Raven

Apples

I walked back into my quarters, late the next day to find Barbossa and Miss. Turner seated at my table, and she was devouring a leg of turkey I believe. I'm not really sure seeing as I haven't eaten anything in a very long time. 

"Well, well, Miss. Turner. You seem hungry." I chided, moving around behind her to take my seat at the head of the table, hardly sparing a glance at Barbossa who was staring hungrily at the poor girl as she ate her food like a starving child. He was sitting between us, his hat resting dangerously low on his head, and he had a plate of food sat before him, but he was hardly pretending to eat it, instead focusing his attention on poor Elizabeth. 

"Try the wine." He rumbled lustily, holding a glass of the sour liquid out for her, and she snatched it, practically sucking down the beverage in her desperation, apparently having disregarded my disgust for her eating habits. 

"And the apples? One of those next." Barbossa offered her, a sly smile on his face, and she reached for it, but when she caught the look on his face she froze, and a look of horror crossed her face. 

"It's poisoned." I chuckled, and stood up to go and pet Jack, who was sitting on his swing by the window, watching us. 

"That would be foolish Miss Turner. We have use of you yet." I said simply, and turned to flash her a wink. She looked horrified, and still refused to take a bite of the apple. I watched her put it down, before turning my attention back to Jack. 

"Release me! You have your trinket. I'm of no further value to you." She cried, standing up, and when I turned to lock my dark eyes on her, she froze, and slowly sat back in her chair. 

"Do you think me to be a stupid woman, Miss. Turner?" I asked calmly, moving to sit back down in my chair, and delicately crossing my legs when I did. She shook her head frantically, and I could see Barbossa smirk from the corner of my eye, but I ignored him, as usual. 

"Well, then you should know that I never do something without a purpose. Do you know what this is?" I asked, holding up the gold piece, and letting it dangle in the air for a moment. 

"It's a pirate medallion." She said simply, like a young student in school who thinks they know everything. 

"This is Aztec gold. One of eight-hundred eighty-two identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortes himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortes was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity." I said, letting the gold piece catch the light of the candle for a moment, as I watched her eyes latch onto it, before I tucked it back into my pocket, out of her reach. 

"I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Raven." She said meekly, but when I laughed, she stiffened once again. 

"Yes. That's exactly what I thought when I was first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead that cannot be found except by those who know where it is. But find it, we did. There was the chest, holding the gold. We took it all. We spent it, and traded it, and frittered it away on drink and food, and of course the men bought women to warm their beds, and I can't say the I didn't buy a man or two of my own. But the more we gave away, the more we came to realize that the drink didn't... feel the same as it used to. Food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the company in the world could not warm us. We are cursed, Miss. Turner. Compelled by greed before the gold, now we are consumed by it. There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the gold has to be returned, and the blood repaid. Thanks to you, we have the final piece." I said, finishing softly as I gazed across the table at the young woman who had yet to experience anything, yet to experience life, family, maybe not even love. But I would kill her in an instant if that meant I could die. 

"And the blood to be repaid?" She asked, fear radiating out through her voice. 

"That's why you're here Miss. Turner. Why there is no reason to kill you. At least not now. So go ahead, enjoy your apple." I said sinisterly, as I rose from my chair and moved to her side, holding the apple out in front of me. But instead of taking it, like I assumed, she jerked to her feet, and stabbed a butter knife straight into my heart. I knew that if I wasn't dead, that it would have killed me, but I don't think she fully grasped the concept, since she spun around like I was no longer a threat, and ran to the door, Barbossa hot on her heels, and myself following calmly after, the knife still sticking out from my chest. 

Barbossa caught her right before she could reach the door, and forced her to turn and face me. I let a snarl overcome my face as I yanked out the knife, and watched joyfully as her face contorted in fear. 

"I'm curious Miss. Turner. After killing me, what was your plan? How were you going to escape this ship?" I growled, and then I moved past her, and yanked open the door leading to the deck, and motioned for her to go ahead. Barbossa dropped her, and she sprinted out, my soft call of: 'show me' being drowned out by the sound of her screams as she came face to face with my skeletal crew. After several long minutes of her running around like a crazy woman, I motioned for Barbossa to grab her and bring her to me. He did, stepping out into the moonlight, and gripping her arm he dragged her back into the cabin where I stood. 

I watched her face as she tried to understand what was happening, and when she reached me, I grabbed her face, and jerked it towards the crew that was gathering before us, watching to see what I would say. 

"Do you see Miss. Turner? The moonlight shows us for what we are. We are not among the living, and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. For too long I have been frozen, dying of thirst but unable to drink, starving but unable to eat, freezing but unable to warm. I feel nothing. Not the wind, or the sun, or the rain. Too long have I wished for an end to this nightmare." I let go of her face, and finally stepped into the moonlight, for the first time in two years I allowed myself to become what I am now. A monster. 

"You better start believing in ghost stories Miss. Turner. You're in one." I growled, and when she screamed, and ran like a bat out of hell back into the cabin, I let out a laugh, which was promptly echoed by the crew behind me. I rolled my eyes at them and turned to face them all, all of them having abandoned their posts, and not completing the work I had set for them. 

"What is going on here? Why are you not at your posts! Back to work!" I yelled, and they all scattered, the upper ranks yelling 'You heard the Captain, back to work!' and I tried not to let the feel of nothingness overwhelm me as I stared down at my skeletal hands, knowing that while whoever the real Turner was evaded us, this nightmare would never end.