Seaside Buccaneers - 1. Where’s your sense of adventure?

Halloween didn’t use to be a big thing when we were growing up. We didn’t even go trick-or-treating, which you might think would be the biggest appeal for kids. We knew it existed, but it was just something others did.

These days, though, it feels like as soon as September rolls around, jack-o'-lanterns and skeletons start popping up everywhere. It seems like people can’t wait to decorate their homes, and shops are only too eager to help them with that—for a price, of course. If you ask me, it’s probably because of all the tourists we get. I guess I can’t complain because our shop does well this time of year too. And honestly, it’s fun to make some spooky figurines for a change.

One thing I can complain about, though, is the pirate costume Leo made me wear. It wasn’t the most uncomfortable thing ever, but with all the straps, bracelets, and belts, there were way too many moving parts for my liking.

“I’ve never had more than two accessories on me at a time. This is crazy!” I tried to protest as he fastened a gun holster to my belt. “Do I really need a gun and a sword?”

“Of course, you’re the baddest pirate in the port,” Leo didn’t even bat an eye as he put the finishing touches on my outfit. He already seemed comfortable in his, moving around like he was born wearing a captain’s hat, five necklaces around his neck, and a scabbard on his belt.

“Then what are you?”

“I’m the baddest pirate in all seven seas,” he said, drawing his plastic cutlass and pointing it at my throat. “Savvy?”

“Uh, yes, sir. I mean, aye, captain!” I nodded, letting my eyes drift from his face to his half-open shirt. “Not gonna lie, this look works on you. Even the eyepatch.”

“You think so?” His eyebrows went up, ears turning slightly pink, as they always did when I gave him a compliment. “Should I keep it then?”

“What do you think?” I pulled him in as soon as he lowered his guard, grabbing him by the waist. Pressing him against the closet door, I leaned in, faces almost touching. “I’m sure you’ve had some fantasies, right?”

“Well…”

Even as I closed my eyes and pressed my lips to his, I could feel the smile on his face.

“Then it’s a deal,” I whispered, breaking the kiss for just a moment before going back in.

Leo was the responsible one, as usual, stopping us before we went too far so we wouldn’t be late. Not that you can be late for a Halloween party, unless you arrive the next morning. The club was fairly crowded by the time we arrived, and it didn’t take us more than a minute to find Fabian and Jay—no thanks to Fabian. He wore a black suit with a maroon shirt underneath. If I hadn’t known any better, I would’ve thought he dressed for a job interview or something. But as soon as he opened his mouth to say hi, I could see the vampire teeth sticking out.

Jay, on the other hand, went all out, half-wrapped in yellowed bandages, with a hideous, gritty mask on his face.

“You’re too late—we already got one buccaneer. And a real hot one!” he said as he took off his mask, grinning. “Some chick just came in dressed like a slutty pirate. I think she went… somewhere over there.”

“And you’re what, a slutty mummy?” Leo asked, checking him out with amusement.

“No, just a mummy.”

“So your six-pack being on full display is just a coincidence?”

“I guess they didn’t wrap me up well. You can’t find good servants these days.” Jay shrugged, pulling on his bandages to show off even more of his body.

“Hey, at least you tried.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder before turning to Fabian. “Did you really just put on some fake teeth and call it a day?”

“You should talk! If it wasn’t for Leo, you’d probably come in your wetsuit like last year,” Fabian said, making both Leo and Jay laugh out loud. He wasn’t wrong, though.

“A surfer costume is a valid costume.” I refused to concede.

“Yeah, for someone who’s not a surfer,” Jay couldn’t resist butting in.

“Whatever. Let’s get some drinks. I want a cold beer.”

The party turned out to be pretty much like every other year—a bunch of people drinking and dancing to music the DJ thought was Halloween-themed, though most of it was EDM bangers from the last twenty years.

The outfits were a mixed bag. A few people, especially girls, really went all out on their designs, but most wore run-of-the-mill costumes of typical movie monsters. You had your zombies, vampires, Frankenstein monsters, and worst of all—clowns. Even if I was biased, I had to say Leo’s looked the best. No contest there.

“The sexy nurse over there—is she alone? I didn’t see her dancing with anyone?” Jay leaned in and spoke into my ear, trying to make himself heard over the pounding music. He looked to our left, where a dark-haired girl was chatting with a couple of friends.

“Me neither,” I shrugged. Not that I was paying much attention to the girl. “Doesn’t look like she has a guy.”

“Are you gonna talk to her?” Fabian asked. “Get a physical from her?”

“Yeah, I might as well.” Jay nodded, putting on a smile. He cracked his knuckles like he was preparing for a fight. All of us had a good buzz going by then, and the liquid courage was obviously helping him—not that he ever needed it. Before we knew it, he was already at the girl’s table, chatting her up.

“Come on, let’s dance,” Leo said as he took my hand and pulled me to the dancefloor. “Just make sure you don’t poke me with your sword.”

