“Sure, you don’t. Maybe this will help you remember?” He squeezed his hands tighter around my throat, draining out all the air I had in my windpipe. Just when I thought my neck would snap, he slammed me back until I fell against a tree. Despite having the wind knocked out of me, I scampered to my feet, ready to scram. One of the dwarf pirates flew in—yes, I said that correctly, heflew. I didn’t see wings but I’m sure that was the correct action verb—and jabbed a machete at my throat.
“He said, give himhismap.” When he popped the p on the word map, he jabbed the tip of his blade into my throat, and it broke through my skin. Clearly, this guy had a patience problem. The piercing stung worse than any knife fight I’d ever been in. When my life started to flash before my eyes, I knew it was over.
Not my life, but this hunt. It wasn’t worth getting beheaded.
Though, it would have been epic to have that treasure.
Was it greedy to think, just once, I would have a chance to get ahead in life?
I didn’t have time to answer because he furled his lips, and snarled out, “Give me the map!”
“Okay.” I held up my hands, and opened my mouth as wide as I could. “I don’t actually have it on me, it’s—” My words halted so fast my tongue got whiplash. I couldn’t tell him the map was back at the cave, because that’s where Evie was, and I couldn’t risk them finding her!”
He leaned his face closer, his eyes glued to my lips as he waited for me to speak. It was a bit of a scary predicament, but thankfully, I had gotten better at lying, and I blurted out, “It was on the boat when it crashed!”
“You’re lying.” His breath was hot on my face, and he moved in even closer. Though I was scared out of my mind, I had afantastic distraction from the fear. He had so many foul odors coming from him, his odors had odors. I was fighting hard not to vomit back in his face.
“You don’t need it anyway,” I snapped back, rushing to come up with a new plan. “I memorized it, and I can tell you exactly where to go.” I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner, but it was perfect because the treasure was buried on the other side of the island, which meant they could go that way, and I could run back to Evie to help her escape before they got to her.
His beady eyes narrowed, but they never left my face. The first pirate who had bullied me stepped forward again, and I understood the meaning of the phrase “if looks could kill.” Thankfully, they couldn't, and I was still alive.
For now.
“It’s, ah, on the other side of the island. Remember the island is diamond shaped.” I pointed to the water’s edge. “Follow this path and when you get to the point on the other end, dig.”
I didn’t know if I was expecting him to let me run free immediately after I gave up my information—I mean, it would have been nice—but that’s not how it went. Instead, he breathed on me for a while longer, and again he went with the machete—this time jamming it into my back. “Did you think we’d let you go?” He poked the tip of the weapon hard, breaking flesh again, forcing me to walk forward.
These pirates were so testy.
As I moved forward, leading them on the path I had planned for myself, a strange emotion washed over me. Instead of being scared for myself, or upset that I lost the treasure, I felt relieved I was able to lead them away from Evie.
What did that mean?
seven
Evie
Night had fallen and there was still no sign of Jasper. I had left the cave earlier and gone down by the water to wash and look for wreckage debris that might have floated in. I wasn’t lucky though. The things I found were pieces of the boat I couldn’t identify, and they certainly weren’t useful. Starved, and thirsty, I knew not to drink the saltwater. Instead, I collected coconuts and brought them back to the cave, but I didn’t have a way to open them. I hoped Jasper would figure that part out when he got back. I supposed I should have been mad he’d ditched me, but I had this unsettled feeling in my gut that even though he had willingly left, something was wrong, and he hadn’t planned on being gone all day.
The main reason I believed that was because he had left his man purse here. He had guarded that thing as if it was gold all day yesterday, even sleeping with it. I had a hard time believing he had left me for good, or he would have taken his bag. I wishedlife had real background music like the movies did, so I would at least understand how I was supposed to be feeling right now.
The sun had departed, leaving me chilled, and I made my way to the stone pit and set about starting the fire again. Earlier I had made several trips for branches, and I had quite the collection, but this time the sparks didn’t come as easily. The branches didn’t feel as dried, or tough, but they definitely seemed more stubborn. I rubbed them fast, I rubbed them slow, I even tried different angles, but nothing worked. I was shivering now in the dark, alone.
A sinking feeling settled into my gut, and for the first time since we crashed, I was scared I might die.
I shouldn’t have, but I let my mind wander, thinking about how no one came looking for us today. I never saw one boat, or even a plane overhead. This island was completely deserted. Although I’d found coconuts, I still didn’t have a way to open them. Then the worst thought of all…
What if Jasper doesn’t come back?
I could seriously die here all alone.
That scene was never in any of my movies.
In my jitteriness, my sticks dropped from my hands, as if they couldn’t take the directions my brain was giving them. Instead, they were listening to my shrinking heart. It was so full all day, and I had kept my spirits up, but now these nagging thoughts were taking hold of me, leaving a burn in the back of my throat despite how cold it was. My eyes welled up with tears, and even though no one was here to see me, I fought them back because to me, they were a sign of defeat.
I wasn’t going to cry about this!
Crying didn’t help anything, and it certainly wouldn’t get me off this stupid island. The tears didn’t listen, and they budded up in both my eyes, swelling to the point where that’s all I couldsee. Swiping my hand at my eyes, I cleared them away. New ones came faster, and before I could wipe them, they fell.
