A Red Sky Is Upon Us

by Ryan Gilbert

  “That’s horrible,” she said.

  “That’s vengeance.”

  Riggs had just thrown everything that Julia had known into a tailspin. Her father had told her that pirates were evil, despicable creatures. He had told her that officers of the English Navy were the most respectable men a woman could ever meet. The poor girl did not know what to think.

  “Did you ever see your father again?”

  He looked down at his feet and said, “No… no, I never saw ‘im again… but for years, I would still hear him sayin’, ‘Robert, you’ll never amount to anything in this world, you pitiful little scum.’ I hated those words, and they’d hurt every time I’d remember ‘em. I’ve wanted to prove him wrong, just to make every memory of him disappear.”

  Turning to face Julia, he said, “Now do you understand why I have to do what I do? I strive to be the most notorious pirate of all time because I don’t want what he said to come true.”

  Gesturing out to the Red Sky, he continued, “That ship is my ticket to notoriety. It’s my home... it’s my freedom… it’s my life. The crew is my only family now.”

  Placing her hand on top of his, Julia said, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  A smile formed on his face as he curled his fingers around her hand. There was no teasing delight in his smile, no joking corniness. It was genuine.

  “Thank you, Julia.”

  Together, they watched the sun disappear behind the Red Sky, the ball of orange shining through the dark red sails of the ship and casting a remarkable shadow across the sea. The black bow of the ship became a silhouette on the colorful sunset behind it. The sails almost looked like they were on fire, much like Riggs’ heart.

  Soon, darkness fell across the beach and the wind started to get colder. Julia started to shiver, so Riggs grabbed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Holding her close to him to keep her warm, he walked her back to the crude shelter of the trees. She no longer found harm in his holding her. It was comforting.

  Riggs found her as comfortable a spot as he could find. Though it took a little adjusting and fidgeting, she found that ferns made a surprisingly good pillow and a coat a warm, though rough, blanket. Riggs stayed by her side, waiting for her to fall asleep.

  Once her eyes had closed and her breathing had slowed, the Captain made his way over to his crewmates, grabbing a bottle on his way. Ripper and Jack were singing a song, a song which sounded like they had made it up when they were half-drunk.

  “Rum and fish,

  Rum and fish.

  Drown your face

  In a dish.

  Riches are the way

  To a man’s soul.

  Put all the diamonds

  Into a bowl.

  Feed the hungry.

  Beat the angry.

  We’re not wenches,

  We are mangy.

  Steal and lie;

  Steal and lie:

  There are no rules,

  But we will not die.”

  Nope, they were totally drunk when they made that song. Mockingly, Riggs clapped for his crewmembers, chuckling at how stupid and nonsensical the song was. He took a small swig of rum and sat down with his two friends.

  With a slurred voice, Jack asked, “Where’s the girl? She’s not joinin’ us?”

  “No, she’s sleepin’. It’s goin’ to be a long day tomorrow, mates, and we’re all gonna need some rest.”

  “Awww… bollocks,” said a drunken Jack.

  Ripper, whose tolerance was much higher than Jack’s, said, “Ay Captain, what’re ya planning on doin’ in da mornin’. Where we goin’?”

  “Don’t rightly know. Did ye find anythin’ when you were searchin’ for food?”

  Ripper scratched his bald, black head as he tried to recall.

  “Well Captain, from a distance I could see dere were sev’ral caves nea’ da closest mountain. We could start headin’ dere in da morning.”

  “Anythin’ seem out of the ordinary for ye, Ripper?” asked Riggs.

  Shaking his head, the pirate said, “Nope. Nothin’ at all.”

  Riggs ran his hand up and down his scruffy neck, trying to think. So far, Isla de Dolor seemed like just another island. The only thing that was different was the black water. Where were the mermaids? Where were the ghosts from the fog? Where were the curses?

  Beside him, Coral Jack was swaying back and forth, barely able to hold his bottle of rum any more. His eyes were nearly bugging out of his head.

