Charles Bailey was sailing on his ship on his way home from an adventure but got thrown back and forth by the huge waves. He got shipwrecked on a small island with fruit trees, vegetation, and animals all over. The island looked too good to be true. It appeared as though not a single soul was there. Charles built a hammock with some large palm tree leaves. Meanwhile, unknown to him, he was being watched, but the question was by who? He was about to grab a peach off one of the trees when suddenly, he heard a rustling sound in the bushes, and noises coming from the shore. “I feel as though someone is watching me,” Charles mumbled to himself as he glanced around uneasily. Through all the vegetation he could not see anyone or anything moving around except the animals. “Must have been an animal walking around. I probably just have too much sea water in my ears,” Charles said under his breath. Just then, a weird man in ragged clothes and wearing a pirate hat jumped out of the bushes.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that if I were you, mate. Rumor has it, there be some sort of water creatures round here, and anyone who dares touch their food or animals ends up missing. Most wrecked on this island don’t survive to tell the tale, cept for me. I been stranded here for so long I lost count and been eating nothing but the fish I catch with me pole. Strange things come out of that water, but I ain’t never stuck around to see what they are,” The man said.
“Fairy tales, nothing to worry about. These water people are in your imagination! You have been stranded for far too long. Also, what is with your clothes and the way you speak, are you a pirate or something?” Charles asked.
“Aye, a pirate I be. Me and me crew washed up on this forsaken shore years ago, and they all be gone but me. There is one other rumor about this island. They say somewhere in the heart of the island there be a fountain of youth where one can be young forever if one touches the water. I been there and seen it with me own eyes, but rumor has it something terrible will happen if you dare touch the waters,” The strange man said.
 “I thought there were no pirates left! I have heard about the fountain, and would like to see it myself, so could you help me?” Charles asked.
“Careful mate, we can go a-searching for this fountain, but as I have been told, these water creatures tend to keep an extra close eye on their fountain. Keep yer eyes peeled and keep a-watchin for these strange creatures,” The pirate replied, ignoring the comment about pirates.
“I have heard about these creatures before, but it is nothing more than a tale told to scare you when you are little. I am not scared of an old fairy tale!” Charles replied.
“Well, contrary to popular belief, pirates be smarter than common folk such as yerself. Matey, what be yer name?” the pirate asked.
“My name be... I mean my name is Charles. What is your name?” He asked.
“My name be Captain Bones,” the pirate replied. Just then they heard the sound of a twig snapping and footsteps in the leaves.
“Arggg… somebody be watching us, I’ve a very bad feelin bout this,” Bones said. A girl jumped out from the bushes. She was wearing a pirate outfit and had very beautiful long hair.
“Hello Mateys!” She said in a British accent.
“Uh… hi,” Charles said as he wondered where all these people kept coming from. 
“Ello Destiny, what you be doing here?”  Bones asked.
“Hello Bones, I could be asking you the same thing,” Destiny replied.
“It’s Captain Bones to ya, and don’t you ferget it!” Bones replied.
“Alright Captain Bones, we should go to our hut, and leave this poor shipwrecked buffoon alone,” Destiny said while glaring at Bones with a look so intense that you could have sworn laser beams came from her eyes. She began walking away from Charles toward the sea.
“I am not a buffoon!” Charles exclaimed.
“Alright Destiny! I be a-coming,” Bones exclaimed as he slipped a map into Charles’ hands before Destiny noticed; he whispered, “Find the fountain and make yer choice! I must follow the grumpy lass!”
Charles started following the map, and just then it began to rain. He glanced over his shoulder at Captain Bones one last time, and thought he saw a hint of blue on his figure, but decided the rain was causing his eyes to see things. Charles climbed hills, ran over small streams, and tripped on tree roots. Eventually after hours of searching, he came upon a cave.
A sign by the cave entrance said, “Enter at your own risk, many dangers be lurking.”
