Book 4: A change In The Tide

Chapter Fourteen:

Chapter Fourteen:

Chapter 13.

The rainy day came with a confident wind as the rain poured down upon the rough waves of the sea. The dark clouds gathered in the sky anticipating a storm brewing on the horizon. The lighthouse on the shore of Whitecap Bay was still glowing a faint light, the upper third level blown away, much like the rest of the rubble littering the shoreline.

Dead bodies of pirates and mermaids laid on the shore and water's edge of the small beach, Barbossa poked a mermaid's lifeless body with his peg leg tyring to comprehend what occurred hours before his arrival. Drenched from the rain, Barbossa and Gibbs look at each other as they inspected the dwelling sea creature. Crew members including Groves and Gillette along with the landing party climb up from what was left of the pier.

"Lord. Is that?" Groves started to speak.

"Mermaid." Gibbs interrupted, finishing his sentence for him.

Gibbs turned to face Barbossa "Give up this madness. Now." He told him.

"I cannot." Barbossa responded. "Ever walk on a beach and look back, seeing your footsteps in the sand? It's like that except, the footsteps lie before me." Barbossa finished, continuing to move further along the beach.

"Footstep. Actually." Gillette corrected him, gaining an eyeroll from his captain.

"Whitecap Bay, sir. We must hasten." Groves commented.

They all went to move on but stopped from a sudden, faint shouts and gunfire. As the landing party of The Providence turned to face the sea, they stood in their places like statues, watching as the ship was under attack by a swarm of mermaids.

As if watching a vicious school of piranha's devourer, a carcass, the ship was torn apart. Being claimed by the sea, the screams of the dying sailors and the high-pitched wails of the attacking mermaids could be heard from the shore, leaving the landing party in shock as they watched their sinking ship. Barbossa looked away from the beach and turned back from the scene focusing on the enormous rock cavity.

"We travel by foot. Gibbs, I require a heading." He spoke not bothering looking at Gibbs.

'Sir. The men-"Groves started but was cut off.

"They be dead already." Barbossa stated to him.

"They don't sound dead." Groves replied undecided to leave the men behind or not.

"That so?" Barbossa questioned taking out his pistol.

"I hear nothing but seagulls, nesting. What is it you hear, mister Groves? What is it our beloved king George Augustus, duke of Luneburg, etcetera, etcetera would hear?" Barbossa slyly blackmailed Groves.

He thought a moment before answering the question, the wails of death grew louder as Groves stared at the gun. "Seagulls. Nesting. Nothing more." He replied.

"Could be pelicans." Gillette suggested, shrugging his shoulders as he stared out to the sea. Barbossa turned to face Gillette and stared at him, unsure on how to respond to his comment. he contemplated on aiming his pistol at him but thought better of it and placed it in its holster.

"Heading, Gibbs." He asked again.

With a look of horror, Gibbs stared out to the sea, watching as The Providence was being pulled under the waves. Groves noticed and followed his gaze. Gibbs took a step towards the shoreline but Barbossa placed his hand on his shoulder, preventing him from moving any further.

"Your head or my heading, Mr Gibbs. By the powers, I'll have me one or the other, I don't necessarily care which." Barbossa stated calmly, not bothering to look at Gibbs's reaction.