“Not in front of everyone anyway,” I replied, letting my hands settle on his waist. His body was hot like an oven, and I couldn’t resist pulling him even closer. We were both sweaty, our cheeks burning red from the alcohol and the heat of the club. I let my eyes travel all over his torso until they slowly rose to his face, that irresistible smile pulling me in. We kissed, over and over, not even pretending to dance anymore, until someone bumped into us. I heard a ‘sorry’ as they walked past us, but my eyes were still on Leo.

“Wanna leave?” he asked. “These outfits were not made for dancing.”

I could see Jay nearby, dancing with the nurse girl. Mission accomplished, I guess. Fabian was at the bar, chatting to some friends.

“Yeah, let’s go.” I took Leo by the hand and turned toward the exit. “I could use some air anyway. It’s way too hot in here.”

The cold night air hit us with full force as soon as we stepped out. I could feel myself sobering up, not that we’d had that much to drink anyway.

“Ahh, that’s better.” Leo let out a sigh, looking up at the sky. We couldn’t see much, though. All the lights nearby made that impossible. If you wanted views, you had to leave the town first. “Wanna head to the beach?”

“You read my mind. Come on.” With my arm on the small of his back, we headed down the street toward the promenade, leaving the noise of the club behind.

It didn’t take us long to get to the beach—or maybe time just goes by faster when I’m with Leo. Either way, we found ourselves stepping off the boardwalk and onto the sand. The sea was rather calm, though the chilly breeze disturbed the surface, making the water lap lazily against the shore.

“It’s colder than I thought it’d be,” I said, rubbing my bare arms with my hands.

“You’re the one who wanted to cut off the shirt sleeves.”

“What? It’s a good look.”

“At least you should’ve let me draw you a couple of tattoos, you show-off.”

“Hey, if Jay can show off his abs, I can show off these guns. I’m putting in all that work at the gym, so I might as well flaunt it.”

“We both know why you… Oh my God!” Leo suddenly grabbed my arm, squeezing it hard. His face was pale as a sheet.

I didn’t need any explanation as I followed his shocked stare only to see the weirdest sight I’d ever seen in my life. Down the beach, a ship had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, looking as if it came straight out of one of Leo’s pirate books. A wooden hull, black sails, and a big Jolly Roger fluttering from the mast, all bathed in an eerie blue glow. It came ashore as if floating on water, never touching the surface.

“What the…”

We both stopped as if rooted in the spot, watching with wide eyes as the ship gently rocked in the air, hovering just above the water.

“You’re seeing this too, right? The… the ship?” Leo turned to me, his hand still clutching my forearm.

“Yup.” I just nodded, completely lost for words. We’d both had a few drinks, sure, but not enough to be seeing things—especially not the same thing at the same time. “This is… this is insane.”

“How are they doing this? You think it’s some kind of hologram?”

“No idea, but I need to get this on video,” I said as I fumbled to get my phone out of my pants pocket. I quickly opened the camera app and pointed it at the ship. There was nothing. Just an empty beach, the sea, and the hills in the distance. “No way… Look.”

“What the fuck? How is it not showing?” Leo sounded as confused as I had felt. Nothing made sense. I watched as he took out his own phone and opened the camera to the same results. “Dude, this is…”

“Impossible.” I shook my head. My eyes were fixed on the ship as if I’d been hypnotized, afraid that if I blinked or looked away for even a second, it would vanish just as suddenly as it had appeared.

“Should we…” Leo’s eyes darted between the ship and me. I’d known him well enough to know exactly what he was thinking.

“...go and take a look?”

“Are you crazy?”

We spoke at the same time. This time, it was my turn to grab him by the arm before he could move.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re not curious,” he said, cocking his head at me.

“Of course I am, but I’m not about to go on a fucking… ghost ship!”

“Oh, come on! As if you believe in that stuff! You always roll your eyes when my mom reads the horoscope, and now you think ghosts are real? Sure.”

“Then what’s that?!” I pointed at the spooky, glowing ship in the distance.

“That’s what I wanna find out! It’s gotta be some Halloween trick!” Leo was way too excited, already moving across the beach. He stopped for a moment and turned back to me, waving me over. “Babe, come on! Where’s your sense of adventure, buccaneer?”

Leo was far from a wild child, but he was still the more adventurous of the two of us. Did that make me boring? Probably. Sometimes I wondered what he saw in me in the first place. But if there was one thing I did know, it was that I was never going to let him go alone.

“Fine!” I yelled, running to catch up with him. “But if we see even a single ghost pirate, we’re leaving.”

“Sure, maybe the Headless Horseman will show up too.”

“Shut up.” I gave him some serious side-eye as I pulled him closer to me.

The ship was even creepier up close, if that was possible. The planks forming the hull looked weathered, the sails torn in parts and stitched back together. Everything about it was practically screaming at us to leave, but Leo either didn’t hear the warning or chose to ignore it. The ominous mist that surrounded the vessel swallowed us as we stepped closer, making it difficult to see the town we had just left behind.

