CHAPTER 10: Before The Mast
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I SNAPPED MY eyes open and I figured, it was already morning.
"Ah, you're awake." Suddenly Jack came in my sight, as it seems he's looking for something.
I looked around in my position, and Will was no where in site. I stifled a yawn and began to ask Jack. I winced, "Did I just snore?"
"Haven't heard of it." He said, he didn't found what his looking for so he walked upstairs.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. I must have fallen into deep slumber.
"And still not dreaming..." I remarked, whispering at myself.
I lifted myself up with a limp body I carried then I padded upstairs on ship's deck and meet them there. That's weird.
I looked around outside the ship. I figured we weren't as close to the docks.
"Where's the crew?" Will asked.
"There!" Jack pointed for us, right into the docks.
Jack sauntered towards me and grabbed the oars. I furrowed my brows in wonder. The three of us hopped down into the long boat. Jack silently rowed us toward the docks.
"Shut-eyed and pristine! I am relished meeting you." Gibbs greeted us. I greeted back while Will just gave him a greeted smile, then Will gave me a hand out of the dinghy. I thanked him.
Jack took a glance into a bunch of supplies placed on the docks. He grabbed a green apple from the sack. We proceeded walking until we meet a disheveled, motley and weather beaten group of about a dozen swabs stand in a ragged line-up.
"Feast your eyes, Cap'n. All of 'em faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt and crazy, to boot." Gibbs stated.
We moves down the line, giving a contemplative look at a diminutive sailor.
"So THIS is your able-bodied crew?" Will looked unimpressed.
The crew looked innocent. Jack nods, continues. He stops in front of Cotton, an old sailor with colorful parrot on his shoulder. Jack rose an eyebrow, "You, sailor!"
"Cotton, sir." Gibbs corrected.
"Mr. Cotton. Do you have the courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death?" Jack asked, and waits for the answer, "Mr. Cotton! Answer me!"
Poor old Mr. Cotton remained silent.
Gibbs interfere and explains, "He's a mute, sir. Poor devil had his tongue cut out. So he trained the parrot to talk for him."
... And oh my, here goes the tongue..
Cotton opens his mouth to show his 1/4 tongue had left. Will raises his eyebrow and Jack rolls his tongue in disgust.
I furrowed my brows, "Uhh... but how?"
"No one's yet figured how." Gibbs answered.
Jack looks at him, ask again, "Mr. Cotton...'s parrot. Same question."
The parrot squawks out, "Wind in your SAILS! Wind in your SAILS!"
Jack looks at Gibbs, Gibbs corrected, "Mostly, we figure that means 'yes'."
"Of course it does." Jack smiled, and glanced over at Will and I, "Satisfied?"
"Well, you've proved they're mad." Will answered. I nodded in agree.
"-And what's the benefit for us?" Suddenly a woman's voice interfere.
Jack turned at the sound of the voice. He moves along, and stops in front of a hunched silor, eyes downcast, face shaded by a buckled tricorn hat. Jack leans to the side, trying to peer beneath the hat. She looks up and Jack took out the hat. "AnaMaria— "
But then she slaps Jack with a hard right cross,
Will raised an eyebrow, "I suppose you didn't deserve that one, either?"
"No, that one I deserved." Jack answered.
"Definitely." I nodded.
The woman huffed, "You stole my boat!"
"Actually—" but she slaps him again, even harder. I winced.
"Borrowed. Borrowed without permission. But with every intention of bringing it back." Jack exclaimed.
"But you didn't!" She accuses.
"—You'll get another one." I chimed in, making her to calm. " —I will." Jack nodded at me, smiling.
"A better one..." Will adds. Jack agreed, "—A better one!"
"That one." Will pointed to the Interceptor.
Jsck whirled around with a wide-eyed look, "What one?"
Will gives him a hard look in return. Everyone turn and look at the Interceptor ship. Jack asks incredously, "THAT ONE?!" But then considers it a moment, realizes it's a good plan, "Aye, that one! What say you?"
"Aye!" Everyone respond. Anamaria snatches her hat from Jack rather rudely and storms away.
