"Sickest! Concert! Ever!" Steve's voice was nearly lost from singing along as hard as he did.
"Dude, you know it! My ears are ringing! Haha!" Mike yelled over the noise of the dissipating crowd and cradling a signed album in his hands. Mike and Steve walked out to the parking lot with grins that quickly faded as they sprinted towards a group of pirates pushing their car onto the deck of their ship. Both boys wrapped his arms over their most precious belonging. Mike yelled at the criminals who were taking what wasn't theirs.
"No-no-no-no-no-no-no! This is mine! Y'all step off!" The pirates grumbled and laughed at the two. All of them yelled back and forth until one man stepped in and fired a shot into the air. Not a soul spoke a word. The man who fired the shot sauntered to face Mike, who was causing more trouble than Steve on account of he was the one making payments on the car, and that his voice wasn't nearly spent.
"Are you the cause of all this nonsense!?"
"Aye, sir." Mike answered in the best way he could think in the given situation.
"For what purpose, young swab?"
"Cap'n orders...sir." Steve interjected with his hoarse voice. The man, still holding a smoking pistol, turned a confused looking face to the one who spoke out of turn, and asked a single question giving his words slowly.
"What "Cap'n" do ye mean?" Steve stammered slightly as the man's face came closer to his own.
"W-why, Captain Jack...Sparrow!" Mike put his palm his his face at Steve's last word which also triggered the crew to break into laughter.
"Quiet! Do ye know the face ye be looking' into, boy?" Steve was dumbstruck with the realization of his folly. Mike recovered the fault of his friend.
"Please forgive Steve here, he's an idiot." Steve furrowed his brow but kept his mouth shut knowing Mike was his savior. "He meant the captain Laughing Jack, certainly you've uh known him to make mention of his sparrow, traumatized Steve-o here ya see." Mike was amazed at the perfect explanation he gave to a pirate captain. Sparrow began walking back to his ship as he apologized.
"Beg your pardon sirs. Gents, hand over their shiny cart. You'd best be on your way Steve and, forgive my lack of knowing your acquaintance." Mike smiled at the captain blankly until he realized the captain was asking for his name.
"Mike."
"A token of my apology." Captain Jack Sparrow dropped two cutlasses into the sand where he beached the Black Pearl and began barking orders to his crew to get the ship moving on water once again. Mike and Steve looked at each other for a moment. They spoke simultaneously to each other.
"That just happened?" They didn't answer each other. They watched as the Pearl took to the sea. Steve broke the silence as he went over the event in his head.
"Who the freak is Laughing Jack?" Mike turned to face Steve.
"Don't say his name!"
"Why? Is he like Bloody Mary and he's gonna pop up outta nowhere?"
"Look, it's not a joke. You saw that Sparrow knows him, and is afraid of him! I honestly didn't think he was real either until that got the car back."
"Dude we just conned Jack Sparrow! We're untouchable! Haha what is he anyway?" Steve laughed with the feeling of invulnerability.
"C'mon let's go. I'll tell ya in the car."
"Hold on man! We got souvenirs from Jack Sparrow!" Steve took the swords and got in the passenger seat. Mike was shaken from the experience while Steve was ecstatic. "Dude lookit this thing!" Steve was staring at the sword he called dibs to. "It's got chips and scratches all over, I bet this baby's seen combat. Dude! Is that blood!?" Steve pushed the blade into Mike's view.
"Are ya dumb or just stupid!? I'm driving!"
"Sorry geez...hey! Who's Laughing Jack?"
"Alright fair enough. Ya know Jack Skelton from Nightmare Before Christmas?"
"Of course."
"Well I hear that Tim Burton took pirate Jack and-"
"Why don't ya say Laugh-"
"Sh! I'm getting there. Anyway, Jack Skelton is the nice, hero version of the other. He's not the most well-known pirate legend, mostly 'cause he's Irish, not from the Caribbean where Blackbeard and all these other famous people are from. Freak! I didn't even know Sparrow was real! Anyway, Jack was actually the first captain of the Black Pearl, funny with the name thing, huh? He also used a whip when commanding his crew. That's where his chant came from "Hatched black, whip crack." He drove his crew so harshly that he was cursed to live forever as a skeleton. Good grief, what is that smell?"
"It's the lake, it always has a smell after a storm. You were getting to the good part."
