Chapter 3: Bootstrap Bill's Warning

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Annette's POV

I turned one of the rooms we had below deck into a quarters for myself very quickly after joining the crew of the Black Pearl. All that is in there is a broken mirror I stole from a tavern in Tortuga, a hairbrush, a cot, and some clothes that I've collected over the past year. I also have a small collection of bottles that I have found in the sand, or bobbing in the sea with messages in it. I keep them in the corner of my room, usually unopened. My room is where I sleep, and where I lock myself in when I need a break from the crew and the scatterbrain of Jack. I often find myself opening the secret messages in bottles when I am feel bored, alone, or if curiosity overwhelms me.

Jack's cabin is at deck level, under the helm. I approached his quarters and opened the sculpted door without being welcomed and I shut the red oak door behind me. Candle wax was dripping down the golden bases onto the table. He was using calipers on a map, and I could see the "P" brand mark in his arm as he stretched his out, lifting his long shirt sleeve.

"Devil's Ridge, Devil's Road, Devil's Thirst

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"Devil's Ridge, Devil's Road, Devil's Thirst... once again proving that pirates are an imaginative lot when it comes to naming things," Jack muttered to himself. Jack tapped the compass before noticing that I came inside.

"Annie!" He greeted ardently.

"Do you have a moment?" I asked, taking a step closer to his cluttered desk.

"I'm as full as a goat, gloriously," he said merrily. He turned his attention back to the map and remarked, "The Reaper's Hideout... not much of a hideout if you put it on a map, eh?"

"No, I suppose not." I wasn't sure if he was expecting an answer.

His face fell to concern as he looked up at me and he asked, "why aren't you out there captaining my ship?"

"Gibbs is out there, and most of the men are asleep," I reassured.

"And what's all this?" He asked with a flopping gesture toward my outfit.

"What?" I asked, looking down. I've been trying to wear darker shirts, because I get water splashed on me all the time and I hated how translucent my shirts become. It makes me feel indecent, and caused a lot of distraction among the ship of solely men. I was wearing a black puffy shirt with dark linen pants, and my boots were tossed somewhere in my cabin.

"You know, those clothes do not flatter you at all. It should be a dress or nothing. I happen to have no dress in my cabin," Jack said cheekily. He brought his attention back to his map and calipers and he nearly groaned, "how can it be the 'Lost' Gold Fort, if everyone knows where it is?"

I rolled my eyes and asked, "Jack, are you doing all right?"

"Of course, love, why wouldn't I be?" He asked without looking back up at me. 

I looked down at the compass and realized why he was out of sorts with the heading, even the compass didn't know where to go. The needle was spinning around slowly, unaware of where it wanted to point.

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