All of us moved away and helped them taking the things or the supplies on board. The parrot squawks again, "Anchor's Aweigh!"
Gibbs whispered at Jack, "No, no, no, no. You know it's frightful bad luck to bring a woman aboard, sir."
Jack furrowed his brows, then he, Will and Gibbs looked at me. I hesitated, giving a look. What?
"It'll be far worse not to have her." Jack said, glanced at me and giving me a curt nod as he lightly doing hats-off and offered to come aboard. "Miss (Y/N)."
I smiled at him, padded over the docks and helped the crew to bring the supplies on board.
When we reached into the HMS Interceptor, Jack make a statement. "That goes for the rest of you! Danger and near certain death. For we are to sail for the Isla De Muerta, to rescue the daughter of Governor Swann and to bring her canvas back..." Jack glanced at me and intends not to say about it. "An equal share of the reward shall be— "
" —Shut up, before you lose them all!" Will chimed-in.
"These are the only ones worth having." Jack glances at the sky, "And we're going to need them." He walked into the helm.
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Soon for we are sailing away to Isla de Muerta with the help of Jack's unusual navigational instrument as where everyone told it never shows north, neither of they have known why and how Jack got his compass.
Everyone was at work and I barely put in help but I decided to take their supplies on board and reached into the galley downstairs, grabbing a bite to eat.
As I wasn't sure what to do next, everyone was busy and it's far more better that none of them spoke to me at the moment, except for Gibbs, he looks like he's going to ask me something but didn't. I need to renew myself.
So I returned my place on the rear side of the ship with an apple at my hand and took myself to calm a little, but still the motion of the ship keeps swaying my mind since I haven't been in voyaging for years now. It just a little hard to focus at myself right now but atleast there's a great ocean view to look at to calm myself.
"—Daydreaming, eh?" Suddenly a man's tone uttered behind. Well, speak of the devil! I greeted, giving a light smile.
"I have such tremendous intuitive sense of the female creature informs me that you are quite troubled." Jack said.
I furrowed my brows and felt a slight smile, "I am fairly well."
Jack looked at me and knew I was really on axious. He placed himself leaning on the rear side of the ship a far inches, and offered me a rum but I genuinely refuse.
"Is there anything I can help there?"
Jack turned into his side and checked, "No, just be in your spare. I assured you're not in a such mood." He took a gulp into his rum. "Have you gone regretting, eh?"
"I'm just quite anticipating something, that's all." I claimed, tapping my fingers at the rails, feeling uneasy as Jack comes over and leaned at the rails behind me.
"Is that so?" Suddenly Jack pocketed out the old journal from his coat.
My eyes are widened, shocked out of my reverie, "Hey, is that my?!" I dugged into my coat, "—give it back to me!"
Jack opened the journal revealing my writings and sketches, and started reading it. "I am mere certain you'd answer no's, and 'No', the Captain must read it."
"Don't read it, Jack!" I exclaimed but I was too late. I sighed tremendously, how I wished I didn't have such over writing on that book until I remembered the book didn't have the information to spoils him. Oh, Good Lord.
Although, Jack found the sketches of the painting. I winced.
"I be only heading for the painting, Jack." I claimed, "You don't have to read that anyway. Again, I just needed your help."
"That's not quite it." Jack said. With a brief silence, Jack noticed something, "You still seems unduly pleased since last night."
"I have told you the truth."
"It doesn't add up. Painting, your grandfather, home. There is something odd about you, I cannot put my finger on it, and don't want to. But you have an agenda, of that, I am sure."
"I thought you're Captain Jack Sparrow."
"I am."
I closed my eyes in disbelief, "Well then, if you were the real Jack Sparrow, you would help, out of pure greed."
"How you pack so much annoyance in such a diminutive stature is a mystery."
"Because I knew you're still reneging." I smiled.
"You seem quite certain." Jack smiled back.
"That is how it must be, because you're a coward —I am too — but you're an honorable coward, true to your word, even if entering into an affair without seeing the bottom of it." I stated. Jack stared at me, being outmaneuvered.
"I upon my honor." Jack grinned, fights his desire and raises his hand to stroke my hair. I noticed how near our faces were.
