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She Dreams of the Sea

by Outinthestorm
August 22, 2006

She dreams of padding, barefoot, through the darkened cabin. Tia Dalma's eyes gleam in the near-dark, and she hesitates, but the pull of the ocean on her blood is too strong and she slips out into the night.

Down the ladder, and she lowers herself into the murky water. It is icy, but the numbing of her limbs seems to work its way into her heart, easing her pain, easing the gnawing feeling of guilt.

With one last deep breath, she submerges and strikes out towards the open water. She finds she can swim easily in this dream, sliding effortlessly through the dark with a minimum of effort. Her nightgown catches briefly on the roots of a tree, and she struggles against it until her bindings tear from her limbs and she is free.

She can taste a trace of salt and eagerly pushes forward through the water. This water stings her eyes, but it tastes like tears. It has a rhythm to it, a push-and-pull that mirrors her heartbeat and calls her forward.

From a distance, she can feel him. Her heart quickens, and, as true as his compass, guides her to him. She increases her speed, her hair streaming behind her, sleek and gleaming as the water lightens and her vision clears.

The shadow of the Pearl's hull seems miniscule against the vastness of the ocean, but she reaches for it, her arms sliding against the grain of the wood. She feels the Pearl shudder under her skin and smiles.

"I'm here for you," she whispers against the hull. "I'm here for you both."

She pulls herself up the side of the ship, her hands searching for purchase as she emerges from the water. She gasps for a moment as she remembers to breathe again, but then she sees him; she sees him and her heart almost bursts at the sight of him standing on his deck, not chained as she left him, but utterly defiant.

She opens her mouth to scream his name and almost chokes as the sea rushes from her mouth. He turns at the noise, and looks at her. His hat is by his feet, and he picks it up, shaking it to clear the water.

Then he stares up at her, and she is horrified to see him draw his sword.

"Jack?" she tries to speak, but it comes out wrong, oh, it comes out a roar. Her hands tighten in horror, and she can feel the Pearl splinter in her grip.

And Jack smiles, that gorgeous smile that breaks her heart. "Hello, Beastie."

He lunges at her, and she swallows him whole.

When she wakes, she hopes that the blood in her mouth is from where she has bitten through her lip, and she sees Tia Dalma's eyes gleam in the darkness.

~.~

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