Days passed slowly on the ship for most the crew, but for Riley, there was no such thing as time. She enjoyed being at sea. Her favorite place on the ship was in the crows nest. It was the only place she could be by herself. She liked to climb up there and dream of what it would be like to be in an actual battle against another pirate ship. But, as always her thoughts were interrupted by Gibbs constantly calling her down for her spot to start her chores on the ship. She had to help with the masts, and help Cook with the food. She cleaned the kitchen up when he was done, and then, if there was still time, she would climb back in the crows nest until it was time to get some sleep. She slept in the captains quarters with Will and Jack. She had made herself a place on the floor to sleep. It wasn't the best place to sleep, but it was better then being back at Port Town sleeping in the large beds at Will's house with Elizabeth breathing down her neck every five seconds. That, she was thankful for that Jack hadn't found her on the ship, until they were far enough out to sea. As she slept, all her fears passed by in her dreams. The death of Scott, the only person she had ever known, and some strange images of a beautiful woman being terribly killed. It was like some strange dream that kept repeating itself every night. It was the worst thing she had ever seen, even if it was just a dream.
A woman was holding her. She couldn't have been more than two, but she could still see everything clearly. Riley was crying out in fear, and the woman was trying to quiet her. She was running down the street. Riley could see the fear in the woman's eyes. Something terrible was happening. The woman ran faster as voices started to follow them. Riley couldn't make out what they were saying, but the voices were harsh and sounded angry. Riley cried out in fear again as they woman put her down in the deep grass. The woman hid her as best she could. No one could see her in the tall grass, but Riley could see out of it. Though, in her dream she wished she couldn't. The woman ran back out into the open just as the voices came closer. They were voices of men. As they came to where Riley was hidden, she was too scared to cry out with what happened next. The men grabbed the woman as she tried to run. They beat her first, then cut the woman's cheek. She could hear what they were saying now.
"Tell us where the child is now!" on rough looking man yelled to the woman.
"I will not!" the woman protested. The man became angry at that point, and cut the woman other cheek. "Tell me now!" he repeated. The woman stood up at tall as she could. "I will not!" she repeated again.
"Then you brought this upon yourself!" the man said to her. Then, in front of Riley's eyes, the man stood over her, and with his sward, cut the woman through the middle. The woman cried out in pain and looked over to Riley. Her eyes already starting to fade. "Keep to the light." she said in her last breaths. Then, the woman slowly fadded away and died.
That was the point when Riley woke up in a cold sweat. She was breathing hard. She looked around the cabin. Jack and Will were still asleep, snoring just a little. She caught her breath, and went out onto the deck. It was dark out still. As the moonlight shown down on the deck, she thought about the strange dream that repeated itself over and over again. She had no idea who the woman was, and what the dream had to do with her. She didn't remember anything like that happening. She could see the woman's face so clear though. Like the woman was actual person she had known at one time. The long black hair that hung in the woman's face, the soft white skin that she had, her brown eyes filled with fear. Riley didn't know why this dream seemed to repeat itself. All she knew was that she was somehow the center of it. She thought about the dream all the rest of the night.
Somehow between all her thoughts, she drifted off to sleep. She woke up to the other pirates on bored getting ready to start the day. She stood up, and started with her daily chores. She began to help bring up the main sail, and then tie it down. She gripped the thick rope in her hands. It was rough feeling, and hard for her to hold on to, it being so thick that her small hands could hardly grasp the thing. When the main sail was up, and the others as well, she went into the captain's quarters to see what Jack and Will were up to.
She could hear them talking about something, but couldn't make out the words. She didn't want to disturb them, but wanted to hear what they were saying. She crept to the side window, to hear. She could only catch parts of sentences at first, but then began to understand what they were saying more clearly.
"...We must be coshes from this point on." she could hear Jack say. "Danger lurks all around us now."
"But what about the girl? How are we supposed to keep her out of danger?" Will asked.
She looked up into the window. She could see Jack facing Will. He scratched the stubble of beard on his face.
"I want to know where she is at all time. We must keep her in eyesight. Nothing can happen to her." Jack answered after some time.
The sea began to grow destructive. The waves, beginning to grow larger and with more force. Jack, being awakened by the motion of the ship, climbed out of bed and hurried to the deck. He looked out over the water and up into the sky. The clouds that hung overhead were black, and seemed to mock the ship in the ocean. A large wave hit the ship and knocked Jack over. Will came out next. He looked into the same direction Jack was. He too saw the way the water and sky looked. Not being a man that spent much time on ships, Will seemed to grow white with fear.
