of rum in her hand while Jack stood in front of her with his hands on her waist. Their faces were only inches away from each other as they talked about something intimate. Suddenly they both laughed, then Jack wrapped his arms around her fully, leaned in and kissed her. Elizabeth threw her arms around his neck, rum bottle still in hand, and returned his kiss. They remained together for what seemed like forever.
Will could feel his skin turn hot as he watched the two of them. He told himself to look away, but he couldn't. He had to know what Jack had done to his lovely Elizabeth. He watched as they finally broke away from each other. Elizabeth turned away slightly and took a long pull from the rum bottle. Jack watched her with interest, then reached for it when she was finished. As he took his own drink, Elizabeth's hands slid slowly down his chest, feeling the muscles that lay beneath his shirt.
The cabin door creaked open behind Will, and he spun around to see who had entered. It was Jack and he was carrying a lantern that lit the whole room. He didn't take two paces in before he stopped short and scowled at Will. "What are you doing in here?" he asked.
"Will?" Elizabeth said as she came up behind Jack.
So, this was how it worked. They both got up in the middle of the night while Will was fast asleep, spent a little time under the stars together, then came to Jack's cabin for their rendezvous. Will smiled, but it was anything but friendly. "Perhaps, I should ask you the same question," he said.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"What were you and Elizabeth planning to do in here, share a bottle of rum or two?"
"Oh." It was clear to Jack they had been spied upon, and he realized it couldn't look good, regardless of how innocent it was. "'Twas just a joke, Mate. You know as well as I that she would never go for such a thing."
"And yet, she followed you," Will pointed out.
Jack turned around and looked at Elizabeth. "So she did," he conceded.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and pushed past Jack to enter the cabin. "This entire situation is absolutely insane. Jack only brought me here to give me back my brooch. That was all. As soon as I had it, I was going to leave. What did you think I was going to do?"
Will threw the brooch at her with force, but she didn't attempt to catch it. Instead it bounced off of the floor and landed near the wall. Jack gasped and went after it, examining it closely to see if it had been damaged. Will and Elizabeth ignored him, keeping their eyes set on each other. "I know exactly what you were going to do. The same as you've done before. I've seen it!" Will shouted.
"Seen what?" Elizabeth shouted back.
"The two of you, on that desk!" Will pointed to the desk, and both Elizabeth and Jack turned to it.
Elizabeth shook her head, "I don't understand. What are you talking about?"
"I saw everything. It was right there in that mirror," he said.
Jack saw that his mirror was facing the wrong way again. He casually walked over to it, being careful to keep as much distance between Will and himself as possible, and laid his hand on it. "This mirror?" he asked.
"Of course, that mirror!" Will said
"The mirror that shows the past?"
"Yes!"
"I see," he said, stroking his beard for a moment as though he was considering the possibility. Then suddenly, he called out, "Gibbs!"
Will drew his sword, "I'll take you both if I must!"
"Will, please!" Elizabeth called out and stood between the men. "You're obviously not well. Let's just get some sleep and we'll talk about this in the morning. I don't need that foolish brooch. I just want you back to being yourself again."
"Do you still think taking him on a trip to Barbados is a good idea?" Jack asked Elizabeth.
"Shut it, Jack!" she spat. Jack took a defensive stance.
"Barbados?" Will asked her.
"Yes, Barbados. Jack had offered to take us there, but the way you've behaved on this trip...well, I had considered going without you. But I only considered it. I wasn't actually going to do it."
Gibbs came into the cabin with his pistol drawn. "What is it Cap'n?"
"Will you please escort Mr. Turner to his hammock and see that he doesn't leave it. I fear he might be a danger to himself." Jack cleared his throat. "And possibly others."
"What about the brig?" Gibbs asked.
"Unfortunately, that's not going to work with this particular prisoner. Just keep an eye on him, will you?"
"Aye, Cap'n." Gibbs took Will by the arm and led him out of the cabin. He was reluctant to follow at first, but when Elizabeth took his other arm, he went along.
