Here is Chapter 16, hope you enjoy it, its a bit of a lengthy read.
Chapter 16: Ghost Town
Davy heard the cawing of crows.
No, not crows. Ravens.
Davy opened his eyes. He was lying on his back in gravely black sand, and it appeared to be midafternoon. He put his hand to his head. He felt dry blood on his head from when he hit it on the dingy. He slowly got up, but immediately regretted it. A wave of nausea and dizziness swept over him. He doubled over and threw up on the ground. He collapsed in the gravel and laid there for several minutes, breathing deeply.
That storm must have blown me and the dingy here, Davy thought groggily.
Finally, he got the energy to sit up. He still felt dizzy, and extremely weak. He looked to his left side and saw the dingy he had used to get off The Harkaway upside down, lying on the gravel. It was broken in several places. He looked to forward, and gasped. There were hundreds, if not thousands of ravens flying in flocks around this island. He could hear their cawing in the distance. He slowly stood.
He was now able to see his full surroundings. He was in a deep cove. Black rock formed the walls of it, giving Davy a feeling of dread. He felt trapped, even though he could easily sail right out if he could find a ship. He looked back at the ravens and noticed a rope bridge spanning the distance of the cove. Immediately Davy figured that it would be best to get up there, as he would be able to see anything coming to the island.
Davy took a wobbly step. He was still extremely weak from his fight. He grabbed a charred stick from beside him and used it to help him walk. He saw a sunken dock to his side that he hadn’t noticed before, and then he saw a path leading up into the heart of the island. He slowly but surely began to walk up the path.
What happened here…? Davy wondered. As he walked up the path, he saw what seemed to be blown apart barricades. He saw long dead skeletons strewn about the place, in unnatural positions. He moved over to one to examine it. Part of the skull was blown off, likely from a gunshot. Next to the skeleton’s limp hand was a cutlass, and Davy noticed a sheath on his belt.
Strange, it looks like there was a battle here, Davy thought as he tied the sheath to his belt, and put the sword into it. and not too long ago. These skeletons don’t look more than a few months old. Arg! What happened here!? And where am I!?
Davy continued up the path. He walked for about a quarter mile into the island, passing more areas like this along the way. He also saw homes that had been burnt down, reduced to the framing of it. He passed even more skeletons. The place was a wasteland. A ghost town. What must have once been a battlefield for a huge battle.
Davy kept walking, and soon found himself in what must have once been the courtyard of a little town. To one side was a building with a tavern sign on it, to the other was a little cluster of buildings. Davy walked cautiously to the buildings. He tried to picture the town as it was before whatever destruction happened, and what he imagined was a small town similar to one on the island of Padres Del Fuego or Port Royal. He moved over to the door of what may have once been a blacksmith, and opened it.
As soon as he pushed on the door, the whole door collapsed. He froze, waiting for something to come out and attack him, but nothing moved, save for several rats that had taken refuge in the building.
Davy stepped inside, and took in his surroundings. The place was ransacked. Where swords once hung proudly on walls now was merely an empty sword holder. The back wall and part of the surrounding roof was completely blown apart. Davy moved in, and found a desk with a skeleton slumped over it. He poked the skeleton, and it fell to the floor, losing its head in the process.
“Sorry mate,” Davy mumbled, with a small smile. He looked on the desk, and saw a journal, likely belonging to the blacksmith. Davy sat down on the chair and started to read the most recent entry, dated on the twelfth of February that year. It was sometime in June now. The journal read:
Jolly Roger and Lord Cutler Beckett have been fighting for three days now. It is uncertain over which side shall win; they are equally matched it seems. From what I have heard, Widow Threadbarren, our gypsy, has been killed by Jolly Roger, or Beckett, whichever one it was. The Clubhearts, the owners of our tavern, have been killed a while ago as well, and my dear friend Thomas was tortured to death by a group of skeletons. Without him, we are out of fish to eat. I am not unsure how I shall die; at the hands of Jolly Roger and Beckett, or by starvation. The Undead Army is outside of my house battling with the forces of Beckett as I write… I fear that this will be my last entry before they find and kill me. Roger is merciless, he spares nobody, regardless of who they are.
