“Dad,” Elise cried as she ran towards her flickering father. She knew she couldn’t get too close, but she wanted to get as close as possible.

She sobbed loudly, calling his name but he didn’t respond. Was he finally becoming a ghost now?

“What’s going on?” Archibell asked strolling over. His caustic features softened when Elise turned to him in tears.

“My father has ghost blight,” the ten-year-old sobbed.

“Ghost blight, eh?” Archibell said raising his eyebrows. “My condolences kid. I wouldn’t wish that on a kracken. Archie’s been all across the sea and it’s been spreading everywhere. Even to tiny islands like this.”

Elise’s tears seeped off her face; she whimpered as her cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink. “Why is he flickering?”

Archibell scratched the stubble on his chin. “I can tell you this. As he sleeps, his body wages a war to remain in this plane of existence. In other words, your daddy’s a fighter, kid.”

“But why can’t he hear me?” Elise demanded through her tears.

Archibell leaned towards her father on his tip toes. “Ghost sleep, as it’s called, is deeper than most”—as he watched Elise’s shoulders sink, he added—“But until he’s a finally a ghost, he will wake up again.”

“P-p-promise?” Elise said, her lips trembling as she looked up at him. Archibell ruffled her bushy hair and grinned, “My ship may be The Lyre, but I’m far from one.”

Elise removed her glasses and dabbed at her eyes. She sniffled loudly and nodded. Archibell walked over to the kitchen and picked up a piece of parchment. He removed a jar of squid ink and a rainbow parrot plume from his pocket.

“I’ve got a fun exercise if you kiddo,” he said to her. “Write your daddy a letter so when he wakes up, he’ll read it. We’ll have to disembark soon and can’t hang around.”

Elise walked over and picked up the writing implements and paper. She moved away from Archibald, running to the kitchen table. Leaning on it, she began to scrawl on the paper in her young handwriting:

“Dear Daddy,

I’m going to find the Trident of Triumph and make you better. Please don’t worry about me. I’m going to miss you with my whole heart. I love you.

Elise.”

As Elise penned her farewell letter, her tears fell onto the parchment, staining them with her sorrow.

Elise sensed Archibell leaning over her shoulder, and immediately covered the letter, folding it in half. She walked over to her father who continued to flicker. She placed the letter on his nightstand and wished she could pull the covers over her shivering father. Instead, she gave him a long-distance hug. “B-b-bye d-d-dad,” she said to him, sobbing loudly

Archibell nodded and she came with him.

As she walked out with Archibell, she kept turning her head back towards her father. She gave him one last fleeting glance before she closed the door on him.

In the cool sea-breeze, Elise walked with her head down. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever see her father again in the flesh. She refused to look up until a hand was placed on her shoulder.

She turned around and squinted; Archibell grinned in the sun. “I know why you want that trident, kid.”

“You read my letter…” Elise gasped.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Archibell chuckled. “Eavesdropping is the least of my crimes.

Elise wagged her finger and then placed her hands on her hips. “You rogueish ragamuffin,” she scolded him.

Archibell merely turned his head, his dark hair flipping in the breeze. “You ain’t the first lass to call me that,” he said. “Though everyone else was a lot older…anywho…”—the captain spread his hands apart and smiled—“Look at it this way, kid. You already found a magical treasure and we haven’t even shoved off yet.”

“I have?” Elise asked, stupefied.

Captain Archibell gave her a thumbs up and a wink. “Love for you family.”

Elise’s eyes went wide as Archibell merrily pranced circles around her. “Yep, and it’s rarer than fine ore and gold. Most kiddies would wish on that trident for a lifetime supply of key lime pie, but you want to use it to save your family.”

“That’s true,” Elise said, smiling through the tears.

“Personally,” Archibell said, stopping her parade around her. “I’d take the gold or the key lime pie, but you’ve got a good heart, kid.”

Elise looked away from the handsome rogue, but shyly murmured, “Thank you, Archibell.”

