Chapter 4 – Version 2.0
Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to Pirates of the Caribbean, though Valerie is all mine.
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Elizabeth was curled up on a sandy beach not far from her manor, her hands gently cradling her favorite novel. The words "Treasure Island" peeked through her fingers as the gentle breeze rustled her hair. Hours passed, but she was too absorbed in Jim's adventures to notice. She was finally brought back to reality when she felt a wave brush against her toes. She lifted her gaze from the worn pages and noticed that the sun was setting quickly.
'I should begin my journey home,' she thought to herself. 'William will be wondering where I am.'
She folded the corner of the page that she had been reading to mark it and stood up, brushing off excess grains of sand from her dress. With one final glance at the amber sun setting on the horizon, she turned and began to slowly make her way back towards the manor. She had only taken two steps when something on the horizon caught her eye. She turned back and squinted at the sea, trying to figure out what had caught her attention.
'It's a ship!' she realized excitedly.
She squinted to make out the details better. Her wishful thinking sparked an idea.
'Could that be the Pearl?'
Her heart began to pound faster as she imagined Jack being this close to her. Treasure Island toppled from her hands, the heavy cover crushing the pages into the sand. She hardly noticed because her legs were already carrying her toward the coastline. She ran to the water's edge and paused, stepping up onto a large rock to avoid the waves. She waited, leaning forward expectantly, her eyes locked on the ship that was rapidly moving closer with each passing moment. As it approached, she could make out the onyx sails. It was the Pearl. Her breathing became rapid and shallow as she anxiously waited for the ship to arrive. The seconds dragged out as her heart pounded in her ears, yet she didn't dare to move.
After what seemed like an eternity, she spotted a rowboat being lowered into the water off the starboard side of the Pearl. As it made its way toward the shore, she could make out a familiar figure standing at the front. A red bandana was tied around his black dreads and his white shirt billowed in the breeze. It was Jack.
She was bouncing on the balls of her feet, unable to contain her excitement any longer. She could see Jack's face clearly now and a girlish grin erupted on hers. Jack returned her smile, his eyes twinkling mischievously. Suddenly, he dove off the boat, unable to be apart from his beloved Elizabeth any longer. A giddy cry escaped Elizabeth's lips as she watched him swim towards her. Forgetting her dignity, she jumped from the rock and began wading through the shallow waters as fast as she could in her billowy dress. They quickly closed the space between them. Jack lifted Elizabeth up by her waist and spun her around as her joyous laughter rung out over the entire beach. However, a combination of waves and rum caused Jack to sway and lose his balance. Laughter erupted from the pair as they collapsed into the water. Jack stood up and helped Elizabeth back on her feet, then passionately pulled her into a tender embrace. She buried her face into his wet chest as he held her close to his heart and stroked her damp hair.
"I missed you, Jack," Elizabeth mumbled.
"I've missed you too, darling," Jack replied huskily.
Elizabeth looked up at him with desire in her eyes.
"Kiss me," she breathed.
"What about Will, love?" Jack asked with a slight frown.
Elizabeth smirked. "Don't ruin the moment. He doesn't matter right now."
She never ceased to surprise him. He chuckled and placed his hand under her chin, tipping her face up towards him. She closed her eyes in anticipation as Jack moved in to meet her lips with his. However, they were interrupted by a loud shot ringing through the air. Both of them jumped, surprised by the unexpected outburst. Silence engulfed them as they stood in the water, holding each other close. Elizabeth's eyes darted around in panic while Jack was alert, searching for the source of the shot. Nothing could be heard except for the rustling of palm trees and the occasional gentle crash of a wave against the rocks. The silence was deadly. Elizabeth tightened her grip on Jack's arms.
"Jack, what's happening?" she whispered.
His eyes met hers and he put his finger against her lips. She nodded, the fear within her escalating. Her heart was fluttering like a hummingbird in her chest and she took a deep breath in attempt to calm herself.
