Chapter 6: Tia Dalma

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We left the ship at another island, keeping it in the shallows as we boarded the longboats to row to shore through the swampy waters of the Pantano River in Cuba.

Gibbs was telling the men a scary story of a beast called the Kraken that does Davy Jones bidding. He described it as a giant octopus, who uses its colossus tentacles to bring ships down to Davy Jones' Locker. I used to not believe in such supernatural myths, but after last year, I'll believe almost anything. After hearing Bootstrap Bills warning, I figured that was the beastie that was coming after Jack.

"Where are we going?" I asked Jack as we gently floated down the stream.

"We are going to visit an old friend of mine," Jack answered, looking out among the bayou as we rowed through the marshy water.

In the darkness, we reached a sprawling wooden shack, perched in a treetop at the mouth of the river. It was built in a tree, made of branches and wood. The air was sticky with moisture, and my black shirt clung to my skin.

We reached the porch and Jack said, "no worries, mates. Tia Dalma and I go way back. Thick as thieves. Nigh inseparable, we are. Were. Have been. Before."

Gibbs walked up to Jack, "I'll watch your back."

"It's me front I'm worried about." Jack said as he walked inside, with me following him.

"Mind the boat," Gibbs told Will as he trailed behind us.

"Mind the boat," William told Ragetti.

The game of telephone continued all the way down to Cotton, who actually stayed behind while the rest of us followed Jack inside. He entered cautiously, treading inside slowly.

Translucent green glass bottles were hanging from the ceiling, and the house was so rickety that I thought we might fall through the floor. There was a small walkway in the room, otherwise it was full of hoarding junk.

A woman was seated at the table, and looked up from her crab claws. Tia Dalma had dark skin and dreadlocks. Her teeth were black and she wore an old and tattered dress. Her corset was detailed and well-worn, with a beaded belt and her overdress was made from multiple patterns. The sleeves were of a cloudy pearl white with lace at the end. After their initial greeting, she said to Jack, "I always knew the wind was going to blow you back to me one day."

She looked past Jack and saw Will. "You... you have a touch of... destiny about you, William Turner."

"You know me?" Will asked.

"You want to know me," Tia said.

Jack rushed to them and said, "there'll be no knowing here

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Jack rushed to them and said, "there'll be no knowing here. We've come for help and we're not leaving without it." He escorted Tia back to her table and said disappointedly, "I thought I knew you."

"Not as well as I had hoped," Tia responded. She sat down at her table and we surrounded her. She looked up at me and said in French, "ah, Annette Levasseur, the Caribbean treats you well."

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