Author's Note-- IT DID IT!!! IT UPLOADED!! WOOT WOOT! So, here's Chapter 11 for those of you who haven't read it already... And Chapter 12 will follow as soon as I upload it.
Chapter 11
The scream that escapes from my mouth echoes from the walls surrounding us, carrying on long after a clammy hand has been clamped across my mouth.
"Shhhh, Sofia… We don't want to disturb anyone now, do we?" Smooth as ever, Almsworth- or Serpiente- smiles slyly at me- but where Jack's sly grin is playful, wicked, his is just full of malice and threat, forcing me to suppress a shudder.
Serpiente must have noted my discomfort, for now he leans even closer and whispers in my ear.
"No need to be scared, sweetheart… I'm not going to hurt you. After all, I wouldn't want to spoil the goods…" He gives a short mirthless laugh, and then takes his hand away from my mouth and steps back to stare at me, pale eyes raking up and down my body.
"Although I'd hate to think what that beggar Sparrow has done to you, having kept you aboard his ship for all these weeks… How he's dressed you is bad enough- daring to put a woman in men's clothes is just disgusting. What happened to that beautiful dress you had on when we met previously? It must have cost your father a pretty penny…Sparrow's probably sold it at the first chance he got- the only pirating he's good enough for, I suspect. It did suit you so well, though…"
He reaches out with one of his hands towards my face, but I flinch away as though I am about to be struck. He looks confused as to why I am rejecting him at first, but when he sees the complete look of disgust on my face, he comprehends and withdraws his hand.
"Sofia…"
"Don't call me that!" I find my voice again.
"That's no way to talk to me, Sofia… Obviously, living amongst the filth of the Earth for a month or two has allowed you to completely forget all you manners. Here- let me remind you…"
In a flash, he is beside me again, with his hand encircling my neck.
"Women only speak when addressed to… And never in anger or contempt, never to speak out against men. You'd do well to remember that, otherwise I may… assist… you in never speaking out of turn. Or indeed, never speaking at all…" His fingers trace around my neck, following the line of my shirt.
"Do I make myself clear?"
In response to this final question, I spit in Serpiente's face. He recoils in horror, desperately wiping his face as though I will contaminate him somehow. However, he soon recovers and looks and me with and expression of hatred.
"You little wh…" He strides back towards me, drawing a small dagger from his belt. I prepare to run, unable to think of anything better to do, but just as I am gauging what direction to head in, another voice comes from behind Almsworth that freezes both him and I in our tracks.
"STOP!"
At first my heart leaps with joy, thinking that Jack has summoned the crew and has arrived to save me. But when I peer around at the new figure, it occurs to me that the voice had not been the rich, slurring tone of the pirate, but rather a more clipped and precise English accent, still familiar but much more unwelcome. This is further confirmed by the profile of the man, who is portly to say the least, short-haired and opulently dressed, completely unsuited to running around on rough terrain such as this- as he steps into a shaft of light I see a thin sheen of sweat covering his brow.
Serpiente sighs and rolls his eyes, sheathing his dagger in the process.
"Mr Chalmes… I thought I told you to stay on the beach? You will only slow me down on the return journey…"
Robert Chalmes steps nervously up next to Serpiente, producing a small white handkerchief which he uses to mop his brow. Then he seems to summon his courage and squares up slightly to the pale pirate- despite the fact that he only comes up to his chest.
"I will not allow you to do this to her- at least while I am around. When you have taken me back to my estate, and left me with my prize and you with yours…" I see his eyes flicker for a spilt-second in my direction "…Then I will have no power to stop you. However, until then, I beg of you- let her be."
Serpiente's eye slide from Chalmes to me. A slow smile spreads on his lips, but disappears almost as soon as it forms. Then he steps back behind Chalmes, and motions towards me.
"Then she's yours… For now…"
Chalmes gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing visibly in his throat. Then he turns his attention towards me, putting a large, fake smile on his face- one that does not stretch as far as his eyes.
"Sofia…"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" This time, I shout even louder, indignant that this message doesn't seem to have got through.
In the background, I catch Serpiente shaking his head.
"We've been here before, Chalmes… In fact, this is where we had reached just before you walked in, I think…"
"Thank-you, Mr Almsworth, but your input is not needed here. I am merely about to explain to Sofia what is going on..."
"There's no need." I interrupt. "I've already heard what your power-hungry scheme is, thanks to Jack."
The smile flickers uncertainly.
"Sof… Erm… Would you care to explain what you mean?"
All about how you were going to bring me here with the sole purpose of using me as a tool to get to Falcon's treasure, and how you have enlisted the help of… him…" I glance over at Serpiente, "…To achieve your goal, in return for which he would get a cut of the treasure, but more importantly, me. Oh- and there's no use playing the 'name-game' with me, I am fully aware of each of our statuses now- once again all credit to Captain Sparrow, as he filled me in quite well on what sort of a money-grabbing bastard you really are. So please, I don't need you pretending to be fatherly to me now… It doesn't fit with your new personality anyway."
Chalmes' face hardens, taking on a new expression that I do not think I have ever seen before- anger. The effect is quite scary for me, as the man who I knew before has now completely disappeared.
"Fine." He turns and walks away from me, staring at the stone chest. "I had thought previously that you may come with us willingly, in return for a reward… Or that you would still feel a certain loyalty to me, the one who has cared for you over all the years of your life. But I now see that is not going to be the case. Mr. Serpiente, if you would be so kind."
