At the beginning of At World's End, just before the song has been sung..

Location: Unknown?

Chapter 5

People disappear all the time. Sailors get lost at sea before they wash up ashore. Children stray from their parents just before they're welcomed back by warm hands and embrace. Young women run away from their homes in the hope to find true love. Most are found eventually. Disappearances, after all, have explanations.. usually.

Strange how it felt like she remembered so little, from her life before this 'place'. And even though she didn't want it to be the only memory she could recall at this very moment, it was this last vided memory that stayed with her the most. Swallowed by the waves, never to see the last ray lights of the sun setting in the ocean.

These emerald eyes framed by long red locks of hair, now watching back into a broken dusty mirror, staring so long at the pale face of the young woman inside the reflection. Kate almost forgot who it was inside that mirror, but it was getting slowly back to her. Each day that passed, just a little more.

This place, this other world, that haunting dream that seemed endless, was making her head foggy. Until something, sometimes the smallest things remembered her of the life she had before, and like a puzzle, it started to fall into place and all come back to her. Like the moment Kate noticed, after staring back at her own reflection long enough and while removing a small curl of hair from her face, the line on her left-hand ring finger. There had been something there for quite a time, the slight tan line and the dent in her skin must have been carrying a ring. And suddenly she remembered quite clearly how it had gotten there. An emerald too... why was she constantly thinking about an emerald? Ah yes, the ring, the ring that had meant so much to her.

She gave up on trying to remember constantly most days, or at least what felt like days. Time was something she couldn't really grasp right now. It wasn't like the sun was rising and setting from what she could see, it was just light whenever it was light and dark.. very dark at moments that sometimes seemed to get out of nowhere.

Moving from her place at the small dressing table Kate strolled to the only window inside the room, an old creaky window from which the paint was peeling off, the same old paint that covered her dressing table. Her sight rested on the endless nothingness she had seen for what felt like a hundred times. Kate had panicked and had tried to escape this place many times the first days she had spent inside this room after she had woken. But she had soon learned it was impossible. It was her home now, even though she didn't know why, how, and where she had ended up.

It was only just when something that looked like dawn had settled in, and Kate had just woken from what felt like an eternal sleep, an important memory passed her mind, a memory of her life before all this. And a name.. a name that kept on entering her mind, but she couldn't really remember it as it kept on slipping her mind again as she was thinking about it for too long.

Her slender figure moved from the bed in the middle of the room, the long off white lace gown she was wearing for all of the time she had spent inside this place, was dragging behind her slow stroll to the window. The dawn like light touched the empty landscapes that were revealed from her window. It almost seemed like there would be an ocean beyond her horizon from where she was standing, but it wasn't clear enough to make anything out of it. Kate had been outside before, more times than she could count. It wasn't like she really tried to escape this place, it was as if she had accepted her fate, but something inside her grew each day like she wasn't supposed to be here. There was a purpose, a goal, a life, beyond this one, that kept on calling for her. It drew her outside, to once again take a walk on the endless landscape that didn't change. And so she did. Once outside it was just a single breeze that lifted the locks of her long red hair, hanging loose partly over her shoulder, partly down her back. Looking up Kate watched the tower-like building that was her 'home' now. It was only a little while back, she had suddenly come up with a word that described her new home perfectly. A lighthouse. The big scale on top of the building was holding a flame, that was slowly turning and turning. Kate couldn't recall what a lighthouse was supposed to do, but it made her calm when the darkness had returned. Earlier she'd spent hours watching the flame dance inside the scale that shone further than walking was possible.

Outside again it felt like dawn was setting in, but there was a mist, almost like a wall of mist that made looking beyond that horizon even more impossible. Kate moved down in the sand, sitting there like she was waiting for something to happen. She felt something was off.

Hours, at least it felt like that in a world where there was no time, Kate sat in silence. Listing to her own heartbeat, her breathing and the wind surrounding her, sweeping up the sand of the endless beaches. Suddenly the drumming of her heartbeat was replaced by a louder sound. Kate started blinking as she tried to wet her eyes, dry from the sand. It was the beating of drums. Suddenly a lot of memories flashed before her. Men, wearing red coats holding muskets, drums playing in a loud and fast rhythm. And a flag, a light blue flag which carried letters, letters Kate slowly spelled with her lips moving, but no sound coming from her mouth. There was an E,I,T,C, o spelled on the large blue flag waving in the wind high above the ground. Suddenly Kate, after blinking again, was surrounded by bricks, grey bricks that went on and on. She found herself inside a large fort, with high walls that were guarded by these same red-coated men. The drums kept on playing in a fast rhythm, with breaks in between. When Kate looked up, covering her eyes with her hand blocking the sunlight, she suddenly noticed a large rope hanging from one of the wooden poles. The rope was tied in a loop, and she wondered why. Then the drums stopped, there was un utter silence. The fort had disappeared, it was just the empty space of the endless beach again, and Kate felt her breathing quicken. There was a voice, the voice of a young boy, singing. Kate tried to hear the words, but they were vague and softly spoken. Until another person was signing, this time a man. His voice soft and shaky, but more clear now, and Kate was able to hear the words.

