The False Map

Hello, everyone! I have been really busy with school, so I am sorry that I have not posted in a while! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

Today, my post is going to be about a treasure map.

It all started when my sister, Chase, me, my cousin Mario, and my Uncle John went fishing around Thanksgiving 2 years ago. We were fishing for redfish, a highly elusive but delicious fish. (Or so my uncle said)

We were out on the canoe. It was not very windy or cold but the horse flies were murder. The kids were wearing life jackets that made it a little difficult to move around in. We were frustrated as we hadn’t caught anything. We kept seeing mullets out of the corner of our eyes. Mullets are smallish fish that jump out of the water and jump back in.

We were heading back, the canoe and oars cutting through the murky water. Suddenly, Uncle John pointed and said “Hey, a redfish!”

We all swiveled our heads around and we heard a splash. “Dang it, we missed it!” I said fiercely.

Suddenly, Mario pointed. “What is that?”

Me and my sister looked over to where he was pointing. It was an odd shape bobbing in the water. “What are you waiting for, guys, we have to paddle!” Chase yelped.

We all paddled furiously. “Look! Mario, you can scoop it up with the net! Hurry!” I yelled.

Mario’s hands fumbled as he scooped up the odd shape with the net. “Wow, look! It’s…wow..I can’t believe…it’s a BOTTLE!” he said excitedly.

“WHAT?!?!??” Me and Chase screeched.

“LEMME SEE!!!” I said.

Mario handed it to me and I inspected it. It was a green bottle, it was about the size of a wine bottle, and the top was sealed with wax. On the top of the cork was a pirate symbol! “LOOK GUYS!” I yelled.

The other kids looked at it and I said to Uncle John, “Can we go back to Grammy and Dodaddy’s?!??!?!?”

Uncle John said “Sure, I don’t think we’re going to catch any redfish.”

Chase handed the bottle to me and I placed it carefully in between my legs. We paddled frantically towards shore. Mario hopped out and ran to explain to my grandpa, Dodaddy.

We drove home, me holding the bottle very carefully. When we got home Chase and Mario rushed to explain to my grandma, and I placed the bottle on the counter. I looked inside the green glass. There was a roll of paper tied with twine inside.

My grandpa took a knife and wedged it in between the wax and the cork and managed to work the cork out. He got the paper and handed me the scroll. I ran over to the couch, Chase and Mario saying “OPEN IT!”

I sat down and carefully opened the map. Inside was a map. It said E. Teach, 1718 and had a drawing of a lake and an island. It was telling us to go 15 paces south of the Big Oak. Suddenly, Dodaddy pointed out the window and said “Hey, isn’t that drawing talking about over there?”

All the kids froze and we all swiveled our heads around to look. “You’re right!” I shrieked.

“C’mon guys, we have to get shovels and go!” Mario yelled.

Dodaddy, Uncle John, my dad, my stepmom; Natalie, and my Aunt Julie all stood up. “We’ll get shovels.” Aunt Julie and Uncle John said.

Dad and Dodaddy went with them and Natalie decided to interview us. “How do you feel? What if you get famous?” Little we did we know it was a ruse.

We answered questions with giddiness. The other adults came back and we set off for the island. Aunt Julie laid a wooden board across a stream wide stream so we could get across. We stepped across and ran ahead. I was clutching the map, and the other kids were not even fighting that I got to do it. Now that is some serious cooperation. Also, I was the oldest so I was entitled.

We located the Big Oak and we stepped fifteen times. We were about to dig when Uncle John said, “Wait, you need to take huge pirate steps.” He then went from the Big Oak took 15 GINORMOUS steps.

We began to dig with Aunt Julie’s help and the other adults watched with interest. Suddenly, about a foot down I saw something. “Hey, look, Aunt Julie, it’s a parcel!”

“No, I think it’s just a root.” But she was wrong. It was a parcel!

This should have struck me as suspicious as the map was supposed to be 300 years old and the parcel should have been deeper, but my 9 year old mind wasn’t thinking correctly.

I carefully lifted it out and shook it. “LOOK!” I yelled. I handed it to the other kids to look at. It was wrapped in paper and twine. I shook it. “It sounds like coins!”

Chase handed the parcel back to me, and I took started jogging back towards the house. “Wait, Abby, shouldn’t we unwrap it!??!” Mario said.

“No, we have to get back to the house!” I yelled back.

I skidded to a stop at the stream. I was tired, and I had to wait for Aunt Julie to help me cross the bridge. The adults finally, finally finished lumbering to the stream and we crossed as quickly as we could. I then started sprinting towards the house, Mario and Chase close behind. “GRAMMY!” we yelled.

We stopped at the picnic table in front of the barn. “Let’s open it, c’mon!” Chase said.

“No, we can’t yet, we have to wait for Grammy and the other adults.” I said. “I know, the adults are slow, but there might some sort of trick or dangerous thing inside.” I added after they both sighed and rolled their eyes. I joined in.

Grammy came out and said “I’m proud of y’all. Oh look, here come the other adults.”

The other adults sat down and we all tore open the paper. Inside was a small, handsome dark brown wooden container. We opened it and there was a small bag with some cool rocks and some plastic gems. That was also suspicious, but I didn’t blink an eye. There was also 36 dollars in quarters. That was also suspicious, but I still didn’t look twice. But I’m not usually that dumb. Excitement makes you bend the circumstances. Makes you turn a blind eye.

We split the money and each got about 12 dollars. We also split the artifacts. I got the map. Mario got the bottle. Chase got the gems and the rocks.

Now here’s the catch. It was not actually E. Teach’s treasure. IT WAS UNCLE JOHN. HE PLANTED THE MAP AND MADE THE TREASURE. He was trying to be nice. And he made a memory. I’m exposing him once and for all.

THE END