Any signof life was far out of sight as we approached the mouth of a cave,nestled away in the rocky walls of the cliffs above. I felt like Iwalked into a storybook, full of wonder and fantasy as weentered, and the sounds of the waves turned into echoes aroundus.
“Is itin here?” I asked.
“Yes,but we’ve a way to go yet,” he vaguely replied. “Here.”
Henry stoppedand stared down at a hole in the floor of the small cave, barelylarge enough for us to fit in. It reminded me of a manhole. Ipeered in and saw that it was full of water. The water emitted anaqua glow that illuminated the granite around us like strange,magical twinkle lights.
“Down there?” I asked,my voice cracking.
Henry pickedup a rock, about the size of a basketball, and handed it to me. Inearly dropped it, the weight pulling me down, and he picked upanother similar one for himself.
“When Ifirst found this cave, I was holding the small chest in my arms. Ihad no idea this blowholewas here, and it was dark. I fell into it and would havesurely drowned. The opening was so deep and narrow with nothing tohold on to. But, thankfully I held the chest and it caused me tosink to the bottom.” He shifted his stance and grasped the rocktightly. “These rocks should do.”
I shook myhead in confusion. “Wait, you want me to hold this rock and jumpinto that tiny hole?” His answer was a cheeky smirk. “No, no way inHell am I doing that. You can go. I’ll wait here.”
“Dianna,look at me.” I tore my eyes from the hole at my feet and gazed upat Henry. “I would never put you in danger. Do you trustthat?”
I stared athim, searching for a sign, any waver in his certainty, but foundnone. This is what I wanted, wasn’t it? A grand adventure andsomeone to share it with? I sucked in a deep breath and clutchedthe rock to my chest.
“Fine,let’s do it. Quickly, before I change my mind.”
Henry beamed.“I’ll go first. Just hold the rock tightly and let yourself sink.Don’t fight it. I’ll see you on the other side.”
I watched interror as Henry pencil-dove into the narrow hole and saw his headquickly fade away. I panicked, my heart racing, and I couldn’tbring myself to do it. But then, I heard my mother’s voicewhispering softly in my ear and I closed my eyes to better hear thesweet sound.
“Never turn your back on an adventure, Dianna,baby,” the voice told me, and I swore I felt herdelicate hand on my shoulder. “Most peopleare too blind to see,” her face brushed my hair as itneared my ear, “open your eyes,baby.”
My tear-filledeyes flew open and I grasped the rock tight before jumping into thehole, feet and heart first. I held my breath as my body rapidlysunk to the never-ending bottom. My lungs tingled as they began torun out of air and I wondered if I went too far, maybe I wassupposed to lean a certain way or something.
But my feettouched the soft, sandy bottom and I saw a glow coming from theright, where the narrow hole seemed to veer off into an L-shape. Idropped the rock and bent my knees, launching myself toward thelight. Something grabbed a hold of my arm and yanked hard, pullingme up and out of the water where I gasped and clawed for air.
“Oh, myGod!” I cried out, lungs still burning from air deprivation. Henryhelped me to my feet and wrapped his arms around my drenched body.“That was insane!”
I saw thecarefree smile he wore, it was the happiest I’d ever seen him; asif the rush of adrenaline pumped life back into his stiff body andI couldn’t help but laugh. He joined in and the sound our laughterechoed off the cavern walls around us.
Our wetfaces came together in a passionate kiss, the taste of saltwatermixing with the sweet flavor of Henry’s lips and I delighted in it,taking in as much as I could as if I were starving for him. I felthim pull away and he gazed into my adrenaline-crazedeyes.
“I loveyou, Dianna.”
Everything inmy body came to a screeching halt, my ears filled with the sound ofmy heavy pulse, and I just stared at the man before me, mouthgaping but empty of sound.
The pirateshook his head and smoothed the soaked curls away from my face.“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything. I know it’s unexpected.I just,” his chest heaved with the intake of a deep breath, “I justhad to say it. I know it’s only been a short while that we’ve knowneach other but I carried the words in my mouth for days now, and Iwanted you to have them.”
My mouth stillhung open as my brain searched for a response. “Henry, I–”
As if sensingmy hesitation, Henry took me by the hand and broke free of ourembrace. “It was right over here that I hid it,” he told me, thesound of his voice echoing off the cavern walls that coveredus.
As weheaded to the rocky side of the cavern, I searched around to takein my surroundings. We were completely underground. What I thoughtto be a blowhole wassome sort of tunnel that led to an underground cave, bigger thanthe one we first entered. A mound of rock occupied the center ofwhere we stood, and a small moat of water surrounded theperimeter.
Then, Iwatched as Henry, ankle-deep in water, forcefully removed stonesfrom a spot in the wall. They fell and crumbled at our feet as hedug deeper and deeper. Finally, he pulled something from the cavityand let the weight of it fall to the ground. It was a chest, almostan exact match to the one that started my journey to the past.
“Holycrap,” I whispered to myself. Now, this was areal-life pirate’s chest.
Henry fished aring of keys from his pocket and seemed to know exactly which oneto use as he expertly flipped to it and then opened the brass lock.The lid creaked open to reveal a half-full chest of gold coins,trinkets, jewels, and other otherworldly treasures. My eyes widenedwith fascination and I
