Treasure Hunt
one
Lizzie loved days like this; days where the weather found that perfect medium between too hot and too cold and only the slightest breeze stirred the air. Of course, she loved them a lot more when she was sitting out on the back deck with a book and not trailing through the undergrowth after her older sister and their two dogs on some ridiculous treasure hunt, but that couldn't be helped. When Jenna made up her mind, no one could change it.
The narrow path they were following wound its way along the top of a series of ragged, not-quite cliffs that fell towards the ocean. They'd walked it dozens of times in the past, but never this far. Behind them, the path split and led to a secluded cove accessible only when the tide was out, their usual destination. Lizzie wasn't even sure they'd be able to find what they were looking for it had been so long.
In spite of all Lizzie's sceptism and her constant doubts, Jenna hadn't let herself be dissuaded. This was an adventure they needed to go on, and the treasure at the end was definitely going to be worth the effort. They were going on this hunt, because deep down, Jenna knew her sister was just as hopelessly romantic as she was.
"How much further?" Lizzie called, her voice causing the two dogs to pause in their exploration and look at her.
Jenna consulted the old piece of paper in her hand and turned back with a grin. "Another hundred fifty steps and X marks the spot!"
Picking up her pace so she didn't have to yell again, Lizzie caught up to her sister. "I still can't believe you found that old thing."
"I thought it would have got thrown out years ago," Jenna admitted. "But it was in a draw with all our old cards and drawings and stuff. Now shush and let me count."
The piece of paper was torn around the edges and stained uneven shades of brown, the scent of coffee still lingering despite the years that had passed. It was a makeshift treasure map, drawn for two young girls obsessed with pirates. Lizzie remembered the story their father had told when it was first given to them.
The narrow path they were following wound its way along the top of a series of ragged, not-quite cliffs that fell towards the ocean. They'd walked it dozens of times in the past, but never this far. Behind them, the path split and led to a secluded cove accessible only when the tide was out, their usual destination. Lizzie wasn't even sure they'd be able to find what they were looking for it had been so long.
In spite of all Lizzie's sceptism and her constant doubts, Jenna hadn't let herself be dissuaded. This was an adventure they needed to go on, and the treasure at the end was definitely going to be worth the effort. They were going on this hunt, because deep down, Jenna knew her sister was just as hopelessly romantic as she was.
"How much further?" Lizzie called, her voice causing the two dogs to pause in their exploration and look at her.
Jenna consulted the old piece of paper in her hand and turned back with a grin. "Another hundred fifty steps and X marks the spot!"
Picking up her pace so she didn't have to yell again, Lizzie caught up to her sister. "I still can't believe you found that old thing."
"I thought it would have got thrown out years ago," Jenna admitted. "But it was in a draw with all our old cards and drawings and stuff. Now shush and let me count."
The piece of paper was torn around the edges and stained uneven shades of brown, the scent of coffee still lingering despite the years that had passed. It was a makeshift treasure map, drawn for two young girls obsessed with pirates. Lizzie remembered the story their father had told when it was first given to them.
"Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a pirate captain and a merchant's daughter. The merchant's daughter was the most beautiful girl in town and the pirate captain loved her very much, and she loved him."
Lizzie and Jenna sat at their father's feet, already enraptured by his tale. His voice was deep and melodious and perfectly suited to story-telling. Over in the corner, their mother sipped her coffee, a secret smile on her lips.
"The merchant didn't like that his daughter loved a pirate and thought the pirate was only using her, so he offered her other suitors while the pirate was at sea, but his daughter refused to so much as look at other men. The merchant decided to tell the pirate captain to leave his daughter alone the next time the captain made port, but what he didn't know was that his daughter was writing to her pirate.
"When the pirate next came to town, he came in disguise and met the merchant's daughter on a hidden beach in the middle of the night. On that beach, under the stars, the pirate proposed to the merchant's daughter and she said yes."
The girls 'aww'ed softly and over their heads, their father met his wife's eyes and returned her smile.
"Thus engaged to be married, the merchant's daughter and the pirate captain meet again two nights later on the same beach, a letter for the other and tokens of their love clutched in their hands. The pirate also carried a small shovel and a small wooden chest, and into that chest they placed the tokens and their letters, locking it carefully.
"With a kiss, the merchant's daughter took her leave and the pirate set out into the night seeking a place to hide the chest where no one would find it. He buried it, marked the spot and drew a map so he would remember where it was. Once married, the pirate gave the map to his wife, who promised she would keep it safe."
At this point, he directed Jenna and Lizzie's attention towards their mother who produced the map and held it out to her daughters. The girls took it, their faces filled with wonder.
