The Fastest Ship on the Ocean,

It Leaves Destruction In Its Wake

THE UNEVEN pavement which leads up to my new house is the least of my worries.  Even though I’ve tripped on one of the cement blocks at least three times now, causing my box full of my favorite books to spill over the sandy walkway and into the prickly plants.  Shaking the remnants of sand out off my Shakespeare book, I stacked it back into the box before glancing up to my new home.

    It was a rickety house with peeling carolina blue paint and more uneven steps with nails sticking out hazardly.  The windows had sea breeze grim on it and I watched as my mom attempts to open one of the windows which seem to be really stuck.  The hot North Carolina sun beats down on me as I attempt not the trip up the steps to the house.  Using my leg I managed to swing the screen door open and step inside, but as the door closed, it closed on my leg and it scraped against me.  Grimacing, I continued the journey to my room, past the kitchen that has a weird fishy smell and into the back of the house, where a single twin bed sat, a worn dresser and bedside table.   I dumped the box next to the heap of the other boxes and return outside for more.

    The biggest worry is the beast which is outside of the house.  The Ocean.  It runs straight to the beach which is basically my new backyard.  It waits and laps at the sandy shore waiting to take someone down with it.  Ever since my father drowned out in sea, my mom and I moved away from the monster, trying to free us of the memories.  I don’t know why, but my mom choose to move back after seven years in Northern Virginia, out of the grasp of the Ocean.

    “Cordelia!” my mom’s voice trailed with the wind as I begin to open the car door, “Come and help me with this window!”

    I cringed at the sound of my full name, because it reminds me that I have no friends yet.  All my friends call me Lia, but since I moved away I’ve been hearing more Cordelia than Lia.  Sighing, I drop the last box in my front seat before scurrying up to the house.  My mom had clipped back her short raven black hair and was still struggling with the same window.

    “I think this a battle that won’t be won,” I said, watching her heave at the window again.

    “Where is the fun in quitting if you haven’t tried?” she smiled at me, but I could see the stress of moving and being so close to the Ocean in her crystal blue eyes.

    “Is there anything else in the car, besides my writing box?” I asked, motioning towards at car.

    “There is one thing in the back of the trunk, that I think you’d like,” she said and winked at me.

    A surge of excitement shoots out of my heart and my flip flops slap against the ground as I dash to the car.  I open the trunk to reveal an Amazon box.  Squealing, I opened it using my new house keys and I revealed a book.  I thought my mom canceled all of my book orders, but she saved this one, Romeo and Juliet.  Pressing the book against my chest, the day seemed to get a little bit brighter.  My last copy of Shakespeare’s famous play, accidently fell into a mud puddle instead of my outstretched hands.  Catching is not one of my best skills.

    A gust of ocean breeze whips down the street, causing my wavy golden blonde hair to jump around me.  The street is silent, except for a floating voice, which murmured against the sky.  This is what I get for moving too close to the monster.

    Acting like a scared 5 year old, I raced back into the house, clutching Romeo and Juliet close.  My mom was oblivious from the drifting voice and I convinced myself that I just made it up.  I’m seventeen, I shouldn’t believe in fairy tales and monsters.  I moved some boxes off of the dining room table which has a window that overlooks the Ocean.  Hastily, I jump up and closed the blinds over the endless stretch of blue.  Not today.

    My mom padded into the dinning room, “What do you think about take out?”

    “I don’t really see us having another option,” I said, flipping through my new book.  My favorite smell in the whole world is the smell of a new book.  It calms down my still shaken heart.

    “Well, then you win the award to go and search for some local cuisine!” My mom said, dropping a wad of bills on the table.

    “Wait, really?” I asked, glancing up from the book.  I’m not very adventurous, I would rather be cuddled up with a favorite book than trampling around in a new town.

    “Yeah, why not?” My mom is the opposite, she isn’t afraid to start a conversation with anyone, “You can meet some of the local kids, make some friends.  School starts in three months, get ahead of the game!”

    I know that there was no use fighting her, when she gets an idea in her head - there is no stopping her.  Grumbling, I snatched the money up, “I’ll go after I unpack some.”

    I pad down the hall to my room and collapse onto the bed.  The springs squeal in protest against the sudden weight, but I rolled over ignoring the sounds.  The last thing I want to do it wander around some new town looking for food.

    Glancing up, I gazed at the boring beige boxes that clutter my new room.  All look haunting and uninviting, another thing that I don’t want to do.  Dramatically, I lay my arm across my forehead and groaned.  Instead of drowning in the misery of the situation, I popped up and began to unpack my clothes into the dresser.  I don’t have many clothes, since we had to donate a lot of them before moving so it moved pretty quickly.  My black T-shirt which I am currently wearing, is not the most attractive shirt.  My gaze shifted to a pretty top that hugged my body showing how skinny I was.  I held it up, deciding if I should change or not.  Eh, I thought, it’s not like there is anyone to impress in town.  I tossed the shirt into the drawer.  Along with catching not being my ideal talent, throwing isn’t either.  Instead of gracefully flinging it into the drawer, I managed to hit my smoothie that I left on the bedside table which toppled down and splatter all over my jean shorts and down my legs.

