Disclaimer in Chapter One

Treasure Chest

Chapter 2

Skull Rock

After a heartstopping moment, Vidia realized that the treasure chest had simply drifted around the island to Skull Rock. She noticed a rock near her, and climbed onto the edge of the chest. She reached over to the rocks and steered the chest into the cove. Conveniently, it washed up onto a small area with sand, and she managed to pull it up a little.

"I found your treasure chest, Tink!" she recalled from earlier, with a wry grin. She flapped her wings vigorously, and found them almost completely dry, but from the sun, she guessed it was near evening, and, if so, her pixie dust had worn off.

She glanced up toward some rocks that didn't seem like they'd be too hard to climb, then toward Neverland, where her friends were probably only just suggesting that she might be in trouble.

I'd sure be easier to spot up there. Vidia thought, reluctantly But I don't know how to climb rocks – and I'd probably ruin my outfit.

She glanced at the treasure chest, then pulled some large splinters from the wood - they were quite sizable sticks for her. She tied them together with a jeweled bracelet, then looped them from her belt. She stepped up to the rocks, and from right next to them they seemed steeper than from far away. She reached up tentatively and grabbed a rock sticking out. She started to climb.

Treasure Chest

The knees of Vidia's pants were in shreds from sharp rocks. Her elbows and hands were very scraped and slightly bloody. She pulled herself up onto the very top of Skull rock and sat down, panting.

She pulled the bracelet from her belt and dumped the wood on the ground. She used a wind to spin the pieces of wood against each other and make a fire.

She sat still, letting her aching knees rest, and watching the thin trail of smoke rise up to the clouds. She hoped her friends would see it. Suddenly she glanced up at what only minutes before had been clear ocean.

"Pirates!" she jumped to her feet.

The pirate ship was sailing toward Skull Rock.

She whirled around and stamped out of the fire. She glanced back at the pirate ship and saw them lowering a small boat to the water. Two long pirates were rowing out toward her, and when she looked closely she was pretty sure that they had a prisoner.

She crouched down to keep out of sight and crept to the edge as the pirate's longboat slid through the water into the cave.

"You do have one last chance, Injun." A pirate was talking. Vidia looked down at the pirates and saw that their prisoner was an Indian boy, no more than about twelve years old. "Tell us what we want to know and we'll let you go."

Vidia hoped they wouldn't see the treasure chest. It was hidden farther back in the cave, but the lid was up and she was afraid they might see the reflection of the dim light off the jewels.

"Tell us where the treasure chest is." The pirate finished.

Vidia blinked. "It's yours?" she exclaimed, surprised. Realizing she had spoken aloud, she slapped both hands over her mouth, but none of the three below heard her.

"We did not take your treasure." The boy spoke clearly.

"How else could it be gone?" the pirate challenged. "One day it was there, on the beach, and the next it was gone. How could it be gone? And why were you hanging around the place it had been?"

The Indian boy sat straight and did not answer.

"That was your last chance." The pirate shrugged. "Tie him to the rock."

The two pirates gagged him and tied him to the rock. The boy's feet were already dipping into the fast-rising water. Vidia started to hope that they would see the treasure chest. She suddenly realized that this was her only chance at escape. It was a lot easier climbing down than climbing up. She jumped from rock to rock, until she was on the ground. She saw the pirates clambering into the longboat, and she jumped up onto a rock from which she could jump right into the boat.

She stopped and glanced back at the Indian boy. The water was splashing around his knees, and it was rising very quickly.

The pirates were settling down in the longboat and getting ready to row out. Vidia turned her back on them and jumped across several other rocks to get to where the boy was. His hands were tied behind his back with a rope that was tied to a metal loop pounded into the rock. She vainly tried to pull the metal out, but it didn't work.

She glanced up and saw the Indian boy's face staring at her from over his shoulder.
"Hold still, darling." she said, airily, waving. "I'm trying to work."

His eyes widened, but then he turned and watched the pirates row out of Skull Rock and start back toward the pirate ship.

Vidia paused a moment and watched her hopes row away. She turned and got back to work on the ropes. She tugged and pulled with all her might, but they wouldn't budge. She gasped as a large wave swept over part of rock, soaking her shoes.

Vidia climbed up onto his shoulder and untied the gag wrapped around his head. "Do you have anything I can use to cut the rope?" she asked him.

He just looked at her for a moment. "I can't understand you."

"Of course." Vidia glanced around for something to help. She used her hand as a knife and the other arm as the rope. She pretended to saw at it. "Anything?" she asked.

"Something to cut the rope?" he nodded. "My bear claw necklace. That might be sharp enough."

Vidia climbed along his shoulder until she got to his necklace, almost getting tangled in his long black hair. She carefully untied the string and slid a bear claw off it before trying to retie it. It slipped from her hand and bounced off the rock into the water.

"Sorry." she apologized for losing the string, knowing that he'd only hear an apologetic jingle.

She climbed back down to the rope binding his hands. The water was almost up to her waist. She stabbed the rope with the bear claw and saw several strands of it break apart. The boy moved his hands and tried to free himself. He managed to loosen it a little bit. Vidia reached forward and pulled the end loose, and the knot unravelled.

The boy pulled his arms forward, then stood up and dived off into the water.

The splash didn't knock Vidia into the water, but it splashed over her head, drenching her as the water rose.

"Where'd you go?" she called to the boy, but he was underwater, possibly swimming back to the island.
"He probably figured I can fly." Vidia realized, holding her arms and wings up so they wouldn't get wet, as the water quickly rose above her middle. She looked around for the treasure chest and saw it floating out of Skull Rock, far away.

Thanks for reviewing! I really appreciate it! M.J.J.