The ocean brings the dead back to life.

They emerge from the bleak, crawling onto Jack Hollow's boat with slow sinister steps. Up the ladder to meet his injured form. Seven blood-shot eyeballs on him. His hand on his right leg, blood leaks from thin cloth. No one sails at night. His mind curses an age-old myth, he would've believed it until now.

"Holl...ows." A corpse mutters, his jaw locked. Face bloated. Steps slow.

Jack knew them, the wounds he left them are fresh for only twenty-four hours had passed. Jack sees the image of himself from behind their eyes, engraved in hate. Murderer. He takes his gun and shoots through them. Each bullet, futile. His gun clicks empty in the rain.

"Be...Betrayed us."

Jack takes out his sword, slashing his way out of the crowd surrounding him. In brisk strokes, the floor covered in black blood. His old Captain's teeth clutch onto his left shoulder, with bone meeting muscle. Jack wails in pain.

"I've always hated your stupid face." He severs off the lad's head, Jack's sword lags along the vertebra. A faint sound hums, thumps in rhythm. Lub-dub.

They approach, he slashes. Cutting limbs off bodies, flesh off the bone.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub.

Louder. That isn't his heart beating.

The corpses cling to his clothes greedily, he smells the salt of their cold skin. Six mouths lunge at him, their faces cover his vision. Teeth gnawing skin. He topples down, the hold on his sword firm. Unabashed. His muscles twitch, using his brute strength he rids the dead off himself. Breaking jaws in the process. It pains him, exasperated grunts ensure him of his power.

"Stole...fr...us."

Jack cuts their lips off.

Lub-dub.

They lay still, unmoving. Jack smiles at his victory.

He chains their legs, then one by one he throws the bodies back to the ocean, again. A sense of nostalgia cripples him for a second.

Lub-dub.

Jack returns to his post, the sound's still there, louder. He tries to ignore it but it drives him mad. It pierces his skull, he covers his ears. Shouts. Bangs his head onto the wooden panel. Nothing works.

Three of corpses emerge from the black ocean, all torn. Faces drenched with dirt and water. Slowly making their way to a helpless Jack. He couldn't concentrate, his sword flails as if swatting flies. His body is on the edge, they drive him to a corner mumbling words he couldn't understand.

Lub-dub.

Louder. The sound reaches a pitch that causes Jack's eardrums to explode. They take a bite of his neck, severing his jugular.

"I'm sorry, please!" A sinner pleads. Hot liquid pools inside his mouth. His balance is lost.

Jack Hollow's body sinks in the darkness, engulfing his existence among the vast stillness. He struggles, reaching upwards with heavy limbs. Something pulls him down. The blood in his mouth escapes in his desperation. In a stream, it dances with the water. Red converges into black until everything disappears.

Lub-

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Word count: 497