    Murmuring a few selected curse words, I rushed to the bathroom and wiped down my legs of the sticky smoothie.  These were my one good pair of shorts and I stripped down of them and annoyingly took out my worn dark blue skinny jeans and pulled them on.  I really need to get more clothes.  Since the smoothie made my flip flops sticky, I pulled on socks and my high top black converse.  Now, I really look like an outsider now by not dressing for the hot outdoors.

    “Cordelia!” my mom called, “The last owner left bikes by the side of the house!  Take one with you!”

    I grabbed the pile of cash and Romeo and Juliet and walked into the main room.  My mom gave me a look over and handed me my favorite baseball hat.  It was the hat that my father gave to me only a month before his drowning.  He even signed it on the inside of it.  The hat was once a blue jean hat, but it has been worn out and most of the color fading into a pale blue.

    “You left it in the car,” she said quietly as we both gazed down at the hat.

    “Thanks,” I smiled, “I love you.”

    “I love you too, my favorite daughter,” she smiled, “You know why we named you right?”

    “Yeah, you guys loved Shakespeare,” remembering all the times she has told me, “Cordelia is the daughter of King Lear.”

    “And she was his favorite daughter, just like you,” she said.

    “Well, you only had one daughter,” I pointed out as I pull up my hair into a ponytail.  I pull my hair through the loop in the back as I open the door.

    “Make sure you pick something good!” my mom called after me.

    I walked to the other side of the house and found two bikes: one yellow like the burning sun and the other a crystal blue like the sea.  I could see the lapping waves in the bike’s color, growing closer and closer like a reaching hand.  Quickly, I grabbed the yellow one and pedaled away from the images.  You shouldn’t be afraid of the color of the Ocean.  Get yourself together, Lia.  

    I rode down the sidewalk, skittering away from uneven spots on the sidewalk and almost wiped out as this little kid ran out for this ball.  It wasn’t a long ride until I reached a boardwalk.  It was the first time I have looked at the Ocean in years and I suppressed my flight response.  Deep breaths.  It’s just water.  The ocean breeze kicked up as seagulls called to each other.  It was exactly the same as I remembered.  I coasted down to the end of the boardwalk and the smell of seafood wafted from the pier.  Gently, I lean the bike beside the side of the closest building, hoping that no one would steal it.

    I push my hat further down on my head, blocking the sun rays.  I silently wished for a pair of sunglasses as I looked down the boardwalk.  There were few people meandering down the walk, perfect.  Tucking Romeo and Juliet into my back pocket, I bravely took a step onto the pier.  Images of me falling through the wood and down towards the monster flooded my system, but I bit my lip and continued forward.  Nothing happened.  Keep cool, Lia.  Taking deep breaths, I continued down the pier and spotted a touristy kiosk where there was a rack of sunglasses.  Quickly, I look through the cash and determined I had enough for a cheap pair of gold aviators.  I always seem to break my sunglasses quickly, since I had a large head and they always snap when I push them on top of my head.  I slid on the sunglasses and the world dimmed a bit.  I can do this.  I purchased them and continued down towards the seafood hut.  

    Someone brushed up against my arm and I leapt away from them.  When I looked back to see who did it, there was no one.  You’re just paranoid again, I continued down as an old man pulled out a saxophone and played some blues.  I have always loved live music, so I tossed my change of the sunglasses into his cup.

    Reaching the seafood shack, I order two cups of freshly caught shrimp and two lemonades.  No one was else was in the shack and I asked if the boardwalk was popular.

    “During the Spring, Fall and Winter it’s more popular,” the older man said handing me back change and my lemonades, “In the Summer it's pretty empty.”

    “How come?” I ask as he handed me the shrimp cups.

    He looked me over, “Do you have any brothers?”

    I shook my head, what does that have to with anything?

    “Do you have both of your parents?” he asked.

    “Just my mom,” I answered suspiciously, but he looked relieved, “Then you’re fine.  Nothing to worry about.”

    Well, that was helpful.  I grabbed my food and walked by the old man with the saxophone and back toward the safety of land.  A gust of ocean breeze swept down the boardwalk and the windows rattled.  Another voice drifted off of the waves of the Ocean like before and I stopped.

    An eerie feeling crept over me and I realized that the saxophone stopped.  I spun around towards where the old man was.  He was gone.  I am alone on the dock.  Oh God, oh God.  My heartbeat pounded in my ears and adrenaline coursed through me.  My body screamed for me to run, but I couldn’t.  I was rooted to the spot with my heart in my throat.  

    “You should’ve run when you could,” a cruel voice said from behind me as my blood froze.  Before I could make a move, a bag went over my head.  I let out a hoarse scream, before I was knocked in the back of the head.  I crumbled to my knees and then another hit and the darkness consumed me.

〰〰〰

IT WAS dark when I woke.  I was gently being rocked side to side like the movements of the sea.  I tried to sit up, but I smacked my head against a hard wooden beam.  Oh God.  I squinted in the darkness and I realized that I’m sitting in a hammock.  I look around and about a couple dozen more hammocks were swinging peacefully with people in them.  I got to be dreaming.  Shutting my eyes, I prayed to just wake up.  

    Before I could move anymore, footsteps moved towards where I was lying.  I kept my eyes firmly closed and scarcely breathed.  The footsteps stopped and a calm voice spoke by my ear, “Don’t open your eyes.”

    I obeyed, “Tuck your hair away into your hat.  Don’t tell anyone your real name or gender.  Do what I say and you won’t get hurt.”

