Legends of the Treasure Child

“Keeping still, that’s the key”, Jack said to Jack who was sitting on the chair Will had been sitting on half an hour before, “keep still, play dead, be a good boy. Yes, remember that Jackie boy, and ye’ll be all right” Jack muttered to himself half asleep. He was alone with the infant again. William and Bill had returned to their duties. He hadn’t been able to tell them anything. He’d been choking on the words. Jack took his wet shirt and made a ball of cloth of it and tucked it between his legs to stop from bleeding. He laid down and closed his eyes, listening to the uneven breathing of his infant son.

*Say my name*

“Thyrion” Jack whispered into the darkness.

*I’ll pluck every single last feather off you before I gut you, little Sparrow. Spread your legs. Open up to me. Say you’re mine.*

“I’m yours”.

It had been the very first morning after the demon had gut-wrenched Jack with magic the night before. Kind of like the Creation all over again, only twisted. Jack remembered having that thought in the exact same moment as the demon had leapt onto him, roaring at the dawning sun. The enormous erection was shining white in the sunlight, the dark veins underneath the skin translucent, pulsating, pointing between Jack’s legs. The demon had held his thighs in a painful grip, the claws dig ing into the skin. He felt the tip against his opening. Jack had screamed, expecting to be torn in two. Instead the demon had nuzzled up against his neck, smelling his hair, and the action had been enough to surprise him for the demon to force himself in. And it slid in effortlessly while Jack held his breath. The erection was warm, and if had filled Jack so he thought he would split open.

“Can’t take…it !” he’d managed to groan between gritted teeth, “please, you’re killing me!” The demon ignored his pleas, only ploughing its way deeper into Jack. He screamed and wailed, but no mercy was to be found, screaming and feeling sick. All lust was gone. His stomach was still churning, and there was no escape. The demon had begun to thrust in and out, spreading his thighs wider. Jack wailed, feeling nauseous, feeling the chrome of the erection inside him pushing to get further up, and he feared the pain in his abdomen was about to become worse. The demon bided his time, pausing now and then to chew at a leg or an arm from Jack’s unlucky crewman while still being inside Jack, not caring that Jack was bleeding and otherwise numbed with pain. In the end he couldn’t move because of the pain, and he could only lie there petrified, with tears streaming from his pleading eyes, tugging lethargically at the rope binding his hands to the pole. He’d no idea of how long he lay like that. For the sun set again, and rose once more, until Jack succumbed to darkness, to utter bliss, as the demon finally pulled himself out. It was all a blur to Jack, a blur of memories he didn’t want to remember.

“A forthnight…”, Jack muttered to himself as he woke again, “a bloody forthnight.” He looked up to find the reason he’d awoken in the first place. It was Bill standing above him.

“How are ye?” Bill asked quietly, his eyes darting to and fro the infant.

“Hungry. And in pain” Jack replied. “I think the hole is patching itself up together. I’m hoping there will be no sign of it ever again.”

“What will ye do with the boy? He’s demon spawn, Jack.”

Jack looked over to his sleeping son, his eyebrows in a frown. “What would ye have me do then, Bill? Toss him overboard? Let Will ferry his soul into oblivion? Look at that little creature, does he look evil to you? I won’t do it. I can’t do it. He’s a part of me. Killing him would be to kill meself.”

“He’s goin’ to turn on ye, someday.”

“Not if I can’t help it. Not if he’s brought up to be a good man. Maybe, if he gets the proper upbringing, like Will and Elisabeth had, that maybe, just maybe we can strangle that demonic side, ey? Put his treasuring abilities to sleep, savvy?”

“I get yer meaning, Jack, but—“

“—treasuring abilities?” It was Will, standing in the doorway, listening in on the conversation.

“Aye, Jack’s got himself a Treasure Child. A half demon which, according to the legends, can smell gold and treasures from far away and turn things into gold. Even people. A damned child, full of hate and malevolence for all living beings. Now what I can’t understand is why is came out that way”, Bootstrap indicated to the area between Jack’s legs, “and not through yer stomach which is according to the legend.” Bootstrap sat down, squatting next to Jack as he continued: “Now I think the demon had plans with ye. He put ye in a circle with symbols? Black magic for sure! He wanted the child into this world. That’s why he didn’t kill ye, Jack. He had plans fer ye. And now, his plan has come to life”, Bootstrap ended with a nod towards the infant which was stirring, waking up again.

