Chapter 13-Marooned
Two publishes in two days, I'm on a role hope to finish publishing this story by mid-march time and maybe start the second on in the series soon after. Anyway enjoy this chapter, I don't own POTC, but Scarlet is the best Pirate girl ever and all mine!
We watched as the Pearl sailed away from us, Jack loosen his ropes on his hands "That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship."
I watched the black sails until the last possible moment. I had grown to love that ship over the time I had been on it. Although I had a feeling we would be seeing it again.
Elizabeth took off around the island as Jack cleaned the gun he managed to get back off Barbossa. I took my sword out and picked up a nearby rock, before going about sharpening the edge.
Elizabeth arrived back less than 5 minutes later, standing with her hands on her hips, in her sulking pose. She didn't seem to realise that wouldn't get her way with me and Jack.
"It's not all that big is it?" Jack said, not even bothering to look up at her.
"If you're going to shot me please do so without delay," Elizabeth said, her voice was so whiny that I was tempted to take up her offer.
Jack finally looked up giving her the attention she craved, "Is there a problem between us Miss Swann?"
Elizabeth suddenly exploded at Jack, "You were going to tell Barbossa about Will in exchange for a ship?"
"We could use a ship!" Jack argued back getting up and moving towards Elizabeth, "The fact is I was not going to tell Barbossa about Bloody Will in exchange for a ship, because as long as he didn't know about bloody Will I had something to bargain with, which now no one has. Thanks to bloody stupid Will!"
"Oh," Came Elizabeth's intelligent reply.
"Oh," Jack imitated her.
Elizabeth fell silent for a few moments trying to come up with an argument back, "He still risked his life to save ours," Jack made a huffing noise before walking away, Elizabeth chased after him, and I followed so we could use my bullets if she got to annoying, "so we have to do something to rescue him!"
"Off you go then let me know how that turns out!" Jack said his arms flaying, before turning around and walking off obviously looking for something, Elizabeth followed yelling after him. This girl didn't seem to give up!
"But you were marooned on this island before, weren't you? So we can escape in the same way you did then."
"To what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice, unlikely - young Mr Turner will be dead long before you can reach him," Jack said his hand gestures going wild. I decided to leave them to their argument and instead choosing to walk around the area. All I could see was just trees, and more trees. I couldn't imagine how Jack had lived here all alone.
I was jolted back into reality by Elizabeth's voice, "So is there any truth to the other stories?"
"Truth?" Jack said softly his voice void of emotion. He pulled up his left sleeve to show the beautiful Sparrow tattoo on it and the Pirating branding, similar to the one that I had on my left arm. He then pulled up his right sleeve showing the burn marks that run from his wrist up to his elbow. He then slowly pulled down his top slightly to show two gunshot wounds in his shoulder, far too close to his heart for my liking, "Truth? No truth at all!" Jack collapsed back onto the golden sand below him, "We still have a month, maybe more. Keep a weather eye open for passing ships or any other life sign."
We had managed to make our way back to where we started from. Jack sat down and I followed next to him grabbing one of the bottles that I had just noticed in his hands. Rum, oh how I have missed you.
I opened the bottle with my teeth watching Elizabeth and Jack's exchange.
"What about Will? We have to help him!" Elizabeth exclaimed, and she hadn't realised that she loved him yet?
"You're absolutely right," Jack said causing me to look at him in shock, we couldn't do anything. He then rolled over one of the bottles of rum towards Elizabeth, "Here's luck to you William Turner."
Elizabeth reached down and picked up the bottle of rum before sitting on the other side of Jack, "Drink up me harty, yo, yo," she sang softly under her breath. I smiled it was an old song they used to sing in the pubs in Tortuga.
"What was that Elizabeth?" Jack asked her for the first time seeming honestly interested in what she was saying.
"Miss Swann," Elizabeth corrected, her voice cold and posh, "Nothing, just a song I learnt as a child when I thought it would be exciting to be pirate."
"Let's hear it?" Jack said encouraging her.
"No."
"Come on, we've got the time."
I moved away from their argument and went to lay down on the sand further up so I wouldn't get my feet wet. I slipped my rum watching the sky. It wasn't long before I felt someone come and sit next to me.
"I hate this bloody island," I said out loud, looking over at Jack's silhouette, the sun made him look like an angel.
"Yes so do I," Jack said softly.
I sat up and hugged him, knowing he needed it at this moment, "If we don't get saved you'll starve," I said truthfully, finally speaking my fear.
"Yes," Jack answered, his voice not as scared as it should have been, "and you?"