    The footsteps moved away and I let out a breath.  I braided my hair and wrapped it up in my hat which I pulled down all the way to my ears.  This must be a dream.

〰〰〰

“GET UP you lazy bums!”

    Someone walked by and flipped my hammock and I fell smack against the hardwood floor.  The groggy feeling washed over me as I struggled to remember where I was.  Then it came rushing back and the feeling of dread trickled through - this is not a dream.

    I struggled to my feet as I watch people begin to run up a stairwell.  I make sure my hair was fully tucked and raced up after them.

    “C’mon, get into a line, quickly now!” a gruff voice shouted at us as I numbly followed.

    I followed the rest of the people up and out onto a ship’s deck.  It was a large ship, with tall masts reaching the bright blue sky as puffy white clouds meandered across.  Seagulls called to each other as a great whiff of the sea came blowing by.  My heart pounded, hoping that we were still at dock and I can just slip away.  But to my dismay, a long stretch of water reached the horizon.  My worst nightmare came true.

    “Move!  In a line!” a short man with a grimace came shouting at us from earlier.  He wore a red bandana which covered most of his greasy gray hair which fell down to his shoulders.  He smelled like old fish and I suppressed an urge to gag as I fell in line with the rest of the people.

    He eyed us one by one and said, “All right, boys!  You guys have been chosen to sail the seas with us.  Y’all on our turf now, my rules.  If any of you, idiots, have complaints say them now or forever hold your silence.”

    He ended up standing in front of me and sprayed his words onto my face.  I cringed away from his terrible breath.  Yeah, I got a complaint.

    “We weren’t picked, we were captured!” cried a boy a couple to my left, “You can’t just kidnap us!”
    “Who’s stopping us?” fish breath smiled at the boy, showing his yellow teeth.

    The boy struggled to find an answer, but fish breath whistled and a six and a half foot man came over.  In one motion, he picked up the boy and threw him overboard.  The boy let out a scream before there was a splash against the sea.  I shut my mouth.

    “If you complain, you’re thrown overboard.  If you refuse to work, you’re thrown overboard.  If you attempt escape, you’re thrown overboard.  If you talk back, you’re thrown overboard.  If you jump overboard,” he paused as his tiny brain thought hard about what would happen, “we’ll fish you out and throw you overboard.  If I don’t like you,” he gave another pause looking at us in the eye, “you’re thrown overboard.  Questions?”
    A boy, who looked only a year older than me, made a leap for the side and tumbled into the waves.  Fish breath frowned before barking, “Now line up by age!  Quickly now!”

    We quickly assembled into a line as boys shoved each other.  Are there any girls here?  I didn’t dare to ask, since fish breath didn’t look like a particular good person to ask these questions.

    “How are old are you?” a much taller boy asked me.

    “Seventeen,” I responded and he gave me a look.  

    He didn’t mention anything and just walked around me.  What did I do wrong?  We shuffled around until fish breath thought we were good enough.

    “How old are you, lad?” fish breath said looking down to a small boy.

    “Eight,” the boy mumbled.

    “Sir!” fish breath barked.

    The boy looked confused and fish breath snapped, “Call me ‘sir’ or else!”

    “Yes, sir!” the boy grimaced.  

    “Name?” fish breath asked looking up and down the boy.

    “Edward,” he quickly added, “sir.”

    Fish breath sniffed and moved down the line.  There are eight year olds being taken, this cannot be happening.  My earlier conclusion was correct as fish breath continued down the line, there weren’t any girls.  Am I supposed to be here?

    “Age?” fish breath approached me and I hid my gag from his stench.

    “Seventeen,” I sputtered and he gave me a look that the other boy earlier shared.  What am I doing wrong?

    “Sir,” I added in a deeper tone of voice and he shrugged.

    “Name?” my heart pounded in my ears.  Don’t tell anyone your real name or gender.  I tucked my hands into my back pocket out of a nervous habit and my hands brushed up against Romeo and Juliet.

    “Are you deaf?  I asked you a question!” fish breath made a face.

    “Romeo,” I rushed, “My name is Romeo, sir.”

    He gave me a funny look.  Is he going to buy it?

    “Romeo,” a voice said a couple people down, “Like from Shakespeare?”

    The voice was attached a boy who looked about the same age with curly brown hair which laid longer on his forehead and shorter by his neck.  He had a crooked nose and high sharp cheekbones which gave his face an angular look.  The boy was tall and lanky with leather bracelets on his right arm.  Sneakers matched the age of his bracelets both frayed and worn out.  Long fingers held a case which he pushed back behind his leg as fish breath slowly moved his eyes over to his.  This boy seemed like he has been on open sea before from his skin being slightly tanned and his deep dark brown eyes unafraid of the monster that lurked only feet below.

    “And who are you?” fish breath sneered, glaring at him.

    “Flake,” he said and there was something with his voice.  A slight accent?

    “All these names are getting worse and worse,” fish breath groaned.

    “What’s your name?” Flake asked and I couldn’t suppress a shudder, he is treading on dangerous waters.

    Fish breath grimaced, “Agnus.”

    Flake’s eyes lit up in laughter, but he held it down.  He considered saying something else, but he kept his mouth shut.  He knows where the line is drawn.

