A Pirate's Heart

Tia Dalma

I stare over the railing at the swampy sea and watch the moss brush up against the ship. I fiddle with my ring on my finger while I hear Will talking to Gibbs about Jack.

"Why is Jack afraid of the open ocean?" Will questions.

"Well, if you believe such things, there's a beast does the bidding of Davy Jones. A fearsome creature with giant tentacles that suction your face clean off and drag an entire ship down to the crushing darkness. The Kraken. They say the stench of its breath is... ooh. Imagine, the last thing you know on God's green earth is the roar of the Kraken and the reeking odor of a thousand rotting corpses. If you believe such things." Gibbs answers intently. I knew this story! Of Davy Jones and his fearless pet, I remember someone told me about it when I was very young. I sit down with Will on one of the barrels as Gibbs continued to tell the story.

"And the key will spare him that?" I ask interested.

"Now that's the very question Jack wants answered. Bad enough even to go visit... her."

"Her?" Will asked, eyebrows raised.

"Aye." Gibbs confirms. We trail along the swamp to a shack I've never seen before.

"No worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable we are. Were. Have been. Before." Jack says unsure.

"I'll watch your back." Gibbs states to Jack.

"It's me front I'm worried about." I laugh at his joke.

"Mind the boat." Gibbs said to Will.

"Mind the boat." Will said to Ragetti.

"Mind the boat." Ragetti said to Pintel.

"Mind the boat." Pintel said to me.

"Mind the boat." I said to Marty.

"Mind the boat." Marty said to Cotton's parrot.

"Mind the boat." Cotton's parrot said to Cotton flying off leaving Cotton to watch the boat. I grabbed Will's hand as we walked inside. My eyes started immediately flying around the place. eyes in jars. Snakes on the wall. Shivers ran down my spine. My eyes flew to a dark-skinned women sitting at a table. Her eyes glanced up and a smile drew upon her black lips.

"Jack Sparrow." She says getting up and heading to us.

"Tia Dalma." Jack exclaimed.

"I always knowed the wind was going to blow you back to me one day." She says happily. She then spots Will and starts moving towards him.

"You. You have a touch of destiny about you. William Turner." She says pointing to Will.

"You know me?" Will asked curiously. She leans in a way I don't like.

"You want to know me." I clenched my jaw to hide the anger in my heart. Luckily, Jack came and interrupted the two.

"There'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it. I thought I knew you." He whispers to us, leading Tia Dalma away.

"Not so well as I'd hoped. Come." She says heading back to her table.

"Come." Jack copies, motioning us over. I sit down next Will and glare as Tia begins to run her hands across his face.

"What service may I do you? You know I demand payment." She said snapping in Jack's direction.

"I brought payment." Jack whistles Marty to bring the cage over and unveils the monkey inside.

"Look!" He says shooting the monkey. It winced, but no damage done.

"An undead monkey. Top that!" Jack says putting the cage on the table. Tia lets the monkey out and it scampers to some boots that look like Barbossa's.