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The Haunting Place	By : Lktwoozee Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (All) > General Views: 11161 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 12
- 13
- 14
[Chapter 13: New Friends]
Jack leapt
off�
Maren was
visibly shaking, the shuddering starting from her stomach and dancing down her
limbs. Inhaling large gulping breaths,
she attempted to soothe herself, this walking corpse was, despite of
appearances, just Jack. The infuriating
and passionate man, who swung the thin line between love and loathing in her
heart, may look like a rotten skeleton to her gift, but her mind forced her to
recall that Jack�s touch had been one of flesh, not bone. His kiss was composed of lips and his
tongue, for that sizzling lick, had been moist and warm. Jack was Jack, alive and well, and the
reminder did wonders for her panic, washing it away like sin at a baptism.
�Come �gain
luv,� hands held in harmless surrender, Jack�s brow crossed, �Cause, keepin� in
mind I drink me fair share, it sound�d like ye just said I be a skeleton?� To be positive of his state of mortality,
Jack patted his torso down, it was all there, flesh, heartbeat, the frustrated
erection, �Aye,� the lopsided grin again, �ye might be wrong on this one, me
medium.�
To Jack�s
utter disappointment, Maren clutched at the blanket again and wrapped it
securely about her person, �Course yer not [really] a skeleton,� Jack noticed
Maren�s gaze was locked onto his boots, refusing to look at him fully, �But
that be how I sees ye at the moment, so please Jack, no touchin� me.�
Jack did
nothing to mask his discouraged groan, �Well�turn it off already!� His blood still boiled feverishly and he
squirmed, barely restraining himself from pouncing on the insufferable virgin.
�Give me a
second!� she snipped, her eyes flashing angrily to his face, but then seeing
that fleshless grin, grimaced and lowered to his boots again, �I be needin� to
concentrate�and quite movin� �bouts!�
Abruptly, Jack stopped his fidgeting.
�It�s distractin� and very�disconcertin�,� meekly she added, suddenly
very ashamed of her fear.
�For
someone that converses with dead people all the ruddy time,� hands on hips and
head cocked, Jack smirked down at her, �ye�re very squeamish.�
�Aye
ghosts,� bitterly, she bit at him, eyes nailed to the floor, �Skeletons
flauntin� themselves all over me, that be �nother story!� Determined and offended, Maren squinted her
eyes tightly shut, repeating like a holy mantra that Jack was not a corpse, the
curse of the Aztec gold was broken, and he was a living man of flesh and blood
now�some very enticing flesh at that-no, she couldn�t be sidetracked by that!
�[Blessed
be the Name!]� emerging from the floor and clasping her ghost fingers under her
chin, Kristy twirled about, her phantom skirts floating around an unfelt wind,
�[They bought ye clothes Maren! A whole
new wardrobe, three dresses, nightgown, cloak, two sets o� pantalets-,]� Kristy
glared suspiciously at Jack, �[I thought Elizabeth lock�d that wanker out o�
here!]� Noticing Maren sitting
resolutely on the edge of the bed, eyes welded closed, Kristy asked, annoyed at
her cheery tidings being ignored, �[Ye silly git, what ye doin� now?]�
�Look at
Jack,� Maren communicated silently, �What ye see?�
The spirit
complied befuddled, but bluntly honest, �[Broad shoulders, tight arse, and a
hell o� a stiffy,]� she giggled demonically, �[What ye two been up to
here?]� Her eyebrows waggled
suggestively, swiping her tongue over her teeth as she examined Jack�s agitated
state closely. A thin sheen of sweat
had wet his forehead and though his breathing was slowed, it was deep and
forced. The most telltale sign of
unrequited lust was his dark eyes, wandering desperately over Maren�s hidden
form, sparkling smothered embers.
�Finish�d?�
he ground out a smile in spite of his impatience, licking his lips anxiously.
Reluctantly,
Maren cracked a blue eye and gambled a quick look at Jack�a fully restored,
living Jack! His kohl-lined gaze
watched her expectantly and his coppered skin glowed beautifully like never
before, dear god, Maren had never been so relieved. The clothes he wore, the grime under his fingernails, down to his
curly eyelashes all back to normal or as reasonably close to the normalcy
equivalent Jack could ever hope to achieve. A half sob, half laugh escaped
Maren�s gasp, �Thank goodness!� the blushing medium leapt from the bed,
comforter tugged along, to throw her small arms around Jack�s neck and he
gratefully wrapped his limbs about her slim waist.