    “Anything to say, Flake?” Agnus spit his name.

    “None, sir,” Flake bit his lip.

    “Okay, age?” Agnus continued his interrogation.

    “Seventeen,” he responded.

    Agnus looked him up and down again and continued down.  Tension in my shoulders were still taut as he continued down the line.  Can I really get away by being a boy?  I did a quick glance down at myself and I silently bless my small chest and clothing choice.  Agnus finished going down the line before shouting at us, his spit spraying, “All right, boys!  This has been one of the worse lots I have seen!  But we have to make do with what we have.  You are all under the sails of the Pirate King and I am your overseer.  Now, every morning at daybreak, I expect to see you on board ready to work.  Only after an hour of good work you are allowed to eat breakfast!  No sooner!  Now assignments!”

    He whistled and a grimy boy came running across the deck, handing Agnus a bunch of soiled papers, “If you’re under ten, go down to the cook.  From eleven to seventeen - swab the deck!  Eighteen and older, come with me.”

    With that there was a hurried motion as boys went running in all directions, hastily following Agnus’ orders.  I was knocked over by one of the older boys and I hit the deck.  A foot came dangerously close to my face and nearly yanked off my hat.  Firmly I secure my hands around the rim and held it close.

    “You okay?” Flake said from above me, cocking his head to one side like a lost dog.

    “Yeah,” I said gruffly, standing back up.

    He handed me a wet sponge, “You’re Romeo, right?”
    Flake held out his other hand and I hesitated before taking it, “Yeah and you’re Flake?”

    He grinned, before tucking his case behind some barrels on deck.  Before I could ask, the man who threw the boy overboard, pushed me to the ground.  He let out a deep laugh which echoed in his throat, “Get working, scum!”

My fingers trembled as I begun to scrap the years of dirt and grime on the wooden deck.  The man sneered, “Put your back into it!  You’re scrubbing like a girl!”

I bit back a retort of how strong girls are, but I felt that would be the wrong answer.  Flake fell down beside me, putting his elbows into it and I copied him.  We worked in silence as the giant man lumbered away.

“Could this place be more cheerful?” Flake snorted and I shared a smile with him.

“I’m just waiting to wake up from this horrible nightmare,” I said half-heartedly.

“I’m sorry, Shakespeare, but I’m afraid this is real life,” he answered and I grimaced.  

“How did you get on this joy ride?” I asked, pushing hard against a particular green spot.

“My father sold me,” I stared at him, in disbelief, “it tends to happen in my family.  My brother was sold to the Lord of Waters and me to the Pirate King.”

“To whom?” I asked, stunned.

“To me,” a deep voice answered above me and there before looming in a giant shadow was the Pirate King

The Fiercest Captain to

Sail the Seven Seas

THE PIRATE King loomed over us and I suppressed a shudder as I gape.

He stood taller than six feet with leathery skin which stretched over his face from years of being out in the poisoning sun.  A great bushy black as night beard clung to his face and fell down to where his giant arms were crossed.  His eyes were small and the color of the morning sea and did not admit any joy.  A large black hat sat on his head with snowy white feathers rimmed the sides, which contrasted deeply with the rest of his look.  He wore a sea green jacket with golden cuffs and worn off-white trousers.  They were nearly yellow with age.  An orange scarf was wrapped around his shoulder to his torso which a pistol sat by his hip.  Peeking beneath his scarf was a brown belt where a long vicious looking pirate sword hung.  To finish his look, a green parrot swooped down from above and landed on his shoulder.  If you looked up ‘pirate’ in a dictionary, his picture would be next to it.

“What’s your name, lad?” the Pirate King swung his head towards me, narrowing his tiny eyes.

“Uhhh,” I nearly forgotten how to speak as I tried to hide my shaky hands, “Romeo, sir.”

His eyes searched me and I prayed that he would only find a boy and nothing more.  I felt the power in his gaze and then stopped looking at my clothes.  The Pirate King grumbled something before heading off.

I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding.  Flake gave me a weak smile before returning his gaze to the deck.

“That’s the Pirate King,” Flake answered.

I shivered and continued to mop, “Is he well known?”

Flake stopped scrubbing, “You really don’t know anything, do you?”

I bit my retort back and gave him a clueless glance, “The Pirate King is the most known pirate in the world!”

“I typically stay towards land,” I said truthfully, shutting out the idea that I am out at sea, “I haven’t been this close to the Ocean since my dad drowned.”

Images flickered in my brain of the sound of the ambulance, my tears staining the sand and my mom howling into the wind.  The empty feeling in my heart began to grow, swallowing up other emotions, but I shut it down.  Not now.

“I’m sorry,” Flake said, turning to look at me.  His eyes were sad and I could actually feel that he was sorry, “I never met my mother.”

He looked off and his brown matted hair fell in front of his eyes, “My father never talked about her.  But I would do anything to switch places of my mother and father.”

A shadow fell across his eyes, he was reliving some dark memories and I didn’t dare ask.  

“But, here I am, away from my father,” Flake continued to scrub, “This could be worse.”

〰〰〰

IT DID get worse.

    The sun was the real monster on this ship.  Without the protection of sunscreen, my skin reeled and was scald by the sun.  I had basically turned into a human lobster.  I had a more pale complexion of skin (thanks, Mom), but I typically tanned after I burned.  I am about to get real tan soon from my red skin.