At the time, they'd been too young to understand what their father was really telling them. When Jenna had found the map again twelve years later, she'd made the connection to several other things that hadn't quite made sense and realised her parents had buried their own personal time capsule. With their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary coming up, Lizzie had to admit there wasn't a better present to give them.
"Paydirt!" Jenna yelled, snapping Jenna from her reverie. "Technically, we're at three hundred twenty steps instead of three hundred, unless I miscounted, but what else could it be?"
Gouged deeply into the rock in front of Jenna, the edges softened by time, was a large 'X'. "Huh," Lizzie stated. "I didn't think we'd actually find it."
Jenna gave her a triumphant grin and knelt, shooing their terrier out from under her feet. "Move, Mindy. Got the shovel, LizLiz?"
Lizzie's reluctance transformed into excitement as Jenna dug and mere minutes later came the sound of the shovel hitting something solid. Lizzie fell to her knees beside her sister and together the two of them pulled their buried treasure from the hole. The wooden chest from their father's pirate tale was an old biscuit tin in reality, but the girls treated it as though it were made of gold.
"Do we open it?" Lizzie asked reverently.
"It'd be awkward if we gave it to them and it wasn't theirs..." And without saying anything else, Jenna took the shovel and levered off the lid.
Inside, they found their parents had wrapped the contents in a plastic bag to further protect them from the elements. With the same tenderness she'd use in unwrapping a newborn child, Lizzie removed two envelopes from the plastic, both addressed in handwriting she recognised.
"It's theirs," she breathed.
Jenna gave Lizzie her patented 'big sister knows best' smile. "Well aren't you glad I dragged you out on this ridiculous treasure hunt now?"
Lizzie and Jenna sat at their father's feet, already enraptured by his tale. His voice was deep and melodious and perfectly suited to story-telling. Over in the corner, their mother sipped her coffee, a secret smile on her lips.
"The merchant didn't like that his daughter loved a pirate and thought the pirate was only using her, so he offered her other suitors while the pirate was at sea, but his daughter refused to so much as look at other men. The merchant decided to tell the pirate captain to leave his daughter alone the next time the captain made port, but what he didn't know was that his daughter was writing to her pirate.
"When the pirate next came to town, he came in disguise and met the merchant's daughter on a hidden beach in the middle of the night. On that beach, under the stars, the pirate proposed to the merchant's daughter and she said yes."
The girls 'aww'ed softly and over their heads, their father met his wife's eyes and returned her smile.
"Thus engaged to be married, the merchant's daughter and the pirate captain meet again two nights later on the same beach, a letter for the other and tokens of their love clutched in their hands. The pirate also carried a small shovel and a small wooden chest, and into that chest they placed the tokens and their letters, locking it carefully.
"With a kiss, the merchant's daughter took her leave and the pirate set out into the night seeking a place to hide the chest where no one would find it. He buried it, marked the spot and drew a map so he would remember where it was. Once married, the pirate gave the map to his wife, who promised she would keep it safe."
At this point, he directed Jenna and Lizzie's attention towards their mother who produced the map and held it out to her daughters. The girls took it, their faces filled with wonder.
At the time, they'd been too young to understand what their father was really telling them. When Jenna had found the map again twelve years later, she'd made the connection to several other things that hadn't quite made sense and realised her parents had buried their own personal time capsule. With their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary coming up, Lizzie had to admit there wasn't a better present to give them.
"Paydirt!" Jenna yelled, snapping Jenna from her reverie. "Technically, we're at three hundred twenty steps instead of three hundred, unless I miscounted, but what else could it be?"
Gouged deeply into the rock in front of Jenna, the edges softened by time, was a large 'X'. "Huh," Lizzie stated. "I didn't think we'd actually find it."
Jenna gave her a triumphant grin and knelt, shooing their terrier out from under her feet. "Move, Mindy. Got the shovel, LizLiz?"
Lizzie's reluctance transformed into excitement as Jenna dug and mere minutes later came the sound of the shovel hitting something solid. Lizzie fell to her knees beside her sister and together the two of them pulled their buried treasure from the hole. The wooden chest from their father's pirate tale was an old biscuit tin in reality, but the girls treated it as though it were made of gold.
"Do we open it?" Lizzie asked reverently.
"It'd be awkward if we gave it to them and it wasn't theirs..." And without saying anything else, Jenna took the shovel and levered off the lid.
Inside, they found their parents had wrapped the contents in a plastic bag to further protect them from the elements. With the same tenderness she'd use in unwrapping a newborn child, Lizzie removed two envelopes from the plastic, both addressed in handwriting she recognised.
"It's theirs," she breathed.
Jenna gave Lizzie her patented 'big sister knows best' smile. "Well aren't you glad I dragged you out on this ridiculous treasure hunt now?"
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated. :D