That was when Jack remembered the girl. He rushed into the cabin again. She wasn't in her usual spot on the floor. Her bed was empty, and the covers made. He walked back out the ship, and looked around for any sight of her. Then, when she couldn't be found he looked up, and there in the crows nest was the girl. He ran over to the bottom of the main beam and yelled up.
"Riley, come down from there!" he called up. She leaned over the side and looked down.
"Just a minute, and I'll be right down." she called down to him. She grabbed the nearest rope, and swung down on it. She went over the water in her first swing, making Jack lose his breath. She landed safely on the deck of the ship next to Jack. Her grabbed her by the arm and lead her to the wheel. There he steered the ship until the storm cleared. No one was lost that day, although Snails almost got washed overboard.
Be noon the storm had cleared, and the sea was back to normal again. The crew were back to their normal everyday chores, until the landscape began to change. The water became a greenish-blue color, and small islands began to show up. The further on they went, the more small islands there were. Then, in the center of all the small islands was the largest. It was as big as small town, and as deserted as a ghost town. The crew stopped and stared at the island. It was known as Dead Man's Cave, because of all the small caves that ran through it.
"We're here." were Jack's first words at the sight of the island. Riley looked up at him. "Where?" she asked.
"Dead Man's Cave." he answered.
"What's that?"
Jack looked around, trying to ignore the sounds of his crew. "It's an island where one of the worlds most sacred, lost treasures is rumored to have been hidden. Thousands of people have searched the island, if they were lucky enough to find it, searching for the treasure."
"What type of treasure?"
Jack rolled his eyes, thinking nothing he could say would please the girls curiosity. "A stone."
"A stone?" she repeated surprised. "What type of treasure is that?"
Jack didn't respond for a few seconds. Then, he told her. "It isn't just any stone. A seeing stone. If you look into it you can see the future of yourself and others. It also has mystical powers that no one knows about. No one has been able to find it...that is until now." Jack said sure that they would find it.
They docked the ship near the island, and took small boats to the land. They got out and looked around. True, the island was beautiful, but it was also dangerous. the island itself was fixed with booby traps. Every step the took they would have to be careful not to set one off. Some men on the crew became jittery, and wanted to go back to the ship, but feared Jack enough to know not to mention this to him.
They walked for what was probably an hour until they came to the cave they were looking for. The entrance was a rock formation that made a skull. Jack lead the way into the cave. Riley was behind him, and Will and the rest of the crew behind her.
Inside the cave it was dark. Jack and some of the crew lit candles and lanterns to see. The floor of the cave was rough and uneven. rocks stuck out everywhere. They walked for what seemed like hours until they came to the first room. Riley followed right behind Jack, and sometimes right next to him. Jack would constantly be pushing her behind him.
"What's this?" Will asked pulling a string up.
Jack followed the string with his eyes. "Stop!" he yelled, but it was too late. Will had set off a booby trap. Rocks began to fall. One of Jack's crew was hit by one, and was killed instantly.
"This way!" Riley said running ahead.
The groups of pirates tried their best to dodge the rocks as they fell. When they finally got to safety, Jack went over to Will. "Next time you see a string, please leave it alone." Jack joked. Will took a breath, and gave a scared laugh.
They walked on until they came to a fork in the cave. "Which way?" Snails asked. Jack looked at his compass that didn't point north.
"This way." he said taking the right passageway.
"I hope he's right." Gibbs whispered in Riley's ear. She tried not to laugh.
Onward they went. Jack leading the way. Finally, after another long period of time walking, they came to another room. This one was beautiful. It was filled with crystal-like rocks. They glimmered in the faint light that the lanterns and candles gave off. Riley walked over to one. She picked up a small one and put it in her pouch at her hip, before following after Jack and the others. Suddenly they heard a noise. "Stop, listen." Jack said holding up his hand, as if to be some form of roadblock.
Everyone tilted their ears to the direction the sound was coming from. Then, they saw it. A large rock heading their way. It would sure crush them if they couldn't find a way out of it's path. "Run!" Riley shouted, and everyone followed her. She ran straight ahead, not knowing what she would run into. The boulder began to gain on them. "It's getting closer!" Gibbs yelled up to her. She ran faster. Finally, there it was. Just the place that she was looking for to hide from the boulder. She climbed up the rock as fast as she could. The others soon joined her.
