This one I had so much fun writing. By That Just may be more adventures from the Golden Rose in the future. But here is January Part two of the Susan Dennard Challenge
A peculiar light opens the skies above as our derelict ship’s thrown and twisted around the ruthless surging waves as blue lightning marbles from dark seas. Something’s pulling us through a strange cloud that is now surrounding the Golden Rose. My crewmates and I are unafraid of what’s coming, we have been in worse. Probably wondering why we’re at sea. Since I am a pirate, I must do the pirates thing. Yes, you can say I am. We are looking for the rarest of all the rubies in this world that are also the largest in the world to date and perhaps the darkest one on this worldwide I have sought it for as long as I can remember. I come from a long proud line of pirates. My mother was a pirate who took over this ship and overthrew dear father and threw him to the fishy’s after being caught cheating. No, not that cheating. He one too many times broke our family code. Which is particular. But I won’t bore you with such details. All that matters is the predicament we are currently in and the jewel we are seeking.
We’re all wondering about the Golden Rose being steered by an unknown force. We cannot see it and cannot hear it. Eerily silent except for the occasional creaking of the ole rose. After a few minutes, she comes to a stop and the strange fog clears the surrounding air.
Feeling a sense of uneasiness, we stand ready with our swords in hand, as if we are awaiting an enemy ambush. Hearts pounding in our chest as we sweat forming a circle on high alert as an unfamiliar place is appearing before us. It reminds us of Madagascar but; it doesn’t look like it everything seems contrary to strange buildings in a material we’ve not seen before. We stay in our tight circle for what’s feeling like a lifetime, afraid to move, even though we wish to explore our strange new surroundings. After no one appears to come for us we decide with caution to disembark from our the Golden Rose while most of the crew keeps their weapon at the ready. The flora is unlike what we’ve ever seen before.
Rather brilliant and beautiful colorings of turquoise, yellows, pinks, and oranges mostly with scarcely any foliage to be seen throughout.
Using my telescope binocular to view what awaits ahead of us. So far nothing appears.
No people, no animals of any kind. Could she be uninhabited? One mate pulling out her compass in the hopes it’ll steer us on the right path. An odd polygonal shape up ahead of us, coming into view through the chorus of floral. The stone surface appearing battered and roughed by time. As we’re approaching it, a very dark, almost magenta light emanating from the top of it toward the skies above.
What can make such an oddity? Markings running across the top and sides of what we think is a doorway to the inside. We study the markings, try to decipher them as we felt around the walls of it.
Nothings happening after several minutes until suddenly our luck changes, the doors opening all by itself to our amazement. We waste no time once it is wide enough for entering.
Once inside, it more strange markings cover the walls and lit fire sticks going down each passageway. We stumble onto the source of the light after what feels like an eternity.
Oddly, it is the one thing I have been searching for the rarest ruby in all the world, and it is more magnificent than I could ever conceive of.
Quickly look about for booby traps above and beneath us as we shuffle our way to the glorious prize. All the while pensive, what’s it doing here in this place. Could it be possible some force is listening in on us and giving us exactly what we want? Maybe it is a trap, maybe we are to never return home once again. What unseen brought us here, I whisper into the silence. This cannot be right, this isn’t right. Who is here I demand you show yourself? The reddish hair on my body stands as a frigid chill rushing past us as the place’s filling with the same strange clouds.
We choke on the salty, acidic air as we collapse one by one. I however remain steadfastly upright, straining my way toward the jewel. My body betraying me with every step until I’m on my knees crawl toward it, pulling me up the column that’s holding the precious stone.
Struggle to reach out to its fingers willn’t work the more I try until I knock it off the pedestal as I try grabbing for it. The ruby rolls down the steps across the floor, stopping short of one of my crew members. We all fall into unconsciousness, waking a short time later upon our ship.
As I rise I realize I am I have the ruby in my possession and the strange entity from before now gone, leaving us right where we began.
How is this possible? When did we arrive back onto the Golden Rose? So many questions race through my thoughts as I peer around us, puzzled by the experience. Hours and days pass by as we regain our bearings from the encounter. I am still in disbelief as I have the stone and for once in my life, unable to figure out what to do next.
We’ve never figured out what or who brought us to that strange island in the middle of nowhere. Nor have we figured out how we returned. This may remain mystery regardless, it will be the most recalled voyages of our lives for our future children generations over. How I found the rarest jewel in the world and conquered the extraordinary deep-sea.
My Labyrinth 