Innocence Was Bliss

10: Really Bad Eggs

That Jack and Elizabeth had not seen Ariel was hard to believe. She had been talking to a seagull, a fish, and a crab no less. But perhaps it was the glaring sun that shielded their eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that Ariel had been at one corner of the island that was barely out of their view. Then again, Jack and Elizabeth were exhausted, with the sole object of getting to land. Surely they didn't notice for they didn't look.

Flounder gasped and dove into the water and Sebastian hid.

Ariel stared at the humans in awe. It was, after all, the man she had been looking for this entire time. But then Ariel looked at her friends with worry. She didn't want them to see her just yet. So scuttle flew up, cawing at Jack and Elizabeth and therefore drawing their attention away from Ariel as she ran to some trees.

Only they headed in that direction too.

Sure, Ariel had planned for this moment, replaying it in her head, but it was different than she had imagined. As in she didn't expect the adrenaline rush. Ariel did not expect her heart to race so quickly or the dread to set. So she watched as Jack stomped over, ever closer to her, being followed by Elizabeth who was saying,

"But you were marooned on this island before so we can escape in the same way you did then."

She seemed....not angry, at least not yet, but she was desperate. It was in her voice and on her face.

This was when Jack turned to her abruptly to say, "to what point and purpose, young missy? The Black Pearl is gone. Unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails hidden in that bodice," he looked down at her under garments. "Unlikely. Young Mr. Turner will be long dead before you can reach him."

Jack approached where Ariel was hiding, knocking on the tree next to her. Ariel jumped, catching the attention of Jack, who stepped back.

He looked down at her, bewildered. She looked awfully familiar.

Elizabeth, however, had continued, "but you're Captain Jack Sparrow. You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company, you sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot. Are you the pirate of read about or not?"

Then Elizabeth stopped to look down at what Jack was seeing. There sat a girl with bright red hair and big blue eyes. She was beautiful in all her right, enchanting in her mere presence.

"Wha- who are you?" Asked Elizabeth.

Ariel tried to speak but made no sound. Of course, she had given that up. Ariel desperately pointed to her throat, making motions that her voice was taken. But all that was understood was,

"Oh you can't speak." Elizabeth tilted her head.

Ariel nodded and stood up. The dress made of sails hung around her in a rather unflattering way.

"You look familiar," said Jack. "Have I slept with you before?"

Ariel had gone to nod at the fact that she was familiar but an alarmed look appeared when he mentioned having slept with her. She shook her head.

"Huh." Jack  was interested in the girl but, with such a grim fate ahead of him, he found it cruel to himself to dwell on her. He turned, stepping away from the tree until he felt a change in the sand. There was a piece of wood that he jumped on.

Elizabeth stood in front of him. "How did you escape last time?"

Ariel watched with a tint of jealousy as Jack grabbed Elizabeth's shoulders and pushed her back slightly.

Hesitantly, Jack said, "Last time I was here a grand total of three days. All right? Last time-" Jack opened a cellar under the sand. "The rum runners used this island as a cache." Jack walked down. "They came by and I was able to barter passage off. From the looks of things, they've long been out of business. Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that."