Chapter 8: Tortuga

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I did not miss visiting the rambunctious pirate port. It was distasteful, gloomy, and dirty. However, with Jack, we went all the time. If I may be so bold, I would confidently say that this was his favorite spot of land.

Drunken laughing was what I became used to, captaining a ship with Jack Sparrow, but Tortuga was intense. Drunk men had their arms slung over shoulders of their friends, getting dragged out the tavern door and down the bustling street. There was mindless shooting, and upbeat music playing from guitars and accordions. We passed men tied up with ropes alongside a well, and a man was tied up and was continuously dunked into the dirty well water, whenever he came back up he would sprout water from his mouth like a fountain.

As we were walking to the tavern, I didn't notice that Jack was holding my waist to guide me through the crowd until I heard him say, "woah, watch out." He grabbed my shoulders and pulled me back just as a loose donkey was running past, attached to a wooden wagon and a man running after it.

Jack's hands were still clutched at my shoulders as we watched the donkey and the man run past, just moments from running me over if Jack did not pull me back. Once they were gone, I wiggled out of Jack's grasp and said, "d'accord, d'accord, unhand me," and we continued on our way to the tavern.

The tavern was crowded, and glass bottles were being shot off of people's heads for entertainment. Safety was the least of their concerns here. It was Gibb's job to interview people to join us on the Black Pearl.

Jack and I sat alongside a wall within earshot of Gibb's table. Jack cradled the compass in his hands, muttering, "I know what I want, I know what I want..."

"You must be using it wrong," I said, sinking my hat over my eyes and leaning back against the wall.

"I've used this compass for most me pirate life," Jack snapped, "I know how it works

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"I've used this compass for most me pirate life," Jack snapped, "I know how it works."

"Mm-hmm," I mumbled sarcastically.

To pass the time, I started to give myself small braids around my head. Using my pocketful of little pendants, I wove them into my hair. Little beads, shiny hair cuffs, small rings, and gold jewelry were trapped in the little braids. I let most of my wavy hair stay loose.

As Jack was distracted with his compass, I noticed a couple of pirates at a neighboring table eyeing me. I narrowed my eyes and flexed my lip in a snarl, and one of them asked, "how much, sweetheart?"

Knowing that they thought that I was a prostitute, I snapped back, "like you could afford me."

I saw Jack try to hide his tight lipped smile as he eavesdropped on our little conversation. He eventually began shaking his compass in frustration and looked up at Gibbs to ask, "how are we going?"

"Including those four, that gives us... four," Gibbs said.

Being that it wasn't an impressive number, I asked, "why does no one want to sail with you?"

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