�[Um,]�
clearing her throat, Kristy growled out obnoxiously, �[By all means, do�n be
mindin� the ghost, she do�n need to know what�s been happenin�.]� Again she was disregarded.
They shared a friendly hug, Maren
relishing in his comforting body heat, soothing not only because of his warmth,
but also as further proof to her senses that her vision was but a
nightmare. Jack devilishly deducing how
quickly he could shift the mood from friendly to sensual again, �All better
now?� he cooed sweetly into her ear, rocking her side-to-side like a mother
does a fretting child. Maren only
nodded, laying her head against his broad chest and listening to the sweet
rhythm of his heartbeat, the echo of his deep breaths in his lungs, both further
evidence of his wellbeing. She was the
perfect height to rest her ear at his heart, while Jack set his chin atop her
head, turning his face to kiss her hair tenderly. �There, there, pretty gel,� stroking her back, Jack chuckled and
Maren savored the vibrations it sent through his chest, �What ye so work�d up
for, eh? Jack be takin� care o�
ye. �Live o� undead, yer safe with
me.� Again Maren shook her head in
agreement, desperate to feel the security of Jack�s embrace and promising
words. But suddenly her relaxation
evaporated to trepidation thick with suspicion as Jack�s hand drifted down her
spine to cup her generous rump, squeezing the swell of her backside
affectionately, �What say ye, we climb back in that comfy bed and pick up where
we left off? I know a right tumble
always sets me mind back at ease.�
Well it was a tiny comfort to have
the old, rude Jack back, even if it entailed the annihilation of what had the
potential to be a heartwarming scene of relief and amity. Maren craned her swan neck to stare at him
incredulously. �Jack,� exasperated, she
tried to pry his hold off of her posterior, but Jack�s libido was unrelenting,
�I just saw ye as a rottin�, fleshless, heap o� bones,� his vacant smile remained
steadfast, desperately Maren continued to explain, �I�m hardly��in the mood�,
understand?�
�Ah-ah!� shoving a finger under her
nose, Jack adjusted his grasp around her waist with one arm, �But ye [were] �in
the mood�, weren�t ye? �Fore ye open�d
them pretty blues o� yers and gander�d at me all dead-like, ye were ready and
willin� to wrestle ole Jack in the sheets, right?�
�[What he blatherin� �bout Pet?]�
�Um��
�Right?� Jack subjected her to his
[stare], sharp and scrutinizing.
�[Maren?]�
��maybe,� the medium muttered
grudgingly.
�Well �maybe� be an improvement at
least,� exaggerating a sigh, he rested his forehead against her, both grimacing
when they made contact a little too solidly, �And what �bout that other matter,
in reference to yer acquiescence to rejoin the crew of the Black Pearl? Mmm?�
She smiled coyly, �Maybe.�
�Maybe?� his eyebrows quirked.
�Perhaps.�
�Perhaps? Not probably?�
Absently, Maren toyed with a loose
thread at the collar of his shirt, �Maybe probably.�
�Not possibly definitely?� Jack
stuck out his bottom lip, pouting boyishly.
�No, definitely possibly.�
�Perhaps ye should answer in
�absolutely aye� o� �absolutely nay�.�
�All right.�
Furrowing his brow, Jack�s fingers
dashed around an unseen scale, �Now be that an �All right, I�ll give ye a
decisive answer� o� �All right, I�ll give ye me final consent�?�
�Both.�
�Both?�
�Aye.�
�This aint one o� those maybe,
perhaps, probably, possible aye�s, is it?�
�Positively not.�
He muttered the conversation once
more under his breath, checking his comprehension of the verbal tango before
his face erupted in satisfaction, �Spendid!�
Jack leaned in for a kiss�
An embarrassed cough sounded from
the doorway. Mad pirate and psychic
barmaid froze in a strange tableau, slowly twisting blank faces towards the
door. Elizabeth and Will stood
self-consciously with parcels in hand, not quite meeting the others� eyes. �Are we interrupting something?� the lady of
the house asked politely.
�Yes, get out,� Jack snipped.
