Dead Man's Chest I Jack Sparrow

Chapter Three

      "No, no. Oi! More wood. Big fire. I want big fire." He snapped at one of the men. He wasn't sure what he hoped to accomplish, except for the fire to be stalled. He returned to his throne and observed the Pelegostos as they threw logs into the pile. He gulped. That's a lot of wood. He would burn quickly then. As everyone was distracted, Jack took that as an advantage to bolt away. He ran across a bridge and down slopes until he reached an unoccupied set of tepees. He stopped himself short of a ledge, peering down at the long fall. He looked away and saw bamboo poles in a pile by his feet. He snatched one up, but he knew that the risk of trying to get down or over the cliff was too high. He dropped the stick and entered a hut. He searched the room and grabbed a circle of rope, slinging it over his shoulder. A stack of silver cans caught his eye, and he picked one up, reading the label. It wrote, 'paprika', and on the bottom was the East India Trading Company insignia. He took the can with him and left the room, only to be met with a mass of Pelegostos. He did the first thing he could think of and sprinkled the paprika under his armpits.

      "A little seasoning, eh?"

~~~~~

      He was taken back to the fire, tied up on a bamboo pole with the rope he collected. He was placed over the logs, and one man held up a torch. He shouted to the crowd, and was about to set the logs underneath Jack aflame when a Pelegosto interrupted. Jack heaved a sigh of relief as the news spread about how the Pearl crew was escaping. 

      "Go on, go get them!" Everyone ran off, and he realized how bad that was a little too late.

      "No, no. Oi! No!" The torch had dropped right by the logs, and a fire started almost immediately.

      "Not good." The fire spread at a fast pace, and he had no idea what to do. He blew on it, only grasping how idiotic that was after the fire grew bigger. Something flashed in his mind at that moment that gave him a new determination to live. Jacqueline appeared in his thoughts, specifically a memory between them.

      He followed Jacqueline down the beach, grasping her hand tightly. She spun around to face him, a small frown adorning her face.

      "I'm concerned for our future, Jack." He shook his head at the solemnity in her voice.

      "We can't worry about that right now, love. We'll be okay, Lin. Trust me." He himself didn't fully believe the words, but he wanted Jacqueline to feel okay. That's all he ever wanted.

      "You're right." Without another word she leaned forward and met his lips. He wrapped his arm around her waist. She pulled away with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

      "What was that for?" She shrugged.

      "Because you're right, and I love you." She kissed him again passionately, and he tightly held onto her.

      "And that one?" He asked as she peeled herself off of him. 

      "Because I wanted to kiss you again. I'm done now." She said casually and strutted down the shore. He watched her for a moment as she purposely swayed her hips. In the next moment, he jogged forward.

      "Well now I'm not done." He hugged her from behind and spun her around. Laughs escaped her lips, and once he set her down he turned her towards him and kissed her.

      He didn't know why he was reminded of that memory, but he was glad it happened. The thought of being burned alive was enough to want to live, but that flashback strengthened his purpose. He tried to bounce his way down, and soon enough, he tumbled to the ground. Jack then scrambled to his feet and ran.