The Book Of Fate

Chapter 5: Stupid Map

MINA

Mina was bored.

All the excitement and hopes for adventure had died in the first three hours at sea. Three days later, she was almost on the verge of dying from dullness.

One would guess that after two years of doing nothing but sailing and staying in cheap hostels, Mina would be used to uneventful days. Her brother always had something to do; a book to read, a new entry in his diary –which he didn't know she knew about-, weapon shopping –her favorite-, or just getting lost in that mind of his. However Mina, being the impatient little woman she was, usually suffered from intense fits of boredom if she couldn't at least take a walk. And you can't take walks on little ships; you can't even enjoy the scenery since it's always the same blue ocean wherever you see.

She groaned loudly as she sat back on top of the small cabin that led below decks. If climbing an orphanage had been a piece of cake, climbing up there had been like breathing.

She'd gone up and down the masts and poles about a hundred times before she decided that it was time to lay down a bit. Then, she had observed as Elizabeth steered the boat in their next destination: Coral Island; where they were going to gather supplies and more information for the rest of their journey.

In all honesty, Lizzy had surprised Mina. Kai was smart and one would've guessed that Theo -the son of a treasure hunter- would know his way around the sea; but, she had to admit that Elizabeth was far more acquainted with the layout of the south; especially for a pampered rich kid. And she knew very well how to handle a ship. Which Theo had persistently denied doing so; he'd said something about a rock having more sense of direction than him.

In regards to Theo... Mina found herself enjoying their time together. He was funny in a weird way and always seemed to have something to say, even if it was to make small talk. The guy was like a book, he always had a story to tell. But not one with boring facts like the ones that Kai liked, no, Theo told the stories of hidden treasures, mythical creatures, and forbidden love. However, he had shared very little about himself or his father by that matter.

Despite his talkative and carefree personality, Mina couldn't help but notice how he became slightly awkward when he approached Elizabeth. It was as if he was measuring his words, testing the waters somehow.

But observing people had stopped being fun two days ago.

She looked down at the map in her hands; which she had gotten from Lizzy after hours of pestering her. She understood why everybody had been going crazy over it. The thing was written in a very odd language and Theo was constantly complaining about its terrible grammar and vague vocabulary. They had tried everything in their hands to reveal the truth behind it but to no avail.

Stupid map.

She sighed and, with her legs dangling from the roof, laid back with her arms outstretched and map in hands, shading her face from sunlight.  She looked back up, to the way the sun shone behind that stupid piece of paper and felt herself gasp.

Mina's eyes widened as she stared at the piece of paper between her hands.

"Holy sh*t!" She yelled.

"Language, Mina!" Her brother warned from the deck.

"Holy SH*T!" She sat up and jumped down like a bunny, the map tightly clutched in her hands. Everybody stared at her. "THE MAP, GUYS, THE SUN, THE MAP! I figured it out!"

In no time Lizzy, Theo, and Kai were around her like flies. They all stared at the map in her hands but saw nothing different.

"Mina?" Kai asked cocking a brow.