“Ye should be rid of him, Jack, before he wreaks havoc to us all.”

“Leave Jack be, Dad!” Will interrupted, putting a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Jack isn’t in any condition to make that kind of choice just yet.”

“No one is taking John from me, not now not ever!” Jack stated with stern voice.

“John? Jack, ye’re not exactly father material!” Bootstrap gazed at Will, who looked surprised at Jack.

“John. Little John Sparrow. Now, Will, if you please. Some food. And a bottle of rum. I think I’m feeling a little better.” Jack said, smiling lovingly at his infant as it yawned and then wailed for more milk. Will sighed and turned. “No wait, no rum! Forget the rum. Forget the rum? Aye, if ye say so, son! Ye heard him Will, no rum.”

“Actually no, I didn’t hear him”, Will said, crossing his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow at Jack.

“Well I heard him. He speaks to me in me head. All since he was conceived, telling me he meant no harm, advising me on what to do. And actually, yes, I’ll show ye all that I can in fact be father material, I’ll be the best father pirate ever! Savvy?!”
Will’s eyes narrowed, and he took a few decisive steps over to his father’s, stopping next to him, looking suspiciously down at Jack. “And how would an infant know how to advise YOU, who is captain on the seven seas, captain of the greatest galleon ever made?”

“The Pearl means nothing any more. All tha’ matters is John, little John Sparrow.” Jack smiled down again, at his son who was peering up at him with big round yellow eyes.

“You didn’t answer my question.”
Jack sighed, clearly annoyed with Will’s prying. He looked Will square in the eye and said: “John says things like ‘I’m helpless without you, Daddy. If you drink rum, you’ll poison me. If you don’t keep me dry, I’ll get sick and die’. He doesn’t exactly offer to solve the World’s problems like getting rid of the East-Indian Trading Company, but —“

“—fine! I get the point.” Will interrupted. “Oh and there’s another thing. I find it extremely unfair that you can somehow be onboard this ship—, YOU of all people, Jack Sparrow, and not my Elisabeth. Now why’s that?!” Will spat the words out.

“I see I’ve overstayed me welcome”, Jack replied quietly and then sighing heavily. “I’ll be off yer ship as soon as I can get me feet moving, savvy?!”
Will was about to say something, but then he looked up at Bootstrap who was shaking his head at him in silence.

“I’m sorry, Jack. I’m really sorry. It’s—“Will hid his face in his palms, calming down. The outburst had come from nowhere, and he all of the sudden felt like he’d acted like a spoiled child.

“—it’s frustrating being a captain, that’s wha’ it is” Bootstrap finished his sentence, patting his son’s shoulder. “Perhaps”, Bootstrap continued, “we could all do each other a favour. The way I see it, Will needs some company. Jack needs a place to stay with his infant. If they were tha’ figure out wha’ ye been gettin’ yerself Jack, they’ll come and take him from ye. And I could watch the infant, help raisin’ him in a good Christian manner and watch out fer any sign of evilness, if ye catch me drift, Jack, we’re after all onboard the Flying Dutchman, wha’ could possibly happen on a ship where everybody’s already dead?—“

“—ye help raise the boy in a good Christian manner! Hah! Ye don’t even know how to spell Christianity do ye now, Bootstrap?!”

“Give him a shot! He deserves it!” Will laughed at Bootstrap, slapping his thighs.

“Wha’ do ye mean I deserve it?” Bootstrap retorted.

“You were a pretty absent father, remember? Making up for your sins this way sounds like a fine idea to me. Now, to the wheel, mr. Turner, no belay that and scrape together some food for Jack first” Will said in a mocking tone, smiling handsomely for the first time in years. The smile lit warmth in Bootstrap, giving him hope that Will would make it through the years that remained so he could be with his wife again. He strode off with an I’m-so-insulted-I’ll-never-set-another-foot-in-this-cabin-again stride, slamming the door behind him just to give it a finishing touch.