Darkest Hour: Part 1

[John Wildcutter]

Hey everyone, my name is John Wildcutter, or John for short. I was bored today and decided, heck, I should write a story on the pirates forums. So... enjoy it!
__________________________________________________ _______________

Prologue

There was a place called the Caribbean. A place of trade, luxury, and better yet, pirates. Pirates roamed the Caribbean freely, plundering until they got tired or were going to sink. But something was happening to Caribbean. Enemies of the pirates tried to ruin their freedom, The British Navy and the British East India Trading Company were trying to bring order and law to Caribbean. But there was a story yet to be told.

In a small tavern, built underground a man was sitting at one of the poker tables. This man was none other than the infamous Jack Sparrow, so-called leader of the Pirates. He sat waiting, for his great friend Jolly Roger was yet to come to a poker game. Jolly opened the huge door with his two huge, muscular hands and walked into the tavern. Behind him was a smaller man, who had jewelry all over his face. He carried voodoo dolls in the pockets of his slightly torn vest. He carried a card deck with him, as he was the dealer of the game.

"Friend, you have finally arrived!" Jack Sparrow said excitedly, drinking two bottles of rum at once.

"Yes, I have been waiting for this match for so long." Jolly said, a big evil toothy grin coming to his face. He wanted to win something from Sparrow, but what?

Jolly sat down at the table across from Sparrow, and the other man, who happened to be a Voodoo Withdoctor, sat at another end of the table, shuffling the cards. The Withdoctor winked at Jolly, then began dealing the cards. Jolly looked at his cards, and frowned at the Witchdoctor. The Witchdoctor put his hand under the table and zapped the cards with his magic. Suddenly, the cards changed to become one King and one Ace.

Sparrow started the game by betting one thousand gold. Jolly raised it to seven thousand, and Sparrow raised it to a whooping twenty thousand. Sparrow was losing hand after hand as the game went on for another hour. Sparrow, running out of money, and surprised at Jolly's wins, put all his gold into the pot. Of course, Jolly won the hand. Sparrow was really nervous now, as his hopes for winning the game were lost.

After nearly two minutes of sweating, Sparrow bet his seat on the brethren court as Pirate Lord of the Caribbean. Jolly almost jumped for joy, as this is what he wanted all along! He was finally going to get what he wanted. Then it was time to show the cards. Jolly got a Full House, but Sparrow got a Flush. Sparrow had won the game!

In terrifying rage, Jolly stood up on his chair and pulled out his pistol. He shot at Sparrow, who barely dodged it. Sparrow got up his chair and began running like their was no tomorrow, and there probably wouldn't be. The Witchdoctor stood up to catch Sparrow, and Jolly shot his pistol again. Sparrow grabbed the Witchdoctor and used him as a shield. The bullet hit the Witchdoctor and blood game running out of his vest. Jolly dropped his pistol and ran over to the Witchdoctor as Sparrow slipped away.

In his dying breath, the Witchdoctor cursed Jolly. To walk the earth as neither living or dead, but as a horrifying skeleton. As soon as the Witchdoctor finished the curse, and went into the deep sleep of death, Jolly's body began to change. His left hand turned into a mixture of a gun, dagger, and sword. His flesh disappeared, and he was slowly but surely becoming a skeleton! After nearly three minutes, the transformation was complete.

"This isn't over Sparrow! I WILL GET YOU, AND THE CARIBBEAN WILL BE MINE!!!" Jolly yelled so loud the ground nearly rumbled.