Elbowing him viciously in the ribs,
Maren laughed a little too loudly, �O� course not!� She waved frantically, taking liberally large steps away from
Jack, �Do�n be silly, Cap�n Sparrow was just leavin�! Aint that right�[Jack]?� and glared so fiercely that Jack didn�t
even attempt to argue.
* * *
�This be scandalous for sure!�
Maren examined her reflection in the mirror, biting her lip as she spun about
to glance over her shoulder, �Proper ladies should�n be wearin� no underwear
that goes �bove the knees.�
�[Thems pantalets,]� huffing,
Kristy scratched her chin in thought, also studying the article of clothing
that deceptively appeared to be bloomers, but turned out to be about six inches
shorter. The result was a saucy garment
that tied two inches above Maren�s knees, �[Thems suppos�d to be like that, its
call�d, little word ye might not heard tell of�fashion, ye silly twit!]� She clarified, nose in the air, �[None o�
these hobnob gent-women wear bloomers anymore, got to be all French-like,
savvy?]�
�Style o� no,� Maren glared at her
white knees peeking out from the frilly lace that hemmed the bottom of her
drawers, �Still scandalous.� The medium
stood in her new cotton chemise, white stockings, whalebone corset, and risqu�
pantalets. Upon the bed were three
dresses, a dressing robe, a long nightgown, another set of undergarments
identical to the ones she wore, and fluffy petticoats. The linen was soft but flawlessly pressed,
wonderfully beautiful even if it wasn�t the beloved satin of her previous
garment. The dresses were lightly
colored, one blue, one red, and one grey. Modest but fashionable, Maren trailed her fingers adoringly over
the tiny stitches, so richly crafted.
This was not only the largest wardrobe she ever owned, but also the finest. Wealth was certainly easy to grow accustomed
to.
Maren had informed Kristy of the
fantastic events of the Aztec�s curse and the disturbing vision of the undead
Jack, but the ghost was far more interested in the particulars of his skilled,
if somewhat oblivious, seduction of Maren.
�[Oh poor bugger!]� merrily she laughed, head thrust back and throat
guffawing loudly, �[Just when he be raisin� them bids, ye deal him a bust.]�
She kept up her gigantic hilarity until she breathlessly wiped away a happy
tear, �[Sorry bastard�s ne�er gettin� laid.]�
Kristy in turn explained in minute detail
the exact happenings of her conversation with Barbossa, that the servants of
the Turner house were paid a �bonus� to keep Jack�s visits a firm secret, and
that Jack had showed surprisingly little resistance to Elizabeth�s insistence
of purchasing his kidnappee a new wardrobe.
�[Aye, he act�d all pissy-prissy �bout the whole idea, but I swears he
was reachin� for that moneybag �for he was even finish�d his bitchin�,]� she
winked.
This small sentimentality Jack had
omitted in his own narration of Elizabeth�s whereabouts touched Maren, but she
still bit out defensively as if it was nothing except common courtesy,
�Honestly, it be the least he can do!�
So here she stood in her new
underwear, still crisp from the tailor, left alone by the Turners and Jack to
dress for dinner. A swift bout of
melancholy swept over her as she recalled that the handsome young couple had
avoided eye contact with her. Maren had
seen that familiar expression of nervous bewilderment so many times in her
girlhood it seemed second nature to anyone around her�except maybe Jack who had
reacted drastically yet enthusiastically and now appeared thoroughly delighted
by every dire aspect of her [gift]. It
was weirdly flattering to be finally appreciated as talented, a talented freak
of nature maybe, but still extremely talented nonetheless. For the first time since her father�s pride
in her abilities, did Maren feel so respected and almost�cherished.
Shaking away those disturbing musings like sticky cobwebs from her
head, Maren chose the blue dress and busied herself with loops and lacing, only
semi listening to Kristy prattle on about the shopping trip. �[Elizabeth be the sweetest creature ever,
so friendly, always said �please� and �thank you� to the shopkeeps. Not orderin� peoples �bout like some o�
these rich bitches go on with. And
Will! What a gentleman, but still a pub
bloke if I ever saw one,]� Kristy grinned roguishly, �[And has he ever got a fire
in his britch�s! By me grave, he
could�n keep his hands off her! Every
alley o� door he�d be tuggin� behind somethin� o� other and pin her to wall,
kissin� her and whisperin� the deprav�d acts o� carnality he could force �pon
her. Sweet buggery, sure made me blood
boil, o lack thereof!� she rolled her eyes.
