Author's note: This story was inspired by a something Captain Jack Sparrow said during AWE. He queued that he dealt with the locker by "close your eyes and pretend it was a bad dream, that's how I get by". I never found many stories about Jack's dealing with the Locker, or ones I did find were sadly unfinished and not updated for years. So here's to that side of Jack we don't normally see and my two cents in it. This will either stay a one-shot or become a short story depending if people want more. Anyway, enjoy, maties.

The Walk Through Hell

There was a sense of sharp pain lingering, aside from the abyss that encased Jack. The darkness that overtook as he faced the Kraken, holding brave as he drove his sword towards the back of the beast's throat. In every second death came closer and closer, he tried not to let his fear run through him... that was until the thousands of teeth engulfed the Captain, impaling and crushing him in every way possible. Jack would have expressed the pain he felt, but in that single moment it was over. It was dark, there was no more Kraken, no more teeth, no more Pearl, but then why-

The Pirate Lord winced and drew in a deep, fleet breath as he opened his eyes. Immediately, he cringed at how bright it was and within that second he could feel the horrendous heat beating down on him. Laying there for a minute, Jack tried catching his shortened breath and for an instant, his thoughts were at a loss, scattered as he attempted recalling what had happened. The Dead Man's Chest...Elizabeth...East India Trading Company...the Key...the Crew...Tortuga...William...the Black Pearl... Although for every time he shut his eyes, he was there again, standing before the Kraken and awaiting for it to tear him apart. Awaiting for it to claim Jack's soul to the Locker...

Suddenly Jack's eyes widened slightly and unsteadily stumbled to his feet with a grumble of pain as he placed a hand on his abdomen. In doing so his other hand ran across the dry, parched earth that felt of brittle, rough sand and absorbed with the burning rays of the forever sun. With airy breaths, Jack finally managed to balance on his feet. His attention drew away from the clear, blue sky to the barren wasteland that stretched in every direction. The sight startled Jack as he stared at it with a thread of hopelessness weaving into his heart. There was no water.. no trees, no animals, not even a slight breeze...

"No matter," the Captain started, attempting to summon a bit of his wit, "I'll just..." He trailed off, his face and voice abandoning any humor that remained with his soul in a sudden realization that this was it. An eternity rotting in this land of hell and for the first time in a long time, Jack was at a loss for words. He swallowed with a bit of emotion as he intently stared at the unfriendly horizon, stretching for who knew how long. Achingly, Jack pivoted, looking for anything, anything. There had to be something, just a bit of shade or water... All he could see were the silhouettes of mountains, far from where he stood. Well, at least he had the Black Pearl.

Jack grew alert at the thought, and it dawned on him that his ship was not at his side. "Where is it?" The pirate tried grasping his cool nature, but he could feel some panic flutter his heart. He took a few steps in each direction, wincing at the fierce pain that loitered deep in his bones as he desperately searched the desert for the Black Pearl. Within a few moments, the pain stocked heavily enough that Jack stopped in his tracks and quickly parted his jacket and shirt. His eyes narrowed as he found large unfamiliar scars lined with a small amount of fresh blood. It looked as if he'd been pieced back together, at least in the areas he supposed the Kraken had gotten him. "Well that's very unusual," he said as he wiped off some of the blood and held his hand in front of him to see. After a moment, the Captain cleaned his hand off on his jacket before pulling it shut, even though he was sure hiding the newly scars from the sun wasn't going to do much for him. As far as he knew, it'd be like this forever. This was the Locker after all.

When he glanced back up, a shallow smile actually crossed his lips. "There you are, darling," Jack praised as he finally spotted what looked like a mast and closed sails, sitting very small against where the wasteland met the sky. "As if it weren't bad enough, he's making me walk to get my ship," he sneered, while regaining some form of defeated wit in his voice.

