Sparrow's Love

Chapter 20: Father

Elizabeth and I managed to swim across to the Black Pearl only having to stop a few times before anyone saw us. I help Elizabeth onto the rope, but I think that it's easier if I go and help Jack now. Elizabeth stays out of danger and helps the crew and I get to go see Jack. I tell Elizabeth my plan and then swim across to the island. I now find myself standing in the shadows trying to go unseen.

"I must admit, Jack, I thought I had you figured. But it turns out you're a hard man to predict. Now, where be my daughter?" Barbossa asks while pointing a sword at him. Will is standing to the side and looking really anxious.

"Me? I'm dishonest. And a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly stupid," Jack says ignoring Barbossa's question and then grabs a couple of swords and throws one to Will.

I turn to see a pirate coming after me. I grab the closest sword and swing. I hit him down, but I know it won't last; He's invincible. Unless we can break the curse. I look up to see Jack staring at me begging me to go back into the shadows. I do as I'm told as he must have a good reason.

"You're off the edge of the map, mate. Here there be monsters," Barbossa says to Jack with a wicked smile before turning to start a fight.

They fight and then Barbossa drops his sword and says, "You can't beat me, Jack."

Jack then impales him with his sword. Barbossa sighs and removes the sword and impales Jack with it. I feel as though my heart is literally being pulled out of my chest. This is even worse than agreeing to marry Beckett. I scream and run towards Jack, but Will pulls me away.

"Wait, Maria! He wouldn't have let himself die so easily," Will says.

I look up and see Jack standing in the moonlight, but he was nothing but a skeleton. He was holding one of the medallions in his hand. I've never seen the curse before, but this is absolutely disturbing. You can see every bone in his body. There's nothing else there apart from bone.

"That's interesting," Jack says examining his skeletal body. "I couldn't resist, mate," he says twirling the medallion in his hand. Barbossa scoffs and they continue to fight. Will and I start to fight the remaining pirates.

"So, what now, Jack Sparrow? Are we to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until judgement day and trumpet sounds? Hmm?" I hear Barbossa ask.

"Or you could surrender," Jack offers. I laugh. I'm surprised that Barbossa hasn't seen or heard me yet. I did scream pretty loud. They're off once again.

I can see this fight going on for a while. I duck just in time to stop my head from being cut off. I turn to punch the guy in the face. This stops him for a bit, but only enough for me to steady my position and stance. If they don't stop soon, either Will or I will end up dead and I don't like the sound of that. I turn to see Will cornered by a pirate. He was about to stab Will, but he managed to dodge.

"I'm going to teach you the meaning of pain!" The pirate says to Will while moving closer to him. I go to help him but was stopped by another pirate.

"Do you like pain?" Elizabeth says, emerging from the darkness in time to hit the pirate over the head with a heavy staff. "Try wearing a corset."

"Whoa! Go Elizabeth!" I shout while running to them as a pirate chases after me. Barbossa turns to look at me. This time he notices me.

"Maria!" He shouts and tries to make his way over to me. Elizabeth stands and takes a protective stance in front of me.

"Whose side is Jack on?" Elizabeth asks Will as she can see that Jack and Barbossa both have the curse upon them.

"At the moment?" Will says with a shrug.

We then try to fight off three pirates. We managed to string all of them together with the staff and Will puts a bomb into the middle one. We then push the skeleton pirates out of the moonlight, so they become human with a proper body.

"No fair," the pirate says and then they all explode. We run off to avoid the explosion.

I then turn to help Jack as I see he has cut his hand and then throws his medallion to Will. I turn in time to see Barbossa point his pistol at Elizabeth. I run at full speed and manage to get in front of Elizabeth just as a shot rings out. I feel shock go through my body, but no pain. I turn to Elizabeth and she's just staring at Jack and Barbossa.

"Ten years you carry that pistol, and now you waste your shot," Barbossa says to Jack then turns to look at me. "Maria! I could have killed you! You don't risk your life for a posh Governor's daughter!"

"I think you forget, Father! That I too was raised as a posh Governor's daughter, so watch your mouth!" I say with all the anger and spite in my voice.

"He didn't waste it," Will says to Barbossa as he too cuts his palm and drops the final piece of the cursed gold into the chest.

I then look and see Barbossa dropping his sword and clutches his wound. I run to him. He falls and I managed to catch him just in time. I feel tears in my eyes because I know that he's going to die. He looks up at me and reaches a hand to my face.

"Maria, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. You look just like your mother. I'm sorry that I wasn't much of a father to you. But believe me when I tell you that I l-l-love you." As he says his final words, the curse is lifted. I kiss his forehead as he draws his last breath, and his arm falls to the ground with a thud.