    Flake, on the other hand, got a nice dark tan from only one day in the sun.  He barely seemed affected by the harmful rays as I writhed in pain.  The only thing I truly wanted to do is to peel off my skin.  

    We scrubbed the deck all day and the other sailors didn’t bother to avoid the newly cleaned spots and only got them more dirty.  Some purposely kicked over our pails of clean water and we had to use dirty water to ‘clean’ the rest.  I’ve never done anything so hard and in so much fear of being thrown overboard, or worse killed.  

    As the sun was about to sink into the sea, Agnus barked at us it was time for supper.  With all the fear and the pain, I forgot how hungry I was.

    “I could eat a cow,” I grumbled to Flake as we went below deck.

    My appetite nearly vanished as we stepped below and the welcoming breezes from above deck vanished.  Down below it was hot and stunk to high heaven.  I swallowed bile that rose up to my throat and I could feel the ship lurching from side to side.

    “You okay, Romeo?” Flake asked, cocking his head to one side, “You are turning a pretty shade of green.”

    “Yeah,” I choked, “let’s eat and get this over with.”

    Flake’s concerned eyes did not leave me as I stood in line with the rest of the captured teens, waiting for dinner.  As I rounded the front of the line, I realized why it smelled so horrible.  

    I nearly lost my stomach as I gazed at the gruel that was being served.  A large man stood with a ladle in hand serving us our ‘dinner’ in wooden bowls.  Dinner was a term that should be used lightly.  It was a discolored brown that had little chunks of something, that I didn’t ask.

    “Whatcha standing there for?” the man barked, “do you wantcha dinner or not?”

    I couldn’t form words so I limply handed my bowl over as he scooped the slop into it.  I tried to hide my grimace as it plopped into my bowl with an unsettling sound.  Blindly, I took it back and followed the rest of the boys deeper into the belly of the beast.

    “I can see why you look so green now,” Flake said, gazing into his mess of a bowl, “The one thing that I know is not to insult the cook, even though I have some good comments about his cooking.”

    A small boy snickered to my left.

    “I made a comment once on the last ship I was on and nearly died from food poisoning the next night, never insult the cook,” the boy said.

    “Good thing I kept my comments to myself,” Flake grinned, offering a hand, “I’m Flake by the way and this is Romeo.”

    The boy looked us over and grinned, “I’m Spencer, fourteen.  Is this the first ship you’ve been on?”

    We reached where our hammocks hung and Flake sat at on the floor, leaning against a wooden column stood, “Seventeen.  This is my first, but not my first time out at sea.”

    They both turned to me, but I couldn’t speak without getting sick.  Flake seemed to read it in my eyes and answered for me, “Excuse my friend, he hasn’t found his stomach yet and this ‘food’ isn’t exactly helping.  I believe it’s his first ship.”

    I nodded as noticed that we had no spoons.  Spencer nodded and placed the lip of the bowl into his mouth and swallowed his gruel in one gulp.  I can’t believe that a fourteen year old has been on at least two ships already.

    Spencer was a small boy, with curly mousy brown hair and vivid green eyes.  His skin was a dark olive tone that probably got that dark from all the hours in the sun.  He grinned at me showing his teeth, before gazing at my skin.

    “I can tell that from the red skin he has,” Spencer shook his head and clicked his tongue, “that has to hurt.”

    I gave him a no, duh look, before finding the courage to drink down my ‘dinner’.  It slid down my throat and I concentrated so hard not to vomit that I begun to see spots in my vision.  Keep it together, Lia.  

    “You two,” Agnus came from behind Flake and I and I nearly jumped out of my skin.  Well, I wish I did, so I didn’t have to keep feeling the sun burn.

    Agnus paused looking at my red skin and smirked, “Well, I see someone has been out in the sun a little too long today,” he barked a laugh and continued, “Captain’s orders, get changed into your clothes.  You survived today, so you’re apart of the crew.”
    He threw a wad of clothes at both of us and stalked away looking to yell at someone else.  Flake grinned holding up his clothes, “Well, marvelous.  I think this green will bring out the hazel in my eyes.  What do you think, ladies?”

    Flake made a coy face and batted his eyelashes.  Spencer barked out a laugh and I snorted, “With a cute hairdo, you will look like the Queen at the ball.”

    “You’re too kind, Romeo,” Flake’s eyes danced with laughter.

    I held up my distasteful Pirate suit.  It was a mulberry purple top with large sleeves and I knew immediately that it would not fit me at all.  I would look like a little kid playing dress up in this outfit.  Balled up in one of the sleeves was a pair of large trouser that was yellow with age and smelled like fish.  Along with this gorgeous get up was a pair of old worn boots and a red bandana.  Flake pulled out a matching bandana, “Great, we can be twinsies!”

    I rolled my eyes as Flake stripped off his shirt, revealing a lean muscular chest.  I quickly looked away and I felt heat rush to my cheeks.  Hopefully it was dark enough for no one to noticed.

    “What?  Romeo, can’t you wait to put on your new outfit?” Flake grinned as I peered from the side of my view, making sure that my gaze remained on his face.

    “I can hold my excitement,” I said getting up as I noticed more boys getting into their new outfits, “Where do I put my bowl?”

    “I’ll show you,” Spencer said getting up as I hastily escaped.