As soon as the three of them had left Jack alone in his cabin, he let out a sigh of relief then turned his attention to the mirror. "I do wish he'd stop moving this thing. It's bloody heavy," he said out loud to himself and tugged it back toward his bed. "What's it called again, cabin fever? That must be it. The boy can't stand cramped quarters. It's the only thing that makes any sense." Jack stood back and looked at the mirror. What was Will seeing that put such wild ideas in his head? He saw nothing except himself (not looking quite as impressive as he did earlier, he noticed), and the back corner of his cabin, which included his bed and part of the door.
The door. Jack heard nothing, but he saw it open just a few inches. The wedge of light that shone through from Jack's lantern revealed Will looking back at him, and further down, the blade of his sword glistened. Jack slowly moved his hand to his pistol, never taking his eyes off of Will in the reflection. "I see you there, Mr. Turner," he said plainly without turning around. "Put the sword down, and let's talk about this, shall we?" Will didn't move. "I said," Jack spun around to the door with his pistol aimed, "put the..." but door was closed tight. Jack ran to it and opened it, but he saw no one on the other side.
Gibbs came up from below deck. "Do you need me again Cap'n?" he asked.
"Where's Will?"
"He's in his hammock, just like you said."
"Are you sure?"
"I just left him. He's talking to Elizabeth now."
Jack looked puzzled. "Well done, Mr. Gibbs," he said and went back into his cabin. Perhaps he was just tired. He sat down on the edge of his bed and began removing his boots when he noticed the mirror again. For some reason, it made him uncomfortable now. He walked over to his desk, picked up his coat, and threw it over the top.
Jack's cabin door creaked open slowly. "Come on, quickly. Before he sees us," Will whispered behind him and entered the room.
"Will, you're mad!" Elizabeth whispered back harshly. "You're lucky he didn't lock you in the brig last night. Do you really want to do this again?" But in spite of her misgivings she entered the room behind him.
"I have to show you what I saw," Will insisted. "If, after you've seen it, you can still look me in the eye and tell me there's nothing between you two, then I'll believe you." He walked up to Jack's mirror, pulled his coat down, then stood in front of it.
Elizabeth stood next to him and looked. "What is it?" she asked after only a moment. "I don't see anything. Come on, Will, let's get out of here before we're caught." She turned to leave, but Will grabbed her by her shoulders.
"No," he said, "You have to stare at it for a while. It doesn't happen right away." He turned her around again and held her there. "Everything looks normal at first, but before you know it, you start to see things move and that's when it happens." The two of them stayed there for a short time, but soon Elizabeth started glancing toward the cabin door, wanting nothing more than to leave. Will saw her in the reflection and became frustrated. "Look at it!" he demanded while giving her a quick shake.
Tears started to form in Elizabeth's eyes. She was becoming genuinely frightened of him. What on earth was causing him to behave this way? She looked at the mirror as directed. "I think perhaps Jack's right," Elizabeth said softly with a mild quiver in her voice. "You have a bit of a...," she was going to say temper but trailed off when she saw Will's face in the mirror. It was definitely him, but his eyes seemed to burn right through her with anger and hatred like she had never seen in him before. He gave the impression that with one wrong move, he was capable of doing her genuine harm.
"A bit of a what?" Will asked.
"Nothing," she choked.
"Tell me Elizabeth! What did Jack say?"
Without warning, Elizabeth tore away and ran out the door. Will started to chase after her but thought better of it. He had only succeeded in making a bigger mess of things, and he knew it. Chasing her and forcing her back into the cabin wasn't going to make anything better, assuming he could get away with it. He sat down on the edge of Jack's bed and buried his face in his hands, massaging his forehead as he tried to figure out what to do. He knew the mirror was showing him things. He knew it.
He looked up at the mirror again and saw his own image sitting on the bed. But it only lasted a short time. Will slowly began to fade out of the picture until there was nothing but the empty bed. Then, the ghostly figures appeared and became more solid. It was Jack and Elizabeth lying naked together beneath the covers. Jack was on top of her, kissing her bare neck as she tilted her head back in pleasure.
That was all Will could watch. He lunged toward the mirror and knocked it to the floor as though somehow he could reach Jack by doing so. Then he turned back to the bed and began ripping everything from it and tossing it around the room. But his rage didn't stop there. He continued going around the cabin knocking down furniture and throwing whatever items he could pick up, cursing Jack all the while. He managed to break one of the lamps that hung from the wall, and even a small pane in a window. A bottle of ink spilled all over Jack's charts before he knocked those to the floor as well.
