"Look who we found." The pirate holding me says to Barbossa.
"Ah, little Miss Swann." Barbossa says with a chuckle, "I was wondering when you were going to honor us with your presence." To the pirate he says, "Tie her with the others."
I look up to the "others" and find Elizabeth staring at me, her eyes wide with shock. "Anna." I hear her gasp.
Thankfully, the pirate ties me right beside Elizabeth.
"Oh, Elizabeth!" I hug her before my arms are yanked down to my side. "I have missed you so much! Are you okay? Are you hurt? Are you injured?"
"I am fine." She replies, flabbergasted, "What are you doing here?"
"It is a really long story." I say, "I will tell you everything later." I smile, "It is so good to see you. You have no idea how worried Will and I was. Where is he?"
"He is back on the Interceptor." She replies, angry and frustrated. "He had gone down into the hull when the mast fell, trapping him inside. I have to do something!"
Before I can stop her, she quickly slips through her bindings. Just as she does, the Interceptor blows up, shocking everyone around.
Fury blinding her, Elizabeth marches straight up to Barbossa, "You've got to stop it!" She screams," Attacking him, making me flinch at every hit. "Stop it!"
Barbossa grabs her arms, "Welcome back, Miss. You took advantage of our hospitality last time. I holds fair that you return the favor." He says, pushing her into a crowd of his crew who start stroking her and petting her hair as she tries to fights her way out.
"How dare you?" I shout at Barbossa, fighting my restraints. "Let her go!"
"Oh, right." He says, "You girls are sisters. Feisty to the bone but your appealing looks make up for it." He likes his lips, disgusting me.
"Barbossa!" A voice calls and all attention is turned to the edge of the ship, where Will now stands.
Everyone ceases to move and I can hear Elizabeth whisper his name in shock and amazement.
"She goes free." He says, referring to Elizabeth and pointing his pistol at the pirate captain.
"What's in your head, boy?" Barbossa asks.
"She goes free!" Will repeats, jumping down from the edge and pointing the pistol right at Barbossa's head.
"You've only got one shot, and we can't die."
I hear Jack, who is being detained by Matted mutter, "Don't do anything stupid."
Realizing what Barbossa said was true, Will jumps back onto the edge and points the pistol at himself. "You can't. I can." He says.
"Like that." Jack says.
Barbossa looks as WIll suspiciously, "Who are you?"
"No one." Jack breaks out of Matted's grip and takes a stand between Will and Barbossa, "He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew, twice removed. Lovely singing. Eunuch."
"My name is Will Turner." Will calls out, "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs in my veins."
From the back, Rat-face speaks up, "He's the spitting image of ol' Bootstrap Bill, come back to haunt us."
"On my word, do as I say." Will continues, "Or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker."
"Name your turns, Mr. Turner." Barbossa says cautiously.
"Elizabeth goes free."
"Yes, we know that one." Barbossa says sounding a little annoyed, "Anything else."
"And the crew. The crew are not to be harmed."
"Agreed." Barbossa says with a smile.
I can't help but let my jaw hit the ground. How dare he forget me again! I try to get his attention so I can let him know just what I think of him but he only has eyes for Elizabeth, literally. I am completely ignored even though he practically sentenced me to either be a servant to these pirates, or to be killed, or worse, raped.
I fight my bonds and try shouting his name but by the end of the first syllable, I am gagged.
"Go, on Poppet, go! Walk the plank!" Gunshot laughs gleefully.
Elizabeth looks down at the water below her, lift her skirts as high as she dares go to avoid tripping. Those filthy, promise-breaking, dirt filled, brainless, heartless, mindless, soulless, selfish, pirates! How dare they! Making a young woman walk the plank! At least, I don't feel so bad at being left out of Will's negotiations. There must be a multitude of sharks in these warm tropical waters. But Elizabeth! She isn't the strongest swimmer. She might drown, or get eaten, and probably die of starvation on the island!
"You lying bastard!" Will shouts to Barbossa, fighting against his binding and the pirates holding him. "You swore she'd go free!"
Barbossa turns to him, "Don't dare impugn me honor, boy." He scolds, "I greed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where." The crew laughs and Will is swiftly gagged. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it lads?" He says, motioning to Elizabeth.
His crew agree with resounds of "Aye."
"So I'll be having that dress back before you go." He says to Elizabeth, holding out his hand.
With a sneer, Elizabeth quickly strips down to her under-gown, a long, thin gown that would have my father swaying in embarrassment. "It goes with you black heart." Elizabeth says, throwing him the dress.