    He led me around back towards the kitchen area where I balanced my bowl on top of rest of the pile.  My stomach squirmed with the smell and thankfully we didn’t linger too long.  We reached back and I felt silly still wearing my street clothes.  It felt like the time in seventh grade that I thought it was pajama day, but instead it wasn’t.

    Flake stretched out on his hammock, flipping through my copy of Romeo and Juliet which it must’ve fallen out of my pocket.  I scanned it quickly for any signs of damage, but it looked alright.  He can touch your book, it’s okay.  I get protective about my books.

    “Was it a coincidence that you were named after the heart throb from Shakespeare play?” Flake asked looking up at me.

    I struggled into my hammock, “My parents loved Shakespeare.”

    It wasn’t a lie.

    I kicked off my converse and dared to look at the new clothing.  I needed to change, my current clothes were not fit for working on the ship, but how can I do it discreetly?  Maybe when people fall asleep I can find a closet or somewhere to change.

    Flake’s eyes drifted from the book and up to my hat, “Are you going to sleep in that hat?”

    “My father gave it to me before he drowned,” I said just above a whisper and Flake shut his mouth.

    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry,” Flake said and tossed my book to me.

    Before I could say anything else, our favorite friend, Agnus, came charging through, “Lights out!”

    With that the cabin plunged into darkness.  

    “Romeo?” Flake whispered.

    “Yeah?” I answered, trying to find a sitting position in my hammock.

    “Thanks for not making this trip any more miserable,” Flake said quietly before his breathing fell into an even rhythm.

〰〰〰

IT WASN’T long before most of the boys drifted into sleep.

    As quietly as I could manage, I slipped out of my hammock and grabbed my clothes.  My night vision kicked in as I slither through the maze of hammocks looking for any safe spot.  I got lucky as I managed to smash my hip into a doorknob.  I held back a tidal wave of curse words out and I slid inside of a broom closet.

    I struggled in the dark as I removed my clothes.  They rubbed against my sunburnt skin and I bit down on my lip until blood weld to the surface.  Within a minute, I was fully dressed into my new outfit.  I was correct, it didn’t fit me at all.  It hung around my slim frame and I wished for a needle and thread to fix its largeness.  I did manage to tie knots at the shoulders, so it wouldn’t slip down.  The shirt was so big that I ripped the bottom fabric to use it as a binding around my chest, to make sure that it won’t be seen.

    The real problem was with the pants.  They kept slipping off of my hips, so I tied another knot.  It wasn’t a tight knot, so I would have to keep an eye on it.  Hopefully they won’t fall down in the middle of the day, I would have a lot of explaining if that happened.

    I was about to go back to bed when I heard the floorboards creaking and a couple of voices outside of the closet.  My blood froze and I stayed dead silent.

    “What do you think, captain?” Agnus’ annoying voice whispered.

    “Not the best, but they will do,” the deep voice of the Pirate King responded.

    Now I’m going to die.

    “Any of them seem useful?” the Pirate King asked.

    “Well, the kid who calls himself Flake will be very useful.  We paid good money for him from his father, but with that mouth, he could get in a bunch of trouble,” Agnus grumbled something to himself, “The kid he hangs around him, Remus?  Or something like that, won’t last too long.  We picked him up off the docks, so we’ll see how long he will last.  But at least he was free.”

    “There’s something off with him,” the Pirate King mumbled, “but I don’t know what.”

    The floorboards squeaked outside, I imaged Agnus was shifting his weight.  I nearly missed the next thing he said, “Are we close?”

    “To our goal?”

    “Yeah, the treasure.”

    I grasped onto this information and eased closer to the door, pressing my ear against the wood.

    “It will be another week before we can reach the loot,” the Pirate King responded, “but remember what I said.”

    More footsteps approached.

    “Sorry to bother you, captain, but you better come above deck.  There is something you would want to see,” a pirate said.

    “We’ll finish this conversation later,” the Pirate King dismissed Agnus.  

    I waited another two minutes as all the footsteps faded away.  What about this treasure?  There was something about the tone of their voices that they didn’t want anyone to know about what we were looking for.  Also the Pirate King knew something was different about me.  Does he suspect that I am not truly who I say I am?  

    I hope they never find out.

Find the X and Discover

Incredible Treasure

“THE PURPLE looks fabulous on you,” Flake winked at me the following morning as I woke up groggily.

    I barely slept last night, as the Pirate King’s words echoed in my head.  There’s something off with him.  All night, I slept in fear and would wake up from sleeping an hour or two in sweat afraid that someone found me.  How am I going to keep this up?  Along with the fear, my skin was screaming all night.  Every shift of fabric caused me to bite back a scream.  It was torture.  

    “Get up, you scum!” Agnus’ screeched at us and I rolled out of my hammock, struggling to put on my new boots.  By new, I mean new to me.

    The boys and I surfaced from down under and I nearly collapsed in delight as a fresh breeze curled off of the surface of the Ocean.  The Ocean, the monster.  I still haven’t dared to look at it and I wasn’t going to start now.

    Agnus had us all stand in a line like the morning before as he surveyed us.  His eyes grazed us all and I began to sweat as his gaze lingered longer on me.  I kept my head up, refusing for him to find any faults in me.  He sniffed and barked, “Alright, who is missing?”

