Thankyou for just opening this. All reviewers are better than nutella.
16 years later...
The young woman cleaned a mug, looking at her almost empty pub. A drunk belched loudly, and passed out onto the worn table in front of him. She sighed, and let the mug fall onto the bar top with a crash, startling him and making him curse quietly to himself. Another man, a pirate, walked in through The Broken Shell's doors, sitting down heavily at one of the many free tables. His dark eyes were glazed, and he looked like he had been drinking heavily.
Toni sighed again, and walked slowly to the tanned pirate's table. She pushed her hair to one side of her shoulders, and asked "What you wantin'?" The man looked up blearily, and grinned. "Rum, love."
"Two pieces, then." He pulled out two gold coins, and threw them onto the table. "Cheers," Toni muttered, and scooped them up with one hand and turned to walk away. "No problem, ghostie." Toni's head snapped round, glaring at the leering pirate. "Sorry?"
"Your hair."
"Unless you want trouble with my brother, keep your trap shut and your eyes up," she spat at him, aggravated by this new-comer.
"I wouldn't mess with Alfie Flint, don't worry yoursel'," said the pirate, still smiling.
Toni stormed back to the bar, pulling a bottle of rum out from the shelves. "Irritating git."
"Alright, Toni?" A heavily built, scruffy eighteen year old came out of a room behind the bar, yawning. "Bit late to be working?"
"It's only after midnight, Alfie." He yawned again, scraping a hand through his sandy hair.
"Needin' a hand?"
"Nah, I'm alright. That twat in the back needs a rum if you wanna give it to him."
"What's wrong with him? He looks a bit past it, but nothing bad," said the young man, taking the bottle from her hand.
"Meh, taking the piss out of my hair, eyes falling out of his head." Alfie grinned, and pulled his elder sister into a bear hug.
"Not my fault my big sis is gorgeous!"
"Hardly," she said, laughing into his front. He span round and picked up the bottle, strolling over to the pirate.
Toni watched Alfie put down the rum in front of the pirate, and then began cleaning the tops. Barely keeping her eyes open, she put the rag down on the top and rubbed her eyes, feeling more exhausted than usual. Ever since her mother disappeared when she was 15, she had to run the pub and look after her little brother. Toni paused, thinking about her mother. She knew very little about her personality, and only knew that she had brown eyes, and was very thin, always tired looking. Toni wondered if she was like that now. She certainly always felt tired. She had argued with her mother before she left, something about life choices. Not long after, someone rushed into the pub, telling Toni about a message from Jan Flint, who told them to tell her daughter she was in charge now. Toni rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, feeling her forearm, where countless thin, white scars from her teen years still shone brightly from her skin. As Alfie sat down and began picking at the bar stool, Toni brushed the tear threatening to fall from her eye away and headed back to the aggravating pirate who had his hand in the air, waving her over.
"Righ', well." The intoxicated pirate attempted to stand up, and fell back into his chair, grinning manically. "Ano'er rum!" Toni rolled her eyes, and smiled falsely.
"Of course," she muttered.
"Look."
Toni arched an eyebrow, facing the pirate.
"I'm feeling a bit offended."
"Why?"
"You don' remember me." She looked him up and down, and asked politely "Did my brother beat you up?" The pirate scratched his chin, and straightened his bandanna. "Quite possibly. But!" He pulled her down by the arm into the chair next to himself, and took her by the arm, placing his lips to her ear. "Captain... Jack... Sparrow." He shot back, smiling and showing several silver teeth, waiting for her response.
"Er, okay?" His face fell.
"That's me!" He said enthusiastically, pointing to himself.
"Great." Toni stood up, but his hand stopped her from leaving.
"Do you want to chat to my brother?"
"Look, calm down. I'm just... You punched me in the face when I was younger. That was harder to admit than I thought..." he muttered to himself. Toni looked back, surveying Jack. Suddenly, memories rushed back.
"I told you to drown! I remember!" He grinned, and drained his rum.
"Guess this makes us acquaintances."
"Guess it does."
"Now, are you still setting your brother on me?" Jack smirked, and gestured towards the bar. Alfie was asleep, snoring softly on a bar stool. Toni sighed, and shook her head. "Not at the minute." The clock struck, marking one in the morning. Toni jumped, and pulled a threaded bracelet of her wrist, using it to tie her hair up. She lifted the rum bottle, and stood up to leave the table, but Jack grabbed her wrist. Toni gave him a look that burned, and he immediately lifted his hand. "Sorry, but..." His eyes drifted to the scars.
"But what?"
"Mind showing me that.. Thing you tied your hair up with?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from her wrist.
"Um, sure." Toni untied her hair, and the white curls fell down her back. She passed the old, threads with some simple charms around them. "Ah... Ooh... Now, how to ask..."
"What is it?"
"Well." He looked awkwardly at her, smiling uneasily. "Would it be a possibility..."
"Spit it out, Sparrow."
"Okay, I will." He looked her in the eyes. "Fancy coming on a little voyage with myself, and my crew?"
All her drowsiness disappeared.
"What?"
The corner of his mouth lifted and he raised the empty bottle of rum to his lips.
"I'm lookin' for a certain something, and I'd be very glad to have you on board, ghostie."
"What are you looking for?" The boozy pirate scratched his head, and said "Can't say. You'd be a bit of a help though." Toni said nothing.
"Go on, love."
"What's in it for me?" she asked, suspicious.
"Sail the seas with Captain Jack Sparrow! See the world, darling, get away from all this!" He flailed his arms wildly, and stood up. "What d'ya say?"
Toni looked at him for about three seconds, and said simply "Nah, thanks."
Jack's mouth dropped.
"Listen, kid." He received more daggers from Toni and stopped abruptly. "Listen. You've got something I need, but I can't take it, otherwise I would have nicked it from you about ten minutes ago."
Again, Toni asked "What?"
The pirate grabbed her arms and stared at her. "I need you on board. If not, I'm pretty certain I will die."