The taller man steps forwards towards me before I have any time to react. He soon has me pinned against the side of the chest, with no hope of running anywhere to escape. Drawing out a piece of long, sturdy-looking cord, he roughly grabs my hands and starts to wind it around them, pressing his body rather more closer than I am comfortable with in the process. Soon, my hands are bound and he is holding the one loose end, tugging me forcefully towards the exit of the cavern, with Chalmes follows a short distance behind.
Serpiente delivers one final piece of conversation to me, whispering in my ear so quietly that I only just pick it up.
"I wonder, Sofia… You seem to trust Sparrow an awful lot, for someone who makes it his way of life to cheat and deceive. I expect you are so calm and fearless because you believe he is going to come and save you, and sort you out from all this mess, but how do you know he hasn't left you here, for us? Perhaps he struck a bargain with us- to win your trust and bring you to this Island under false pretences, in return for a share of the prize? Had you ever considered that? From what I have heard of Captain Jack Sparrow, it sounds like an entirely plausible explanation for his absence at the moment…"
I see the satisfaction in his eyes and he watches the havoc these statements wreak. Before now, I had never considered it, but now Serpiente has planted the seed of doubt in my mind I cannot get rid of it- when had Sparrow ever sworn, unconditionally, that he would make sure I was kept safe? Thinking back, I could not remember any occasion, even when he left me down here to return to the surface.
"Don't worry… We won't leave you down here by your onesies for too long…" Those were his final words to me, and they do nothing to help settle my fears- like Jack's words always seem to be, they are vague and could be interpreted in any number of different ways. Sadly, I now seem to fear the meaning behind them is the worst oe possible.
Oh Sierra…You've been tricked and you know it… Just why hadn't you the sense to notice it beforehand?! Too busy having romantic fantasies about a certain pirate, I expect. You stupid girl! My thoughts are true; I should never have let my guard down and trusted that man, who I hardly even knew.
Chalmes starts talking to Serpiente now, oblivious to what had just occurred between the pirate and me.
"We will return to the ship, I think. And then perhaps you could send some of your fine crew back here for the treasure? Many hands would make light work of the chest, I'm sure…"
We head off up to the surface, with Serpiente and Chalmes discussing what steps to take next, and I trying desperately to hang on to any last shred of hope I have remaining.
Although the surroundings I have been put into are lavish, with everything I might need, this still does not disguise the fact that I am imprisoned in here. The door has been locked tight- I have tried it enough times to know this for sure- leaving me to stride restlessly around the cabin. The walls, covered in detailed and exotic paintings, feel as though they are closing in on me and slowly suffocating me, and the numerous pieces of furniture and other objects only add to the clutter.
I turn to staring lethargically out of the window at the blue shies and seas. It has been so long since I have stayed inside for any length of time that it feels strange to me not to have the wind blowing on my face or the sun warming my skin. All I can do is stand and stare at what I cannot reach.
I hear shouting and movement from everywhere around me, but even though this felt so normal aboard the Pearl, now the sounds are disorientating and strange. At one point, a loud grinding- so fierce the ship itself seems to vibrate- almost makes me jump out of my skin. It is only after I have calmed myself that I realise this must be the sounds of Serpiente's crew bringing the chest aboard the ship.
Several hours seem to pass. I watch the sun, fully risen now, makes its way across the sky. It seems to reach its peak- I presume it must therefore be midday- when suddenly everything goes silent. Even the footsteps I had previously heard everywhere, as the crewmembers scurried back and forth, cease.
Then I hear one voice speaking out- even though I cannot hear the exact words, the tone I recognise instantly to be that of Serpiente's. This recognition instantly brings the hairs out on my neck, and makes me shudder. The sound of his voice is only broken by cheers from the crew every so often- I presume that he must be speaking to them, probably of their success.
Trying to distract myself, I return to staring out the single window. This has the desired effect, as immediately I see something that catches my attention.
Another ship is visible, further out in the bay. Even without taking in the black sails and hull, I recognise instantly to be the Black Pearl-I have spent enough time cleaning that ship to know its shape off by heart.
Hope wells up inside me- surely the only reason that the Pearl is here is to save me. The time has finally come for Jack's plan- whatever it was- to be put into action.
Something seems wrong, however. The perspective from where I am standing makes the ship look as though it is actually moving away from us, out of the bay and into the deeper open water.
Why would this be happening if they were coming to get me?
I realise, with a sinking feeling, that it is not actually the perspective playing tricks on me, but it is in fact that the ship is facing in the wrong direction to be coming my way. As I watch, the sails unfurl and billow out, catching the breeze, and the ship soon picks up speed, heading out towards the horizon.
My last shred of hope disappears as I watch the Pearl round the rocky headland, sailing out of sight.
Serpiente was right… He did trick me…He'll probably get a nice sum from that stupid washed-out pirate for doing it as well…
Helplessly, I slide to the floor and curl up into a ball, completely alone and with no hope of escape. Apprehensively, I wait for whatever is going to occur next- now I know Jack has betrayed me, I know it is not going to be pleasant, and that I will have no way of escaping it.
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Erm... I've got a bit lost with where I am with feedback, from the whole swapping sites thing... Lol, give me a while and I'll work it out, I'm sure...