PART I
Elaine drew the curtains to her room closed, turned down the oil lamp to a low setting, and climbed into bed. She grabbed her leather-bound journal from on top of her night table and unbuckled the front flap. Realizing she forgot to grab a pen to write with, she sighed and climbed back out of bed. She walked over to her white desk slowly. Elaine had done this a dozen times before and she knew exactly which floorboards to step on so they wouldn't creak and wake up the nanny. She wasn't supposed to be out of bed this late.
The oil lamp cast flickering shadows across the lilac walls of her room as Elaine kneeled at the drawer in her desk. She pulled it open slowly, careful not to make any noise but a slight scraping sound as the drawer slid out of the desk. She slid her hand in the drawer, feeling around for the pen she always used for her diary, but found the drawer to be completely empty. She scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion. The maids knew not to go through this drawer. It was the only private place Elaine had to store things in the house, and they were forbidden by her Nanny to clean her desk.
She pulled the drawer out a little more, cautiously taking the individual drawer in her cross-legged lap. It was completely empty. She ran her slender fingers down the insides of the drawer, searching for any holes the pen could have fallen through. Elaine lifted it up and shook it once near her ear, like a child would shake a present. Her eyes widened as she heard a metal chink as something slid downwards. Her pen wasn't that big. Something else was inside the drawer.
Curiousity peaked now, Elaine lugged the heavy drawer to her oil lamp and set it atop her bed. From her kneeled angle on the floor, she saw the golden flames from the lamp dance across something engraved in the back panel on the drawer.
"P?" she wondered aloud, running her index finger over the etched letter. She turned the drawer around on her bed and knocked once against the back panel. It was hollow.
Determined now to open the drawer, she picked at the back panel with her fingernails until they were all chipped. Finally, the back panel opened. At first she saw nothing inside, but then she noticed something golden hidden in the shadows.
"A necklace?" she gasped in amazement. With shaking hands, Elaine pulled out a weighty gold necklace. She held it in her cupped hands and gaped down at it.
She held it by its golden chain up to the light.
"Not just a necklace," she muttered to herself.
Elaine turned over the circular golden emblem at the bottom of the chain, and was met with the design of a smiling skull.
"A medallion," she said, and stood up. Rushing over to her mirror now, she lifted and pinned her curly brown hair into a bun.
Elaine unclasped the chain and lifted the medallion up on her slender neck. She latched the chain on the back of her neck and watched as the golden medallion fell onto her collarbones. Elaine stood for a moment, fingering the medallion with light touches and watching as the smiling skull twinkled in her reflection. She smiled for the first time in a long time.
Suddenly, the door to her room flew open, and she was met with a rush of light from the hallway outside. She quickly turned around, expecting a robber or murderer, but instead was met with the face of her Nanny.
"Oh, Nanny!" Elaine cried, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be out of bed at these hours, but I found—"
It was then Elaine realized her Nanny's kind face was etched with worry.
"Nevermind that now! We don't have time! Pack your things into a trunk. Only bring things that you can't replace!" Nanny said, and then Elaine noticed the warning bell tolling from outside. It ringed three times, and then four, and then there was silence for a few seconds before it started again. Elaine knew the unexpected guests would arrive at some point in her life, living on the edge of a harbor town, but she didn't expect it to be tonight.
Pirates.
