Secrets of the Past

Chapter 18

The hard rain slowed to to a soft drizzle so they packed up camp and went on their way. They all walked in silence wondering what lay ahead. Would there be dangerous animals that they perhaps never heard of? How long would it take to find the caves? Were they the only ones on Moon's Island? Where they even going after something real? Where they chasing a fairy tail?

Joshua being young, was put in charge of whacking the grass down. Teague followed behind holding on to the reigns of Barbessy. On the other side was Barbossa. Behind Barbessy was Jack, followed closely by Angelica. The rest of the members followed her.

"Hold up, boy," Teague called to Joshua and walked to a nearby tree. On it he saw large claw marks. He bent over and traced his fingers along the bottom marking. Teague straightened and walked back and took the bridle of his mare.

They walked on for another hour and Abigail tried to make conversation with her grandfather, but he paid her no mind. His thoughts were elsewhere, and he was too focused on listening for low growls, crunching of twigs, and running through the jungle.

Abigail sat quietly on Barbessy. She was running her fingers through her white mane when she heard something. She jerked her head up. There it was again. It was that deep growl everyone was waiting for.

Teague drew his sword and stopped. Abigail heard footsteps and her father came up beside her followed by her mother. Their arms were dangling, weapon in hand.

"Keep a firm grip, and put this in your pocket," Angelica said when she passed by giving her a piece of paper. Abigail obediently put it in her front right pocket and held on.

The whole crew were at a large disadvantage. They had left their guns on The Black Pearl under the strict supervision of a couple of men. If a large animal were to attack, they'd have to take them straight on. If pirates were to attack, possibly having guns themselves, they'd be at a bad disadvantage again.

After a long few seconds, a large cat jumped out. It was like a jaguar Jack was familiar with, but larger. It was huge and had crazy muscles. It jumped out causing Joshua to fall down and cautiously scoot back toward Teague, Jack, Angelica, and Barbossa positioned and ready to fight.

The jumping out cause Barbessy to panic. She stood up on her hind legs making Abigail scramble. She was only holding on with her left hand, but quickly grabbed a hold with her right. When she had a hold with her right her left reached up to grip the frightened mares neck. She slid her right hand up clinging on to her neck as Barbessy landed on to her front legs and running past Barbossa to who knows where.

Abigail had no idea where she went, because all she did was cling to the horses neck for dear life and close her eyes. She was pretty sure she cried a little but the soft white hair soaked it up. Barbessy came to a slow trot so Abigail sat up and had no idea where she was.

Surrounding her was palm trees, tall grasses as usual, and a coconut tree. Nothing looked familiar, but then again nothing was ever any different than before really. It was always grass, and trees.

Knowing she'd be hungry before anyone found her, if anyone found her, she pulled on the reigns bringing Barbessy to a complete stop, and slid down on her feet. She grunted when she hit the ground. She grabbed a couple of coconuts and put one in each before trying to climb back on Barbessy.

Next she had the problem of getting back on the tall horses back. She grabbed a hold of her mane and tried to climb up by using her stomach as something to grip with her feet but Barbessy moved causing he to stumble back on the ground.

Abigail gave up and tied her to the coconut tree instead. After that she went through the two pockets hanging on Barbessy's lower back. She removed the coconuts and threw them on the ground. She plopped down on the ground and ran her fingers through her long tangled hair.

Not knowing to go and try to find her family and friends, or stay put she decided on making camp and waiting until tomorrow to decided. She found a tarp and tossed it on the ground. Then she found four sticks around the same size. She stuck them into the ground and threw the tarp over. Next she dug through Barbessy's pack and found glasses and started a fire. She dug through the packs again to see whats she had. Blankets, bird jerky, rum, and bananas.

That evening at sunset Abigail looked at the items spread out before her. She began the depletion by grabbing a banana, peeling it and talking a bite. As she ate she uncorked the rum and sat it between her legs.

She finished her banana and remembered the piece of paper her mother had given her, and decided to see what it was before the sun set. She opened it up to see the map of Moon's Island. Looking at the old brown paper she studies it carefully. She found the river towards the bottom of the map. Above that were the words "danger awaits ye" with a long bit of jungle. Abigail re-pocketed the map and grabbed a piece of bird jerky before stretching out and having a goodnight's rest.

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Jack watched the jaguar scare the young man in front of him and send his daughter racing off to the deep part of the jungle. He narrowed his eyes and stabbed the jaguar in the chest. It of course didn't kill the beast, and it bit his arm making him scream. His father came to the rescue stabbing it beside where his own sword lay. Angelica was soon at his side taking his hand and examining it.

"I'm fine," he told her and tried to snatch it away, but she grabbed it again and ripped off the bottom of his shirt, and rapped his wound until she had time to take a closer look.

The men were gathered around the jaguar and identified it as a female. If that was a female it meant there would be bigger out there. There would be bigger out there with his beloved daughter all alone with nothing but a sword to protect her. Even Jack himself need help from his father. She was a girl, and a young girl at that, that needed her father he was sure.

"Abigail," he said.

"She'll be fine," Angelica reassured him. She didn't really believe her own words, but said them anyway.

They only hiked for an hour before settling down. Angelica then took the time to look more closely at Jack's bite wound. She carefully examined it noticing two bite holes on top and one on bottom. She took the rum out of his hand to his dismay, and poured it on there.

After they ate there fire buddies disappears somewhere and Angelica and Jack leaned back against the tree they were by. Jack looked at her to see her staring into the flames. Her lifted his arm and laid it across her shoulder and she looked up at him.

"I'm scared for her," she whispered.

Jack pulled her tighter into his chest and she laid her head against his neck. He closed his eyes and enjoyed their rare quiet moment alone. Why they were alone he didn't know. They had been sad company and everyone left because of it, probably wanting them to grieve the missing of their daughter.

"She'll be fine," he repeated her own words. "You gave her the map didn't you?"

Angelica nodded against his neck. She sat up after another minute. "I didn't want it to happen." She shook her head.

"We both knew it would, love. Either that jaguar could have scared Barbessy off sending Abigail to safety, or she could have been set on the ground where that might have distracted us, making us being attacked with Abigail, and us all dead."

Angelica sighed and laid her head on his lap. "Please, let's do this again."

"Do what again, love?"

"Be alone."

"I promise."

She fell asleep and Jack looked up at the black sky. It only made the world seem that much more bleak with no moon. Sure they hadn't seen a moon in 3 days, but then everyone was accounted for, except the men who was on the raft with him, but they weren't even his crew. His lack of caring, for the first time scared him. He understood now why Angelica didn't want Abigail to grow up as a pirate.