Captain Jack Finnegan and the Crescent Moon's Secret Fortune

I feel like I've been asleep for a long time.

I don't mean that in the "Oh, man, I was out last night drinking" or the "I can barely drag myself to work this morning" way. I mean it in the "How long has it been since I closed my eyes? An hour? A day? A week?" kind of way.

I open my eyes and look out over the bow of The Treasure's Promise. It's quiet as a church and the sea is still as glass. I close my eyes again and listen to the ship creaking and straining against itself. The waves are low and gentle, soft whispers that wash across the deck with quiet insistence.

That's when it hits me: we're not moving. We haven't moved in a while. I sit up and look around, trying to get my bearings. The sun is high above us, directly ahead—on our starboard side? Yes, we're heading south-southeast, back towards where we came from—but it's high enough that I can't see any waves rippling past us anymore.

Something seems wrong about that.

I stand up and walk along the rail towards the bow on port side just to make sure . . . yep, there it is. A line of foam on top of water stretching ahead of us into forever until it gets blurry in the distance and disappears into blue mist. That's weird because we're not moving at all anymore so why should there be a wave? Unless . . .

"We drove straight through it," says Silas, standing next to me. He doesn't sound very interested in his words, but he smiles like he always does when he speaks them anyway.

"Yes," I say, nodding slowly as it dawns on me what he means. "So you think we're on dry land now?"

He gestures out ahead of us with his chin and a subtle twist of his body, so small you'd almost miss it if you were watching him from behind instead of beside him like I am right now. "See for yourself."

I follow his gaze and see an island made entirely of gold rising up out of the water before us, stretching as far as we can see in every direction except directly aft where there's nothing but endless ocean behind us.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The island vanished, and Jack found himself staring into the vast emptiness of deep space, surrounded by blackness from horizon to horizon with no moon in sight. They had just departed from its side mere moments ago, led to this exact spot by a treasure map carved into a whale bone. The map had guided them here, just beyond The Golden City when suddenly they reached their destination, only to find themselves without wind or current to propel them forward.

Lost and unsure of how to proceed, they likely would have perished had Cerita not been aboard. She summoned her nine tails one by one, each gradually forming wings that spread to twice her size – white, tipped with black and glowing orbs. With her last tail, she shot off towards The Golden City at impossibly high speeds.

In her return, Cerita held a golden trident between her teeth, which she presented to Jack. Grasping the trident firmly, he yelled, "I claim this land for Cerita!" He spun in place until hearing a loud rumble and subsequent splashes that persisted for five minutes before they arrived at the shore of The Golden City. They rested there until the morning light revealed the splendor of their surroundings.

Seeing the exquisite beauty that lay before him, Jack told Cerita, "My heart is yours." Smiling warmly, Cerita looked back at him. Hand in hand, they shared a tender moment as he kissed her nose, prompting her laughter that rang like a joyful melody, filling her beautiful eyes with tears that fell like raindrops upon the earth below. As Jack gazed upon her, he couldn't help but wonder how anyone could be so beautiful, kind, brave, strong, and vulnerable; graceful and full-bodied, yet fragile; both compassionate and vengeful but eternally forgiving.

And thus concludes the tale of Captain Jack Finnegan and Cerita, a story recounted to you here today with their enduring love shining brightly for all who hear it.

—Jack Finnegan & Cerita—