Lost City of Atlantis (POTC 6) + Shorts

Chapter 1: The Cryptogram

Saint Denis on Île Bourbon
July 7, 1755

Annette's POV 

The sun was beginning to inch it's way to the horizon. The heat was beating down on the thick dress I had hugging my body. It was a mulberry purple with sleeves that ended at my elbows, complete with a corset that was pulled a little too tight. I could hear the waves from the nearby harbor that was off the towns square, as well as the clamors of the bustling crowd of the citizens around me who surrounded the gallows.

The Black Pearl was docked just outside of the city, with the crew and Captain Jack Sparrow waiting for my triumphant return with my promise of a map.

Our crew members has shifted significantly throughout the years. Barbossa told us about how he lost most of his crew in the Devils Triangle when Salazar attacked, then he drowned; Gibbs is still with us; Cotton is still silent; I have started to pick up on Cottons parrot's meaning when he squawks; Scrum is still just as disappointing as ever; Marty is still running after the pirate life with us; Crumble and I still play chess on the ship; and we have picked up two new members. Jules, and Kent. Jules is a quiet man who wears a blue head band that has tuffs of his brown hair flying out, and Kent has dark skin and long dark hair that he always keeps braided and out of his face.

I tilted my bergère hat up just enough to see straight ahead. I pushed my way through the chattering crowd without pulling any attention to myself.

"Pirate!" The crowd yelled as an insult toward the gallows.

"La Buse!"

"Let him swing!" Another voice popped out.

The voices all spoke in French, because we were on a French island. Île Bourbon, just off the coast of Africa. They were all shouting and belittling the man that was about to be executed.

I looked up to the scaffold, never imagining that I would see my father, Olivier Levasseur, staring at the loop of a noose. He had chains wrapped around his waist, with his wrists bound with rope. His usual trimmed facial hair was unkept, and the greying hair on his head was matted against his skull. I could see his piercing blue eyes from where I stood, and they were full of both rage and sorrow.

A man stood beside the gallows, reading off the summons of every reason why my father was set to be hanged once the clock struck 17:00 hours in front of the church. The main reason, was piracy.

This side-quest for the map was to be obtained from my father. When we arrived to the island, I was unaware of his execution until I saw his wanted posters around the town. I had only armed myself with a dagger that stuck to my ankle, as to not draw any suspicion to myself. I saw my own wanted posters, and I was not keen on seeing the end of a noose again.

The executioner pulled the noose around my fathers neck, tightening it against his throat. He wore a white puffy shirt with a waistcoat, and dark trousers tucked into his favorite boots. All his weapons, that he usually had around his waist, had been removed.

Tears began to well in my eyes, and I pushed through the thick crowd faster. I had no backup, no plan, and no weapon. I was utterly helpless. There was nothing I could do to save my father. My palms were getting clammy the closer I got to the gallows. I looked up to see the executioner wrap his fingers around the lever, and I darted my eyes to my father.

He was peering back down at me and he shouted, "wait!"

The shouting in the crowd ceased, and the executioner paused to look at my father. I pushed myself to the front and he looked down at me with a loving gaze. I swallowed the lump in my throat as he looked down and carefully pulled a necklace off of his neck. He has worn that necklace for as long as I can remember; the inside contains his cryptogram. He raised his shaky arm up to the crowd, the thick necklace fluttered in the soft wind. In French, he called out, "find my treasure, the one who may understand it!" and threw it out to the crowd.