    We all craned our necks looking for the missing boy.  I gave Flake a raised eyebrow and he shrugged.  One of the older boys came scrambling out from the lower deck, his eyes wide, “Sorry, sir.”

    Agnus growled at him, “What did I say about being late?”

    “I don’t remember, sir.”

    Agnus whistled and the giant man from yesterday came lumbering up.  The boy began pleading, “I didn’t mean to, please don’t throw me overboard!  I will do anything, please!”

    The giant man didn’t hesitate as he picked up the boy as if he was a rag doll and threw him into the sea.  A slow smile stretched across Agnus’ face which caused my blood to run cold.

    “What are you standing around for?  Get to work!” immediately we all scrambled to the places from yesterday.

    “Scare tactic,” said a voice from my left as Spencer walked by me, “They always do this.”

    “Where are you going?” I hissed as I grabbed a sponge.

    “Watch, at the top of the mast,” I gazed up to see a perch at the top of the sail.  I gave him a quizzical look before he responded, “You got to be sneaky to move up the ranks.”

    Spencer sauntered off, grinning down to us newbies.  I rolled my eyes as I scrubbed next to Flake.  

    Dawn reached the Ocean, creating the sky into a masterpiece.  Colors fluidly blend together creating soft oranges, roaring reds and somber blues.  I let my jaw drop as the sun peeked from the horizon, casting the ship with morning light.  Beside me, Flake held the same expression of awe.

    “It’s beautiful,” Flake breathed, his face open.  I remembered the words he said to me last night, Thanks for not making this trip any more miserable.  I guess that is a guy’s way for saying thanks to another guy.

    “Stop your gawking and scrub!” Agnus rounded at us and killed the whole mood.  With his brains he probably just saw a sunrise instead of a symphony of colors washing away the night.

    Gritting my teeth, I made an effort to show him that I am just like everyone else, that a girl can do a boy’s job.  Agnus didn’t bother to walk around the clean spot that I just scrubbed spotless and I muttered under my breath something nasty.

    “Wow, I didn’t know Romeo had such a dirty mouth!  Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Flake chuckled beside me and I smirked.

〰〰〰

BREAKFAST COULDN’T come soon enough.

    After an hour of working in the cool morning sun, Agnus merely sniffed at us letting us go to breakfast.  Spencer joined us, fifteen minutes later and I immediately began to interrogate him about the system of ranks here.

    “Yeah, if catch someone doing something wrong, then it’s an immediate promotion.  The Pirate King runs a very tight ship,” Spencer took a gulp of morning gruel.  I asked what the difference was between morning gruel and gruel.  Spencer responded that this gruel was served in the morning, “he makes sure that no one trusts each other and if he finds people making alliances, he finds a way to break it up.  In case of mutiny.”  

    “Mutiny?” I asked and both Spencer and Flake hushed me.

    “Don’t say it too loud, or you will be thrown overboard,” Spencer whispered, “it’s when the crew overthrows the captain.  Very bad.

    “Luckily, I don’t think they have noticed us.  If they do, they will try to break us up…” Spencer trailed off and before I could tell them what I overheard last night, Agnus came down.

    “Get back up there!  We don’t pay you to eat our food!” Agnus growled.

    “You pay us?  I must’ve missed my paycheck!” Flake called out to Agnus who gave him an annoyed expression.

    “It’s just a saying,” Agnus said, “If you talk back one more time, boy, you’ll be getting some lashes.”

    I shivered at the thought and made a move to follow Flake up the stairs, but Spencer caught my arm.  His fingers clasped down on my sunburnt skin and I let out a tight moan of pain.

    “I have some ointment for that,” Spencer whispered, looking down at my fiery skin and letting go.

    I gave him a thankful smiled and hurried up the stairs.  The coolness from the morning sun had faded, replacing with the burning sun of yesterday.  I groaned as I hit the deck beside Flake, scrubbing away.

    Between the breakfast talk and the eavesdropping last night, I knew I had to tell Flake something.  I glanced down at the water’s reflection to spy if Agnus was anywhere near us.  Luckily, he was harassing another boy towards the bow of the boat.

    “Hey,” I whispered, making sure that my voice is still deep, “I have something to tell you.”

    Flake caught onto my tone and didn’t make eye contact as we continue to scrub, “Shoot.”

    “Last night, I was…” finding a closet to change, since I’m a girl, “...sleepwalking and I woke up in time to hear the captain and Agnus’ voices coming from down the hall.  So I dove into a closet and accidentally heard their whole conversation.”

    I then explained quickly what I heard, leaving out the parts of them thinking there is something off with me.  I dared a glance towards him, but he kept his face very neutral.  I finished, hoping that he would find a good way that we can hid our alliance, as Spencer put it.

    “Treasure?  That means there must be a map!” Flake gave me a quick grin and I almost wanted to smack him.  That’s besides the point!  We’re in danger, you big oaf.  This must be the reason why I had scarcely any friends who were boys.  They’re idiots.  

    “But…” I began and Agnus rounded up on us.

    “Let’s see your work,” Agnus sneered, knowing that we were just talking a minute ago.

    I slowly scoot away from my unfinished work and silently prayed for a miracle that I wouldn’t be thrown overboard.  Flake’s also was unfinished and an unsettling grin spread across Agnus’ face.  We’re done for.

