Picture Drabble for Hereswith

[dwgm]

A reply to hereswith's request on that Picture Drabble Meme I did awhile back. She wanted Norrington/Elizabeth, with that rather horrible dog.

This is in the same universe as Seconds.

~ Dark Encounter ~

In the blind night, James woke to soft cries of distress.

“Elizabeth!” He caught at her, where she flailed beside him, in the grip of some nightmare. For a moment she struggled, but then his voice seemed to reach her. She stilled, then allowed him to gather her into his arms. “It was only a dream,” he murmured against her hair.

“Yes.” She shuddered, and clung to him. He soothed her with hands and lips, and after a little while was rewarded with a deep sigh, and a kiss. Then she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. What was it? Can you tell me?”

She hesitated, and he brushed another kiss against her forehead, and did not press her. But at last she told him. “It was the dog.”

He knew what she meant. Taking a walk after supper, the thing had lunged at them from where it was chained in the yard of one Thomas Greeley, reputed miser. Elizabeth had been uncharacteristically shaken by the encounter.

“Shall I confront Greeley? The thing is dangerous—or would be, if not chained.”

“No…I mean…you will do as you think best. But in my dream…”

He kissed her cheek, then prompted, “Yes?”

“Oh, James. It became…Barbossa. That second night, when he revealed to me what he was. What they all were.”

She shuddered again, and he held her close.

But she went on. “He was chained, too. By the curse.”

“Yes.” He stroked her hair. “It was so long ago.”

“Not long enough.”

They were silent then, for a time, until finally she drew back, and he knew she was trying to see him in the blackness. Her hands moved over him, in a pattern that was becoming deliciously familiar. She asked him, “Will you help me forget?”

He replied, “Of course, sweetheart. I am, as always, entirely at your service.” His tone was light, and he felt her smile. But God knew the words were the unvarnished truth.



~.~

Comments

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

*bounces*

Sorry about the rabid dog, dear... but oh, you've done wonders with that difficult prompt, this is such a lovely, touching scene. I like the comparison between Barbossa and the dog, with both of them being chained, the tenderness and trust between Elizabeth and James, how she stills when his voice reaches her and how she tries to see him in the blackness, the "blind night". And the last paragraph is so very N/E to me, it's achingly gorgeous. Heartfelt thanks, again, and lots of hugs! :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

The rabid dog certainly presented a problem, but not an insurmountable one. Dog=Barbossa occurred to me fairly quickly, but it took me a while to figure out how to work that equation into a N/E story. I'm very happy you enjoyed the result!