Aurora Barbossa (A Pirates of the Caribbean Story)

Chapter 4 A Daughter's Betrayal

Chapter 4

A Daughter’s Betrayal

I watched eagerly as Barbossa and the crew unwittingly dug in to the Aztec gold without care or hesitation. I smiled smugly. These foolish pirates have no idea what this gold will do to them. I absolutely could not wait to see the look on Barbossa’s face when he bites into his next apple only to discover it tastes of ashes.

I looked over and spotted that even Bootstrap, despite his suspicions, helped himself to a fair share of the gold. I suppose being a pirate he could not help himself. After a few moments, I noticed him walking out of the cave. Curiously, I followed and found him wrapping a piece of the gold in parchment.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

He looked up at me and answered, “I am sending a piece of the gold to my son.”

I tilted my head, curiously. “You have a son?”

He smiled, a small smile, as he nodded. “Yes. Before I joined this crew I did have a wife and son. My son is about a year older than you, I think. My wife and I decided to name him after me.”

I raised my eyebrow. “You named your son Bootstrap?”

He chuckled. “No, Bootstrap is merely a name given to me since I became part of this crew. Most people here still don’t know my real name, which by the way, is William Turner.”

“William Turner,” I repeated. “Well, that does sound better than Bootstrap. Does your son know you are a pirate?”

He sighed. “I doubt his mother told him that. What boy would want to believe his father is a pirate?”

I shrugged strolling over to him. “Perhaps he might like the idea of being a pirate. After all, piracy is in his blood.”

He shook his head. “Being raised by my wife, little William was probably taught all the evils of piracy.”

I stared out passed Bootstrap allowing myself to wonder had my mother raised me if would I have the same hatred for piracy. Right now, that seemed fairly difficult to imagine. I turned my gaze back to Bootstrap as he continued to prepare to send off the treasure. It was too bad Bootstrap will be cursed as well. I felt I was actually starting to like him.

“Ah, there you are Aurora.” I heard Barbossa’s voice from behind me. “We’re ready to leave.”

I followed Barbossa back on to the Black Pearl. The crew celebrated their new riches searching for rum about the ship. Too bad they will not be able to enjoy it. I watched the sun as she floated down closer and closer to the horizon. Soon these pirates will see for themselves what they have become.

Barbossa sat me up on his lap as he sat down. Jack, the monkey, brought him an apple. I looked up at him intently as his teeth sank down in the fruit. Immediately after, he began to cough vigorously, thrashing his hand over his mouth.

“Something wrong, Father?” I asked gawking up at him innocently.

“This apples tastes like ashes,” he coughed, his eyes watering.

“That’s odd.” I pretended to scrutinize the apple. “It appears fine to me.”

“The rum!” I heard another voice shout. “I can’t taste the rum!”

“What has happened to us?” Another voice cried out.

“The treasure,” Barbossa uttered more softly. “It was cursed after all.”

“Too right you are, Captain Barbossa.”

I turned my head to see Davy Jones appear at the front of the deck. Shortly after, the rest of the crew appeared as well. Jones briefly winked at me as he approached where Barbossa and I sat.

Barbossa rose up in fumes. “Davy Jones! You’d be behind this! What have you done to us?”

“You are immortal now,” Davy Jones explained calmly. “Sure you will never be able to again enjoy food, drink…” Davy Jones gently touched his claw against my cheek, “or even the touch of a woman, but you will live forever.”

“You mean to say we are stuck like this forever?” Ragetti croaked nervously.

“Unless you can figure out a way to break the curse,” Jones sneered.

Barbossa grabbed my arm, pulling me away from Davy Jones. He did not seem aware that I knowingly led him to the curse.

“Oh, and before I go I will be wanting little Aurora back,” Jones added reaching his arm out to me.

“Back?” Barbossa starred at him in bewilderment, his grip on my arm tightening.

Davy Jones smirked as I pulled away from Barbossa and willingly walked over to him. “I am guessing Alyson did not tell you about the little deal she made with me, the reason you were permitted to become captain in the first place.”

I froze next to Davy Jones, not turning back around as my heart began to race. What did he say?

Jones continued, “You did not actually believe that the mutiny occurred out of mere coincidence, did you? No years before, your wife came to me, offering anything to see her husband captain. I made her promise me her first born child she will soon bear.”

My mind continued to spin like a whirlpool. Mama was the one that struck the deal?

“You can’t have her!” Barbossa stammered as he attempted to reach me, but was held back by Jones’ crew.

Jones continued to smile smugly. “Are you sure you even want your daughter back? What if I were to tell you she knew exactly what would happen to you once you laid finger on the Aztec Gold?”

I slowly turned back around to view my father’s face fall, full of hurt from betrayal by his own daughter. Staring at him blankly, I had no idea what I was feeling at this moment. Would I have gone through with this had I known all this time, Barbossa was not the one that sold me out? I can honestly say I have no idea.

Without another word, Davy Jones grabbed my arm and took me away, signaling for the rest of the crew to follow. Moments later, I found myself back on the Dutchman, Davy Jones proudly looking down upon me.

“You have done well, Aurora,” he stated with a smirk. “Now that the pirates of the Black Pearl cannot be killed, they will bring in many souls for my ship. You have indeed proven yourself worthy.”

“What does that mean for me now?” I asked softly trying to push back my feelings of guilt.

Davy Jones put his arm around my shoulders. “Tell me, Aurora. How would you like to be second in command of the Flying Dutchman?”