Pirate's Treasure

Chapter 19

Another week passed, and I swear I was going insane. It was the middle of February and we haven't found the stupid place yet. I looked back at the paper every day. 'Childhood'. It's what the item revolves around. What it means? I have no idea. But I knew we had to find it soon before I joined Lila voluntarily.

Which reminds me… she said I'd regret falling in love with Christian. I don't know what she meant by it. It was scary to think of what a dead woman said is still running through my head, but Christian isn't that kind of guy to do anything to me. Or maybe he was sick? Maybe he did something to Val and was forced into eternal slavery? Okay, probably not that one. But I couldn't help but be paranoid.

"Everyone on deck!" I heard Val shout early in the morning, and so early I was still in bed. "Everyone on deck now!"

"Oh, what'd we do now?" I muttered as I slumped up to the deck, and as I did, everyone was peered over the railing, staring at… land.

"Land!" Christian exclaimed, hugging me, swinging me around. "Oh my God, look! It's land!"

Everyone was so busy cheering that we didn't know how to land. Some of them rushed over to the anchor and dropped it as the rest of us dropped into the water, swimming towards the land. I crawled onto the sand, resting gratefully against it. I never thought I'd see land again.

"This is the place!" Val exclaimed, but as I finished my gratitude in the sand, I got a better look at the place. There weren't that many trees, but there was a huge gray mountain with snow at the top, and it took up almost the entire land. I craned my head back to find the top, but it was so high that clouds were being sliced by it.

"I haven't seen a mountain in forever…" I gaped at the sight, only because it really was pretty. But I didn't know where anything like 'Childhood' would be on this island. If it was even an island. 

"I'd rather not split up this time." Val stated, and we all clumped together. "Only because I don't want anything like the Indians a while back."

"But it'll take us longer to find what we're looking for." Anton stated, and there was a chorus of agreement through the group.

"If you all get killed, it's not my fault." Val muttered, but as we all started to go off, a boy appeared in front of us, and we all jumped back. He was dressed like a peasant, and it made me think there was a village around here.

"Where do you come from, boy?" Val questioned, his sword aimed at the boy.

"He's a boy!" I shrieked, and he lowered his sword. "Are you from a village?"

"Village?" For the boy's looks, his voice was more mature than anticipated, but the accent was… different. Something I haven't heard before. "I'm usually the only one living on this island, well, besides Eve, but it seems my new guests have arrived."

"We're not your guests." Val said lowly, and some other the other pirates drew their swords.

"Oh, I'm not like that kind." He stepped forward slightly, pointing the swords away from him. "My name's Adam."

"Okay, Adam." I stepped forward too. "But if you're the only one here, where are your parents?"

"Parents?" He sounded offended, and I stepped back, confused. "I have no parents! I've never had parents!" He snapped, but took a deep breath. "I'm sorry Elisa, I don't mean to be mad."

"How do you know my name?" I said in defense, and the brown haired boy looked among the pirates, now all of them with their swords up.

"I know all of you. At least, to a certain point. Can I explain?" He asked, and  thought about it, but gestured him to continue. "This is the place I call Innocence. When children go through that stage of life when they turn from child to adult, the moment before they turned that way, turns into a sort of physical figure and appears in this place." He started to pace back and forth. "Of course, I almost never see any of them. I only sense them. Every second of every day, it happens to someone. It's happened to all of you."