DISCLAIMER: Yeah, I don't own anything. This is just my imagination playing with Stevenson's genius.
CHAPTER 1: The Map
There was a certain tension in the air. The tavern was filled with it yet Jim ignored it. The tension was there on occasion; for this tavern was filled with angry drunkards ready to kill his neighbor. The tension in the air mixing sickening with the smell of ale made Jim want to just run away, a feeling he had from time to time. He turned to look at his friends Jake and Pat. Jake was joking with one of the drunks and young Pat was avoiding the men at all cost.
Jim laughed quietly to himself, wondering why they were still at the Admiral Benbow. They were alone, except for Miss Anchorage, who took them in.
Pat was orphaned when he was born. Jake, well, no one knew of Jake's past, but it was rumored that his father killed his mother. Jim's father was dead. Now they all were here, serving men that were less than honorable. It made him feel less than honorable to wait on them.
A noise sounded from the far corner of the tavern. It wasn't unfamiliar; it was old Billy Bones. He always took the dark and lonely far corner, ignoring people unless to order a drink or fight. But on occasion Billy would make noises, filled with pain and anguish of a life no one knew, possibly on even Billy himself. It was unpleasant to listen to it, so the rest of the Admiral's customers simply spoke louder.
"Jim, get yourself a moving. Stop standing around!" Miss Anchorage called.
She was an old woman, most said over fifty, with long stringy gray hair and a squished in face. She was round and bulky, and wasn't ashamed. She simply ignored the comments and bullied the rest around. She was good at that, probably why she never married. She told the boys it was because she denied her suitors. Jake claimed that it was because she never had any.
Jim, waking himself from his reverie, moved along, bringing Billy another drink. He nodded his head in a solemn way and glared into the fire. Jim knew that the most regular customer was saying without words that he wanted to left alone. Jim walked into the kitchen and found Pat.
"Billy needs his drink," Pat mumbled,
"I already go him his drink. Don't worry." Jim noticed how tense Pat was. The boy was only twelve, six years Jim's junior and five years Jake's junior. Yet, it seemed every time a fight was about to go down the boy knew. Jim took Pat's warning and motioned for Jake, who was still talking to an old seadog.
"Jake, Pat's got that nervousness again."
"So? That kid's strange. Now will you let me got back and talk to One-Eyed Joe?"
Jim, hesitantly, let him go back, but still was concerned. The tension in the air was thickening.
It was three hours later. All the lagging drunks were driven out my Miss Anchorage and a broom. Money was left behind which Miss Anchorage quickly snatched up. The boy's table scraps were their only supper and they ate greedily. After eating Jake and Pat went up the stairs to retire for the evening, but Jim stayed behind to sweep up.
He had only started to sweep when a deep, raspy voice called out, "Jim, get me rum."
It startled Jim so much he jumped and dropped the broom. "Mister, mister Bones?"
"Jimmy. Get me some rum!"
His voice was booming and Jim did as commanded. Billy drank it down in one gulp. Jim was terrified. He had thought the tavern was empty. Billy Bones looked up at Jim. In a softer, but nonetheless raspy, voice he said, "Jim. Ye know that I've come to think of ye like my own son. But, something is wrong. I feel it in the air."
Jim nodded, not knowing what to say. True, he had felt it before as well, but he had thought it only of a fight between customers. Billy was making it out as much more.
"Lad, a man gave me this today." He pointed to a piece of paper on the table. On it, Jim saw an ink spot. He had no idea what I was. "Jim, the man was an old shipmate of mine."
Jim knew that Billy had been a high ranking sailor. But he had never heard any stories; Billy never told any.
"But, what is it-"
"Look at it lad! Look at it! Don't you see? It's the black spot!" In a quieter voice he repeated, "The black spot."
Jim's eyes widened. So this was a black spot! The thing his father told him of years before. He swallowed hard before he could think of what it meant: Death.
Jim looked at Billy in awe. The man was quiet, even though he knew that he was going to be killed. "Mr. Bones, we have to get you out of here." Jim tried to pull him up. "You can take the back stairs out to the alley and then behind the town…"
Billy shook his head. "Lad, I'm too old to be doing this anymore. Maybe… maybe ten years ago. But now, it's too late."
"Mr. Bones! Really! We can get you out of here!"
"No." Billy stood and walks slowly to a chest behind his table. "Jim, I want you to have something. I need to give it to you now, before they come. And they will come. Here," he pulled an ancient parchment, tied with fraying string, "take this and promise me that ye will care for it." Jim nodded hesitantly. "But," Billy continued, "you must leave now. You, and Jake and the boy. If you stay they will kill you along with me."
"But, Mr. Bones…" He could hear shouting from somewhere outside. The murderers were coming.
"NOW!" he screamed. Jim, not knowing what was about to happen, ran up the stairs to wake up Jake and Pat. Without an explanation he dragged them to the door of the tavern and shoved them out. He turned to look at Billy, but the man was facing the fire, in deep thought.
Jim, Jake and Pat ran as far from the Admiral Benbow as they could. It wasn't until they reached the town that Jim stopped them. "What the hell was that about?" Jake huffed out in between breaths.
"Billy Bones…black spot…this." Jim produced the parchment and showed it to them. Pat eyed it carefully.
"Are you saying that Billy Bones gave you this?"
"Yes," Jim said. It was only a moment after when they heard the cries of pirates. The blaze of the fire that burned the Admiral Benbow was bright, even from the distant town. Jim, Jake and Pat stood in an alley way, away from the running townsfolk that hurried to the tavern to put out the blaze.
Jake stared in astonishment. Pat stared in confusion. Jim, trying not to think about the loss of his home, the only place any of them had to go, untied the string and slowly opened the parchment. "Um, Jake, Pat?" They ignored him. "Fellows, I think this is a map. A treasure map."
They both stared at Jim.