Although, he was very sore to move, Jack eventually coaxed himself to slowly head for the Black Pearl. The Captain, unfortunately, hardly considered how miserable the walk would be. Within an hour, Jack was exhausted. The ache in his body intensified, while his mouth grew dry from thirst and his empty stomach demanding food. The combination blurred the Pirate Lord's vision and the disorientation sent him plummeting on his knees with a groan. Jack gravely looked at the Pearl, sitting motionless and consistently small, almost as if walking wasn't getting him any closer. For a long time, he remained where he was, cross-legged and beginning to feel his soul deteriorate with despair and regret. How'd he end up in this? Thirteen years ago he was willing to risk his life for his beloved Wicked Wench(at the time), forced to watch it burn at the hands of Cutler Beckett. Branded as a pirate and forced to watch his ship burn for refusing to use his ship to transport slaves. Ready to go down with his ship, that's when he showed up...

The Flying Dutchman and Davy Jones... In heartbreak and a life or death moment, Jack sold his soul in return for his ship to be revived from the depths. Thirteen years seemed a long time when the deal was set, until the Captain was marooned and the Black Pearl taken from him. He believed those years would be enough to find a way out with his trickery, but that went well... All he wanted was adventure and freedom aboard the Black Pearl and this is where he ended up.

In small effort, Jack pulled out his compass, but when he opened it the arrow only spun. It spun and spun, but never stopped. "Aye, you're a lot of help, aren't you," Jack growled as he slammed the compass shut. He looked back towards the Pearl, which remained under the sun, and waiting for its Captain. The pirate scowled in frustration, but with a few grunts he pushed himself to his feet and inched his way towards the Black Pearl. It hurt to move... but Jack gravely wanted the safety of his ship. Even as he befell endless torture from his physical and mental condition, he forced himself to advance forward. Only when he was most audacious to stop for a rest he would, or that moment he thought there was sweat on his cheek, but turned out to be another rigid scar smeared with blood.

Luckily, the idea that Jack wasn't covering ground gradually diminished as the Pearl finally grew bigger with each footstep. By the time she lay about a mile away, Jack stopped once again, tittering from fatigue and panting from the broiling heat... Sluggishly, he looked over his shoulder, watching the desolate terrain which the pirate had strolled upon for hours. Jack hardly knew how much time had passed, but he was sure the sun should at least be setting. It was still sitting high, though, in the cloudless blue sky awaiting for the Captain to crumble on the lifeless sand. "Com'on, Jackie, it ain't much further." Jack tried convincing himself, although his body argued on the idea of continuing. However, as his throat became more arid, a sudden thought came to mind and his face lit up. "I bet there's rum on that ship," he complied gleefully and marched the rest of the way until the Pearl's shade loomed over him.

Sighing with relief, Jack gazed up at his beloved Black Pearl before smoothing a hand below the hull. The ship towered over him, stuck in the dryness. At least the shaded wood was cooler and Jack pressed himself against it with a spark of hope replenishing his soul. If only that hope could have kept above water, because soon the sight of the Kraken destroying the ship - his life - shadowed his memories. Jack's fingers scratched along the wood until they formed into a fist, which he rested on the ship while trying to clear his head of the horrid memory. He released his hand from his abdomen and covered his face with it, rubbing his forehead with emotional agony.

This sun... he'd been in it for too long, he needed to get on the ship and out of the never-ending daylight. He needed a drink and food, if there was any on the ship. Jack took a step back, gawking up as he placed his hand back on his abdomen. Examining the length of the ship, the Captain saw several ropes hanging down. Walking over to one, he grabbed onto it, but then followed the line with his eyesight, where it stretched far up to the deck. How was he supposed to get up there? Jack was always one for being optimistic, but he couldn't find any sliver of strength within him. He'd lost everything by just journeying to the Black Pearl.

Either way, with his confidence, Jack clawed into the rope and strenuously climbed. Within a few feet up the rope, the Pirate Lord halted from the strain and occasionally grimaced in pain. "Not good, not good..." Jack huskily uttered under his breath as his hands started to give. At this point, he hardly cared, he just wanted everything to stop. And with that thought invading his persona, he let go of the rope with a wrenching huff as he hit the ground. Shakily, after catching his breath from the winded fall, Jack got to his feet and wandered over to the canopy created by the ship, where he ended up collapsing to his side. He laid there for quite some time, staring at the abyss of desert. He fought to keep his eyes open, hastily wanting to avoid the inevitable nightmares that lurked... but eventually, he lost that fight too.