One Summer

Prolouge

June 30th 1980

"And this is what she wanted?" Nicole asked her girlfriend Mikayla, who was placing the last bit of gold on the old ship.

Mikayla had gotten specific instructions from her grandmother, on where to go and what to do with her treasure. What Mikayla didn't understand was why her grandmother didn't want to spend all this money.

"I'm sure.... I hope." Mikayla whispered the last part, not trying to worry Nicole.

After an hour or so their bags were empty and their bodies were sore. They had gone the shortcut way, however they were still burnt out.

"Yeah well I'm ready to get the hell away from this creepy ass ship, and this creepy ass family." Nicole stated firmly.

The Henderson's were the ones who owned the bar above the cave. Weren't very friendly people, but they let the girls pass when they mentioned the name Cindy, Mikayla's grandmother.

Mikayla laughs, the whole way down Nicole was complaining about dirt and rocks and diseases. Mikayla knew she owed her, and they both knew what that meant.

"Okay then, let's get home. I'll give you that reward." Mikayla smirks, kissing Nicole on the cheek. Mikayla makes her way down the old ship, careful not to step on any loose boards.

"Are you sure I can't get my prize now?" Nicole calls after her.

"No!" Mikayla laughs, making her way through the small puddles on the cave floor.

"Asshole." Nicole giggles with no meaning behind her word.

The two girls met at the entrance of the cave, and looked around.

"What are we gonna do with this map?" Nicole asks, snatching the map from Mikayla's grip.

"Give it to my daughter, and her daughter. It'll be like a family myth!" Mikayla smiled. She loved the thought of an adventure and was always up for anything.

"I don't want my daughter believing some creepy myth!" Nicole defends.

"Who said I was marrying you?" Mikayla teased, making her way back up the dirt path.

"Very funny Mikayla." Nicole stated. She looked around one last time and looked down at the map.

"Hey love?" Nicole calls after her girlfriend after she enters the cave.

"Yes?" Mikayla says, kicking a rock aside.

"That key in your room, did your grandmother give it to you?"

"The oddly shaped rock? Yeah why?"

"What if someone wants to find this place? That key is the only way."

By this time, the girls were close to the Henderson's bar and the daylight was escaping from them.

"What do you mean?" Mikayla asked.

"If someone wanted to find this place, the key is in your grandmother's possession! Who knows who she'll give it to, or maybe she'll keep it!" Nicole points out, moving the bigger rocks out of the way.

"Why would someone want to find it? No kid would really go after a myth." Mikayla giggles, and looks around seeing the familiar old bar of the Henderson's.

"If their anything like you darling, they would." Nicole winks, taking Mikayla's hand and making it out of the cave.

The girls took in a breath of fresh air, and started laughing. They couldn't believe how long it took.

"Sooo that reward? I prefer cash." Nicole jokes, interlocking her hand with Mikayla's.

"How about this?" Mikayla pulls Nicole's hand closer causing her lips to smash onto Nicole's.

Nicole couldn't help but smile, yes this was crazy but it put a smile on Mikayla's face.

"Having fun?" A rugged voice pulled the two girls apart, red in the face.

The owner of the shop, Carrie Henderson looked about as old as the cave was. Her hair was pulled back tightly into a bun and her clothes look like she was attending a funeral; black shirt with a long black skirt.

"We umm... yeah we did. Cool waterfall." Nicole stammers, stepping behind Mikayla.

"A waterfall huh?" Ms. Henderson smirked and turned to Mikayla.

"It wasn't really a waterfall per-say...." As Mikayla rambled on, the two rocks that were covering the passageway were shoved into the tunnel by Nicole, so no one could ever make it down there again. Or so she thought.

"Enough of your crazy talk. You know Cindy Monroe?" Ms. Henderson screeched, stopping Mikayla.

"She's my grandmother." Mikayla stated proudly.

"Oh is she? Boys!" Ms. Henderson called and two boys, looking a little older than the girls appeared from behind them. They both grabbed the girls wrists causing them to drop everything on them, including the map.

"Then you wouldn't mind telling me what you were doing down there, would you?" Ms. Henderson laughed, picking up the map.

"Don't!" Mikayla struggled out of the boys grip.

"Something you don't want me to see? I thought we were all friends." Ms. Henderson laughed again, looking the map up and down.

"This is just a piece of paper. There's nothing on here." She snapped as she threw the map down on the floor for the girls to see.

Low and behold, all the ink and drawings from the map was gone. It was a new paper, no marks, rips, creases... just a simple piece of paper.

"What? But it was just..." Nicole cut herself off, "I mean yeah! Just for the journaling we told you about."

"And what happened to those bags you were carrying down? The 'camera'." Ms. Henderson suspected the girls were lying when they brought down a couple brown sacks. They claimed it was for reasearch purposes, but cameras weren't as heavy as these girls were making it seem.

"We ummm..." Nicole tried to make sense of their actions but it was no use.

"Answer her!" The boy grabbing onto Nicole tightened his grip on his wrists causing her to cry in pain.

"Leave her alone!" Mikayla screams, still struggling to break free.

"Now ladies, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way." Ms. Henderson reached in her pocket and pulled out a kitchen knife.

Nicole closed her eyes and turned her head away, while Mikayla's eyes were on the knife.

"Where'd you put the gold?" Ms. Henderson asked, drawing the knife to Mikayla's neck.

"Like we'd tell you." Mikayla spat.

"The hard way it is." Ms. Henderson laughed.

The last thing Mikayla heard was Nicole scream before everything went black.