After a long and tiring journey,myself and my research group find ourselves deep in the tropics of the Caribbean. "We've been searching for months, Kate. Maybe this thing isn't real after all." One of them says "everything else we have searched for has been real. Why would this one be any different?" I reply "we don't have a map to start. All we have to go in is a myth, a legend, a bedtime story told to kids to help fuel their imagination." Another says. I sigh and turn to face them. "All I ask is you help me look for it until sundown. If we don't find it by then I'll continue the search on my own. I've dedicated my life to finding the ' Gemstone of the Tides'. I'm not about to give up now." I offer. "You're only 23 your life has barely started. But we'll help you for as long as you want us to. You know that." Tim says. Tim is like my first mate of the group. We've been friends for years and he helped gather this group of researchers when I told him I wanted to formally start the search for the gemstone.
We walk around the area where I feel it's most likely to be for what seems like ages. Suddenly "Miss Turner! Your gonna want to see this." One of the researchers calls. I go over to them and they have me look at the readings on their machine. "These are the energy readings?" I ask "it is. They've been fluctuating all day but this... none of the readings have been this high." They explain. "Tim! What are your energy readings at?" I shout over to him " pretty steady nothing unusual from what we've been seeing." He shouts back. He's a good thirty maybe forty feet away. "Change the algorithm setting. See if you can try and pin point the exact origin of the energy." I say they nod. I gather the others and have them do the same. It doesn't take long before we each get a different reading for the origin of the energy. "This doesn't make sense." I think aloud. As I look back over the story that I've read a thousand and one times.
"The Caribbean holds a treasure not of gold. To find what you may seek you must look beneath. If the treasure is shone it's finder must atone, but not alone. For what you seek is around but left unfound. ''Tis in the eye not the sky, in your heart but never far apart. Who you are shall take you far."
"That's it!" I exclaim "what is it?" Tim asks " ''tis in the eye not the sky'! It's a long shot but what if it's eye as in bullseye? Leave your device where your standing everyone draw a line leading to the person across from you." I say and we all do so. We step back to look at where the lines meet. "Shovel me." I say, Tim hands me one and I begin to dig. I get about two feet deep before I hit something. I look up at everyone around me and smile with hope. I pull a small metal box from the dirt and clean it off. I take a deep breath before opening the box. I look at what's inside and let out a yell of victory "yes!!! Haha! We found it!!! We actually found it!" Everyone starts to cheer with me. "Get down!!" Tim shouts as he tackles me to the ground. An arrow flies past our heads and hits one of the others in the chest. "Oh my god!" I say as they fall to the ground. Tim grabs my hand pulling me up and away from the area as everyone else follows. "What's going on?!?" Someone shouts. "The finder must atone but not alone." I recite. "What are you going on about!" Tim asks as we dodge arrows. "The story! One is not capable of finding the stone by themselves. So not one but all involved must pay the price." I explain " what price?!?" He asks "I don't know! Considering the situation I'd say it's death!" I reply rather sarcastically just as another one of the team gets taken. "No!" I shout, I try to go back for them by Tim yanks me along "what are you doing?!? We can't just leave them!" I shout. An arrow just misses my head. "You fall behind you get left behind!" Tim yells back to me. The pirates code. "We are not pirates Tim!!" I yell "do you have a death wish then?" He says.
We eventually make it into a town and hide behind a car. Just Tim and myself left of the research team. "Ok were both thinking it so I'm just gonna say it. Why arrows?" Tim asks "either a tribe that has sworn to protect it or old traps from when it was originally buried." I answer as we catch our breath from running so far. A man then walks by stoping and kneeling down to eye level with me. "The stone must be protected." He says "what?" I ask "the gemstone. You alone hold it. You alone must protect it. Never use it for any ill actions or it shall do ill onto you." He says ignoring me. "Use it?" I ask he nods then recites a line from the story "who you are shall take you far." He stands up and walks away without another word. Tim and I exchange a look before I get up to go after the man but he's no where to be found.
YOU ARE READING
A Pirate's Life For Me
FanfictionDescendent of will and Elizabeth, Kate turner, has been studying pirates all her life. Following treasure maps ever since she's been able to read one. What happens when she finds a treasure most thought only to be a legend.