  “Fellas… whatcha say we get wasted… then we go back to… what’s it called… Rebelde, my home, my home sweet home… an’ we get some more drinks and some more fights and some more girls and some more drinks and more drinks…”

  *crack*

  Without a single change of expression, Ripper knocked Jack in the side of the face with a balled-up fist. Coral Jack went cross-eyed and quickly fell backwards, unconscious, but quiet.

  “Man’s had a bit too much ta drink. Startin’ ta get annoying,” said Ripper, rubbing his knuckles.

  Laughing to himself, Riggs said, “I can agree with that. When all o’ us are awake, we’ll go search them caves for the treasure.”

  “Aye. Night, Captain,” said Ripper, lying back on the sandy ground.

  “See ye in the mornin’,” Riggs responded as he too lay down.

  But he did not fall asleep. Instead, he stared up at the stars and listened to the waves crash on the beach. He was itching with anticipation. Nothing was going to come between him and the treasure.

  That night, as the crew of the Red Sky slept, Clint, being the only man who was able to stand on his own two feet, patrolled the deck of the ship. He had still drunk a lot of rum, but he still had his sea legs, though they were a bit unsteady. Everything looked ordinary to him. It was a bit blurred, but still ordinary. The wind had died down. The ship was gently rocking on the waves. The fog had even gone away.

  However, something did not feel right. It was almost too quiet for Clint. There had been nearly no trouble since that massive episode in the cloud of fog. Nothing had attacked them, and yet there were ships grounded on the beach that had obviously been put through something.

  He could not help but feel like someone or something was watching the Red Sky. It was like a target had been painted on the ship ever since it had weighed anchor.

  *creeeeeeeck*

  Clint clumsily spun around and clipped his foot on the railing, falling to his stomach. The creaking did not sound like it was coming from the ship. It sounded like it was coming from next to the ship. Crawling on his knees to the railing, he peered over the side.

  There was nothing.

  *fwap* *swoosh*

  In an instant, the wind picked up, pushing the ship forward, causing it to yank on its anchor. Clint was again tossed to the ground as the ship jerked backward as the anchor dug into the ocean floor.

  This time, Clint knew that the sound of the wind blowing through the sails did not come from the Red Sky. It sounded far too loose and airy to be the Red Sky. There was almost even an echo to the sound, almost other-worldly.

  Something splashed in Clint’s eye, blurring his vision even more than the drunkenness. As he shook his head, trying to get the water out of his eye, he thought he saw a faint outline of a ship right next to Red Sky. He could still see the water behind it and the stars as well. The ship seemed to glow with very bright green lines running across the bow, like the boards themselves were covering a light. The sails looked like they had been mended many times before, but they were each still in one piece. As some of the water drained from his eye, Clint saw what looked like hundreds of tiny white lights staring at him from the darkness. Frantically rubbing his eyes with one hand, he knew he needed to get a better look. With the other hand, he fumbled for his gun, trying several times to actually pull it out of his belt.

  When he had opened his now dried eyes, the ship had disappeared. Looking out over the black waters, the navigator could see nothing. There was no disturbance in t
he water except for the waves. There was no mist or fog for ghosts to attack them. There were not even splashes that might indicate mermaids. There was definitely no ship. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

  Steadying himself, Clint held his hand over his heart and said, “For the love of God, Riggs better not ‘ave gotten us into something worse ‘n before.”

  Riggs awoke the next morning when the tide plowed into his face. Coughing and sputtering, he spit the salt water out of his mouth and tried to get rid of the nasty taste. Fortunately, none of the black liquid had managed to flow that far up the beach. The sun was just barely peeking over the trees behind him as he sprang to his feet. He squinted, still getting used to the bright rays. Pulling his long, black hair off of his face, he could see everybody else still sleeping soundly.

  Walking over to the remainder of the fire pit, Riggs poked Ripper and Coral Jack, waking both of them. Jack sat up, immediately grabbed his head, and groaned.

  “What happened last night?” he asked with a groggy voice.

  Ripper shrugged, feigning innocence.