“Dangers, ha, I laugh at all these imaginary dangers,” Charles scoffed to himself as he entered the cave. He heard feet walking behind him, but every time he turned around there was nobody and nothing there. He got to the majestic waters of the fountain of youth. Just then, a bunch of people with spears and blow darts surrounded him.
“Don’t get any closer to the water or we will shoot!” Destiny exclaimed. Water fell off the roof of the cave and caused Destiny and Captain Bones (who had been hiding behind a stalagmite) to turn blue.
“You’re the blue people! Captain Bones! I thought we were friends” Charles exclaimed as he glared at him.
“Aye, we were friends, but after I drank of the water of the fountain, I have to listen to these people, and be the same as them.  I been alive fer more than a hundred years. Don’t drink the water or ye will be like us!
“What if you are trying to trick me into not drinking the water so that you can catch me!” Charles remarked.
“That be not the case Matey! But if ya don’t believe me go ahead and drink the water, it won’t be my fault!” Bones exclaimed.
“If you so much as touch the water you will be like us,” Destiny remarked.
“I still don’t know if I believe you,” Charles replied as he stepped closer to the water.
“Well Matey, believe what you like, but you be making a big mistake,” Bones replied.  Destiny shot a dart at Charles, and he fell over unconscious.
“He didn’t touch the water! You had no reason ta shoot him!” Bones shouted at Destiny.
“Chill your Bones, Bones, it was just a sleeping dart!” Destiny shouted back. She had her tribe grab Charles and tie him up.
“It’s Captain Bones, not Bones! Get it right before I…I…” Bones glanced around uneasily at all the darts pointed at him as he spoke, “I use me sword and make ya pay fer yer disrespect!” Bones explained.
“That’s big talk coming from a man totally surrounded. Also, did you forget we all dipped in the fountain, so we can’t die,” Destiny replied.
“I may have fergot that minor detail,” Bones said.
“Have a nice nap Bones,” Destiny said as she shot him with a sleeping dart. The tribe tied Bones up, and they went back underwater with the both of them.
Charles awoke, being unable to breath since he was underwater, and shouted losing more air.
“Now we will leave the two of you here all alone. Bones can watch you die,” Destiny smirked and left with her tribe. Bones woke up, blue like the tribe, and breathed under water.
“Mate! What be you doing under the water, you will die if ya stay here much longer! Good thing I carry a knife in me pocket.” Bones said as he cut his ropes, and then Charles’ ropes. The two of them swam up to the surface and ran to Bone’s old ship.
“We can use me old ship, I be escaping with ya, but we better hurry before they come!” Bones exclaimed.
“Good idea! Thanks Bones!” Charles said.
Charles and Bones made it to the ship and began to sail to the open sea, when all of a sudden, a blue person grabbed onto his ship and climbed onto the deck.
“Running away are you Bones? Not a smart plan, is it?” Destiny exclaimed as she stabbed his chest with her sword. Bones just lay there motionless.
“Hello Charles! Where did you think you were going? You tried to take our food and drink our water, and nobody gets away with that!” Destiny exclaimed about to shoot a dart.
“Wait! Before you shoot let me explain!” Charles exclaimed holding out his hand in front of the dart.
“Ok you have five minutes,” Destiny replied.
“I got shipwrecked on this island and haven’t eaten in days and I did not know the food belonged to anyone! Most importantly, I never ate the food or drank the water, so I believe you should let me go free! I have a family to take care of, so please let me leave!” Charles explained and asked.
“Fine. What you have said makes perfect sense, but consider yourself lucky, unlike Bones over there, and never return!” Destiny said as she jumped into the water through the fog.
Charles ran over to Bones to see if he was truly dead. At that moment, Bones got up and pulled the sword out of his chest.
“Did ya ferget I been in the fountain? I be livin forever, ya can’t get rid of Captain Bones!” Bones declared. Captain Bones took Charles to an island where He gave him a dingy from his ship. Captain Bones sailed away to steal and live like a pirate, while Charles traveled the seas and continued his journey home. However, Charles created a name for the sea people, he called them “Sea-Charlatans.”

© Stacy A Parker