Fathoms Below: Captain Jack Sparrow

Chapter 36: The release.

"Bravo!" Said a familiar voice behind Jack, causing him to turn round quickly to investigate location of the voice, "You've successfully arrived aboard the Dutchman as per the overall scheme."

When he turned, he saw a smaller figure of himself perched by the back wall of the cell within the Dutchman's brig, where he was currently being held. He marched over, trying to silence the figure.

"Look-" he said accusingly, waving his finger at the second Jack.
"Oh yes! Chapeau mate," came another voice, promoting him to turn to the side, only to see another Jack "except from this little sojourn in the brig, it's utter clockwork."

"Go away!" The real Jack, or at least he believed the real Jack, muttered with an exaggerated shooing motion.
"What, back to the locker mate?" The first one teased him.
"Not without you Jackie!"

Jack thought he had silenced the ever present hallucinations, at least he never had them when Lily was around, he could silence them then. But here, with all the time in the world and no company, they thrived.

"Stab the heart," came another voice by the way, promoting all the Jack's to squint, seeing another Jack within the cell. This one however resembled a version of Jack who's fate had entwined with the Flying Dutchman, a representation of how we would look during his service, a painful sight to view. It was like seeing the consequence of what he was fighting for.

"Live forever as Captain of the Flying Dutchman," the barnacle-encrusted Jack said pulling away from the wall, his bandana remaining fixed to the ship. As he pulled away, it was clear that parts of his body had long since rotted away, leaving an open view of his brain that lay in the top of his head, not shielded by anything. All the other three Jack's grimaced at seeing the man first scratch his brain, before removing it and holding it in his hand. "Then again, if you're in the brig, who's to stab the heart?" Barnacle Jack then stuck out his tongue and licked the side of his brain, causing the other three to shiver in disgust.

"Does seem to put immortality a bit out of reach," Jack number one said.
"Then there's our woman to consider Jackie."
"My woman!" The real Jack protested with a curl of his lip, not liking the thought of sharing Lily with these other men, despite them being replications of himself.

"Ten years without her Jack, ten years of no female companionship, no warm, feminine sensitivities, no sex!" One of the Jack's said, causing his lip to twitch even at the thought.
"Thought you wanted to marry her Jackie?"
"Then there's the chance she wouldn't be there after ten years, lest she find herself a young sailor type lad, with a record as clean as his hands- hands that can pleasure her like-"

"Enough!" The real Jack shouted again, seriously disliking where this conversation was headed.

He had to get out of here.

—-

"We'll use the Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack," Elizabeth stated as we climbed back about the pearl. It felt strange to be here without Jack, suffocating almost, but I pushed down my feelings realising we had much more important things on our plate right now.

"Oh will we now?" Hector said mockingly as we all stopped to see Tia Dalma being lead from the brig, her body tied in yards of rope.

"Alright Mrs Fish come on," Ragetti whispered as he took hold of leading her towards the mast.
"Barbossa you can't release her!" Will said firmly, turning to Hector with a fixed glare. With a sharp turn of his head, Hector flared at Will who was now surrounded by the crew, all brandishing their pistols in his direction.

"We need to give Jack a chance!" Elizabeth said, her eyes flicking over to me desperately, hoping I would chime in.

"Apologies, your majesty," Hector spat, mockingly, "too long me fate has not been in my own hands- no longer." With his words, he reached up to grasp the leather necklace around Elizabeth's neck and grabbed the jade stone, tugging harshly on it so that it broke open in his hands, now holding the last piece of eight in his hands.