The Painter Of Port Royal

Chapter 19

Gibbs spun the helm to get the ship to turn away, the rest of the crew going into panic as they tried to slip away from the Dutchman. Lydia just froze. There was no way they could escape him, not matter where they went Davy Jones could follow, on land and at sea. Even as cannons began to fire on the Pearl, Lydia still stood beside Gibbs with a haze over her eyes. Even when more and more people rushed around her she stood still. Like she couldn't move. Like she couldn't breath. Surely this couldn't be their demise. But as wood flew all around them, she knew the Pearl was not going to survive this attack. She felt her necklace in her fingers then the beads in her hair and turned to search for where Jack had gone. She didn't have to search far though as he climbed the stairs, jar in hand, resting another arm round her when he saw her ghostly stare.

Shoving Gibbs out of the way, Jack took charge of the helm, grunting as he spun the stiff wheel. Elizabeth had joined them and was leaning over the side of the ship, watching the Dutchman in the distance. It's rotting body stalked after them, Lydia feeling her stomach drop. Sure she had dealt with plenty of pirates at this point but each time she felt more and more as if she was going to faint at any given moment.

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth announced.

"Aye. We've got her!" Gibbs sounded relieved.

"We're the faster?" Will joined them.

"Against the wind, the Dutchman beats us," Gibbs cleared "that's how she takes her prey but with the wind..."

"We rob her advantage," Lydia said.

"Aye lass."

But it couldn't be that simple. Could it? She looked to Will and they both seemed to share the same look. One of worry and concern as if that's not the last they were to hear of the Dutchman. Will had seen it's power, more importantly, the krakens power. Is that was is to come next?

"They're giving up!" Marty called from the ropes.

The rest of the crew cheered at once, Pintel and Regetti dancing around one another. Elizabeth hugged Lydia but she felt numb, she didn't like how this was going. Everything was way too easy. Jack pulled her into a hug after, refusing to let her go when he read her face. There was no good reason he would want to see her so distraught so he pulled her closer and rested his head on her shoulder.

"It is going to be alright darling," He whispered to her "we get through this together."

"My father is on that ship," Will grunted "if we can out run her we can take her. We should turn and fight."

"Why fight when you can negotiate," Jack said indicating the jar "all one need is the proper leverage."

Thump. Something had collided with the ship. And sent the jar of dirt to the ground of the main deck, smashing it to pieces. Sand spread round the deck and as Jack and Lydia leaned down, there didn't seem to be the pulsing heart inside the jar. Yanking Lydia down with him Jack dug around the sand not finding the heart. They were screwed now. And there was only one other person who could have the heart apart from Davy Jones. And that man conviently left them on the island.

"Where is it? Where is the thump-thump?" Jack began to panic.

"It's not here," Lydia murmured.

"We must have hit a reef!" A crewman shouted out.

There was a growling. A low gargle like a child in the bath. As the crew raced to the side they were met with the bubbles of the water, foggy up the depths below.

"It's not a reef!" Will screamed "get away from the rail!"

"What is it?" Elizabeth wondered.

"The kraken," Will replied.