�Suspect Elizabeth must be possessin� a will o� steal, �cause all she�d
do was glare at him coy-like, with them slanty eyes and poutin� lips. Ye know the look, ye always givin� it to
Jack what makes him antsy-,]� insulted, Maren huffed, but Kristy grilled on,
�[Anyway, so she do�n say a word, just slides her hand down his body to the
equator where she pats him good, then leaves him high and dry! What a tease, eh? Ye two should �come fast friends all right-.]�
�Me dear Kristy, be ye
insinuatin�,� Maren growled while hunching over to put her boots on, �that [I]
be a tease?�
�[Be Jack a drunk?]�
Opening her mouth to retort with
something equally scathing and witty, Maren was interrupted by a knock on the
door, �Miss Attle, are you decent? I
have come to fetch you to dinner,� it was Elizabeth, sounding assuredly warm
and welcoming.
�One moment Missus Turner,� Maren
glanced at the mirror to check her reflection.
Her image demanded a pause to admire herself, the blue of her sparkling
eyes, the pale sheen to her braided hair, and the fabric hugging her tempting
figure. A thought arose unbidden, [I
hope Jack likes it�] halting everything, what was that?! Merciful God, she�d only confessed her love
that morning and already her heart was dictating her life to her. Well sod that! Maren wasn�t going to be controlled by some bloated organ in her
chest cavity. The details of her life,
such as her physical appearance, were for her satisfaction and hers alone! Who cares what Jack fancies? The man was a lunatic, besides the strangest
things seemed to spur him about.
Yesterday it was her blush, today it was a slap in the face, Jesus knew
what�d wind him up tomorrow�
Resolutely, Maren reached for the
door, stalling a moment to ask Kristy silently, �Did the Turners talk �bout
me?�
The ghost didn�t require an
explanation to the question, understanding the years of ostracism forced upon
an extremely unique and lonely girl, �[Aye, they mutter�d �bout how strange
�twas-.]�
�Ye mean how strange [I] am,� she
interjected, pathetically meek.
�[Mostly they gabb�d at how scar�d
they was, all terrifi�d to hear Barbossa�s voice �gain and get a glimpse into
those digustin� thoughts that was runnin� in that sick-shit head o� his. But I tell ye, Gibbs is right, ye have to be
a special person for Jack to �like� ye and Jack �likes� these people, they be
good people, Pet. Not two licks after
they was frettin� �bout how frighen�d �twas, then they were laughin� at how
brave and brassy ye were to strike Jack o�er the noggin with that board. Aye, good people �em two, be patient with
�em, lend them a bit to adjust to the whole ghost thing,� Kristy fritted her
hands about in dismissal, �And aint no reason why the lot o� ye shouldn�t be
family by the end o� the night.�
Letting her grasp drop on the
handle, Maren peered adoringly over her shoulder, �How is it, ye always know
just what to say?�
�A lady always knows exactly what
to say,� her lips pursed, Kristy spoke with crystal refinement then added more
to her norm, �And aint I a fuckin� lady?�
* * *
�By the Father, Son, and Davey
Jones,� enthralled and amazed, Jack swished the sword through the air, catching
the light gracefully off its blade.
Three wooden crates were displayed in the middle of the den and stacked
inside each, sheathed in plain leather, were meticulously crafted swords. He rolled the hilt around the palm of his
hand, �Whatever I�m payin� ye whelp, �taint �nough.�
�You are paying me a small fortune
Jack,� Will had his arms crossed before his chest, attempting to accept Jack�s
exuberant compliments and praises with proper modesty, but a self-satisfied
grin was shining upon his face, �Besides, anymore wealth on my part and people
might question as to where I am acquiring said fortune.�
�Oh my,� reverently, Jack replaced
the weapon in its sheath and returned it to its resting place in the crate,
�Business with a thievin�, dishonest blackguard, whatever will the neighbors
think?�
Will laughed, his voice ringing
like brass bells, �I rather suspect they will think I am providing another
service for the British Navy.�
Unfortunately, he didn�t hear the
joke, Jack was too distracted, a familiar state for Jack�s inebriated senses,
by a lean bladed sword with an oddly weighted guard and handle. He retrieved it from the box, confused and
cross-eyed, �What�s this now? Can�t be
a long-sword, the double-edge be too impractical. Still, too bizarre a balance for fencin�,� he garbled as an
afterthought.