The boulder passed by quickly. Riley let out a sigh of relief. "I guess we set off another trap." she laughed.
They climbed down, and kept on going. So far they had only lost two people. One to the falling rocks, and another that got in the way of the boulder. They would soon lose a third person. Instead of following in the direct footprints of everyone else, he had walked off more to the left, and had fallen into a pit of spikes.
A woman was holding her. She couldn't have been more than two, but she could still see everything clearly. Riley was crying out in fear, and the woman was trying to quiet her. She was running down the street. Riley could see the fear in the woman's eyes. Something terrible was happening. The woman ran faster as voices started to follow them. Riley couldn't make out what they were saying, but the voices were harsh and sounded angry. Riley cried out in fear again as they woman put her down in the deep grass. The woman hid her as best she could. No one could see her in the tall grass, but Riley could see out of it. Though, in her dream she wished she couldn't. The woman ran back out into the open just as the voices came closer. They were voices of men. As they came to where Riley was hidden, she was too scared to cry out with what happened next. The men grabbed the woman as she tried to run. They beat her first, then cut the woman's cheek. She could hear what they were saying now.
"Tell us where the child is now!" on rough looking man yelled to the woman.
"I will not!" the woman protested. The man became angry at that point, and cut the woman other cheek. "Tell me now!" he repeated. The woman stood up at tall as she could. "I will not!" she repeated again.
"Then you brought this upon yourself!" the man said to her. Then, in front of Riley's eyes, the man stood over her, and with his sward, cut the woman through the middle. The woman cried out in pain and looked over to Riley. Her eyes already starting to fade. "Keep to the light." she said in her last breaths. Then, the woman slowly fadded away and died.
That was the point when Riley woke up in a cold sweat. She was breathing hard. She looked around the cabin. Jack and Will were still asleep, snoring just a little. She caught her breath, and went out onto the deck. It was dark out still. As the moonlight shown down on the deck, she thought about the strange dream that repeated itself over and over again. She had no idea who the woman was, and what the dream had to do with her. She didn't remember anything like that happening. She could see the woman's face so clear though. Like the woman was actual person she had known at one time. The long black hair that hung in the woman's face, the soft white skin that she had, her brown eyes filled with fear. Riley didn't know why this dream seemed to repeat itself. All she knew was that she was somehow the center of it. She thought about the dream all the rest of the night.
Somehow between all her thoughts, she drifted off to sleep. She woke up to the other pirates on bored getting ready to start the day. She stood up, and started with her daily chores. She began to help bring up the main sail, and then tie it down. She gripped the thick rope in her hands. It was rough feeling, and hard for her to hold on to, it being so thick that her small hands could hardly grasp the thing. When the main sail was up, and the others as well, she went into the captain's quarters to see what Jack and Will were up to.
She could hear them talking about something, but couldn't make out the words. She didn't want to disturb them, but wanted to hear what they were saying. She crept to the side window, to hear. She could only catch parts of sentences at first, but then began to understand what they were saying more clearly.
"...We must be coshes from this point on." she could hear Jack say. "Danger lurks all around us now."
"But what about the girl? How are we supposed to keep her out of danger?" Will asked.
She looked up into the window. She could see Jack facing Will. He scratched the stubble of beard on his face.
"I want to know where she is at all time. We must keep her in eyesight. Nothing can happen to her." Jack answered after some time.
The sea began to grow destructive. The waves, beginning to grow larger and with more force. Jack, being awakened by the motion of the ship, climbed out of bed and hurried to the deck. He looked out over the water and up into the sky. The clouds that hung overhead were black, and seemed to mock the ship in the ocean. A large wave hit the ship and knocked Jack over. Will came out next. He looked into the same direction Jack was. He too saw the way the water and sky looked. Not being a man that spent much time on ships, Will seemed to grow white with fear.
That was when Jack remembered the girl. He rushed into the cabin again. She wasn't in her usual spot on the floor. Her bed was empty, and the covers made. He walked back out the ship, and looked around for any sight of her. Then, when she couldn't be found he looked up, and there in the crows nest was the girl. He ran over to the bottom of the main beam and yelled up.