If there is anyone reading this, then I am assuming Jolly Roger has left Raven’s Cove, and has taken what he wanted. If you value your life, then leave this island immediately. Jolly Roger left a curse on it, so that the townsfolk will stay as ghosts on this island for eternity! Leave this island, and beware the Red Ghosts that stalk the island when the sun goes down!
~ Senior Fañitifico, blacksmith of Raven’s Cove
Davy reread the journal entry again. Then he put the journal down.
Raven’s Cove, so that’s where I am, Davy thought. And it looks like Jolly was here a while ago too. I have to get off this island, it gives me the creeps… and what are these Red Ghosts that Senior Fañtifico talks about?
Davy looked through the hole in the wall. It was getting dark. He had to try to get to that bridge soon. He didn’t want to meet any of the Red Ghosts.
Davy walked out of the blacksmith. He threw his walking stick to the side, as he felt that he didn’t need it anymore. He jogged and a steady pace towards a rock archway that lead to another beach of the island. As he walked along the stretch of gravely beach, he noticed that the ravens had stopped cawing. The sound had been replaced by something that brought a chill to his spine, and sparked the worst fear in his mind. In later years, he said that it was so scarring, that he could still hear the noise echoing in his mind whenever he walked along a beach in the dark.
The sound was an unearthly howling. Not howling like a wolf, but the howling of a soul calling out in despair and rage. Davy drew his sword, and looked around him, terrified. The noise continued, and it seemed to be getting closer. Davy couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“Show yourself!” he cried out, turning around in circles. Then, from where he came from, he spotted something strange. It was a red orb of light, hovering about a foot above the ground, and slowly drifting towards him. Davy realized that the howling was coming for it. Davy couldn’t help but watch the strange orb get closer to him.
Once it was several meters away from him, it stopped. Davy slowly saw the shape of a young woman take form from it. The howling stopped, and Davy lowered his sword. Davy met her eyes, and then all the sudden felt a mental attack on him. The young girl’s mind drove into his, and started inflicting horrible agony on Davy.
He screamed, but there was nobody there to hear it. He could do nothing but try to resist. For several minutes, the two stood there, minds battling each other. After a few more minutes, Davy was able to defeat the mind of the girl, who Davy now figured out was the dreaded Red Ghost.
The ghost stumbled backward, then looked at Davy, and her form changed from a pretty young girl to a twisted old hag. The Ghost screamed out in a voice that was so horribly indescribable, that Davy covered his ears and shut his eyes as tight as he could just to get away from it.
The Red Ghost, now flying towards Davy, had its fangs bared and its hands stretched out. Davy ran away from her as fast as he could, not wanting to get in contact with it again. Davy sprinted as fast as he could for about two minutes, racing across the beach.
Soon, what looked like a wooden elevator came into view. Davy spotted a lever on it, and he prayed it was working. But the ghost was gaining on him. He wouldn’t make it in time. Unless…
As he was sprinting, Davy grabbed a rock on the ground. He began backpedaling, and then, when he had a perfect shot, threw the rock as hard as he could at the ghost. It didn’t pass through the ghost, strangely enough, and hit her square in the head. No blood came out, but it stunned her, and she fell over. Davy ran onto the elevator, and looked for the key to start it.
Then he heard a shriek, and he looked next to him. The Red Ghost was right next to him. Before Davy could cry out, the ghost slashed her hands across Davy, and sent him flying backward onto the gravely beach. Davy’s vision went red, and he could hear the beating of his heart. His whole body burned with pain, and he couldn’t think straight.
“I ssssmell death…” Davy heard the ghost say. The voice was raspy and cold, and made the hairs on his next stand up. “Prepare to die Davy Fireskull!”
Davy made out the image of the ghost standing above him while he was lying on his back, and then felt another mental attack. He fought back with all his might, but he was weak now, and couldn’t fight back.
Is this the end? Davy thought miserably. Am I to die here, by the hands of this demon? Without being able to avenge the deaths of my parents, and of the crew of the Black Swan?
Davy was losing the fight, and he wasn’t going to last much longer. Then, something sparked. Perhaps it was his life flashing before his eyes, showing that he was about to die. Or perhaps the ghost had triggered some sort of memory. All of the sudden, he was sent into one of his memories.