�Only for a person of your own
model Jack,� with a fulsome grin, Will respectively took the blade from Jack
and presented it against the palms of his hands, �But for a person of the
feminine persuasion, this is a specifically accommodating sword.�
�Somethin� enlightens me that ye
aint referring to Paulson,� catching on, Jack began listening intently,
fiddling with the beads in his hair.
�I am referring to Anamaria of
course,� the excitement was building in the master blacksmith, urging his
clipped words to rush out in indulgence of his art. �Think of it! A practical
sword made functional for a woman. What
a challenge it was! There were so many
varying factors. The proportion of her
legs to her torso, the proportion of her arms to the length in her step, the
proportion of the strength in her upper body as opposed to the strength in the
lower half, and that is only the relative size differences! Think of all the variation in muscle
capacity and usage. Why that alone took me a month of deciphering. Did you know, Jack, that a woman�s center of
gravity is located lower in her body than that of a man�s?� Will was a tad breathless.
�Really?� Jack muttered, impressed,
but quickly recovered his semblance of lady-expert by defensively barking out,
�Course I knows it, read up on the matter a long time �go in that one
book�wossaname, ye know, that Indy book?
Karla no�Karma Suti�Sutri�Sutra!
That be it, the Kama Sutra!�
Winking at Will and sadistically delighting in his innocent flush, Jack
beamed happily, �Now that was a fascinatin� read, let me tell ye, there be this
one diagram o� how a single man can pleasure six women at the exact same
time-.�
�So what of the sword?� hasty to
change the subject, Will waved the weapon about, �Do you think Anamaria will
like it?�
�-course the ladies at his feet
would have to do most o� the work themselves,� the pirate finished his musings
before addressing Will, �What? Oh,
um�the sorry thing is�Anamaria can be, well a bit stubborn �bout her sex. Sensitive subject for her.�
�So?� Will�s drew his brows
together.
�So,� expanding his syllables, Jack
spoke cautiously, �She be littl� paranoid �bout not bein� treat�d none
different from the rest o� the crew, savvy?
Everythin� has to be same-same, totally equal. If the men use them kind o� swords,� he pointed to the crates,
�she uses them kind o� swords.�
�But Jack,� desperately, Will
attempted to reason, �she will fight easier and better with this sword.�
�Do�n matter, she�ll reckon I�m
patronizin� her,� catching the dejected expression shadowing Will�s face, Jack
hurried, �Not to say I wo�n try, mind.
Only once Anamaria has her mind set�� Jack�s hands fluttered around as
if this gesture expressed the thought process of all womankind.
Will tried not to be too
disappointed, but he [had] worked very hard on the weapon. For months, he had driven Elizabeth, the
maids, and the cook half-crazy with measurements and posing, researching the
female physic to create the perfect sword.
And though he hadn�t dared admit it to Jack, he had studied the
potential of a woman�s flexibility and balance from the Kama Sutra, on a purely
professional level of course (though Elizabeth did assist him in
�demonstrating� several of the more choice articles in question and at the
moment the, the erotic book was tucked securely away under their mattress with
certain pages bookmarked for future reference). In short, this blade was no longer a mere sword, but a labor of
love, a composition of determination, and a work of art. And damn it, Will was proud of it! Why must Anamaria be so insecure with her
gender?
The sound of footfalls descending
the staircase stirred Will from his pouting.
Elizabeth and Maren were coming down and Will blinked at them, an idea
struck, �Jack, why not give the sword to Maren?�
�Maren?� incredulous, Jack followed
Will�s gaze to the stairs, �Are ye out o� yer mind? With her and her mood swings, she�ll cut me throat �fore the
night is out�o� certain other valuables o� me person.� Jack flashed his gold teeth in a charming
smile while Maren and Elizabeth drew closer.
The barmaid could have been mistaken as one of the lady�s peers, a
wealthy plantation owner�s daughter or a young lieutenant�s wife perhaps.