"And since you're a good man... there is nothing more to be said." I pulled back and hesitated in moving any further. Despite the dizziness setting in, I leaned back and squirmed out of his grasp.
"You're still reneging."
"Aye."
I played along, "Then you truly are Jack Sparrow! Indeed."
In a brief silence, Jack noticed, "I'm the one and only, but who is this lad that probably he and I are alike named Johnny Depp — ?" He looked back into the journal.
I promptly snatched back my book and put into my coat, " —And that you should have not read it!" My eyes down in disbelief, "I—It's a familiar gentleman I knew in my hometown."
Jack glanced at me, I squeaked silently at myself. This be the most stressful situation of my entire life. I finally turned, flushed and a slight smile comes crosses my face.
"Capt'n," Saved by his mate. Gibbs called out, "It's really coming down out there, it appears the storm is gathering this evening, sir."
We all turned and looked ahead squinted at the sky. There was an ominous gray and dark cloud that overcast the sky.
"Prepare the fleet." Jack commanded. Gibbs led into the crews.
I leaned back at the rails and realized it will be not a great evening for matter of minutes, Oh yeah, I forgot about this...
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The sky went dark and the rain was already blankets the entire ocean. The ocean rocked the ship violently, as it drops into the valley of huge swell. A flash of lightening and the crack of thunder plumped into our ears. The canvas of every sail us stretched taut.
Everyone scurried about with their tasks, pulling lines and trimming sails. It takes everything we have to keep the ship afloat.
Gibbs staggered along the deck, "The fool will have us lose the canvas, and the masts besides!"
"Are you alright?" Will looked at me. I nodded at him, struggling.
Jack is at the helm. Will and I looked forward to where Jack storm head on. He seemed struggling at trying to find the heading, his eyes intent on his course.
"How can we sail to an island that nobody can find with a compass that doesn't work?" Will shouted at us.
"Aye, the compass doesn't point north, but we're not trying to find north, are we?" Gibbs shouted back.
I tugged and climbed the tilted deck near towards Jack. I kept my head down as waves splashed at my face.
Gibbs followed me into the stairs, he shouted to Jack, "We should drop canvas, sir!"
"She can hold a bit longer!" Jack shouted back. The winds picked up the sails, howling. Jack smiled.
"What's in your head that put you in such a fine mood?" His voice bellowing over the loud storm.
Jack just grinned, enjoying himself like a madman.
It was all mere cold, dark and dangerous what we are in. I squelched down the deck steps, covering myself in freezing.
I found Jack seemed still to struggle at his compass, he keeps shaking it. Although, the wind troubled our sights, the water inundated the floor, and we barely cannot see as it was dark, cold and loud.
Suddenly, someone's get in trouble, the sailor stucked himself at the lines. Gibbs promptly staggered back and helped the man.
I watched them struggling at their task, feeling guilt and useless. I had regretted myself. I steadied at my place, worthless and scared. What am I doing here? I want to go home...
Suddenly, Jack's compass fell to the deck. Jack quickly trying to grab it, leaving the helm whipped itself that everyone of us started totter away of the ship.
The compass slid into the rails, as it almost fell into the ocean, but luckily, the chain ended up hooked into my feet, and quickly grabbed it.
Jack held the helm back and turned, "Hold on!"
He quickly grabbed my wrist, pulled me into his shoulder, my eyes widened to meet Jack's dark pirate's eyes. I was completely terrified of that happened, so I took my arms grasped around him to thank. I looked into his eyes, "I hope this'll be over..."
I pulled out the compass and gave it to him. Both of us looked to it, trying to figure out the direction, but the needle was spinning around. Jack cursed at himself, "This BLOODY—"
I grabbed his hand and held over the compass. As soon we've waited and looked, the point still spinning. Jack stared closely into his compass, but the sudden crack of thunder appeared and makes us startled. My heart was pounding and scared, I started walking away—
"Wa—wait! Wait!" Jack grabbed my hand again and placed the compass back into the palm. He looked closely, until we figured the needle finally has pointed the way. We stunned.
"Just stay here, take keep on hold with me!" Jack quickly wheeled the helm to the right direction, "We're catching up!"
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