He and Billy, or William at the time, were playing outside their house together. They had a pair of wooden swords, and were fake sword fighting, laughing jubilantly, without a care in the world. Their father was sitting and watching them, smiling, and happy with watching his children play. Their mother came outside with a pot of tea and sat down beside her husband. It was a happy family. And Jolly Roger had torn it apart. Davy couldn’t die now, not without bringing Jolly to justice.
Davy came back to reality, and got a sudden surge of energy. Using it, he blasted the ghost out of his mind, and drew his sword. He brought the sword back, and then thrusted it through the ghost. The ghost cried out as it was stabbed, and stumbled backward. Lightning struck the ghost three times, and then it dropped on the ground, motionless.
Davy felt the pain in his body go away, and his vision returned to normal. He took several deep breaths, and then moved over to the ghost. She was back as a young girl, and the red was fading, and being replaced by an aqua blue tone. Davy stood and watched the transformation for about a half minute, before the ghost opened her eyes. She stood up, and looked Davy in the eyes. This time, there was no invasion of his mind.
“Thank you for saving me Davy Fireskull,” the girl said. “My name is Joanna.”
“What happened to you?” Davy asked cautiously.
“When Jolly Roger invaded Raven’s Cove, he gave us the option of joining him to help fight Cutler Beckett, or to be killed, and forever walk this island as ghosts. We weren’t afraid of him, and we decided not to join him. Some of us even fought as a third faction, and battled Roger and Beckett, including me. Those of us that fought against him, Jolly Roger cursed specially so that we would walk the island at night, our minds filled with rage. We became known as Rage Ghosts, or Red Ghosts. We are almost invincible, but that is our one true weakness. Love. The power of love can defeat us. When you saw the vision of your loving family, it gave you the strength to defeat me.”
“I see now. I’m so sorry for what happened Joanna.”
“It is not your fault, but you have the power to make it right again. Bring Jolly Roger to justice. You will succeed. I can tell. Now, take this elevator key, and go to the cliffs of Raven’s Cove, so you may see your friends when they arrive.”
Joanna held out a rusted key, and Davy took it from her hand. Her hand was as cold as ice.
“And another thing,” the ghost said. “Us ghosts know all, and see all. However, we don’t share it with mortals unless they have done us something great in return. For saving me, I can tell you one piece of information, anything you want, but I warn you, the truth is not always what is the most pleasant thought.”
Davy thought for a moment. Then, he spoke, “I want to know where my brother is. Billy Fireskull. He saved me from Jolly Roger when my ship was fighting his. Its because of him I’m here. I need to find him and rescue him.”
The ghost closed her eyes, and then a minute later, opened them, and looked into Davy. Instantly, the word around him began to twist into strange forms, and colors warped. Soon, everything came back into focus. He was in a cave. There was a flow of lava several meters to his side, and it was very hot.
Davy looked in front of him, and tied by chains to a wall, was Billy. He had been badly beaten and tortured. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were torn to shreds. One of his arms was badly cut, and his chest was covered with cuts, likely from a blade. His head was hung down, and his long hair covered his face. Jolly Roger walked into the cavern, and looked at Billy.
Davy drew his sword, but then realized that Jolly couldn’t see him. Davy was only looking at what was happening, not actually there. He turned to his side, and noticed that Joanna was there beside him. She beckoned for him to watch and listen.
“You’re pathetic brother has escaped me, but he will come back for you. It is only a matter of time before he comes and finds you, and walks right into my trap,” Jolly said, with an evil grin on his face.
Billy looked up. His face was badly cut, and one of his eyes was bruised. He looked as if he had drank too much, then been knocked unconscious. Billy spoke.
“Davy will defeat you, you son of a bilge rat. You will be defeated, and your reign of terror will end.”
Jolly Roger cackled, “We shall see.”
The world around Davy warped again, and he found himself back on Raven’s Cove. He looked up and into Joanna’s eyes.
“Now go,” she said. “Wait on the cliffs. You shall be able to spot your friends from there, if they come.”
Davy thanked her, and then walked into the elevator. He looked back, but Joanna was gone. He sighed, then put the key into its slot. He turned it, and he felt a clattering of gears. He pulled the lever on the elevator, and it began to move up to the cliffs of Raven’s Cove.