Falling For Captain Jack Sparrow

The Key

Jack had charted a course for an unknown prison in what seemed off the coast of the Caribbean. The Pearl was gently rolling in the waves, and the rest of the crew was below. Jack had made his way inside the prison and he instructed us to wait for him, and break in if anything goes wrong. 

Screams from the prisoners pierced the night and it made the hairs on my neck stand on end. I used my spyglass to see if Jack had made his way out yet, but all I saw was a screaming prisoner being dragged inside. A creepy bell toll was heard in the air. This was the most fearsome prison in the Caribbean.

"Calm down, Rosie, you're going to stress yerself out," Gibbs warned, taking a sip of rum. "Jack puts himself in danger all the time, and I can't help but be stressed out," I said, putting my red hair back in a tie. "Jack does have a habit of doing that," he agreed. "Why don't you go to the crow's nest, and keep watch from up there," he suggested. I smiled, "That's a great idea," I took his suggestion and climbed up the rope to the crow's nest. While I was looking through my spyglass, and all I could see where flocks of crows flying to whatever meal they could get in their beaks.

 "Fifty men on a dead man's chest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum. Drink and the devil had done for rest. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" Gibbs laughed to himself and took a bigger gulp of rum.  More crows were flying towards the prison, and cries of torture echoed through the night. Goosebumps rose on my arms and it wasn't because of the cold. My worries were eased when I saw Jack rowing towards the Pearl, using a skeleton leg for an oar and the coffin he hid in for a boat. 

I climbed down the crow's nest in delight that my husband was alive and well. Gibbs helped Jack back on the ship, but got the skeleton leg in return. "Not quite according to plan." "Complications arose, ensued, and were overcome." Jack replied. 

His brown eyes lit up when he saw me, "Darling." he leaned in for a kiss. "My sweet." I flirted back and returned the kiss. "So you got what you went in for, then?" Gibbs asked, interrupting our moment. Jack only grunted in acknowledgment as he and I stopped kissing. He showed Gibbs a piece of a rough looking cloth.

Suddenly, we were surrounded by the crew. "Captain, I think the crew-meaning me as well -were expecting something a bit more...shiny. What with the Isla de la Muerta going all pear shapes, reclaimed by the sea and the treasure with it." "And the Royal Navy chasing us all around the Atlantic," a tall pirate said. "And the hurricane," a man named Marty added. All the men, including myself voiced our agreement. 

 "All in all, it seems some time since we did a speck of honest pirating." Gibbs told Jack. 

"Shiny?" my husband asked. "Aye, darling. Shiny." I said patting him on the shoulder. "Is that how you're all feeling, then? Perhaps dear ol' Jack is not serving your best interest as captain?" 

"Awk, walk the plank!" Cotton's parrot squawked, the old pirate then quickly put his hand over the bird's beak; but Jack pointed his pistol in his direction, "What did the bird say?!" 

"Do not blame the bird," the tall pirate snapped. "Show us what's on that piece of cloth there." 

Just as Jack was about to show us, Jack, the undead monkey tried to take it from him, but Jack shot him as he ran away. 

"You know it doesn't do any good, darling," I said kissing him on the cheek. "It does me, love," he sweetly kissed me on the forehead. 

Marty picked up the cloth and showed us what was on it, "It's a key," he gave it back to Jack. "Aye, even better, it's a drawing of a key," he said proudly. "Gentleman," he started and then he smiled at me, "Darling," and then he asked us, "What do keys do?" 

  "Keys unlock things?" the tall pirate asked. "And whatever this key unlocks, it reveals something valuable. So we're setting out to find this key unlocks!" Gibbs said getting excited. 

"No, we don't have the key, we can't open whatever it is we don't have that it unlocks. So, what purpose would be served in finding whatever needs be unlocked, which we don't have without first having found the key that unlocks it." Jack said in a single breath. Sometimes he spoke in a way that was exceedingly difficult to understand, but this time everyone did. 

"So we're going after this key!" Gibbs exclaimed. "You're not making any sense at all, mate." Jack scolded. I looked at him like he had just spoken a different language. "Any more questions?" asked my husband.

"So... do we have a heading?" asked Marty. "Ah, a heading," Jack took his compass off his belt, "Set sail in a...that way direction!" he pointed in a random direction, and it seemed like his compass was throwing him off.. I was growing concerned as was the rest of the crew. 

"Captain?" Gibbs asked in complete confusion, but he was quickly interrupted. "Come on. Snap to and make sail, you know how this works." Jack quickly said as he walked off to our cabin. 

Marty, Gibbs, and I gathered starboard to figure out what had just happened, "I've noticed lately, the Captain seems to be acting a bit strange...er." Marty told us. "Aye, I must agree with you." I replied clutching my wedding ring. "Setting sail without knowing his own heading. Something has got Jack vexed; you mark my words, what bodes ill for Jack Sparrow, bodes ill for us all." Gibbs said.  

  "I'll talk to him and make sure he's alright," I offered. "I like that idea," Marty said with an approving grin. "Jack won't listen to anyone but you, and he tells you everything; maybe you can find out what's got him so vexed," Gibbs replied. I nodded, "Aye, my husband may be a little eccentric, but his heart is in the right place." 

  While we were dealing with Jack's strange behavior, back in Port Royal; Will and Elizabeth had gotten arrested for assisting to a person committing piracy, so that was because of helping Jack. Problems were slowly starting to be piled on by the minute.