Trapped Music

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She huffed and stomped out of the store grumbling about how her father was being so unfair. She pushed passed a few tourists, who were unsurely entering into Will’s Shoppe. She stopped, hearing her father’s cheerful British accent, with its Caribbean twang, coming from inside the open store.

[Will Turner]

“Welcome wayfarers and handsome young sailors! Welcome to Davy Jones’ Murderer, a Shoppe where all your pirating needs will be fulfilled !”

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She could hear a small child, a boy, probably no older than six, speak up after her father’s voice.

“Who are you?”

Davina turned, still able to see the store fairly well.

[Will Turner]

“Me? Why I’m the former Captain of the Flying Dutchman”

Will picked the boy up, who was giggling, and sat him on the counter. It was obvious that these customers were tourists, they looked around at everything, wary of the price of everything. Will looked up from the little boy and spoke out softly.

“If there is a problem with the pricing, just tell me, I’m willing to barter.”

The woman turned and nodded, a little unsure of this strange man - yet surprisingly, not stealing her son away from this stranger.

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Inside Davina the jealousy rose. What happened to the days when he used to pick me up like that?

The little boy spoke up again, having spotted Will’s long, forked scar. “How’d you get that?” He jabbed his finger at it, as Will had his hands on the glass counter top, leaning slightly over it, as he scoped his store out, looking to see what else had to be restocked, his shirt falling open enough to show his chest.

“Herbert! You don’t ask questions like that! Besides, its just makeup! Mr. I’m so sorry I--”

[Will Turner]

But Will laughed.

“Its quite alright miss. And its not makeup, it’s a real scar.”

She seemed a little shocked… but turned back to her shopping as she looked around. Will turned to Herbert and leaned down a little further, to talk to him. His voice was fairly quiet.

“You really want to know how I got it?”

Herbert nodded.

“Yeah! Did you get it in a fight with pirates!?”

Herbert’s mother rolled her eyes as she looked at her husband. He shook his head at his wife, mouthing, ‘Let him play, the owner seems more than happy to play along.’ The woman nodded and was looking at a stuffed squid.

“Well, Herbert, something like that yes. It happened years ago, when I was just a lad. We were fighting the last Captain of The Flying Dutchman, but he bested me. So he stabbed me… my own father then had to cut out my heart so that I could take over as the immortal Captain Wilhelm Turner, of the Flying Dutchman”

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“They cut out your heart?” The little boy looked up at Will with eyes wide in shock and awe.

[Will Turner]

“Mmhmm…So I locked it away and gave it to my wife, she keeps it safe now, under lock and key while it still beats”

Will beckoned Herbert closer, moving his shirt aside. He patted the left side of his chest. Herbert leaned in, to listen to what he was expecting - a heart beat - but it never came. He waited, listening to the seemingly young man’s chest, but pulled away almost scared. He was looking up at Will confused. Will grinned and winked at Herbert, ruffling his hair gently.

Herbert’s mother, Aileen, walked up to the counter, holding a stuffed toy squid.

“How much for the squid?”

Will, without looking up yet, spoke

“That’s not a squid, that’s a Mini Kraken.”

He looked up and glanced at the toy.

“Oh, that’s the Muffin model… that’s about $10.00--”

“$10.00 ?!”

“Like I said, I’m willing to barter. If you buy Muffin, Hobbit and Mobbit, I’ll give you Fluffy for free”

Will walked around from the counter, and pointed out the Hobbit, and Mobbit models

“How much are they?”

“Hobbit is $10.00 like Muffin, and Mobbit is $5.00. If you buy them I’ll throw in Fluffy.”

“Fluffy ?? “

Will pointed up, to an old fisherman’s net that hung down from the ceiling. There was a very large stuffed Kraken toy in it, well, several to be exact.

“That’s Fluffy.”

Herbert’s father’s eyes widened.

“Holy Kraken… how much is Fluffy on his own worth?”

“Hold on.”

Will pulled the ladder out, that was on a circular rail - like a library - and climbed up it, pushing himself around until he found the tag on the stuffed Kraken. He looked down at them

“Fluffy is $50.00 on his own.”

“Who would ever pay that much for a --”

“Aileen be nice, this is his business--”

“Surprisingly, I’ve sold 5 of these since I stocked them last year. People seem to like Fluffy. Besides, I said for $25.00 invested in Muffin, Hobbit, and Mobbit, I would throw in Fluffy for free. “

“Well Aileen,”

Her husband rubbed the back of his neck, as Will still looked down at them. Herbert was looking up at the stuffy in awe… obviously wanting it.

“That’s very good deal… besides Herbert seems to like it -- Alright young man, we’ll take them”

Will smiled and pulled a very large stuffed animal out of the netting and carefully climbed down half way through the ladder, before leaping off, landing with the thud of his boot heels. He walked and picked up the other two plushies and walked to the cash register. He rang up Muffin, Hobbit and Mobbit, before simply tearing the magnetic strip out of Fluffy’s tag.

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“By the way, who names a squid-”

[Will Turner]

“Kraken”

“Whatever. Who was the idiot that thought of Hobbit, Muffin, Mobbit and Fluffy?”

Will looked up at Aileen.

“My daughter…When she was two”

Aileen fell silent. Her husband blushed slightly, but cleared his throat

“Well I think they are cute names. So you’ve been stocking these for about a year? Aww you’re little girl must be a cutie-pie… how old is she now? Three?”

“sixteen actually… she passed you on the way out.”

The man jolted in surprise,

“you mean the girl that was so angry and pushed my wife aside, is your daughter?!”

“I apologize for her actions, truly sir I am sorry for Davina’s … well Davina’s manners.”

“Oh no! That’s not what I meant! Its just I thought maybe she was a cousin or something… I mean… you’re awfully young to have a daughter her age aren’t you?”