Barbossa presses it to his face with a smile, "Ooh, it's still warm." He says, tossing it to a crowd of pirates who start fighting over the dress.
"Off you go!" A pirate yells at Elizabeth, "Come on!"
"Too long!" Bo'sun yells before shaking the plank.
Lizzie looses her balance and, with a scream, falls over, out of sight.
The pirates laugh at the splash that ensues.
Jack is next and is dragged up to the plank, "I'd really rather hoped we were past all this." He says as he passes by Barbossa.
"Jack, Jack." Barbossa says, wrapping his arm around the other man's shoulders, "Did ye not notice? that be the same little island that we made you Governor of on our last little trip." He points to the distance and Jack follows his finger.
"I did notice."
"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape, but I doubt it." Barbossa unsheathes his sword and brandishes it at Jack's throat.
I yelp at the action in surprise and the pirate captain turns to me with a grin, "Don't you worry, little missy. I haven't forgotten about you."
I gulp.
"Off you go." Barbossa says, turning back to Jack.
"Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot." Jack says, slowly backing onto the plank.
"By the powers, you're right. Were be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward." A pirate hands Barbossa Jack's effects.
"Seeing as there's two of us, a gentleman would give us a pair of pistols." Jack explains.
"If we were to go by that logic, I would have to spare another pistol and I can't afford to do that." Barbossa says and a confused look comes to everyone around. "It'll be one pistol as before, and you can be the gentleman and shoot the lady and starve to death yourself."
Without further ado, Barbossa throws the knot of effects into the sea and Jack dives expertly in after it.
"Now for the little lady!" Barbossa says turning to me with a laugh.
Realization hits Will's face and he looks at me apologetically, "I am sorry Anna! I truly am!" He says, but I turn my back to him.
I am swiftly untied and brought before Barbossa.
"You know what, I am feeling quite generous right now. I will give you a choice. You can either stay with us here on this boat accompanied by Will and all your other friends in exchange for returning to us the favor your sister owes us... hospitality."
The crew laughs and the captain chuckles, "Or, you can join your sister and Jack Sparrow to make a life of a few days on that god-forsaken little spit of land also known as Jack's Island. It is your choice, but don't think we'll give you time to mull it over. Come on, what is your answer?"
I stare up at the man that had caused me and my friends and family so much grief. From the kidnapping Lizzie and almost killing my father with worry, Greaves getting the idea of going after Elizabeth which ultimately led to his death, to Thomas and I arguing and separating, to threatening Elizabeth's life which led to Will forgetting about me and thus putting me in this exact situation... it was all this man's fault.
This man with no heart had torn my life apart so much that I could never go home and have things the way they were. No more visits at the cave, no more small adventures and pleasures with Elizabeth since my father will most likely have her under lock and key. No more reading about pirates with pleasure since he has completely distorted my view of them. He even has me detesting fish, which had been one of my favorite meals!
And with that, I take a a deep breathe I spit on his face.
"You little miscreant!" He shouts, wiping at his face. "You have just sealed your fate to the sharks!" He grabs me roughly by the arm and throws me onto the plank, calling for a rag.
I only manage to keep my balance and slowly walk to the edge of the plank.
I turn back to the boat, all eyes on me. "You want to know a little something, Barbossa?"
He turns to me, the rag on his face.
I continue, "Even though I will probably die because of it, it was worth it to spit in your face even though you deserve much, much worse."
"Well, little Swann. I may deserve much worse, but we all make our paths in this life and some deserve much evil and get much good, while others deserve much good and get much evil. So don't you go thinking that I will get much evil."
"Oh, I doubt you'll get much evil, Barbossa." I say "You and your crew have all of it and there isn't any left to give to you."
"Why, little Swann, would you even think for a moment that I cared what you thought? You are a little female swine."
"I may be a swine but you are a half-wit."
"You know what, you are really getting on my nerves that I might actually keep you here...and to myself."
"Jack is the rightful captain of the Black Pearl." I continue without fear. If he tries to get me, I will just jump right off. I doubt he would follow me into the depths, "And only half-wits would disagree."
"I am the captain of this ship!" Barbossa shouts.
"Exactly."
"That is enough!" Barbossa shouts, ramming his foot down on the board.
I lose my balance and fall over, hitting my head forcefully on the plank before falling. I try to fight the darkness away, but it is too strong. Time seems to slow down and it feels like minutes before I hit the water and the blackness engulfs me.
