Treasure Planet Twist

Old Friends

    It was twelve years ago when my best friend Jim and I were sitting in his room reading a book the night before I was going to move away. And I still remember it like it was only yesterday. Jim picked up a book off of his nightstand to the right of his bed and opened it for us to read together. When he opened the pages, images came out of the book and were moving like a movie of the space would outside of his house. The narrator of the story spoke slowly with a low calm voice.

“On the clearest of nights when the wind of the Etherium were calm and peaceful. The great merchant ships with their cargoes of Arcturian sura crystals felt safe and secure.” as a ship in the book began to sail on by in the dark night sky. “Little did they suspect that they were pursued by pirates!” he continued when a smaller ship with a skull and cross bone flag sailed towards the merchant ship. “And the most feared of all these pirates was the notorious Captain Nathanial Flint.” he said as it showed the picture of the Pirate Captain with six eyes, sharp piercing teeth and an evil look in his eyes. The pirates fired at the ship and fighting the others as they ambushed them. “Like a Candarian Zap-wing overtaking its prey--”

“James Pleiades Hawkins!” His mother, Sarah, said as she opened the door. We swiftly closed the book and laid still. “I thought you were asleep an hour ago.” She continued looking at him when her gaze led over to me. “Christina? What are you doing here at such a late hour!?” To embarrassed to answer, I stayed quiet. With no hesitation Jim sat up and grabbed the book.

“Oh mom, we were just getting to the best part.” he said in a small innocent voice.

“And I have to leave tomorrow morning.” I said without thinking.

“Please!” we said together huddling closer together making the best puppy dog eyes we could.

“OH! Can those eye’s get any bigger?” his mom said smiling down at us. “Oh scootch over.” she continued as she sat down next to us. Jim and I smiled to each other and opened the book again continuing where we left off. The images came alive again and the narrator continued.

“Like a Candarian Zap-wing over taking its prey, Flint with his band of renegades swooped in out of nowhere.” as it showed them boarding the cargo ship and stealing the treasure. After loading it back on Captain Flint cut the lock off the chest and gold and jewels spilled on the floor and he picked it up laughing to himself. The ship then took off  away from the burning cargo ship. “and then, gathering up their spoil. Vanished without a trace.” he said as the ship vanished into thin air.

“Oooo.” Jim, Sarah, and I all said together as we turned the page.

“Flints trove was never found,” The Narrator continued as fog went across the page with a distant figure behind it all. “but stories persisted that it remains hidden, somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Stowed with riches beyond imagination--the loot of a thousand worlds.” the fog cleared as the picture showed a planet with two rings crossing each other diagonally. “Treasure Planet!” Jim said along with the narrator of the book.

“Okay,” Sarah said breaking in and closing the book.  She pulled out a hankie and put it to Jim‘s nose “Blow your nose.” she said.

Jim rubbed his nose and stood on his bed. “how do you think Captain flint did it mom?” as he climbed the head board of his bed and balanced on it. “How he’d swoop in from no where,” and jumped off and landed on the bed on this stomach. I giggled and we both crawled underneath the blankets and said, “And vanish without a trace!?” Sarah played along and came up behind us.

“I have no idea.” and reached under the blankets and grabbed both of us by the legs and pulled us out with our laughs filling the air. “Come here you two! I’m going to get you! I’m going to!” she said playfully and tickled us. “Okay,” she said calmly. “Now its time for this little spacer to go to sleep.” and laid Jim in the bed and put covers over him. “Come on Christy, come with me, I’ll tell your parents where you have been, they must be worried sick!” Jim laid down and some thing made a squeaking noise behind him. Sarah reached behind him to pull out a pirate toy.