IN THE ASHES / j. sparrow

𝐈𝐈𝐈. cannibal island

"cut it loose, find a rock!" commanded will.

marty sliced it loose, but the entire cannibal tribe was running toward them.

"roll the cage!" bella yelled. they rolled off, the cannibals chasing after them.

"lift it, lift the cage!" will said as they reached flat ground.

"hurry! lift it like a lady's skirt!" gibbs shouted.

"charming," responded bella as they sprinted away, cannibals still behind them.

after a heated chase, the crew fell into a crag and down into some water. the cage broke open by itself, to their relief.

"this way, lads!" gibbs exclaimed.

they swam frantically for cover, arrows and spears flying down on them and missing very narrowly.

the crew hid on the cavern wall, trying to keep silent. bella checked that her father's playing card was still safely tucked away.

but then, they heard a child from the village. "manka! ma estoto. ma estoto." quickly, the cannibal tribe all turned around and ran in a different direction.

when they were out of earshot, the crew sprung into action.

"to the pearl!" gibbs yelled as they hurried back to the ship.

they made it safely back to the pearl, but jack was still nowhere to be seen. instead, pintel and ragetti were making the ship ready to sail.

"haul loose the mooring line!" pintel screamed from the sand.

"excellent! our work's half done!" gibbs said to pintel as the crew boarded the ship.

"we done it for you!" pintel nodded. "knowing you'd be coming back!"

"make ready to sail, boys!" gibbs shouted to the few crew members left.

"what about jack?" bella said worriedly.

"where is he? i won't leave without him!" will exclaimed.

"come to your senses, have you? that's new," she remarked in confusion. since when did will care about jack?

"oi!" came a voice. will and bella turned to see jack rounding the corner and booking it towards the ship. but he wasn't alone.

the entire tribe of cannibals chased viciously after him.

"time to go," will said in fright, turning back to the pearl.

"wha— will?!?" bella followed him as the crew picked up their pace.

they boarded the ship just as jack got there safely. he clung to a net in the back.

"alas, my children, this is the day you shall always remember as the day that you almost—" a wave splashed him from head to toe. " . . . captain jack sparrow," he finished half-heartedly.

the cannibals all whined and shouted in protest, lamenting the loss of their meal.

jack climbed aboard, still catching his breath. bella hurried over to him. she hugged him with relief.

"stop getting us into disasters," she sighed.

jack chuckled. "no promises."

after they pulled away, pintel and ragetti placed jack's coat on his shoulders. bella glanced at them questioningly. they both saluted with big smiles. she nodded in their direction, and the two let out a sigh of relief. the pearl could use more crew members now that the majority of them had been killed anyway.