  “That’s the third time this year I’ve woken up feeling like I’ve been beat in the head.”

  The Captain had to turn around to keep from laughing out loud. Telling his crewmates to get ready to search for the treasure, he noticed Julia still sleeping in the shade of the trees.

  Kneeling down next to her, he gently ran his fingers across her cheek, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She looked more beautiful with each passing day. The burning in his heart was getting stronger every time that he laid eyes on her.

  “It’s time to get up, sweets,” whispered Riggs.

  Once he started talking, she opened her eyes ever so slightly. The brightness of the light was too much for her eyes to process. To Riggs’ surprise, she did not swat his hand away like she had done the last time he had woken her.

  “Wha… what’s going on?” she murmured.

  “We’re goin’ huntin’ for some treasure now, and we’re not leavin’ ye here. Also, I’ll be needin’ me coat back,” he said, extending a hand to her.

  She held on to his hand as he pulled her to her feet, waking her fully. Handing back Riggs’ coat, she dusted the dirt and sand off of herself. Riggs looked back to see if Ripper and Jack were ready to set out after the treasure. They were.

  The band of four ventured further onto the island, pushing their way through bushes and weeds, tramping over rocks and dirt. The large leaves of the trees served as excellent shade from the sun’s burning rays. Snakes slithered among the vines that hung above the groups’ heads, and lizards scurried beneath their feet. Vibrant flowers would appear out of nowhere, and the chirping of birds rang throughout the entire forest.

  Riggs was confused. This was not at all how he had pictured Isla de Dolor. The only indication that anything was out of the ordinary was the mass of rotting ships on the beach. Everything else was magnificent. Where were the hostile guardians of the treasure? Where were the pirates that had been on those ships? Where was the danger?

  Ten minutes passed, with Riggs asking, “Are ye sure we’re headin’ the right way, Ripper?”

  “O’ course, Captain.”

  As much as he wanted to believe his crewmate, Riggs found he could not. Ripper was constantly looking back and forth, like he had no idea where he was going. He was not even following a path. They were pushing their way through large plants and roots. It would have been easy to get lost in all of it.

  After about thirty minutes of walking, they all heard the sound of running water. They did only have a limited supply of rum and water, so Riggs thought it best to try to find the water source, get a drink, and then continue their hunt.

  As they got closer to where they heard the water, the trees started to get denser and more tangled than before. Ripper yanked his sword from its scabbard and began to tear away at the canopy. Vines snapped back, and gigantic weeds fell to the ground as the Jamaican pushed onward, leading the group even deeper into the forest of green.

  Bits of leaves and wood started flying over Riggs’ head. He could see the eager determination on Ripper’s face as his sword sliced through the air. Sweat was pouring down his arms and face. Soon, light began to peek through the dense forest.

  “I think I’ve got it, Captain. Man, we’re goin’ ta be through in no time. Dere’s some light right ‘ere.”

  Seconds later, “We’re throuAUUUUGH!”

  Ripper grabbed onto whatever was closest to him, his hands grasping vines and tree branches.

  “What’s wrong, mate?” asked Coral Jack.

  The three stepped closer to Ripper, but he warned them, “Don’t come much closer.”

  Riggs cautiously took a step, asking, “Why? What is there?”

  The moment the last word came out of his mouth, he saw what lay in front of his crewmate.

  It was a gigantic chasm, with mist and fog swirling around inside it. Peering through the space between Ripper’s arm and his body, Riggs saw a lake in the bottom of the hole in the ground. Waterfalls fell into the chasm in multiple areas. The sound of the water crashing into the lake sounded just distant enough to send shivers down the group’s spines. Jagged rock formations poked out of the walls of the chasm and the lake below. Skeletons lay strewn across the rocks, presumably pirates who had been far too eager for gold and jewels to care about their own safety. It was an overpowering sight.

  Ripper stepped back, away from the edge, and stood behind his captain.

  “Dis is def’nitely not where I was yesterday,” he said.

  “This place don’t feel right, Captain,” said Coral Jack, pulling on Riggs’ sleeve.