“Now let’s go,” Archibell hollered. “There’s a whole world of booty to plunder and I don’t just mean the treasure.”

Approaching the docks, Elise scanned the port for her captain’s ship. For a small isle, Prospect Island was still a considerable port for the fishermen. Wooden fishing boats were filled with the day’s catch and the oceanic smell wafted through the air. There was even a small lighthouse stationed next to the dock to guide the fishing boats home at night. “Do you see ‘er?” Archibell asked.

“No,” Elise said, looking left and right as she searched the tiny harbor for the Lyre.

“Far end,” Archibell said pointing way over to the end of the dock.

Elise craned her neck and saw a miniature vessel with a red and brown bow, a small crow’s nest and a big white sail with the image of a hand-held harp stitched into it. It was about half the size of a harbor fishing boats. Elise raised an eyebrow. “That’s your mighty ship?”

“Ain’t she a beaut,” Archibell said, his eyes sparkling like the sun on the water.

Elise crossed her arms and pouted. “No wonder you call it The Liar.”

Archibell, normally a shameless man, winced. “Ow, that hurts a lot kid. ‘The Liar’ has helped me pull through a lot of narrow escapes.”

A deep sailor drawl growled from behind them. “It’s gonna hurt even more when we’re finished with you.”

Prompted by the sharp jabs at their back, Archibell and Elise turned around with their hands up. Much to Elise’s surprise, she recognized the two thugs who were holding them up.

They were the two sailors in the Land Hotel. Archibell had asked them to join their pirate adventure but now they only seemed to want to kill him….and her.

“Ah,” Archibell said, a proud smile on his face. “Had a change of heart did we? So you do want to join my Crew of Friendship and become my magic pirate friends?”

The two sailors looked at each other with disgusted expressions on their face. “Nope…” one of them said. “You ‘ave something of ours.”

Archibell put his hands behind his back and whistled an innocent tune. A sword was then leveled at his neck. “Our wallets, please,” the other sailor said.

“Hey now,” Archibell said, sweating profusely. “You don’t expect me to give an ‘uplifting speech of the heart’ for free now, do ya?”

The two men looked at each other once again, this time exchanging looks of rage.

Archibell looked at tiny Elise who was about to be punctured. He gave her a wink.

“Squalidly Squids,” Archibell exclaimed pointing behind them. “The scary barkeep lady is coming to get you fellas. I have a good feeling you didn’t pay your tab.”

They both turned around with horrified looks; Elise and Captain Archibell used this as an opportunity to make a break for it. Archibell took Elise by the hand and smirked at her. “Between you n’ me, I’d rather deal with these clowns than an irate Molly.”

But the two clowns were quickly gaining on them. Elise’s lungs were a lot smaller, and her legs were a lot shorter; she began to stumble and pant. “I don’t think I can make it,” she cried, but Archibell quickly grabbed her by the fringe of her sundress.

Tucking her beneath his arm, he made a mad dash across the docks. Her heart was racing like it had never been before. Everything was a blur, but it was kinda fun too.

Archibell nearly reached the end of the docks, but the men had nearly caught up to him. One of them even raised their sword to chop off Archibell’s head. Reaching his boat, Archibell quickly quipped to his young friend. “Your father probably wouldn’t approve of this but alley oop” and he hurled the bespectacled girl into the boat. Wood scraped against her soft pale elbows and knees, but it didn’t matter. She was safe. Archibell leapt onto the boat, drawing his cutlass and cutting the rope that tethered the Lyre to dry land.

With strong sea wind blowing to the west, the boat sailed off into the sea. Archibell chuckled as the two men stood helplessly on the dock. “Told ya kid,” he said on the edge of the ship. “This vessel’s helped me make numerous narrow escapes…”

Without warning a metal sword flew into the side of the ship, right between Archibell’s feet. “Like that one,” he giggled with nervously bulging eyes.