Jack noticed how the blue color of
the new dress stained Maren�s eyes azure, fathomless like the depths of the
ocean lit only by the full moon�son of a bitch, that cursed repressed poet in
Jack kept daring to escape! No more
fluffy thoughts, damn it, they weren�t his [way] and Jack was all too aware of
exactly what was to blame for his seemingly romantic
inclinations�virginity. Virgins always
put men in the queerest moods, as if their very presence was a gentle form of
mental emasculation. Also, the three
near-hit-and-misses of the past twenty-four hours didn�t help to clear his mind
much. Well there was only one natural
cure for virginity and Jack always did enjoy playing �doctor�. �Tonight,� he decided, �no more excuses,
tonight for sure.�
* * *
They
exchanged a few pleasantries at the dining table, casually munching away on
fine china. Will and Maren sat opposite
Elizabeth and Jack, who had his napkin tucked in his shirt collar and, after
pouring the other three wine, abruptly kept the bottle for himself. Unbeknownst to the Turners, he was also
tormenting poor Maren under the table, sliding a suggestive boot under her
dress to rub her calf. The host and
hostess attempted to keep the conversation circulating, but they were
continuously distracted with the ominous empty chair that Jack had laid out
especially at the head of the table for Maren�s ghost-friend. Two pairs of curious eyes constantly
swiveled back to that vacant seat as if to check that it hadn�t moved or
disappeared mysteriously.
Finally
Elizabeth, though embarrassed she might make her present company, both seen and
unseen, uncomfortable, just had to ask, �Is�[she],� she gestured towards the
chair from which Kristy waved cheerfully, �here now?� For some reason, such a direct inquiry seemed untactful to her,
admittedly she hadn�t a clue when it came to supernatural protocol what was
proper and what wasn�t. Does one speak
to a ghost in third or first person?
�Pardon?� a
sidetracked Maren kicked Jack�s shin hard, satisfied with his stifled grunt and
the retreat of his foot. �Oh,� noticing
where Elizabeth was pointing, Maren nodded, �Aye, she�s there all right.�
Both
Elizabeth�s and Will�s stares were anchored to that bare seat, one of them
gulped loudly. �Well,� Elizabeth
breathed deeply and on exhale resolutely smiled, �Then, on behalf of my husband
and I, let me welcome our first spirit to the dining table.� She gracefully raised her glass and the
others followed suit, Jack with his bottle, �To Miss�-,� pleadingly she looked
to Maren.
�Miss
Ellsworth,� Maren supplied, �Miss Kristina Ellsworth.�
�To Miss
Ellsworth and Miss Attle, new friends are blessings,� procuring her glass to
click musically with the others, she then saluted to Kristy.
�Here
here,� Will tipped his drink to the ghost as well.
Shy from
the touching endearment, Maren shrugged, �Please call me Maren.� Kristy cleared her throat, �And Miss
Ellsworth, Kristy.�
�Then you
must call me Elizabeth and Mister Turner, Will.�
�And Jack a son of a bitch!� Will
interjected.
Everyone giggled at the jest, even
Jack who added, �She already does that mate.�
The lines that defined Kristy�s
phantom shape blurred rather comically when she blew her nose on the sleeve of
her tattered dress, �[Ghah! Thems
tearin� me up! We ne�er had a more
civil reception, eh Pet? They be so
very kind, and good, and friend-.]� Somewhere Kristy�s perverted paranoia, bred
from the harsh streets of lower London, spoke up, �[Ye do�n reckon them two one
o� those trader types? Ye know,
exchange bedfellows, the Ole Switcharoo.]�
Maren
choked on her wine, her shocked eyes wide.
�[Aye,
strange fetish �tis, but I suppose whatever floats yer boat, I certainly not be
one to judge. It�s always the quiet ones
too, ne�er would have suspect�d. I can
see it now, ye all sit down for drinks in the study, sweet and innocent-like,
then BAM!]� snapping her finger, Kristy waggled her eyebrows, �[�Fore ye
can think, Will�ll have pounced on yer virgin arse and Jack and Elizabeth will
be snoggin� on the floor like dogs!
Lordy, ye do�n think maybe them bloomin� orgy-ists, do ye? Instead o� two pairs, they�re plannin� one
big quadruplet! What sick bastards�can
I watch?]� she whined.
