Ella Turner

The Blood Repaid

I was watching the moon when Pintel and Ragetti came in with handcuffs.

"Time to go, Poppet."

~*~*~

My hands were tied in front of me and Barbossa placed the necklace around my neck.

"Wait... why me?" I ask.

"Why only because you are young and haven't lived very long, so your life wouldn't really matter at this point." He says shrugging before bursting into laughter. Shock overwhelms my face as they began to row towards the cave. Miss Swann tied up in the boat next to me. We finally arrived and the man pushed me through the cave. The pirates took their stolen treasure and dumped it with the rest. On top of the piles of gold. There is a chest with aztec writing and glyphics on them. The pirates start cheering when Barbossa comes up.

"Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near at end." Barbossa booms.

"Punished, we were. The lot of us - disproportionate to our crimes! Here it is-" Barbossa yells pushing off the lid of the chest to reveal all of the cursed coins.

"...the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned...save for this." He yells pointing at the medallion around my neck. I hear a few coins drop in the distance.

"881 we found but despaired of ever finding the last. And who among us has paid the blood sacrifice owed to the heathen gods?" He asks.

"Us!" The pirates shout.

"And whose blood must yet be paid?"

"Hers!" They shout pointing at me. I swallow the huge lump in my throat.

"You know the first thing I'm goin' to do after the curse is lifted? Eat a whole bushel of apples." He says taking out the knife. "Begun by blood...by blood undone." The pirates start to chant as Barbossa drags knife across my palm making me wince in pain.

"That's it?" I ask, expecting them to slice open my throat.

"Waste not." He answers. He drops the medallion in the chest as I examine my palm. After a few moments of silence, a pirate questions the situation.

"Did it work?" He asks.

"I don't feel no different." Ragetti says looking at himself.

"How do we tell?" Pintel asks. Barbossa rolls his eyes and shoots him square in the chest.

"You're not dead." A pirate states the obvious.

"No. He shot me!" Pintel accuses.

"It didn't work." Ragetti exclaims.

"The curse is still upon us!" Barbossa turns around and stares both me and Miss Swann down.

"You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?" He asks as he shakes her vigorously.

"No." She answers with confidence.

"Where's his child? The child that sailed from Englandeight years ago, the child in whose veins flows the blood of WilliamTurner. Where?" He practically yells. She doesn't answer but is backhanded by Barbossa, rendering her unconscious. I didn't have to move before I was knocked unconscious as well.

~*~*~

A cold hand wrapped around my mouth and I nearly screamed. My vision regains as I see my father signal us into the water. Miss Swann grabs the medallion and we sneak into the water. Father grabs my hand and hauls me to the surface as we sneak away. I help Miss Swann into the boat and my father pushes it out into the sea, finally we escaped this fate.

I climbed aboard a familiar ship when I see more pirates in front of me.

"Not more pirates." Miss Swann says looking around.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth" A man with a white beard exclaims.

"Mr. Gibbs?" She asks, confused. I cock my head in confusion as well.

"Hey, boy, where be Jack?" Mr. Gibbs asks to Father. I step back frightened.

"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" Miss Swann exclaims in even more shock.

"He fell behind." My father says solemnly, leading me and Miss Swann away. Father was helping me bandage my palm as he was talking to Elizabeth.

"What sort of a man trades a man's life for a ship?" She utters angerly.

"Pirate." Father answers. I glare at him when he doesn't say anything else. Will finishes tying off the bandage and his hand inches towards Elizabeth. His fingers graze over top of hers as I watch with anticipation.

"Don't stop." She breathes out softly. They stare back into each other's eyes, easily becoming lost. Father cups her cheek as he is about to kiss her when she stops. She leads his hand to her collar bone and his eyebrow furrows in confusion. She pulls out the medallion from underneath her bodice and Father's eyes widen with memories.

"It's yours." She says yanking it off her neck. Father grazed his hands over the medallion, memories flooding into his mind.

"I thought I'd lost it the day they rescued me. It was a gift from my father. He sent it to me. Why did you take it?" He says angrily, slightly scaring me at his sudden reaction.

"Because I was afraid that you were a pirate. That would have been awful." Miss Swann admits. Father's face softens slightly but still looks angered.

"It wasn't your blood they needed. It was my father's blood...my blood...the blood of a pirate." My father says, clamping the medallion in his fist, anger dripping down with every word.

"Will I'm so sorry-" Miss Swann starts, but my father slams the medallion on the table causing her eyes to tear up as she leaves.

"Father?" I start putting my hand on his.

"What Ella!? Why are you still here!? What do you need all the time?! Why do you depend on everyone?! Just GO!!!" He bellows. My eyes tear up as I get up and race out the door, fleeing with tears.

Will finally tells Ella that she needs to become more independent. How will she take it? Will she change and not rely on anyone? Or will her actions cost her her life... -Anaya