𝔸 ℙ𝕚𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕤 𝕃𝕚𝕗𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕄𝕖

Chapter 59: Good Luck?

We crashed into the swirling water below sending water flying out in every direction. Despite first appearances from the top, the water down here was very calm and peaceful.

"Alright, you lot! Come on down!" I yelled back up to the top.

Staring at the ledge Jack and I watched as two bodies threw themselves off screaming with excitement as they sailed down through the air and plummeted into the water. Storm and Alaris' heads sprung to the surface wild smiles planted on each of their faces.

Just over the noise of the bubbling water, three voices could be heard. It seemed that Mr Gibbs needed more convincing. Whatever Domino and Atlas said must have worked for moments later I could hear the man scream and shout as he too came two.

"Glad you could join us, Mr Gibbs," I commented with a grin.

"Aye well...the promise of many golden and sparkling was too much to turn down," He explained.

"A pirate's greatest weakness," I laughed.

"So where now?" Domino asked once she and Atlas had joined us. "I mean swimming around here's nice but...treasure is a lot better."

"Down," Jack answered. "It's Blackbeard he loves puttin' others in peril what better way to do it than nearly making people drown when they're either sorting out his treasure?"

"Aye, I think you might be onto something there," I laughed. "Now I'll go down first and see if it is safe for you to follow."

"Hey what does this do?"

"No don't touch- never mind," Domino sighed as Atlas yanked a strange-looking stone from the wall.

"Oops." That was all the teen had to say for himself as the water began to pick up speed swirling around more violently and gurgling. We all went flying around tossing and turning in the water attempting to stay upright.

I looked around frantically and was just about able to keep my eye on everyone as we plunged down into the swirling blue. The hole at the top that we had fallen through got smaller and smaller until it was only a tiny fraction of its former size.

Much to everyone's surprise, nothing else happened. No deadly spikes, no endless torrent of inescapable water, no explosions, cave-ins or bullets or blades.

The water had all disappeared drained away further into the island below I can only assume. This left us in a wide rocky chasm filled with just as many jagged rocks ready to impale us at any given opportunity. The ground was abnormally flat and most of it was smooth save for some sort of carving that was yet to be deciphered.

Jack patted himself down all too shocked to find himself completely intact.
"Is everyone okay?" I questioned not sure whether I'd be more concerned if they were or weren't.

"... I think so?..." Atlas shrugged still holding the stone he had plucked from the wall.

"Well that's strange," Storm commented.

"Aye far too strange," Gibbs agreed with a short nod whilst Domino and Alaris just looked at each other in confusion.

"Shouldn't you be happy that we're all okay?" Alaris queried.

"Because we're never that lucky," I answered kneeling on the damp ground and tracing my fingers through the rivets embedded in the rock.

"I mean I know you've had bad luck before but..."

"Bad luck!" Gibbs laughed. "It's been more than just a spot of bad luck," He corrected Domino.

Jack wandered over to me and crouched down beside me. Placing his head on my shoulder his eyes followed my fingers.

"What are you looking at?" He whispered.

"I have no idea Jackie," I replied with a light laugh.

"So what has happened to you two. Surely there's not that much that can go wrong?" Alaris questioned.

This time Jack and I laughed.

"Where do we start?" I chuckled deciding to follow one of the longer winding lines along the floor. "I mean when we first met Jack here was in prison. Let's see were left marooned on an island-"

"Elizabeth burned all the rum," Jack added with a hint of distaste.

"Aye Liz burned the rum something I have never forgiven her for. Then what happened? Ah yes, Jack was nearly hung, we were nearly captured again..."

"Oh, we all nearly got caught up in that hurricane!" Gibbs added.

"Aye! Then I got the black spot Jack spoke up again trailing after me but then diverging just as the line on the floor did. "Celie bargained for my freedom and got stuck on the Dutchman," he continued.

"Yes, but you met Mum on that ship," Storm challenged following after Jack to see what he was doing and then also began following the ragged line carved into the floor like it was pulling her along its path on an invisible chain.

"Yes but then Jack was killed by the Kraken," I interjected briefly. It still hurt me a little to remember what happened that day.

"But he came back," Atlas pointed out. He told had followed suit from the centre of the room following one that led in the opposite direction to the others with Alaris.

"Just in time to see Cel nearly killed," Gibbs cut in watching our family with slight amusement with all our heads bowed at the floor staring at strange carvings in the ground no doubt slowly getting backache.

"And for Will to actually get killed and to see Ngaio jump off into a maelstrom and make us think they were both dead."

"How many times have you people nearly died!" Domino exclaimed splitting off from me as the lines diverged once more though this time there seemed to be some writing I think it was in Latin but I had no clue what it said I didn't exactly get much of an education.

"I have no clue! I mean Jackie's died once and nearly died at least half a dozen times and as for myself...no idea," I shrugged and looked up just in time to stop myself from being impaled onto a rocky spike stretching out.

"Okay...you two have wayyy more than just spots of bad luck," Domino said and Alaris nodded her head in agreement. "But also you must have some good luck otherwise you two would probably be very very dead by this point."

"Aye...now is it just me standing by a weird lever or just me?" Jack inquired straightening his hat a little.

I glanced around the wall and sure enough, found a stone lever tucked away in a small gash in the black stone.

There was a chorus of agreements from all sides of the room.

"At the same time?" Atlas asked. We all nodded in agreement. "Okay, one...tw-'

"Hey! Who said you get to the countdown!" Storm objected.

"Because I suggested it."

"I want to do it!"

"Butt out Alaris!"

"Children," I sighed unamused by their bickering this time. I had not had enough rim to be able to tolerate this.

"Right!" Gibbs called over the teenagers to my rescue. "In three. One! Two! Three!"

I yanked down on my lever as did the others and we stepped back from the walls and headed to the centre of the chasm once more. I could hear clanking and whirring as well as a harsh grinding sound of stone on stone.

"It seems we've had a spot of goof luck today Luv," Jack spoke quietly and slipped an arm around my waist. I leant into his side.

"Aye, Jackie but...how long do you think it will last?"