"I'll just keep on living," I said, my voice holding back a sob, "I can't lose you again Jack."
He cupped my cheek comforting my gently with his touch. I moved my head forward ready to kiss him.
"Scarlet, can I have a word?" Elizabeth's annoying voice cut through the air, causing me to jump back away from Jack.
"Of course Miss Swan," I said doing a quite good impression of her posh accent. Before getting up and walking over to her ignoring Jack's groans of disappointment, "What can I do for you?"
"If we burn the rum how high could we get the smoke signal?" Elizabeth questioned her eyes showing me she had a plan.
I quickly did the maths in my head, "Around a thousand feet judging by the amount," I said certainly, "But Jack would never let you."
"If he's unconscious that wouldn't be a problem," Elizabeth said smirking evilly at me. I began to realise there was more to her than met the eyes.
We both turned to look at Jack who had two empty bottles in front of him as well as the quarter full one in his hand, "Not long then," I observed.
It didn't take long for Jack to begin singing. A clear sign he was far too drunk. Elizabeth had finally relented just before nightfall and taught Jack the song. We had been singing it since and dancing around the fire I had lit, "We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me."
"I love this song! Really bad eggs! Ooh," Jack exclaimed falling over and dragging me and Elizabeth with him, falling ungracefully upon the sand, "When I get the Pearl back, I'm gonna teach it to the whole crew, and we'll sing it all the time!"
"And you'll be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main," I giggled taking another gulp of rum. I could start to feel the effects of the alcohol on my body.
Jack wrapped his arm around my shoulder pulling me into him slightly too hard, "Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs but what a ship is what the Black Pearl really is, freedom."
"Jack, it must be really terrible for you to be trapped on this island," Elizabeth said annoying me slightly. More because she was getting a little too close to Jack.
"Oh, yes," Jack said putting his arm around her shoulder, I gritted my teeth, "But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has definitely improved," Jack leered down her shirt.
Elizabeth moved away from Jack, trying to hide the disguised but failing, "Mr Sparrow, I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk."
"I know exactly what you mean, love," Jack said curling his moustache in a way that made him look like an idiot, then moving towards Elizabeth again.
"To Freedom," Elizabeth toasted before he could get too close.
"To the Black Pearl," Jack replied before taking a large gulp of rum and collapsing backward into unconsciousness.
Elizabeth moved to go and get the rum, while I felt the rum beginning to make me tired as it always did. I curled up next to Jack and fell into a peaceful sleep.
When I work up I came face to face with Jack, "I like waking up like this," I muttered as I stretched the kinks out of my back.
"Me too love, just you and me and the smell of burning," Jack said as I looked over his shoulder to see a giant fire made of his favourite drink.
"That's probably just the hangover darling," I said to him trying to keep him facing me.
"No, it smells like rum, burning rum," Jack exclaimed jumping up from next to me and turning to see the rum burning, "No! Not good! Stop! Not good! What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade! The rum!" he yelled running towards Elizabeth who was throwing more stuff onto the fire.
"Yes, the rum is gone," Elizabeth replied her voice unbothered.
"Why is the rum gone?" Jack said, sounding like he was about to burst into tears.
"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me, do you really think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?" Elizabeth yelled at him. I had to hand it to her the plan was good not that Jack would see it that way.
"But why is the rum gone?" Jack screamed. His voice echoing in my ears as my hangover began to take effect.
"Jack! Quiet voice please," I begged, holding my hands over my ears.
"Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon," Elizabeth replied stubbornly, sitting on the beach next to the fire watching the ocean.
Jack walked off taking his pistol out of his holder and aiming it, before seeming to think better of that idea and putting it back. He stalked off and became to impersonate Elizabeth's voice, "Must've been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must've been terrible for you," He turned around and yelled at her, "Well it bloody is now!"
I decided to follow him to the spot he had decided to sit on, "You know we had to do it Jack. We need to get home," I said speaking rationally.
"Me ship is thousands of miles away and you wanna get home," Jack yelled at me.
That was the last straw for me, "Do not talk to me like that Captain Sparrow. I was only trying to help," I yelled back.
Jack looked down guilty, and spoke in a quieter voice, "I'm sorry love. I didn't mean it," he moved towards me slowly before looking over my shoulder and falling backwards into the sand, "Now that just isn't fair. There'll be no living with her after this."
I turned to see the Dauntless sailing over the Horizon. This should be fun.
Hope you like the chapter. Please review.
Until next time
Artistic-Blue-Eyes
xxx