Yo, ho,

All hands haul together, hoist the Colors high.

Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die.

The singing continued, but this time it felt like tens of men started singing too. There was a large group of people singing now and Kate tried to see where it came from. Quickly turning around when she spotted movement in the corner of her eyes, Kate beheld what felt like dozens of people marching from the dawn at the beginning of the horizon. There was a line of people marching in her direction. Kate tried to take steps back but it felt like she was pinned to the ground, the sand pulling at her legs and bare feet. The figures at the horizon came closer and closer, like they now entered her world, this world in which she thought she was alone. Their faces got clearer and Kate tried to see if she recognized anyone. But it were not just normal humans, they were pale, grey, their eyes empty, they were.. dead.

Kate tried to run now but in vain, her throat dry and she attempted to scream, but no sound came from her lips. Opening her eyes after blinking again Kate noticed a young boy among them, the boy that had started to sing first. He was walking slowly, his face too carrying death, but he seemed in peace once standing before Kate, looking up at her with his still clear eyes. He hadn't been older than seven. His eyes pierced Kate's.

'Are you.. dead?' Kate felt the words flow from her lips. She spoke for what felt like the first time in forever. It made her warm inside, but that warmth soon disappeared once the boy nodded.

'But how?' Kate whispered watching down at the small human, that felt so lifeless, in front of her.

Suddenly the boy started raising his hand slowly, up until it reached in the direction of Kate. She wondered, but without thinking Kate too raised her hand, moving it up slowly until it was nearly touching the boy's hand, both palms only slightly apart. Kate expected to feel cold once the skin of their flesh met, but once her palm landed on the boy's, there was a whirlwind of warmth, her eyes closed Kate felt like she was falling, deeper and deeper. Into another world, memories flashed by, like when life flashes before you in the darkest of times, when one is on the edge of death, but instead of dying, Kate felt more alive than she did for a long, long time. It all came back to her, every.. single.. memory.

Lost into this other world, Kate got pulled back. Her eyes flew open and the boy still standing before her watched her in was felt like anger. Kate took a step back and suddenly understood, she realized what the rope had done, what these people were singing about, what the large blue flag meant, and how the boy died...

'Cutler no..' Kate moved down to her knees softly, where her knees touched the sand with a soft pound. Her hands before her face Kate felt tears running down her cheeks and there was something that she hadn't felt for a long time, emotions..

Looking up the people in front of her, still in a line watched now too in anger and sorrow. Their grey faces, black eyes, and empty soulless expression kept on staring until they started running. Kate started to scream, her voice at full power again, once the dozens of ghosts started to run into her direction and disappeared into grey smoke once they moved 'through' her, still on her knees. Kate gasped for air as she had felt like dying. But opening her eyes it was quiet again, no more death among her at the large beach, just peaceful silence as the sunrise had started to set in. The orange color of the golden hour covered Kate, together with her long train of white lace behind her in the sand, covered by the angel-like light that calmed her breathing. Kate remembered, she remembered every single memory that had been taken from her, for years and years. The concept of time was something that had come back to her as well, even though she didn't know how long had passed since it all happened. Why was she here, why wasn't she passing on like everyone else, why didn't she dwell endlessly into the weirdness of Davy Jones' Locker like every doomed soul here? Kate watched the sun now almost fully risen, and some small voice inside warned her, she wasn't supposed to be here.

Kate was an unwelcome voyeur to something ancient and powerful, a world far from where she was supposed to be, a living among the dead...

AN: Guess who's back?!... Kate is back! It was quite difficult to write about Kate being in the Locker, so I hope I made it as clear as possible, without giving to much away. Kate seems to see a mirror image of reality, as in real life her dear Cutler, busy with his revenge, is trying to rid the seas from piracy. The story continues in this chapter where At World's End begins, but we finally see everything from Kate's perspective now too. Let me know if you enjoyed it and still any tips are always welcome! (disclaimer: I used some very small parts from the tv series Outlander, it often gives me the inspiration to write! Just so you know)