�Jesus
Christ Kristy!� Maren rolled her blue eyes, totally exasperated, �Do me a favor
and keep me out o� yer sick fantasies!�
�Knock it off Sparrow!� shouting out loud, Maren jabbed the heel of her
boot into Jack�s toe that had begun to slink up her ankle again.
�Ouch!� his
knee firmly thumped the table, shaking the dinnerware on top and startling
their hosts. �That�s [Captain] Sparrow,
ye pissin� wildcat,� he said, rubbing his sore foot and kneecap, endearingly
put out.
�Jack,�
Elizabeth swiped at his arm, hissing under her breath �Leave her alone.� Suddenly, she sniffed daintily, nostrils
flaring, �Did I not request you bathe yourself before dinner?� Next to Maren, Will caught the psychic�s
gaze to wink and pointedly roll his eyes, apparently a very common argument was
stirring.
The pirate
released a haggard sigh before patiently explaining, �I told ye, woman, baths
are wicked bad for a man�s health.
Proven medical fact that is!
Baths make ye awful sick, all the prominent minds o� the scientific
community agree. Just read up on this
very matter while I be nabbin�-,� hastily, he corrected, �[borrowin�] some
necessary materials from a University �round Hampshire way, specifically so I
could come back here and argue with ye special. Sweats got�what�s the word?
[Vitamins]! Aye that�s it,
vitamins! When a human bein� perspires
they release the body�s nutrients in sweat and that very sweat acts like a
barrier type deal to sickness and whatnot, so by washin� away this natural
protection to the elements, one leaves their body vulnerable to all sort o�
calamity.� Smugly, he leaned back into
his chair and folded his ringed fingers over his stomach.
�Jack,�
deceptively sweet, Elizabeth raised her aristocrat chin, �that was an extremely
well versed and researched argument on the functions of the human form, not to
mention very informative.�
Cheerily,
Jacked nodded, �Thank you, rather impressed meself.�
�But,�
Elizabeth�s smiled the kind of grin usually associated with menacing dorsal
fins and dreaded sharp teeth, �Those keen minds of the medical world are not
guests in my house, are not partaking at my table, and have never soiled my
fine satin sheets with the most stubborn of stains and odors! And if they were here, I would readily
inform them of their sheer ignorance.� Breathy from frustration, Elizabeth bore
on, �I ask you, which is more liable to ruin one�s health? This preposterous theory of [vitamins] in
perspiration or the obvious fact that urban living is so utterly filthy that
the water is chewable and rarely is it properly heated for the colder climates
of the north?�
�So what
yer sayin� is?� Jack preferred his dirty palms up.
�Take a
bath Jack.�
Desperately,
Jack�s kohl eyes floundered about for an escape and landed on Maren, who
watched Jack being nagged with keen interest, �Maren hasn�t had a bath,� he
said lamely.
�Maren
doesn�t reek,� Elizabeth poked at his arm again, then addressed Maren, her
voice transforming to sociable grace in an instant, �However, you are most
welcome to avail yourself to the washroom whenever you wish, you�ve but to
ask.�
A
bath? A genuine bath? Not a wet rag or the convenient horse troth,
but an actual tub, wood or perhaps even porcelain, filled to the brim with hot
water? Biting her tongue to smother the
goofy grin that threatened to shatter her coy demeanor, Maren forced her
sentence out in a calm monotone, �Why thank you, a bath would be very much
appreciat�d.�
Jack�s
hands clapped and hissed while he rubbed them together, �Splendid! Then it be decid�d, after dinner Maren and I
will retire to the washroom to have ourselves a lovely, and very lengthy if I
might add, in duration of course, not in actual size mind ye, well as it
pertains to the tub that is, in reference to length and other matters-but I�m
gettin� �head o� meself aren�t I? A bath! Absolutely perfect, I�m always complainin�
how I require help to scrub me back.�
Glaring at
him and praying that she might turn him to stone like Medusa herself, Maren
growled, �Drop dead Cap�n!�
�If I do,
I�m hauntin� yer dandy littl� arse,� Jack smirked, �for ever and ever.�
* * *
Maren
hummed to herself offhandedly, brushing the pale strands of her hair into a
silken waterfall. Staring dreamily into
the mirror, she smiled as she remembered Narcissus, transfixed by his
reflection in the water. Was she pretty
enough to enchant herself into a flower?
