Troubled Seas
Dead Men
Katie tried very hard to focus. She knew something very important was happening but her mind was unable to find its way through the fog. She heard voices. She saw faces. But she couldn’t make sense of any of it.
There were only two things she did understand. First, she was on a quest to find something that had been taken from her. Second, she needed someone named Jack. She wasn’t sure who he was, but she could tell when he was around and she could feel when he was gone.
“Katie?” the man named Jack called to her through the haze.
She turned to look at him, eyes glazed, frown tugging at her lips. Jack’s heart ached. How was he going to keep her safe on the island when she couldn’t even walk by herself?
“Katie, I need you to stay close to me at all times. Can you promise me you will do that?” he bent down to look her straight in the eyes.
Katie heard the man speak. His tone was kind. Katie wanted to smile but didn’t know how. Instead she reached out to him and stroked his cheek. She liked this strange man. She trusted him.
Jack felt his heart race and his palms go slick with perspiration. She didn’t know what he was saying. “Oh God Katie,” his voice shook.
Katie grew concerned. The nice man was upset. She tilted her head to side and watched him. “Jack,” she cooed. It was one of the few words she could remember how to say. “Jack,” she repeated and wrapped her arms around him.
Jack felt a lump form in his throat. He raked a tense hand through his tangled hair and released a pent up sigh. “Oh Katie. What are we going to do?”
“The dinghies are ready, Cap’n,” Mr. Gibbs traced the pattern of the wooden floor with his eyes. It was a private scene before him and he had no interest in beholding it.
Jack straightened up, clamped his hand with Katie’s and dragged her forward a two steps. “To Shore.”
Katie allowed herself to be towed forward. The nice man was taking her some place new and Katie was interested. She had not left the man’s room ever… well at least she couldn’t remember ever leaving it.
The man led her out onto the deck of the ship. Katie took a deep breath, breathing in the sea air, the smell and feel of the wind did something funny to her lips. She touched a fragile hands to her plush lips, she was smiling. How odd.
“Be careful Katie,” Jack helped lower Katie into the dinghy where Anamaria was already waiting.
“Are ye going to bring her gun? Her sword?” Ana asked with concern.
“I don’t know if I should. I doubt she will know how to use them. She’ll probably harm herself,” Jack fretted.
“Jack,” Ana smiled faintly. “Trust me, she’ll be fine. I know she’s sorta wonky right now, but in time it’ll all come back to her. We’ll be on the island, this island has mystical powers and simply being close to the source of power which cursed her in the first place should hopefully bring back some of what’s missing.”
“Do you truly think so Ana, because I don’t want to risk her injuring herself,” Jack told his crew member sternly.
“Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?”
Jack nodded curtly and hurried to find Katie’s sword and gun. He tried to be gone for only a few sparse minutes, but by the time he arrived back on deck, Katie was howling his name, thrashing about on the dinghy.
“Katie!” he cried.
She seized up. “Jack?” her voice was watery.
He inhaled deeply, trying to prepare himself for what lay ahead. “I only want two crew members to remain on board The Black Pearl,” he ordered to the ragged men lined up before him. “Everyone else, pile into a dinghy and start rowing to shore. The last boat to arrive will stand guard with the other dinghies and fight off any natives who may attempt to take them. Alright men, to battle we go!”
The crew cheered noisily, all except Gibbs who stood far off wrenching his hands over and over. A sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead, Mr. Gibbs knew something terrible was about to happen, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He wished to stay on the ship but he knew his place was beside Jack.
Gibbs swallowed down his fears and took a brave step forward. “Aye Aye Captain!”
Jack let out a tight breathe, he had been worried Gibbs mightn’t come, but there was a determined look blazing in his friend’s eyes and Jack knew Gibbs would stand by him no matter what.
“Good luck me hearties! May the Gods look down on us fairly,” Jack drew his cutlass from its sheath and raised it high in the air.
His crew members mocked his action and their combined voices rose in a feverish babble that announced their presence to all inhabitants on the island of Anew.
It was a risky mission they were to embark upon, the kind of mission that made Jack’s blood pound and his life worth living. Now more than ever, for without Katie, he would not want to spend one more second on this here Earth.
