An Ending of Sorts
"Jack, this is wrong!" Elizabeth cried. Jack shook his head, leaning against the wheel. Elizabeth glared at him, looking to the rest of the crew.
"Don't you lot have anything to say on the matter? What is wrong with you all?" She shouted angrily, storming up to Jack. He braced himself for the slap coming but it never arrived. Instead there was a click. Jack opened his eyes, focusing himself. He was looking down the barrel of his own gun. Elizabeth held it at arm's length, shaking slightly. Jack stood confidently, made no move.
"What do you say, Jack? Can you be so sure I won't pull this trigger?" Jack smirked.
"Course not. You killed me once before, love, ye can do it again. But I don't think ye will. I don't think ye can actually kill me by yer own hand. Last time ye left it ta the Kraken, after all." Jack said, his tone angering Elizabeth. She placed her finger on the trigger. And pressed. The shot resounded through out the ship, everyone looking to Elizabeth and Jack.
"Ye missed." Jack said, his tone unreadable. A red patch appeared, began spreading down the sleeve of his shirt. Elizabeth bit her lip, dropping the gun by her feet.
"I didn't miss, Jack. Believe me, if I wanted to kill you, I would have." She hissed. Jack nodded.
"I know, love, I'm just glad ye couldn't." Elizabeth looked at Jack, blinking a few times before she spoke.
"I can't bring myself to kill you, Jack, but I can do this!" She exclaimed, clenching her fist and smacking Jack in the face. Jack frowned, touching his face.
"Don't think I deserved that…" He muttered. Elizabeth let out a sigh.
"You didn't." She scorned. "You deserved that bullet."
I sprang up, looking around. The candle had burnt out, yet, sun was streaming through my window. I sat up, crawling to the end of the bed and pulling a dress from the chest; I hadn't worn a dress in so long. I could hear Sara downstairs, in the shop, I guessed. Sound travelled easily, I could hear her humming that haunting lullaby. It sent a shiver down my spine as I got dressed and made my way down. Sara smiled at me as I entered the shop, peaking through to see if it was empty.
"Dear, what are you doing?" She asked, putting a book on the shelf. I shrugged.
"I don't want to get you in trouble; you've been so good to me." I said, walking over to her. She looked at me, tilting her head. I could tell she was dieing to ask me something.
"So, what do you plan to do today?" I lowered my head.
"I…I will go and see Jack." I stuttered nervously. Sara smiled.
"Takes courage, dear. But I'm sure you'll do just fine." She said, giving me an encouraging smile and a motherly pat on the shoulder. I nodded.
"I'll go now. I don't want him to think I'm not coming back." I said, looking out of the door, to the streets. Sara nodded.
"Off you go then, dear. Good luck." She said. I nodded my thanks, pushing open the door and walking out, taking some deep breathes. The streets were crowded and it was a fight to get through the people. I hated the thought of living like this, day in, day out.
"Did you know the Black Pearl docked here?" A man caught my attention. He was talking to a bunch of people, all of them whispering things.
"Some one saw that Jack Sparrow bloke in the tavern the other day. He had a girl on his arm an' all." I turned to the man.
"It's Captain Jack Sparrow actually." I corrected him, smirking. He shrugged.
"Fine, Captain Jack Sparrow, what ever." He said dismissively. "Apparently he leaves port today after some big mess up with the lass. Don't think he was too happy. Well, that's what people are sayin' anyhow." I frowned.
"He leaves port today? When?" The man shrugged. I looked up the street before darting away from the man, desperate to get to the Pearl.
He couldn't just leave.
He wouldn't just leave.
He would not just up and leave me there. I ran faster, my breaths soon becoming more painful and my legs burning. But I didn't stop. I had to reach that ship, at least to see it. Some part of me hoped Jack would still be there, suddenly declaring he loved me to the whole world. I reached the dock after another few minutes of running, then remembering we hadn't docked with the other ships. We had docked further away, distancing ourselves in case of attack. Sighing and mentally slapping myself, I began running to the end of the dock, looking for the big, black, billowing sails that could only belong to the Pearl. All my hope died at once. They weren't there. The Pearl was gone, Jack with it, my treasure with him. I let out a pitiful cry.
"No, no, no…" I muttered, looking out to sea. The Pearl couldn't be far away. I convinced myself Jack must have moved it and, with that in mind, I began running back along the dock and upwards. The cliffs were the highest point of the town and I would definitely be able to see the Pearl from there. Every breath I took was like fire, my heart was pounding in my chest, but I kept running. I had to get to the top of the cliffs. And I did. I tripped over my dress a couple of times but I made it. I rushed to the side, looking out to the horizon.
My heart split in two.
The Pearl was there, sailing away, into the distance. Without me.
"Jack!" I screamed. Some part of me wished that he could hear me, although, I knew he was too far away.
"Jack!" I screamed it again, falling to my knees, burying my head in my hands.
"No, no, no, please come back…" I begged quietly, knowing it would do no good.
"Please, Jack, don't do this…don't leave me…" I sobbed, tears streaming down my face. He left. He had really left. All the things Jack had told me came streaming back, especially two things.
'It would never have worked between us, darling…' He had said it to Elizabeth on their first adventure. I shook my head, pointlessly wiping away tears that were replaced by new ones. I was so sure it would have worked between Jack and I and that thought only made me sob harder.
And the other few words, the one that cut into me like a knife, those eight words that I could hear him saying.
'My first and only love is the sea…'
And my first and only love was him.
3 Years...3 Long Years...
I place my pen down, looking at the pages and pages of writing. Three years later, I have learnt to read and write, with a little help from Sara, of course, and a few of the women from town. I've made friends too. And I've been proposed to. He awaits my answer eagerly, in the big, white house on the hill that I can see from my small, circular window.
"Are you done?" Sara calls. I smile sadly.
"Yes." I hold the story to me, feeling a small tear drip down my cheek. And then I let go. I place it in my old chest, at the end of my bed. And there it shall stay, of that I am quite sure.
"And how does it end?" She asks, her kind old face watching me climb down the ladder. She is so very old now.
"Its not a happy ending." I say. "But its an ending of sorts." Sara can barely see anymore so she never did read my story. Her eyes are clouded with cataracts. Still she assures me that it must be wonderful, seems I have spent so long on it. She doesn't understand that it's the only way I can let go. Let go of my treasure. My pirate ways. My freedom. My Jack.
My Jack.
It brings a smile to my lips. Sara smiles too, although for entirely different reasons, I'm sure, which are most probably completely beyond me.
"And now what?" She asks. "Will you go and see that lovely man from the manor. He does love you, my dear, very much." I nod.
"I should hope so." I say.
"And what will you say to his marriage proposal? He is a fine man, after all."
"He is a fine man." Another tear drips down my cheek. "And I shall say 'yes'."
The End . x
And so, I leave you :) Well, until I decide to write more. I guess finishing it like this was a little...sad but I figured that this way I could leave it open...for maybe a sequel? If one's wanted?
No promises though.
Anyway, big, huge thanks to all my reviewers, who kept me going :) You guys are amazing!
I Love You!
And so, I leave you...