    Suddenly, there was a rush of water and a giant wave from the Ocean leapt from below and splashed the deck, getting all of us wet.  I held back a surprised shriek, glancing down at my drenched clothes.  Agnus got the worse of the jet of water, he stood very still as he just blinked with an open mouth.

    “It’s just a bit of water, Agnus,” Flake grinned, shaking his head letting all the water from his hair spray.

    Agnus simply stammered before storming off below deck.  Flake’s smile only grew, but I saw a quick wince of pain that shuddered through him.  It was so quick that I thought I imaged it at first.  The water definitely saved us from a tongue lashing from Agnus or worse being thrown overboard.

〰〰〰

THE REST of the day went smoother and with less water.

    After lunch, Agnus caught me doodling with the sand on deck and instead of getting angry with me, he sent me down to the Sea Artist.  He was this skinny man who looked like if he was in his forties.  Round glasses were drawn up to his face, giving him a comedic look of giant eyes and had thinning brown hair.  He was very jumpy, when I was sent down I startled him and he dropped a giant bottle of ink across a decorated map.

    He made this high-pitch squealing noise which I wished Flake was down here with me, because we could’ve had a very good witty exchange about it.  I made a mental note to tell Flake about him later.  His name was Gary and his job was to correct, read and create the ship’s maps.  Gary’s office was scattered with odd instruments, papers and ink.  I was made his helper for the day and he turned out to be very nice, but a little odd though.  At least he wasn’t Agnus.

    “Do you really hold all the maps down here?” I asked, carefully moving an oil lamp away from Gary’s approaching elbow.  We don’t want the ship to go up in flames.

    “Almost,” he said, thumbing through some star charts, muttering to himself, “the ones we are currently using are in the Pirate King’s cabin.”

    I nod along as he gave me some instructions to move a reef to a new spot, “Your job is very important, shouldn’t you be out on deck looking out for these reefs or in a real office, at least with a window?”
    I thought that I stepped over a line with my prying, but Gary said with a nervous smile, “They don’t particular like me.  So they send me down in this little dark hole, but I don’t mind it.  I would rather we far away from them, besides I don’t need to see the reefs.  I can feel them, it’s this strange gift I was blessed with.”

    I decided not to question about Gary’s sixth sense.  Gary dismissed me when the dinner bell rung throughout the ship.  I made my way through the deck, feeling a little sea sick from being trapped under here all day.  Luckily, Flake already grabbed me a bowl since I showed up a little late from getting lost.

    I gave him a nod of thanks and sat beside him as he launched into his adventure this afternoon.  He was sent to the Striker, who turned out to be the same person who throws people overboard.  His name was Baxter and he caught fish for the cook and fought off sharks.  I laughed imagining Flake fighting a great white.

    “Oh man, this guy was not a conversationalist,” Flake laughed, “All I got was an angry glare from him whenever I cracked a joke.  None of the other boys with me were smart enough to understand my humor.  So basically I was insulting everyone and no one knew.”

    I then explained where I went and Flake was immediately interested when I started talking about the maps.

    “Did you find any Treasure Maps?” he gave me a mischievous grin.

    “No, apparently the ones that we are using currently are up in the captain's cabin,” I responded and regretted it.  Flake’s eyes were dancing with dangerous ideas.  I shouldn’t have told him that.

    “No, Flake, we’re going to get killed,” I hissed at him.

    “I didn’t say anything, Romeo,” he leaned back on the post and winked at me.

    Before I could strangle him, Spencer plopped down next to me looking glum.  He swallowed his dinner in one bit, before resting his chin on his knees.

    “What’s up, Spenc?” Flake asked.

    “I have night watch,” Spencer grumbled, “I hate night watch.”

    “I couldn’t tell,” Flake answered and then his eyes lit up.  His arm wrapped around Spencer’s shoulder, “So… I know how unfortunate night watch is, it is so boring.  Do you want to have a little fun instead?”

I am going to strangle him.

〰〰〰

“ROMEO,” FLAKE’S breath tickled my ear, “C’mon.”

    “I am going to kill you,” I muttered, following after Flake in the dark.  I can’t believe he talked me into this.  I’ve never broken the rules, let alone rules where the punishment is death.

    Flake simply grinned, as we quietly snuck our way through the sleeping boys.  We could be like those boys, sleeping.  I followed him above deck where Spencer conveniently turned a blind eye to us.  We are totally going to die.

    Spencer told us where the Captain’s cabin was, but Flake left out the information of why we wanted to go there.  I feel that Flake does not completely trust Spencer yet and after this stunt if we make it out alive, then Spencer would have Flake’s full trust.

    We entered into a small room where a single oil lamp hung from the ceiling.  The light bounced off of the wooden walls, leaving shadows to stretch and shrink around us.  I had a bad feeling about this.  I was about to hiss to Flake that we should leave, but Flake’s eyes caught on a stray map sticking out from under a burnt out candle.

    Carefully he drew it out and I looked over his shoulder.  This map was weathered with age with strange symbols etched on the side of a forgotten language.  It was very detailed and I knew that Gary didn’t draw this one.  This one was far older than any of us, even the captain.  And there square in the middle of a little island was a red X.  Flake made eye contact with me, at least now we know where we are going.

    “Someone’s out of bed,” a voice snickered behind us and a cold wash of terror trickled through me.

We’ve been caught.