"Right, so he was a skeleton and what's a captain with no crew? Well nothing, so he roams around finding more people to join his crew by using cursed treasure that gives the person the same curse. That, or people say you say his name followed by the chant."
"Ya say it, then he pops up outta nowhere?"
"I dunno, somethin' like that." Mike and Steve hit their heads on the roof of the car as they hit a sudden sharp bump in the road. "Son of a- what was that!?" Mike yelled in pain as he held his head. The headlights illuminated a massive tentacle whose suction cups slapped the hood of the car, stopping them violently. Steve shook himself from the blast of the airbag and pulled Mike by the shoulder with the hand that was free of a pair of swords. Mike watched in horror as the tentacle tore his car from the road. Mike took a sword from Steve's hand and charged at the giant, powerful, waterborne muscle. He gave it a single hack and the blade was lodged in its flesh. Mike was forced to let go as it released the car and whipped into the sky. Mike stared at the damage in awe. The tentacle writhed in the air then was pulled backwards by a harpoon that came from somewhere out in the lake. Steve peered into the raging waters to see an old looking submarine had fired the harpoon. More tentacles appeared and wrapped around the submarine. One tentacle flung a chest upon the shore before it took hold of the sorry craft. The beast and underwater boat disappeared under the surface of the water. Mike and Steve looked at what had happened in shock and awe.
"I wonder if tonight will have a lot of amazing things happen." Steve broke the second amazed silence.
"Amazing isn't the word I'd use for when my car just freaking got totaled by a squid!" Mike wasn't having the same feeling as his friend. "Oh!" Mike ran over to the car and pryed open the passenger door. He looked around to see that his newly purchased CD was still intact and let out a sigh of relief. Mike put the disc into his jacket pocket, closed the door, and shook his head as he saw the shattered window fall in. He wondered if his insurance would cover this kind of damage.
Meanwhile Steve was looking at the chest which was flung onto the land by the squid. It had a lock on it that appeared to be hardier than any padlock he'd seen before. The wood looked waterlogged so he stomped on the latch and it came apart. The noise attracted Mike. A smile returned to Mike when he saw a box full of priceless treasure. Both of them pulled out item after beautiful item. It seemed to have been collected from all over the globe. There was coins from all over Europe, even old Greek tokens, Aztec jewelry of all kinds, Chinese jade figurines, and various jewels. A golden four leafed clover with emerald leaves caught Steve's eyes perticularly. It had writing on it that he read aloud.
"Laughing Jack, hatched black, whip crack. Huh." Mike stared into the face of an imbecile.
"So you realize we're screwed, right?" Steve's look of wonder faded when he realized what he just did. They heard a faint song they couldn't make out words to. As it became clearer they realized it was an old Irish tune, which they only caught the last few words to.
"...with the loud array that joined me in the fray soon we cleared the way on the rocky road to Dublin one-two-three-four-five! Hunt the hare and turn her down the rocky road all the way to Dublin whack-fol-la-de-da!" The loud sound of drums rolled in from the seas and they could clearly make out a flute and a guitar that joined in for one more round of the chorus. "One-two-three-four-five! Hunt the hare and turn her down the rocky road and all the way to Dublin whack-fol-la-de-daaaaaaaa! Hey!" A ship that greatly resembled the black pearl they saw earlier, but adorned with skulls and bones, appeared on the shore with a crew of bleach white skeletons aboard. One who had a long coat, a three-cornered hat, and a whip in hand jumped from the bow to land, cackled maniacally, and cracked the whip which then held the golden clover. Steve's empty hand was unscathed and he marveled at it.
"I believe ye have somethin' of my belongings." The tall skeleton walked over with his heavy boots thumping on the ground. Empty sockets stared into Steve's wide eyes. Steve felt breath fall in his face when the skeleton barked at him again. "Didn't your mother ever tell ye not ter take the belongings of others!?...well!?...what ye did wasn't just ye know that!?" Steve sis nothing but stand dumbstruck. Jack cackled again and walked over to Mike. "Does your mate only speak when he reads curses upon gold?" Mike was scared stiff, but thought making a joke might give them better chances.
"There's days that I wish that." Jack laughed heartily and even put his hand on Mike's shoulder to stabilize himself.
"Boy, you're a clever one. What's your name?"
"Mike." Mike answered with fear still in his voice.