"Mister Turner!" Will heard Jack shout from the cabin door just before he was tackled to the ground by Gibbs and another of his larger men. "I have no more patience for this behavior, and it will not be tolerated! Gentlemen, tie him up and lock him in the brig! We're dropping him off first chance we get."
"What do you mean, dropping him off?" he heard Elizabeth cry from somewhere outside the cabin.
"Marooned, that's what I mean. You're lucky I don't have him keelhauled."
"But you can't! He'll die!" she pleaded.
By this time, the men had Will bound and were leading him out of the cabin. As they pushed him past Jack, he shouted, "You're a filthy bastard, Jack! You've always had your sights on her, from day one!" Gibbs gave him a shove and they continued below deck. Jack didn't flinch.
It had been two days since they left Will on a tiny island to himself. Elizabeth had convinced Jack to give him enough rations to keep him alive until she could come back with her father to get him. At the time, Jack was sorely reluctant to do it, but after having some time to think about the whole incident, he was glad he did. Afterall, he didn't hate the lad. There was obviously something wrong with him. Perhaps once he was home again, he would shape up just fine. Meanwhile, Jack decided he didn't care much for that mirror afterall. It made him uneasy, so he had his men turn it toward the wall while they were cleaning up his cabin. He'd get a good price for it somewhere. Honestly, what did he need it for? He knew he was a handsome fellow. He didn't need a bloody mirror to confirm it. Jack's thoughts were interrupted when someone shouted, "Captain! We've spotted another vessel, portside!"
Jack pulled out his telescope and looked. It wasn't a ship, but a large boat that flew no colors, and it seemed to be coming straight toward them. He continued to watch it until it drew close enough in his telescope that he could make out some of the crew's faces. They were dark skinned, every one of them, and one of them was a particularly large fellow who looked vaguely familiar to him. Then he saw her, Tia Dalma. She stood next to the large man and almost seemed to be staring at Jack right through his telescope. "Bugger," he said, and put it away. He considered running, but knew better.
A short time later, Tia Dalma boarded the ship. "Where is it, Jack?" was the first thing she said.
"Lovely to see you too, Tia Dalma. How is swamp life these days, anyhow?" Jack greeted her.
"Do not play games wit' me, Jack. I did not chase you all dis way jus' to visit."
"Of course," Jack smiled and reached in his pocket. He pulled out the brooch he had given to Elizabeth and handed it to her. "It's a bit dented, but I'm sure one of your people can fix that right up."
"Dat's not what I want," she said, but she dropped it in her pouch anyways.
Jack rolled his eyes and reached in his pocket again. He pulled out a small book with mysterious symbols all over its cover. "There, you can have your magic book. I couldn't make head or tails of the bloody thing anyways."
Tia Dalma looked surprised as he handed it to her. "Where did you find dis?" she asked as she tucked it away.
"You mean you weren't looking for it?"
"No, I want de mirror. Where is it?"
"Oh! The mirror!" he said and motioned for her to follow him to his cabin. But before he opened the door, he turned to her and gave her a wary look. "Why do you want the mirror?"
"It is not meant for you to have."
"Why not?"
"It is known as de Mind's Eye. 'Twas made many years ago for a great king who wanted to rule de world. Whatever him imagined, him could see. Him t'ought it would help to plan battles and build cities, but it only drove him insane. Him imagination was more dan him could take."
Jack became pensive for a moment while biting his lower lip. "I see..." Then he snapped out of it quickly and turned to open the door. "Well, we don't want any insane people onboard this ship, so come and get it." He held the door open while two of Tia Dalma's men carried it out, just as the other men had carried it in...
It is said that to love others, one must first love oneself. Mister William Turner learned this lesson first hand. In his heart and in his mind he felt unworthy of a woman like the lovely Miss Swann. Even after winning her affections and a promise of marriage, he was still convinced that she found happiness in others where he was unable to provide it. Everywhere he looked, he found the possibility of losing her to another. Therefore, he tightened his grip on her to ensure he kept her to himself, not realizing that by doing so, he would become the very mechanism that drove her away. What began as a voyage to please his fiancée, ultimately left him marooned in The Twilight Zone.