Chapter Ten

The Kraken Attacks Thrice

When Will awoke later that evening he found that Elizabeth was staring down at him. "What happened to the chest?" he asked and Elizabeth had a sad look in her eyes.

"Norrington took it to draw them off." she told him and he was about to reply when they were interrupted by some bickering. It did not surprise him that it was Pintel and Ragetti that was arguing; they argued like an old married couple.

"You're pulling too hard!" Pintel accused, arguing over the sails.

"You aren't pulling hard enough. " Ragetti shot back and hung to the rope.

"Where's the Commodore?" Gibbs asked Jack. Jack glanced around and clutched his jar of dirt tightly.

"Fell behind." he murmured and looked at Charlotte as if to make sure she was on the ship with him.

"My prayers be with him." Gibbs shrugged. "Best not wallow in our grief. The bright side is: you're back. And made it off free and clear." Suddenly there was a loud splashing sound and they all turned around to see the Flying Dutchman pop out of the water right next to the Pearl.

"Ah, the F-" Elizabeth said in fright but didn't seem to be able to finish her thought.

"Lord, I done that." Gibbs muttered and crosses himself just making poor Charlotte confused. Jack walked forward and pushed Gibbs out of the way and pulled Charlotte out of the way as if he didn't want her to be seen.

"I'll handle this, mate." Jack said to Gibbs and turned to face the Dutchman. "Oi, fish face!" he yelled and held up the jar of dirt. "Lose something, aye? -?" Because Jack is Jack he didn't feel the need to watch where he was going and as he was at the helm he fell right down the flight of stairs. The crew 'ooh'ed' and cringed in sympathy at the fall but his hand flew in the air and held up the jar of dirt. "Got it!" he yelled and jumped up and brushing the fall off like it didn't happen. Charlotte shook her head. Only Jack. "Come to negotiate, eh, have you, you slimy git. Look what I got. I've got a jar of di-irt, I've got a jar of di-irt, and guess what's inside it?" he smiled and said in a sing song voice, waving the jar around the place.

"Enough." Jones snarled and the cannons slid out and Jack seemed to lose his smile.

"Hard to starboard." Jack said quietly.

"Hard to starboard!" Charlotte shouted louder so they could all hear. Gibbs turned the wheel frantically so the Pearl would turn the right way.

"Raise up the foreyard!" Will shouted and sprang into action.

"Rack the starboard! Send his beloved Pearl back to the depths." Davy spat and the cannons fired and some hit the Pearl as it retreated. Charlotte stumbled as the ship turned and managed to stay up right as Jack quickly grabbed her arm. She smiled in thanks and she smiled warmly and almost lovingly back. She shook her head, believing that she imagined it.

Ragetti spotted the Flying Dutchman in pursuit through a cannonball made hole and gasped. "She's on us! She's on us!" he yelled.

"Let them taste the triple guns." Davy told his crew.

"Aye, Captain." they replied and the triple cannons were rolled out in front and fired. It managed to further damage the ship and Jack ran up to the helm to take over steering. Gibbs passed the wheel over and ran down to the deck. Charlotte didn't know what to do but Jack seemed to want her with him at all times and had dragged her up to the helm with him. Will was maneuvering the sails and handed the rope over to Cotton.

"Make fast!" he shouted and Pintel petted the ship's railing.

"Don't let me down. Show us what you've got." he cooed and Charlotte raised an eyebrow at him. What a weird man.

"She's falling behind!" Elizabeth shouted and Charlotte turned around to see that in fact the Dutchman was.

"Aye, we've got her." Gibbs smiled.

"We're the faster?" Will asked a little shocked.

"Against the wind the Dutchman beats us, that's how she gets her prey. But with the wind..." Gibbs explained.

"We've got her advantage." Will finished and Gibbs nodded.

"Aye."

"We're out of range!" one of the pirates on the Dutchman shouted to his captain.

"Break off pursuit, run on light and douse canvas!" Davy Jones told him.

"We've given up, sir?" Davy smiled wickedly and the pirate smiled with him.

"Call the Kraken." he ordered.

Over on the Pearl, Charlotte had ran down below deck. She didn't know what to do. How could she help? She sat in the galley and took a large breath. Suddenly she felt the ship lurch and grabbed onto the wall. What was that? she thought. She took a deep breath and slowly made her way up to the top deck. When she saw the large tentacles she squeaked and ran back down and slammed the door to the galley shut. She sat there for god knows how long but she felt incredibly guilty. Her friends and brother could be dead for all she knew and she was just sat there like a coward. She jumped up and ran to the top deck. It seemed quiet to her. Too quiet.

She opened the door and immediately saw Jack near the centre of the boat. "Bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger, bugger." she heard him curse and a rattle of chains.

"Jack?" she called and her turned around with shock plain in his eyes.

"Charlotte? What are you doing here?" he asked frantically.

"I was below deck." she said. "Where is everyone?"

"They left." he said and smiled weakly at her. Charlotte gaped. Her brother had left her? There was a sudden groaning underfoot and Jack seemed to get innovative and reached for a lantern with his sword and poured oil all over his wrist that enabled him to slip his hand out the shackle. "C'mon. C'mon, that's it. Ah." he cried as his hand slipped out. Suddenly there was tentacles of the Kraken rising over the ship and Charlotte gasped. Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her close. The Kraken's mouth opened in a wide roar, splattering them with saliva. The stench was unbearable. It also spat out Jack's hat.

"Not so bad." he muttered and wiped the saliva off his face. "Oh." He bent down and picked his hat up before putting it on. "Hello, beastie." He grabbed his sword in one hand and Charlotte's hand in his other and charged heroically at the Kraken as it swallowed them up and took down the Pearl in a tight embrace.