Secrets of the Past

Chapter 16

Teague woke everyone, including Jack, at dawn that morning ready to get a move on. Abigail, with the help of Joshua, got on the horse and rode beside her grandfather. He held on to her bridle and lead everyone.

Teague had brought a pair of trousers and a shirt for Abigail to change into so she could ride the horse without worrying about showing too much of herself. Abigail kept herself entertained by looking the map and helping Teague no where to go, and braiding the mares mane. "Whats her name?" Abigail asked him.

"Barbessy."

"After Barbossa?"

Teague nodded. "Barbossa named his monkey Jack so I thought it'd be fair." Abigail saw a small smile on Teague's face and let a out a small laugh herself.

Abigail never responded to that so she rode in silence for a few more minutes until she heard water. Thinking it must be the river they were suppose to come up on, she pulled the map out of the pouch on Barbessy. She looked up and saw the deep rushing water and huge stones. There was no way she'd make it out alive if she swam across.

Everyone came and looked at the water and widened their eyes. Everyone was all thinking the same thing. How the heck are they going to cross?

Jack passed everyone and felt of the water. It was icy and be dried his hands on his coat. If it were winter and they fell in, they'd die of hyperthermia. Thank goodness it was the end of June.

He went back in the jungle and looked for floating logs. He tried a few in the freezing water before finding one that floated. He gathered 3 before noticing everyone was standing idle.

"Get to work you dirty sea snails!"

Everyone scurried away to get floating limbs to give to Jack so he could tie them up so they could cross. When he was done he let 3 random crew members go first. He took the long peice of rope that he had tied, and sent them off.

Jack watched, eyes never leaving them. They made it fine all the way to the middle until they met a huge boulder. They paddled as fast as they could, but still slammed into it, damaging the makeshift raft. They made it the rest of the way fine.

When they were safely on the other side Jack and everyone pulled her back. When they were at the same boulder they slammed into earlier, they pulled as fast as possible but she still took another lick.

"Your crossing next," Jack told Angelica after the raft hit the boulder the second time.

"With Abigail."

"And Teague."

Angelica held her arm out for her daughter on the horse. She held on to it and slid down her legs not hitting as hard this time. Angelica signaled Teague by motioning with her head on their way to the raft.

Abigail shook with fright when she sat down in between Angelica and Teague. She gripped the ends tight and shivered more when the cold water washed over her hand. She did have to let go once though. When they made it to the boulder she let go and paddled as hard as she could, but the raft slammed into the boulder even harder than the 3 men before them did. Abigail took a deep breath and exhaled when she accepted Angelica's hand when they made it across.

The way Jack decided who went across was simple. He made sure after the test run, family went first and then friends. He also had to keep a balanced weight so the raft wouldn't sink. Three average people, of a couple small ones and a large one, or something like that. It was only getting more damaged each time.

He made Gibbs go next and wanted Joshua to go, because he didn't want his daughter to go through anymore pain, but Joshua wanted to take the horse across. "She can swim on her own boy."