A Life as a Pirate

The storm started to settle down once day came around. The clouds started to clear up and all that was left was a very thick fog. All around us were destroyed ships. I frowned walking away from the wheel and down by Will.
“Dead men tell no tales,” Mr. Cotton’s parrot squawked.
“Puts a chill in the bones how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage,” said Gibbs. He turned and walked to the other side of the ship, Will and I followed him.
“How is it that Jack came by that compass?” asked Will.
“Not a lot’s known about Jack Sparrow fore he showed up in Tortuga with a mind to go after the treasure of the Isla de Muerta. That was before I’d met him. Back when he was Captain of the Black Pearl.”
“What?” I squeaked.
“He failed to mention that,” said Will.
“He plays things closer to the vest now. And a hard-learned lesson it was. See, three days out in the venture, the first mate comes to him and says everything’s in equal share. That should mean the location of the treasure too. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was a mutiny. They marooned Jack on an island and left him to die, but not before he’d gone mad with the heat.”
“Ah,” whispered Will. “So that’s the reason for all the…” he then did a poor but understanding of Jack’s way of flaying arms and unsteady balance.
“You are so horrible at impressions, Will,” I giggled.
“Reason’s got nothing to do with it.” Gibbs knelt down, “Now, Will, Jezabell,” we knelt down beside him, “when a pirate’s marooned, he’s a given a pistol with a single shot. One shot. Well, that won’t do much good hunting or to be rescued. But after three weeks of starving belly and thirst, that pistol will start to look real friendly.” He placed two fingers to his head. “But Jack escaped the island, and he still has that single shot. Oh, he won’t use it, though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate.”
“Barbossa,” I whispered.
“Aye.” Gibbs nodded.
“How did Jack get off the island?”
“Well, I’ll tell ye. He waded out into the shallows. And he waited there three days and three nights ‘till all manner of sea creatures ‘came acclimated to his presence. And on the fourth morning, he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed them together, and made a raft.”
“He roped a couple of sea turtles?” asked Will.
“Aye, sea turtles.”
“What did he use for rope?”
Gibbs looked puzzled for a moment but then looked up to see Jack. “Human hair. From my back.” He said to us.
“Ew,” I gagged.
“Let go the anchor!” he shouted to the crew.
“Aye, Captain, aye!” The crew shouted back.
“Young Mr. Turner, Miss Turner, and I are to go ashore.”
“Captain, what is the worst should happen?” asked Gibbs.
“Keep to the Code,” he murmured to Gibbs.
“Aye, the Code,” Gibbs said following after him.
“The Code,” questioned Will. He looked at me.
“I don’t know which one they’re talking about. Pirates have many Codes and Rules.” I grumbled.
A life boat was lifted down for Jack, Will, and I to get into. Will was given a lantern and he sat at the front of the boat. Jack reached up and took my hand as I stepped down onto the boat and seated myself between him and Will. Once the boat reached the water, Jack began to row us toward a cave on the island.
“What Code is Gibbs to keep to if the worst should happen?” Will asked Jack.
“Pirate’s Code. Any man who falls behind is left behind.” Jack replied.
“No heroes amongst thieves?” Will snorted.
“You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you’re well on your way to becoming one. Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga. And you’re completely obsessed with treasure.” He had reached the end of the watery part of the cave and hopped out of the life boat.
“That’s not true.” Will growled. “I am not obsessed with treasure.”
We followed Jack up threw a small passage to a small opening that could be used as a window. “Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate.” I quickly climbed up next to him and saw Elizabeth standing among the pirates. Will climbed up as well.
“Gentlemen, the time has come!” shouted, whom I would believe is Barbossa. “Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end.” Each time Barbossa ended a sentence the pirates would cheer.
“Elizabeth,” whispered Will.
“For ten years we’ve been tested and tried, and each man jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over and a hundred times again!” The pirates cheered.