All modesty aside, she knew she was attractive, at least if drunken
patrons of the Siren�s Song could be believed, but there were doubts. Take Jack for example, sure he saturated
their conversations with innuendos and invitations to bed, however, Maren had
the suspicious certainty that Jack acted the fool for anything and everything
in a skirt. Merciful God, she hated to
admit it, but watching Jack flirt shamelessly with Elizabeth made her stomach sink
like stone! It wasn�t any sort of silly
jealously; it was the numb realization that Jack, with his teasing flirtations,
treated Elizabeth, whom was obviously only a platonic friend, exactly like he
treated Maren. This playful insincerity
was�was well, almost heartbreaking, certainly heart-wrenching at least. So Maren thusly concluded, that aye, she
might be attractive, maybe even pretty, but nothing special, at least nothing
special to Jack.
�[Ahoy
there, ye flesh mongrel!]� Kristy wafted through the wall.
�Ahoy
yerself, ye wraith wrench,� tossing the brush aside, Maren cocked her head
curiously, �Thought ye was intendin� to follow the Turners to bed and play
spectator to a night of lover�s bliss?
What happen�d? Too disapoint�d
they aint trader types?�
�[No,]�
Kristy shrugged, her stringy hair bouncing, �[Aint in bed yet, Elizabeth
hustled off to fetch the maids to draw Jack a bath, but the Cap�n disappear�d
into hidin�. She�s been shoutin� for
him ten minutes solid, still no Jack, not even a hair from his cock. Reckon ye best mosey down there and offer to
take his place �fore they waist all that warm water.]�
�Now that
be a fine idea,� swinging her hair over her shoulders, Maren stood to leave,
�Lucky ye caught me, I was �bout to undress for bed.� She was absolutely oblivious to the tricky grin the ghost flashed
at her back.
Leaving the
light and warmth of her room, Maren walked down the darkened hallway, her steps
echoing lonely and wooden from the floor.
The curtains were drawn and the moon tinged everything silver, it was
delightful. �Which way I�m head�d?�
Maren peered down a passage to her left.
�[Straight
on, then hang a right, down a wee bit o� stair then last door to the right
�gain, should be lit up anyhow,]� the phantom floated ahead, guiding
Maren. She always enjoyed watching
Kristy in the moonlight, she glowed shimmering and tainted violet, eerie and
magical. The dead prostitute never
looked lovelier, probably even in life.
Before
descending the steps, Maren peered over her shoulders, eyes attempting to
decipher the shadows. �[What�s the
bloody hitch?]� Kristy called from the bottom of the stairs.
�Only
checkin�.�
�[For
bleedin� what?]� a hint of impatience clipped her question.
�Jack,�
satisfied, Maren hustled to catch up, �He�s got this nasty habit o� showin� up
when he�s not want�d.�
Kristy
abruptly changed the subject, �[So, ye movin� up in the world, eh? Think o� it, a hobnob, snob,
stick-up-yer-arse, bathtub! Me littl�
Pet�s becomin� quite the refin�d young lady!
Aye, this is the life, no tuff �bout it,]� she erupted in a contented
sigh.
�Hot water
and scent�d soap galore! I swears, when
I recieves me split o� Romulus� fortune, first thing we purchase is a bona fide
bathtub, porcelain and tile, the whole pie,� blissfully, Maren blabbed on down
the hallway, �Aye and chocolate and champagne and servants and satin dresses
and silk sheets and milkin� cows�did I forget anythin�?�
�[Handsome
farm-boys, half clad and all sweaty,]� Kristy pointed to a closed door,
candlelight seeping under it, �[That be the washroom.]�
Reaching
for the doorknob, the barmaid twisted it to enter�
Maren
should have noticed the impish smile, cleverly stifled on Kristy�s face. She should�ve seen the white teeth gleam in
the dim light. She should�ve wondered
why, if Elizabeth had been shouting for Jack, why hadn�t she heard the
commotion? But above all, she should�ve
knocked on the door first!
Instead she
stepped into the steaming room and came face to face with the most breathtaking
sight she�d ever dared to dream of-
Jack
Sparrow was naked�
�and
Kristy was laughing and laughing!

Years of Cheers

Thanks a Lot,
Citadel
- 12
- 13
- 14
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The Haunting Place

Years of Cheers