There were only two things she did understand. First, she was on a quest to find something that had been taken from her. Second, she needed someone named Jack. She wasn’t sure who he was, but she could tell when he was around and she could feel when he was gone.
“Katie?” the man named Jack called to her through the haze.
She turned to look at him, eyes glazed, frown tugging at her lips. Jack’s heart ached. How was he going to keep her safe on the island when she couldn’t even walk by herself?
“Katie, I need you to stay close to me at all times. Can you promise me you will do that?” he bent down to look her straight in the eyes.
Katie heard the man speak. His tone was kind. Katie wanted to smile but didn’t know how. Instead she reached out to him and stroked his cheek. She liked this strange man. She trusted him.
Jack felt his heart race and his palms go slick with perspiration. She didn’t know what he was saying. “Oh God Katie,” his voice shook.
Katie grew concerned. The nice man was upset. She tilted her head to side and watched him. “Jack,” she cooed. It was one of the few words she could remember how to say. “Jack,” she repeated and wrapped her arms around him.
Jack felt a lump form in his throat. He raked a tense hand through his tangled hair and released a pent up sigh. “Oh Katie. What are we going to do?”
“The dinghies are ready, Cap’n,” Mr. Gibbs traced the pattern of the wooden floor with his eyes. It was a private scene before him and he had no interest in beholding it.
Jack straightened up, clamped his hand with Katie’s and dragged her forward a two steps. “To Shore.”
Katie allowed herself to be towed forward. The nice man was taking her some place new and Katie was interested. She had not left the man’s room ever… well at least she couldn’t remember ever leaving it.
The man led her out onto the deck of the ship. Katie took a deep breath, breathing in the sea air, the smell and feel of the wind did something funny to her lips. She touched a fragile hands to her plush lips, she was smiling. How odd.
“Be careful Katie,” Jack helped lower Katie into the dinghy where Anamaria was already waiting.
“Are ye going to bring her gun? Her sword?” Ana asked with concern.
“I don’t know if I should. I doubt she will know how to use them. She’ll probably harm herself,” Jack fretted.
“Jack,” Ana smiled faintly. “Trust me, she’ll be fine. I know she’s sorta wonky right now, but in time it’ll all come back to her. We’ll be on the island, this island has mystical powers and simply being close to the source of power which cursed her in the first place should hopefully bring back some of what’s missing.”
“Do you truly think so Ana, because I don’t want to risk her injuring herself,” Jack told his crew member sternly.
“Have I ever given you reason to doubt me?”
Jack nodded curtly and hurried to find Katie’s sword and gun. He tried to be gone for only a few sparse minutes, but by the time he arrived back on deck, Katie was howling his name, thrashing about on the dinghy.
“Katie!” he cried.
She seized up. “Jack?” her voice was watery.
He inhaled deeply, trying to prepare himself for what lay ahead. “I only want two crew members to remain on board The Black Pearl,” he ordered to the ragged men lined up before him. “Everyone else, pile into a dinghy and start rowing to shore. The last boat to arrive will stand guard with the other dinghies and fight off any natives who may attempt to take them. Alright men, to battle we go!”
The crew cheered noisily, all except Gibbs who stood far off wrenching his hands over and over. A sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead, Mr. Gibbs knew something terrible was about to happen, he could feel it in the pit of his stomach. He wished to stay on the ship but he knew his place was beside Jack.
Gibbs swallowed down his fears and took a brave step forward. “Aye Aye Captain!”
Jack let out a tight breathe, he had been worried Gibbs mightn’t come, but there was a determined look blazing in his friend’s eyes and Jack knew Gibbs would stand by him no matter what.
“Good luck me hearties! May the Gods look down on us fairly,” Jack drew his cutlass from its sheath and raised it high in the air.
His crew members mocked his action and their combined voices rose in a feverish babble that announced their presence to all inhabitants on the island of Anew.
It was a risky mission they were to embark upon, the kind of mission that made Jack’s blood pound and his life worth living. Now more than ever, for without Katie, he would not want to spend one more second on this here Earth.
♠ ♠ ♠
So I know this isn't the most exciting update, but I do promise that much more interesting ones are to come!xoxo
Lynz