"Riley, come down from there!" he called up. She leaned over the side and looked down.
"Just a minute, and I'll be right down." she called down to him. She grabbed the nearest rope, and swung down on it. She went over the water in her first swing, making Jack lose his breath. She landed safely on the deck of the ship next to Jack. Her grabbed her by the arm and lead her to the wheel. There he steered the ship until the storm cleared. No one was lost that day, although Snails almost got washed overboard.
Be noon the storm had cleared, and the sea was back to normal again. The crew were back to their normal everyday chores, until the landscape began to change. The water became a greenish-blue color, and small islands began to show up. The further on they went, the more small islands there were. Then, in the center of all the small islands was the largest. It was as big as small town, and as deserted as a ghost town. The crew stopped and stared at the island. It was known as Dead Man's Cave, because of all the small caves that ran through it.
"We're here." were Jack's first words at the sight of the island. Riley looked up at him. "Where?" she asked.
"Dead Man's Cave." he answered.
"What's that?"
Jack looked around, trying to ignore the sounds of his crew. "It's an island where one of the worlds most sacred, lost treasures is rumored to have been hidden. Thousands of people have searched the island, if they were lucky enough to find it, searching for the treasure."
"What type of treasure?"
Jack rolled his eyes, thinking nothing he could say would please the girls curiosity. "A stone."
"A stone?" she repeated surprised. "What type of treasure is that?"
Jack didn't respond for a few seconds. Then, he told her. "It isn't just any stone. A seeing stone. If you look into it you can see the future of yourself and others. It also has mystical powers that no one knows about. No one has been able to find it...that is until now." Jack said sure that they would find it.
They docked the ship near the island, and took small boats to the land. They got out and looked around. True, the island was beautiful, but it was also dangerous. the island itself was fixed with booby traps. Every step the took they would have to be careful not to set one off. Some men on the crew became jittery, and wanted to go back to the ship, but feared Jack enough to know not to mention this to him.
They walked for what was probably an hour until they came to the cave they were looking for. The entrance was a rock formation that made a skull. Jack lead the way into the cave. Riley was behind him, and Will and the rest of the crew behind her.
Inside the cave it was dark. Jack and some of the crew lit candles and lanterns to see. The floor of the cave was rough and uneven. rocks stuck out everywhere. They walked for what seemed like hours until they came to the first room. Riley followed right behind Jack, and sometimes right next to him. Jack would constantly be pushing her behind him.
"What's this?" Will asked pulling a string up.
Jack followed the string with his eyes. "Stop!" he yelled, but it was too late. Will had set off a booby trap. Rocks began to fall. One of Jack's crew was hit by one, and was killed instantly.
"This way!" Riley said running ahead.
The groups of pirates tried their best to dodge the rocks as they fell. When they finally got to safety, Jack went over to Will. "Next time you see a string, please leave it alone." Jack joked. Will took a breath, and gave a scared laugh.
They walked on until they came to a fork in the cave. "Which way?" Snails asked. Jack looked at his compass that didn't point north.
"This way." he said taking the right passageway.
"I hope he's right." Gibbs whispered in Riley's ear. She tried not to laugh.
Onward they went. Jack leading the way. Finally, after another long period of time walking, they came to another room. This one was beautiful. It was filled with crystal-like rocks. They glimmered in the faint light that the lanterns and candles gave off. Riley walked over to one. She picked up a small one and put it in her pouch at her hip, before following after Jack and the others. Suddenly they heard a noise. "Stop, listen." Jack said holding up his hand, as if to be some form of roadblock.
Everyone tilted their ears to the direction the sound was coming from. Then, they saw it. A large rock heading their way. It would sure crush them if they couldn't find a way out of it's path. "Run!" Riley shouted, and everyone followed her. She ran straight ahead, not knowing what she would run into. The boulder began to gain on them. "It's getting closer!" Gibbs yelled up to her. She ran faster. Finally, there it was. Just the place that she was looking for to hide from the boulder. She climbed up the rock as fast as she could. The others soon joined her.
The boulder passed by quickly. Riley let out a sigh of relief. "I guess we set off another trap." she laughed.
They climbed down, and kept on going. So far they had only lost two people. One to the falling rocks, and another that got in the way of the boulder. They would soon lose a third person. Instead of following in the direct footprints of everyone else, he had walked off more to the left, and had fallen into a pit of spikes.