A Rebel's Treasure 3

Chapter Two

Eleanor's eyelashes had frozen solid. With each blink she was worried they would suddenly snap and, with the remainder of her frozen hair, she'd suddenly become a bald rat. She had been huddled in a blanket she had found belowdecks, by the main mast, surveying the endless sea when Tia Dalma walked past. "I understand ye pain," she grinned, her blackened teeth flashing. "Losing the one who ye cherish most only freezes the heart."

"Thank you for your wise words," Eleanor grumbled, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

Tia Dalma smirked at Eleanor like she knew a secret that Eleanor did not. "You may find that opening that heart again is harder than it first be." Eleanor's eyes raked the woman, no look of kindness in her eyes. "Things may not be how they be." Eleanor was about to open her mouth to tell Tia that what she had said was complete nonsense when Pintel and Ragetti started their usual complaints.

"No one said anything about the cold."

Ragetti rolled his eyes, "There must be a good reason for our suffering."

"Why don't that obeah woman bring back Jack," Pintel motioned towards Tia, "the same way she brought back Barbossa?"

Tia snapped at him, "Because Barbossa was only dead. Jack Sparrow is taken, body and soul, to a place not of death, but punishment." Pintel gulped. Tia advanced further on him, her dark eyes narrowing. "The worst fate a person can bring upon himself. Stretching on forever. That's what awaits at Davy Jones' locker."

Ragetti nodded, "I knew there was a good reason."

Eleanor rolled her eyes at them before she moved towards where Will was pouring over the stolen map. He had a deep frown on his face. "Nothing here is set," he mumbled. "These can't be as accurate as the modern charts."

One of the Singapore crew, Tai Huang shook his head, "No, but it leads to more places."

Eleanor peered over Will's shoulder at the circular map. She frowned, watching as Will moved the circular sections to create various maps all more confusing than the other. "Over the edge and over again." Will read out some of the words that were created during this experimentation. "Sunrise sets flash of green..." Eleanor looked out over the horizon, pondering what any of that could mean. "Do you care to interpret, Captain Barbossa?"

Barbossa grinned, striding towards the map, "Ever gazed upon the green flash, Master Gibbs?"

Gibbs looked around, "I reckon I seen my fair share. It happens on rare occasion. At the last glimpse of sunset, a green flash of light shoots up into the sky. Some go their whole lives without seeing it, some claim to have seen it that aint. Some say – "

Pintel cut him off, moving to join the conversation. "It signals when a soul comes back to this world, from the dead!" Gibbs glared at him. "Sorry," he muttered.

"Trust me, young Master Turner, it's not gettin' to the land of the dead that's the problem," Barbossa grumbled. "It's getting' back."

Eventually the boat floated through perfectly calm water. Stars shone overhead and Eleanor watched them trying to figure out what constellations she could see. Currently, she was unable to recognise any.

"How long do we continue not talking?" Will whispered to Elizabeth. Eleanor wished she could move away and not hear their squabble, but she didn't want to appear like she was eavesdropping.

"Once we rescue Jack everything will be fine," Elizabeth replied. Eleanor felt like someone had stabbed a red hot poker through her chest. She clenched her jaw and continued to glare up at the stars.

Will incredulously asked, "When we rescue Jack?" Eleanor could hear Elizabeth storming away, leaving Will alone.

Tia Dalma's voice floated through the air, "For what we want most, there is a cost must be paid in the end."

Will suddenly jumped forward, "Barbossa! Ahead!"

Barbossa laughed, steering the boat. "Aye, we're good and lost now."

"Lost?" Elizabeth said.

Eleanor pushed off from where she was leaning and walked towards the helm. Barbossa grinned, "For certain you have to be lost to find the places can't be found. Elseways, everyone would know where it was."

"That's ridiculous," Eleanor muttered.

"Aye, Miss Swann," Barbossa replied. "But it be true."

Gibbs suddenly yelled, "We're gaining speed!"

"Aye," Barbossa confirmed.

Will looked around uncertainly, "To stations! All hands, to stations! Hard to port, gather way!"

"Nay!" Barbossa yelled. "Belay that! Let her run straight and true!"

"We're going straight off the edge," Eleanor exclaimed, finally seeing what the boat was heading towards. The world seemed to end at the edge of a waterfall, and if they didn't turn now they were going to fly right off.

"You've doomed us all!" Elizabeth cried out.

"Don't be so unkind. You may not survive to pass this way again and these be the last friendly words you'll hear," Barbossa chuckled.

"You've gone mad," Eleanor stated.

"No more mad than I was to begin with."

"Tie her off!!" Will yelled to the crew.

Tia Dalma began to mutter something under her breath before throwing crab claws. "Hard to port," Eleanor yelled out.

"Hold on!" Will said. Eleanor raced to the side of the ship to hold onto the railing. She leant down low with her body and watched as the ship tipped over the edge. Her eyes found her sisters and they both shone with guilt and fear. Barbossa cackled all the way as the ship appeared to fall to its doom.