  “I have to agree with Jack, Riggs. This place is eerie… and dangerous, nonetheless,” observed Julia.

  “Hold on, mates.”

  Riggs had seen something near the bottom of the chasm. A black hole in the rocky wall seemed to snatch his interest. His curiosity aroused, he began to walk around the edge of the cliff.

  “Captain, where in da blazes are ya goin’?”

  “If ye had loads of treasure, don’t ye think you’d hide it? I’m bettin’ ye that cave down there has what we’re lookin’ for.”

  Climbing over the roots of trees and clambering over little rock formations, Riggs reached something he had not seen: a barely noticeable set of stairs carved into the rock, creating a staircase to the cave. Stepping onto it, he almost slipped. The rock must have been covered with water for a long time because the entire staircase was slippery with slime and moisture. Tiny trickles of water tumbled down to the lake as the group slowly and carefully made their way down to the cave. With each step, the sound of the cascading waterfalls seemed to get louder.

  When they all got to the cave’s landing, they could see thick spider webs blanketing the entrance. Droplets of water from the mist clung to the webs. It looked like hundreds of tiny mirrors looking back at the group. As Riggs poked it with his sword, tiny spiders crawled out onto the strands and tried to fend off what had disturbed them. The only thing they succeeded in doing was creeping out Julia.

  “Yuck! I hate spiders,” she said, standing as far away from the webs as she could.

  Riggs effortlessly cut through the webs with his sword and wiped the residue on a nearby rock. The spiders scrambled even deeper into the cave, much to Julia’s dismay. A tiny stream of water poured out of the entrance of the cave as the group investigated, trying to find its source.

  Soon, the cave became pitch-black, the light from the sun unable to penetrate it. The ground was very smooth, but flat, which made walking extremely easy. The four crept along, their hands running along the walls to make sure they all ended up in the same place. Julia kept a firm grip on Riggs’ coat sleeve, refusing to touch the wall.

  Suddenly, the group felt a significant change in temperature. The darkness became extremely cold, a sign that they were deep inside the cave. They could not see it, but they could sense that the passageway had opened into a larger room.

/>   “Ripper… Jack… you two go right. Try to find somethin’ ye can light on fire,” Riggs ordered.

  “Aye, Captain,” said the master gunner.

  The echoing of their voices confirmed their suspicions. They were in a room, but they could not tell how large it was. For all they knew, there could have been a hole in the floor, waiting to swallow them in its inky black abyss.

  Riggs and Julia continued to move along the wall, feeling ahead with their feet to make sure there was still a floor. For a couple steps, they could still feel the rock underneath their feet. Riggs’ next step knocked over a small pile of something lying on the ground. It had a very distinct sound to it, like coins hitting against each other.

  “Captain, I think I found a torch,” said Ripper in the darkness.

  “What are you waitin’ for? Light it,” ordered the Captain, his pulse quickening.

  After striking his flint and steel a couple of times, Ripper managed to light the torch on fire. Everyone was blinded by the sudden brightness as the flame surrounded the end of the torch. Once their eyes grew accustomed to the light, they saw something else in the room, something much more important than the torch. It made them gasp.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Treasure! They had finally found that for which they had been looking. Ripper stood where he was with his mouth agape, still holding the torch. Coral Jack rubbed his eyes to see if what he was seeing was truly right in front of him. Even Julia was in awe at the allure of the treasure that lay in front of her.

  Riggs fell to his knees and dropped his sword at his side. In all of his years of pirating, he had never seen such a large quantity of gold, jewels, and precious stones and artifacts. Staffs made of gold and rubies were propped against the stone wall of the chamber. Crystal goblets were strewn across the floor while gold and silver nuggets seemed to grow out of the ground itself. Swords encrusted with diamonds stuck out of piles of coins, and iron shields covered with precious, colorful stones rested by the wall of the cave. Chests overflowing with treasure and artifacts adorned the entirety of the room. There was a pool of water in the middle of the chamber that almost seemed to sparkle with the colors of the stones inside of it.