"Mike, I find ye to be a good lad. Care to come aboard? Just for a chat." Jack's voice almost seemed pleasant and very hospitable now.
"What about Steve?"
"Ah him, let's see his view shall we?" Jack cackled again as he came to stand in front of Steve again. "Boy, you got yourself a name?" Steve stammered under his fear and guilt.
"St-Steve, sir." If bones were supple enough to bend, Jack would be wearing an amused grin by now.
"I thank ye for your manners, sir Steve. If only ye had them before takin' me gold." Jack laughed at the joke he made that didn't make Mike or Steve feel any more relaxed. "Come now, gents, we don't bite." Jack chuckled at his own humor again. Mike and Steve walked up a ramp that was put up for them. Jack simply jumped from the shore to the deck. A skeleton of a sparrow fluttered in front of the boy's heads. Jack sat at a table that was made ready for three. The sparrow landed on his scapula. The table was covered in food, mostly corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes. Mike and Steve sat in the remaining two chairs and looked at Jack for his next orders. "Come now, you must be starved. Now would ye care for sixteen o' three merlot or be ye teetotalers?" Steve had a politely confused look on his face that he showed to Jack while cutting off a portion of corned beef. Jack cackled at their oblivious faces and explained himself further. "Do ye desire somethin' to wash away your troubles or just cider?" Both of them answered in unison.
"Cider would be great." Jack popped a joint in one of his hands to signal another skeleton to fetch a drink for them. Mike and Steve looked at an absent setting for Jack himself.
"A meal such as this would do no good to a man with no gullet. Feel free to take it in, gents." Jack seemed too kind for any skeleton. Mike and Steve dug into the steaming food, gulped down water from provided goblets, the cider came and they thanked its bearer who poured it generously. Steve stopped eating suddenly as he feared it was poisoned. Jack calmed him. "What good would it do me to kill ye now, boy?" Steve looked at him with confusion. Jack's sparrow chirped in a shrill voice."Hush, wee one. Oh, you mean all those legends of me? Some be true, but it amazes me how time can change a man." Steve put potatoes back in his mouth. "Aye, centuries of sailin' as a dead man will change a dead man. I first was furious. My crew and I made mighty good pillagin' those days. No man, monster, or demon could stop our wake. That's what we thought until...Cromwell! What's the word they gave us near the southeast corner of the globe?" One member of the bleached bone crew leaned in and gave one word.
"Karma?"
"Aye! Karma! We were cursed to roam the seas 'til judgement day when the trumpets sound. We were to be a standing warning not to take more your share, so to speak. For the first century, or so, I sailed in fury of the curse t'was granted me. Time taught me that dealin' pain only gives pain, for the both of ye. I now don't know what to do on the seas no longer. Yes I know this ain't the seas, but a lake of salt. It's my curse. I'd rather leave a man in better fortunes than I found him. I see you had an encounter with a squid taken by demons. Where is it ye were headin'? I'll take ye there." Mike and Steve looked at Jack, each other, then back to Jack in unbelief.
"Just like that?" Mike spoke in surprise.
"Just like that, mate." Jack answered cooly. Mike and Steve paused for a moment, still being perplexed with the scenario.
"Up north a bit. Where the causeway meets the island." Steve directed.
"Aye, that way. Raise the mooring lines! Make way for north northeast! On it now!" Jack commanded his crew with a crack of his whip to emphasize. The ship took off faster than thought possible. There was no wind, save the wind that went through the hair Mike and Steve, and around the bones of the crew. Within less than a minute they arrived where the lake came near to their home. Jack kicked down a ramp and held his hand like a butler to point the way. Mike and Steve walked down and met the sand.
"Oy! I believe I owe ya for your troubles!" Jack tossed down the chest they pulled the golden clover from. As quick as the ship came, it vanished. They couldn't tell if it faded or darted away. They do remember hearing Jack's laughter fade away as it left. Mike and Steve took hold of the heavy chest together and walked back to their apartment. Mike checked an was glad to know his CD was intact. Steve made sure to keep his cutlass as well. It amazed them that there wasn't any trouble at all on their way home. When they came to the apartment Mike plunged his hand into a horrifying empty pocket. He realized the keys were in the car that was trashed by the squid.
"The freak!?" Steve shouted in frustration as he stared into an empty chest. "That 'tard gave us leprechaun gold!"