“OK, we saw it. There’s no one here,” I said uneasily. The ship loomed above us in the darkness, somehow feeling alive despite its eerie silence. “Let’s go back.”

“What? No,” Leo protested, because of course he would. “Come on, just a quick look. When am I ever gonna get the chance to be on a pirate ship again?”

“You’re insane, you know that? How do we even get on it?”

“Over here,” he said, pointing to a rope ladder dangling to our right. “We can climb it. Give me a boost.”

I shook my head, but instead of calling him insane again, I steadied myself and pushed him up, helping him reach the bottom rung of the ladder.

“Got it!” he said proudly as he grabbed hold of the ropes, his feet now firmly on the wooden step.

My eyes stayed trained on his figure as he climbed, until I noticed something out of the corner of my eyes. On the side of the ship, a wooden ramp extended down to the beach. How had we not noticed it before?

“Are you coming?” Leo called out from the top of the ladder.

“There’s a gangplank over here,” I replied, running over to it. I stepped on it with one foot, half-expecting the wood to disappear beneath me and leave me falling down onto the sand below. It didn’t.

“That’s weird. I didn’t see it before.”

“I know. Me neither.”

I crossed the gangplank in a few seconds, joining Leo on the deck. There was no hiding the excitement on his face.

“Wow. This is…” He turned in a slow circle, as if not knowing where to look first, the boards creaking under his feet. “This is unreal.”

“That’s definitely the word for it,” I agreed.

None of it seemed real. It felt like we were on a movie set, a life-size pirate ship replica, with blue lights and fog machines working overtime to create a creepy atmosphere. Only this was real.

I walked carefully across the deck, following Leo. If I couldn’t drag him off the ship, at least I could keep an eye on him. He seemed enthralled, looking at each part with awe. If the whole situation wasn’t so crazy, it would actually be cute to see him like that.

“Look, it works!” He grinned as he grabbed the ship’s wheel and spun it. “I feel like Crimson Cole in The Unearthly Island!”

“Didn’t he die in that book?”

“How do you know that?” Leo stopped fussing with the wheel and turned to me, giving me a curious look.

“Do you think I don’t listen when you talk about your books?” I replied, which brought a smile to his face.

“Anyway, Cole was alone in that book. I’m not.”

“Damn right.” I nodded, grabbing a rope that hung from the mast. It was solid in my hand. Real. “How did it get here, though?”

“I don’t know. I don’t hear anyone. It can’t be empty, right?”

“I kinda hope it is.” The alternative was too scary to even think about.

“Should we go down?” Leo waved me over, pointing to a door that led to the cabins down below. “Just a quick look?”

“You gotta be kidding me, babe.”

“Come on, we came this far. Maybe we’ll find some clues or something.”

I shook my head again, walking over to him. I finally knew how Fabian felt taking care of his younger siblings.

We slowly approached the door, and I turned on the flashlight on my phone. If we were going inside, at least we were going to have some light.

Silently, Leo grabbed the door handle and pushed, but to no avail. “It’s locked,” he whispered as he stepped back.

“Good. There’s probably nothing to see inside anyway.”

We both jumped as a loud, drawn-out creak broke the silence. The door slowly opened, revealing a dark, long-abandoned cabin. It seemed empty, which wasn’t as much of a relief as I had hoped. Who opened the door then?

“Let’s go in before I chicken out,” Leo whispered. We shared a quick look and then stepped inside, my phone lighting the way.

The room was larger than I expected it to be. Dozens of wooden crates and boxes were stacked against the walls. Some books, cups and bottles lined the shelves along one wall, while a large desk sat near the bigger of the windows. I turned around, pointing my phone in every direction just to make sure no one was going to jump us from a dark corner. Leo did the same, shining his phone at the shelves, inspecting the books that sat there.

“Babe, look at this,” I called to him as soon as I reached the table. Among the scrolls, mugs and all kinds of instruments that served who knows what purpose, there was a large map laid out in the middle. “Look familiar to you?”

“Wait, that’s… No way. That’s our coastline,” Leo whispered, tracing the lines on the map with his fingers. “It even says Ebohan,” he added, pointing to the medieval name of our country written in the corner of the map.

“This should be where we are. Right next to this X,” I said, stopping to look at him. “You don’t think…”

I never finished that sentence. Whatever words I was about to say died in my throat as a ghostly figure of an old man appeared across the room. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say the blood in my veins froze solid. I somehow grabbed Leo, pulling him back toward me, my heart hammering in my chest as we watched the man open his black coat and unsheathe his cutlass. Unlike our plastic replicas, his seemed very much like the real deal. Even with half his face obscured by a large captain’s hat, I could feel his cold gaze on us.

“Visitors, eh? I haven’t had those in a long time,” the ghost said, raising his blade. “Find anything interesting?”

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you again in the next (and final) chapter of this short story.