Silver's Return: Sequel to Trapped

Headmaster Jones: In the Eyes of Jim Hawkins

"Little Frankie Jones," Silver chuckled, gaining another glare from the Headmaster. "Aye, no wonder you looked familiar." He then held his pistol to the Headmaster's head. "I reckon you didn't join with those men over there just for these two lads standing next to me."

The Headmaster cracked a smile before laughing, and Smollett looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Jones?" he asked cautiously. "Why are you laughing.?"

"I'm sorry, Smollett," he replied, trying to stifle his laughter. "I just can't keep the secret anymore. I did it! I burned down the school!"

I couldn't believe my ears, but my friends seemed to have believed that he was the one that caused all of this by the looks on their faces. Silver was the only one who was unfazed by all of this as he still held his pistol against the Headmaster's head.

"But why would you burn down your own school?" Tom finally managed to ask.

The Headmaster managed to stop laughing and sat on the ground, ignoring the pistol still pointed at his head. He sighed, frowned, and then looked up at us.

"I was content with running my school," he began. "But then, I heard about how a boy named Jim Hawkins found Flint's map and everything that happened afterward, including the death of a pirate captain named Vlad by a one-legged pirate named Silver." An angered look crossed his face before he continued speaking. "What surprise I felt when I heard that that same boy had decided to join my school, and that same pirate, now with a fake leg, had decided to become the new cook after killing my previous one. I was planning on just killing the two of them, but then Thomas came along and became friends with Jim, ruining my plans. The simplest way was to set the school on fire, but I wasn't expecting that Silver came for Jim as well. I came here for Silver and Jim for one reason only."

"To avenge your brother's death," Silver spoke up.

"'Brother'?" Trelawney asked. "You mean-"

"Aye," Silver nodded. "Vlad Jones' younger brother; Frank Jones. I remember meeting you when you were younger, Frankie. I always thought that you'd end up like Vlad."

"I would have never become a pirate and upset our family as he did, Silver," the Headmaster growled. "But even if he was a pirate, he was still my brother and I loved him. I never wanted him to die, but he did and the man who killed him is pointing a pistol at me right as I speak."

"And soon there'll be a bullet in your head," Silver replied angrily.

"Wait Silver!" Livesey held out his hand to stop the man. "We have to take him back to England to stand a fair trial, even though it would be easier to just leave him marooned here."

"'A fair trial', eh?" Silver laughed. "Now, why does that sound so familiar?"

Before anyone was able to speak, the sound of multiple gunshots rang through the air.

"Where's that coming from?!?" Tom yelled, hiding behind me and gripping my arm in fear.

"Silver!" Trelawney yelled. "Order your men to stand down!"

"You killed most of my men, remember?!?" Silver yelled back, firing his pistol into the trees. "Those must be your men!"

"Nonsense!" the Headmaster broke in, regaining our attention as he stood back up. "They're all back on the ship!"

"No...they can't still be alive!" I suddenly yelled.

The others looked at me in confusion until three men, ragged and wearing sheepskin, emerged from the trees, pointing muskets and pistols at us. With one look at them, I recognized them immediately; Dick, Morgan, and Tait. These were the same three pirates we left marooned on this island two years ago. Tom let out a yelp and hid behind me even more at the sight of these wild men he never met before.

"By Jove, they're still alive," Livesey breathed in surprise.

Tait was the first one to notice us, but before he could do anything, Avery took out his pistol and shot him. 

"Silver, you know these men?" he asked, the still-smoking pistol pointing upwards. 

"Aye, I did," he replied, shifting his pistol from the Headmaster's head to both Dick and Morgan. "Dick! Morgan! Fancy seeing both of you alive!"

Dick and Morgan just growled at him before launching themselves at him. Without thinking, I grabbed the pistol from Silver's hand and shot at Morgan while Smollett shot at Dick. Both men fell, dead, and I sighed in relief. 

"Well, that certainly was unexpected," Silver chuckled before turning to me. "Now, Hawkins, I do believe that I need my pistol ba-"

Out of nowhere, I was tackled to the ground by the Headmaster, who had a crazed look in his eyes. The pistol that I had been holding was flung out of my hand and it landed right in front of Tom's feet.

"I might not be able to bring back my brother," the Headmaster snarled as he took out a knife. "But I will be able to kill you!"

Just as he was about to plunge the knife into my chest, a gunshot rang out. The knife fell from his hand as he clutched his chest and fell to the side, dead. I scrambled to my feet and faced where the sound came from. Tom stood there, the pistol in his shaking hands, and tears forming in his eyes. He dropped the gun and covered his mouth with both hands, a chocked sobbed muffled from it. I instantly ran to his side and placed a comforting hand on in shoulder.

"Thank you, Tom," I smiled at him.

He mumbled something into his hands, and Smollett was suddenly by his side, walking away from the scene with an arm around his shoulders. 

***

After we made sure that the Headmaster was truly dead, we all began to make our way back to our respected ships. Livesey was hesitant on letting Silver and Avery go with the treasure map and no arrest, but after all that we had been through, the rest of us could have cared less. Silver and Avery left without a word, and soon the rest of us were on the way home. Tom was still shaken up about the fact that he had killed someone, so I decided to keep him company on the way back. The closer we got to England, the calmer Tom became. The last night on the ship, Smollett came to look for us and discovered us sitting up against the side of the ship, both fast asleep. I was glad that this adventure was over, and I sincerely hoped that I would not have this happen to either Tom or me ever again.

END