“Punished, we were the lot of us. Disproportionate to our crime! Here it is!” Barbossa then pushed the lid off the treasure chest that was in front of Elizabeth. “The cursed treasure of Cortes himself. Every last piece that went astray, we have returned. Save for this,” the then pointed at the necklace around Elizabeth’s neck.
“Jack!” Will cried trying to jump over to get Elizabeth.
Jack reached around me and grabbed Will’s arm, “Not yet. We wait for the opportune moment.”
“Eight hundred and eight one we found, but despaired of ever finding the last,” I could hear Barbossa talk as we were ducked behind the wall. Jack then turned and went walking back down the passage.
“When’s that?” I asked.
“When it’s of greatest profit to you?” snapped Will.
Jack stopped and turned to Will and I, “May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor. I know it’s difficult for you, but please stay here and try not to do anything stupid.” Jack then turned and left us alone.
Will then went over and grabbed an oar from the boat. “Jez, you stay here and put all the oars from the other boats into ours okay?”
“What are you doing?” I hissed to him.
“I’m gonna get Elizabeth back.” He then turned and followed the way that Jack had gone.
I frowned slightly but I did what Will asked me to do. I then followed him down the small passage and saw Jack lying face down on the floor.
“Jack,” I whispered gently shaking him. I jumped when I heard a gunshot. I stood up and peered around the corner.
“You’re not dead.” Said one pirate.
“No,” another said quite happily. “He shot me!”
“It didn’t work,” cried a different pirate.
“The curse is still upon us!”
Barbossa lifted up his knife and then turned to Elizabeth, “You, maid! Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Turner?”
“No,” Elizabeth growled at him.
“Where’s his child that sailed from England eight years ago?” snapped Barbossa. “The child in whose veins flows the blood of William Turner? Where!”
When Elizabeth didn’t respond Barbossa backhanded her and she fell down the pile of treasure.
“You two!” growled a pirate. “You brought us the wrong person!”
“No!” shouted the pirate who had been shot. “She had the medallion. She’s the proper age.”
“She said her name was Turner. I think she lied to us.”
“You brought us here for nothing!” I pirate shouted to Barbossa.
“I won’t take questioning or second guesses from you, Twigg,” snapped Barbossa.
“Who’s to blame? Every decision you’ve made has led us from bad to worse.”
“It was you who sent Bootstrap to the depths!”
“Yeah!” the pirates shouted together.
Will and Elizabeth then came around the corner. “Will!” I hissed. “What did you do?”
“I had to, Jez. We must go, quickly!” he grabbed my arm and started to pull me along.
We hopped into the boat with all the oars and started to row back out to the Interceptor. As we rowed back to the ship we threw out the oars. I frowned as Will helped Elizabeth up and then climbed up after her. Gibbs held his hand out to me and pulled me up over the railing.
“Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth.” Smiled Gibbs.
“Mr. Gibbs?”
“Hey, boy, where’d be Jack?” Gibbs asked quickly.
“Jack?” asked Elizabeth, “Jack Sparrow?”
“He fell behind,” Will said and then took Elizabeth below the deck.
“Keep to the Code,” Gibbs said after a moment of silence.
“Weigh anchor! Hoist the sails! Make quick,” shouted Anamaria.
“So that’s it,” I snapped at Gibbs. “You’re just gonna leave ‘m here?”
“There’s nothin’ else we can do, Miss Turner. It was direct orders from the Captain.” I walked over to the life boat and tried to get into it but Gibbs pulled me away. “Let go of me! You bloody pirate! If you’re not gonna save Jack I will!”
“Direct orders from your brother, don’t let you get back in the boat,” Gibbs said as the others lifted the boat up out of my reach.
I tore myself away from Gibbs and walked down to my room, slamming the door behind me, “Good for nothin’ pirates.” I grumbled sitting back on my bed. I gazed out the small port hole as the soft rocking of the ship started to make me sleepy. I closed my eyes and feel into unconsciousness.