AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not sure if anyone is reading it. The first chapter was kind of slow, but I promise it will get better….
Disclaimer: Don't own, wish did.
Chapter 2: The Ship
It was a cold morning. The last thing Jim could remember was sounds of screaming men, yelling at each other about the flames that destroyed the Admiral Benbow. The smell of pigs woke him up; they were in a pig pen. How they got there was beyond him.
Wiping dirt from his face, Jim opened his eyes. He saw Pat lying next to him, but he couldn't see Jake anywhere. Not wanting to, he woke up Pat and he sat up. "Good morning, lad," Jim said quietly.
"Where…where are we?" Pat's face scrunched into a confused look, trying to decipher his position and why he was there.
"We are sleeping with the pigs. What happened to Jake?" Pat shrugged and stood up. Jim stood up after him, standing a full ten inches taller. The smaller boy pushed his way through throng of pigs to a wood gate.
"Jake!" called out the boy. Jim ran through the pigs and covered Pat's mouth a second before he was going to call out the name again.
"Shhh…there might still be pirates around. We don't need any attention." Jim checked the path way on either side of him and let go of Pat. "Come on, Pat. Jake is probably in the town. You know how he cannot stand not being near a good story teller."
The boys followed the left path, mostly because the right path led right into a stable. The town was half a mile away. On the short walk Jim tried to piece together the previous night. The tavern, Miss Anchorage, closing, Billy Bones, the black spot….the map! Billy Bones! Jim looked down and saw no map in his hands.
"Pat," he whispered, for they were reaching the town and he didn't want anyone to hear. "Pat, I've lost the map."
"The map? You mean the one Billy gave you?" Jim nodded. "Oh well. It t'was nothing more than a map."
Jim thought this over. It had to be important somehow; Billy Bones sure seemed anxious about what happened to it. He gave it to Jim, didn't he? 'Maybe it isn't just a map…'
"Pat, Billy Bones told me-"
"Fellows!" a familiar voice chuckled behind them. The dirt covered duo turned around to see their friend. "You'll never guess where I have been!"
"In a river?" Jim asked. Jake wasn't dirt covered. In fact, he was clean. He obviously hadn't slept with them in the pig sty. And even if he had, he had gotten clean somehow.
"No, Jim." Jake walked over to them, until he was face to face with them. "I've been at the ship builders."
"Why?" Pat looked from each other the older boys' faces. Jake's was of pure excitement. Jim's was drawn into a frown.
"Jake, you didn't."
"Of course I did. Billy Bones gave us that map for a reason."
The map! Jim had forgotten about it after Jake had shown up. "Where is it?"
"Where's what?"
"The map, Jake. Where is the map?"
Jake's smile doubled its size. "It's with Squire Trelawney. Strange little fellow. He wears his hat backwards." Jake chuckled a bit and continued. "Anyways, he has taken this opportunity to hire a crew and captain and we are sailing to the island."
"WHAT!"
"Calm yourself, there. Jim, Pat. We are going on an adventure. Just like Billy Bones used to!"
"Yes, well, Billy is dead now isn't he?" Pat quipped.
"Oh, forget about him lad. Don't you want to set sail, smell the sea air and find the treasure?"
"Quiet, Jake." Jake stopped and looked over at Jim. "All right then, who knows about the treasure?"
"Well, certainly the Squire. All though he seemed lost in his own head, talking to himself a bit." Pat laughed, and Jim gave him a look. The boy stopped. Jake continued, "And the captain, of course. And soon the crew will. Well, they'll know about the island, not the treasure. But surely they will figure it out."
Jim sighed and paced. "I promised him I wouldn't let anything happen to it."
"Will you please calm yourself? Billy is dead; it is not like he will come after you. Besides, why leave treasure on an island when we could have it?"
Jim stopped and glared at him. "Are you telling me that the map is with the Squire and we are getting a free passage?"
"Well, not entirely free. He told me we are to be cabin boys." The gleam in Jake's eyes never wavered. Jim's eyes were dark and concerned.
After a long pause Jim looked at the two boys. He could see Jake's excitement and the growing excitement of the twelve year old. "Alright. Let's go on an adventure."
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Crisp sea air whipped past Jim's face as he walked across the dock. A bulky man with an eye patch bumped him on the right and grunted. Jim swallowed hard. If he was the type of man the crew was made of then it would be a long voyage.
He had seen many of the sailors that morning. One only had one arm, another with only one foot. But they were all intimidating.
Jim searched the crowd of sailors, men shouting orders and women selling food. Somewhere was Pat and Jake. Jake had taken the youth to meet the Squire, a man Jim didn't care to meet. From what he had been told, he assumed the Squire needed to be locked up.
"Jim!" someone shouted. He turned to the noise and saw Pat already on the ship. He and Jake were waving from the railing.
"I'm coming!" he called back. He pushed himself through the people, once again hitting the bulky man. He grunted and carried on.
Once on the ship Jim looked around. It was a real ship, just like the ones his father told him about. Jake rushed over and slapped him on the back. "Well, mate? We're here. We're on our way to the island!"
Jim smiled. He hadn't thought this the greatest of ideas, but this was amazing. Pat was grinning from ear to ear, racing around the ship and running in the crew. Shouts came from behind the helm; Pat had run into the bulky man.
"Get the hell out!" the man yelled. Pat sheepishly walked over to the older boys.
"Jim, it's wonderful!" Jim patted his shoulders and turn around to the sound of his name.
"Jim Hawkins? Where is Jim-"
"Here, sir," the boy called. The three boys dashed to the man. "Hello. I'm Squire Trelawney. I don't believe we've meet before."
Jim began to answer but the man turned his head to the side and mouthed a few words. Jim glanced over at Jake, who was spiraling his finger against his temple. Jim nodded curtly and turned back. "Yes, sir. I'm Jim Hawkins."
The Squire turned back and nodded. "Well, then. The crew is about ready and the captain is in his quarters getting ready to set sail." The bulky man walked behind the Squire. Without the hundreds of people milling around him Jim could see that the man was wearing an officer's outfit. "Oh, Mr. Arrow. This is wonderful. I would like you to meet the cabin boys: Jim Hawkins, Jake Smith and Pat O' Haran. Mr. Arrow is our first mate."
"Aye. I've meet ye before, haven't I?" Jim and Pat looked down and Jake smirked.
"Sorry sir," Pat mumbled.
"Well," the first mate straightened. "I guess that if you're to be cabin boys you'll have to meet the other one."
The three boys looked up at him. "There's another boy?"
"Not exactly." Arrow shouted over his shoulder. "Kate, come here!"
Jim and Jake exchanged looks. Suddenly a body jumped down from the mast. It stood up and Jim inwardly gasped. It was a girl! And not a bad looking one either.
"Aye, mates. My name's Kate. I'm the other cabin boy."
Any good? This is my first fic and I'm hoping it's okay. Please review!
