Endgame

Part 5: Captains Log

"I just don't understand, what does it mean?" Sarah asked.

We were all standing around the last page of the manuscript. It wasn't actually the last page, the real last pages had been torn out.

"These pages hold a mystery, and the clues are all around thee sheathed in the knowledge tree." John B read the page aloud once again.

"What does that even mean?" I asked. "That's so incredibly vague, how would we ever know?"

"Are the pages hidden in a tree?" Sarah asked.

"Wait..." Pope said.

"What?" Cleo asked.

"What's paper made from?"

"Trees?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, exactly!" He exclaimed, his face brightening. No one else was following.

"Pope, you're gonna have to explain a little more bro." JJ sighed.

"The library. The knowledge tree? Libraries hold knowledge and the knowledge is largely made from... trees I guess."

"Did the library even exist while Blackbeard was around?" I asked.

"Maybe, maybe not, but it could have some information ya' know." Cleo said.

"What about the historical society?" John B asked.

"What about the historical society?" Sarah asked.

"Isn't that a knowledge tree too? The entire building-"

"The entire building is made from wood!" Pope exclaimed.

"Ok Pope you and Cleo should go and try to find anything on Blackbeard. Anything at all. Sarah, you wanna check the library?"

"Sure, that works."

Kiara and JJ, you guys wanna wait at the house or what?"

"Ah man c'mon how come we have to do the boring thing?" JJ asked.

"It's ok, we can keep reading the journal. There are a bunch of other things that need deciphering." I said.

"Frickin' Blackbeard had to be super vague when writing this baloney." JJ scoffed.

"Ok, let's all meet back here in an hour." John B said. Everyone nodded and left the room except for me and JJ.

We sat in silence for a few moments. Neither of us knew what to say.

"Kie I can tell something is off." JJ said. I don't look up at him, I just keep my eyes on the journal.

"Nothing is off." I say blankly.
I cant bring myself to tell him who's been in my head or why. I cant really bring myself to tell anyone.

"Kiara I know you. Ever since we came back you've been acting different, please just talk to me." JJ says softly.

"JJ, I'm fine. It's just been a lot recently. I'm just still trying to get used to it all."

It's a bullshit thing to say and it doesn't hold the slightest ounce of truth. He doesn't press any further, but his eyes reveal he doesn't buy my excuse. He leans in, and delivers a soft kiss on my lips. It's something he almost never does, and it catches me a little offguard. But I notice that the warm feeling that used to bubble up when we kissed was no where to be found.

He sits back once more and looks at me a little, trying to read my expression. I point to the open journal sitting in between us.

"Ok so I think the missing pages are about the treasure. Specifically like where he hid it. Maybe he wrote about it and decided it was too risky."

"How do we know he didn't just burn the pages?" He asks.

"I mean, we dont, but if it's true and he did bury his hoard of treasure somewhere, I don't think he would have just left it there for no one else to find ever again."

JJ snaps his fingers. "Doesn't he write something like that?"
He flips through the pages of the journal.

"Here. 'My legacy is there for those who need it.'" He points to the line on the page.

Suddenly I hear my phone ringing. I pull it out of my back pocket and see Popes contact. I pick up.
"Kie we found coordinates. They were written on a page, it looks like it was torn from the journal." He said, panting.

"That's great! Why do you sound so out of breath?" I asked, confused.

"We... uh... it's kinda-" I roll my eyes and laugh. I knew Cleo and him had something going on.
"This fool stepped on the paper but we got it safe now." Cleo said.

"We'll be back at Tannyhill in 20." Pope said.

"Call John B and tell him you found a missing page."

I hang up, and immediately JJ is on his feet.
"Pope found a page?"

"With coordinates on it apparently."

"SHIT!" He exclaims, jumping up.

"Kie, we might actually win this time!" JJ grabs both my shoulders.
"We might actually win."