"𝔑𝔬𝔱 𝔞𝔩𝔩 𝔱𝔯𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔰𝔦𝔩𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔤𝔬𝔩𝔡, 𝔪𝔞𝔱𝔢."
Evelyn Swann has always wanted a life of adventure and freedom. As the governors daughter, she's not allowed to have either of those. Until a certain pirate comes barrelin...
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I'm awoken in the night by the sound of thunder and the violent rocking of the ship. I shoot out of bed and rush out onto the deck to find that we're sailing through a massive storm.
The crew runs about, frantically trying to anchor the sails. The short man, Marty, is flying around as he clutches desperately to one of the ropes.
"Evelyn, get back inside!" Will shouts at me as he tries to hold his footing on the swaying deck.
"Aye, miss! We'll be alright! Everything is under con-" Mr. Gibbs is cut off by a blast of sea water whacking him in the face.
"How can we sail through this?" I yell at Will. I'm entirely drenched now as the rain gushes out of the dark sky.
"Go ask him!" He points to Jack who looks completely unfazed at the wheel.
I run as best as I can over to him at the helm. His face turns into a look of concern when he sees me.
"What are you doing out here? Get back inside!" All the tension and awkwardness from earlier has disappeared as he seems genuinely worried about me.
"Jack." Immense fear starts to take root inside me. I feel tears start to form in my eyes even though no one would be able to tell, except Jack apparently.
"Come here!" I run over to him as he lifts him arm up for me to climb under. I wrap myself around his torso and hold on for dear life.
He has one hand on the wheel and the other holds his compass as he follows it's direction through the storm. The ship jolts back and forth but my hold on Jack steadies me as he remains firmly planted in his position.
"We should drop canvas, sir!" Mr. Gibbs struggles to get over to us.
"She can hold a bit longer!" Jack shouts back.
"What's in your head that's put you in such a fine mood, Captain?" Gibbs asks.
"We're catching up." Jack smiles despite the water rushing down his face.
It feels like an eternity before the waves finally start to settle and the rain dies down. A thick fog has now replaced the downpour as the ship steadies itself.
"You alright, love?" Jack lets go of the wheel so he can grab my arm that's still wrapped around his stomach.
"I am now." I slowly let go of him and look onto the lower deck to find that it's actually in better shape than I thought.
The men all huddle together at the railing to look out as we pass by a few sunken ships. We must be getting close to land.
"Puts a chill in the bones, how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage." I hear Mr. Gibbs say as I join the crew down below.
"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asks him.
"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow before he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. That was before I'd met him. Back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl."
"What?" I exclaim. Jack was the Captain of the Black Pearl?
"He failed to mention that." Will adds.
"He plays things closer to the vest now." Gibbs goes on. " A hard-learned lesson it was. See, three days out on the venture the first mate comes to him and says, 'Everything's an equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure, too.' So Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he'd gone mad with the heat."
"How terrible." I whisper.
"So that's the reason for all the..." Will makes weird gestures with his hands to hint that Jack is crazy.
"Reason's got nothing to do with it. Now," Gibbs sits down on a barrel and me and Will join him. "When a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Now that won't do much good hunting, nor to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst, that pistol start to look real friendly. But Jack, he escaped the island and he still has that single shot. Oh he won't use it, though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate."
"Barbossa." Will concludes.
"Aye."
"How did Jack get off the island?" I ask, invested in the story.
"Well, I'll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows and he waited there three days and three nights till all manner of sea creatures came acclimated to his presence. On the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together and made a raft."
"He roped a couple of sea turtles?" Will asks incredulously.
"Aye, sea turtles." Gibbs nods.
"What did he use for rope?" Gibbs goes to answer Will's question but looks up to find Jack standing above us.
"Human hair. From my back." Me and Will look at each in confusion. "Let go of the anchor!" Jack commands the crew.
"Lower the anchor line!" The crew shouts in unison.
"Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore."
"I'm coming, too." I tell Jack.
"No. Absolutely not."
"But Jack-"
"It is far too dangerous and I will not be able to keep me head on straight if I'm worried about you." My heart melts a little at his words.
"I can't believe I'm actually saying this but I agree with Jack. You're staying, Evie." Will crosses his arms and gives me his big brother look.
"Fine. But if you two dimwits don't come back with my sister, I'll kill you both." Jack chuckles at my words.
"She's not kidding." Will says making Jack shut up.
A few minutes later, the rowboat is in the water and Will is climbing down the ladder to get settled.
"Jack." I grab the pirate's hand before he heads down. He turns around and looks at me. "You'll come back right?"
"I always come back, love." His smile sends butterflies straight to my stomach and I'm sure my face turns red. We watch as the two men sail away from the ship and row towards the rocky island.
The evening falls upon us by the time we finally see the rowboat coming back. I jump up from my spot by the helm and run down to the main deck.
"I see them!" The crew joins me when they hear my shout.
The closer the boat gets, the better I can see who's inside. I only count two heads. My heart sinks a little as I don't see the familiar black hat but I do see my sister.
"Elizabeth!" I throw my arms around her when she steps onto the ship.
"Evelyn? What in god's name are you doing here with a bunch of pirates?" She pulls back so she can look around at the ship and crew.
"I'll explain later."
"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth." Mr. Gibbs smiles.
"Mr. Gibbs?" So she remembers him too.
"Will where's Jack?" Will looks at me with sad eyes.
"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" Elizabeth questions.
"He fell behind." Will states making my face fall. He takes Elizabeth down below but I can't seem to move.
"Keep to the Code!" Mr. Gibbs shouts catching my attention. The crew starts running about to get the ship ready to sail.
"We can't just leave Jack." I argue.
"I'm sorry, miss. We are to keep to the Code. Any man that falls behind, is left behind." The ship starts to sail as I watch the island disappear, along with Jack, and there was nothing I could do about it.