The silence was shattered moments later by another gunshot. Elizabeth cried out and pressed herself against Jack, closing her eyes tightly in fear. All too quickly, a third shot resonated. Pain flooded Elizabeth's body. Jack's gaze dropped to the woman in his arms and he couldn't help but groan. Blood was pouring from a wound on her arm and she was rapidly turning a ghostly shade of white.
"Elizabeth!" he cried out. He lifted her into his arms before she had a chance to faint.
Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut as the pain in her arm intensified. "Just a scratch," she muttered. Darkness threatened to overtake her, but she fought to stay awake.
Jack began to fight his way toward the shore with Elizabeth secure in his strong arms. He had to get her out of harm's way as quickly as possible. He cursed under his breath as he struggled to wade through the water.
"Stay with me, darling," he muttered. Elizabeth let out a quiet sigh in response.
A final shot rang out. A strange cold, tingling sensation began to spread through Jack's body as he found himself suddenly unable to stand. The two of them collapsed into the water.
Elizabeth was thrust back into consciousness as she struggled to grasp her surroundings. Despite the overwhelming pain in her arm, she fought to push herself up above the water's surface. Once she found herself reacquainted with oxygen again, she began to cough up the salty water that she had accidentally inhaled. The sunlight blinded her for a second, but as her eyes began to adjust she wondered why the water so dark. Her arm wasn't bleeding badly enough to color the sea that shade of garnet. Sheer dread slowly crept on as she began to frantically search for Jack.
The blood that clouded the water was not hers.
She tried to scream, but her voice seemed to have disappeared. Her throat closed tightly as tears began streaming down her face. Jack was floating face down in front of her, his once snowy shirt quickly becoming a bright shade of crimson.
He was dead.
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Elizabeth sat up suddenly, engulfed in the ocean waves. It took her a moment to realize she was safe in her bed, drenched in her own sweat. 'It all felt so real,' she thought. After inspecting her arm and finding it in one piece, she released a deep sigh. She laid back down and attempted to fall back asleep, but after tossing and turning for an hour, she came to terms with the fact that she wouldn't find sleep again that night. She got out of bed, slipped on her robe, and wandered over to her window. Her gaze settled on the crimson horizon as the sun began to slowly rise. Elizabeth took a deep breath and sighed again, silently thanking the universe that her nightmare hadn't been real. She began to fantasize about Jack sailing into Port Royal to sweep her away for adventures on the high seas. William Turner never once crossed her mind and it didn't occur to her to feel guilty.
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"No!" Jack cried out, snapping out of his nightmare. He couldn't bear to see Elizabeth in pain, even if it was just in his dreams. He groaned and closed his eyes, preparing to go back to sleep, but suddenly perked back up when he heard strange whispers outside his door. Furrowing his brow, Jack snuck quietly out of bed and made his way toward the locked door of his cabin.
"You're sure he's asleep?" a nervous voice said.
"Of course, you fool," a rough voice replied. There was a pause. "Sweet Davy Jones, pull yerself together!"
A quiver followed the command, then a loud thud and a whimper. "Now, I'm going to break the door down and you shoot him. Act quickly. Understood?"
Silence, then another thud. "I asked you a question!"
Jack groaned as he realized that the rough voice belonged to his first mate George.
'A bloody mutiny? Leave it up to that miserable scoundrel to overthrow me. I don't have time to deal with this right now!'
Jack let out a frustrated sigh. He knew he wouldn't have time to properly prepare to defend himself, so he was forced to take a drastic course of action. He grabbed his effects, quietly opened the window and dove into the sea. He knew he had thousands of strokes and many dangerous hours ahead of him, but he prayed for a miracle and began to swim. The moon lit his path as he began his journey into the unknown, thinking of only one thing as he swam for his life.
Elizabeth.
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Vickay: Another chapter rewrite down! Thanks for sticking with us this far.
Will: *whispers* I will stand by your side for the rest of my life.
Jack: Mate, your fiancée is right here…mind your manners!
Elizabeth: It's quite alright love, we really have no room to talk. *winks at Jack*
Vickay: *giggles* You all are so silly! Alrighty, we are closing in on the new content being released. Thanks again for reading!