Pirates Book 1: It Begins (Book Preview)
“Amelia!” My mom called up! I groaned and opened the door.
“What!” I yelled.
“Hurry up or you’ll be late for school!” She reminded me, again for the 5th time. I shut the door.
“Okay I know.” I muttered. I checked the mirror. Today was the last day of school. My sea blue eyes watched me judgingly. I looked over my outfit one last time. My gray skinny jeans were accompanied by a chain belt that hung loosely on my thigh, a white shirt, and black Bear Paw shoes. I fixed the cuffed bracelet on my wrist. I stared in the mirror. I was 16 years old as of yesterday. I tucked my straight black hair behind my ear as I saw a movement in my mirror. I turned around ready to fight, my mom stood by my desk.
“Nervous?” She joked.
“Yes.” Was all I said, I was not happy with her lately. She always joked about my secret.
“Don’t be.” She tried to reach out to grab my hand but I pulled away. I crossed my arms.
“You aren’t the freak.” I said.
“You are not a freak.” She said. I looked out my window to the beach.
“They’ll be coming today.” I said. The Arlie Beach Pirates we called them. They were immortal. Yes I lived in Australia. They came every year at the beginning of summer. They’d kidnap one or two kids and then we’d find out that they were magical or something. I was lucky not to of been taken. I had power over the sea and time. No one but my family and the magic sooth sayer, Aka, knew. When you turned 14 you were required to visit her so she could say if you had a power. I still remember her exact words that day.
“Come sit down.” She said as I entered her cave. I sat on a beanbag chair. She grabbed my hand.
“So how does this work?” I asked.
“Easy. Just sit still and then I’ll find out in a minute.” She said. Her eyes were closed.
“How do you find out?” I asked. Her eyes snapped open.
“I’m a hound dog of sorts. I can smell out magic and feel it course through the person’s blood. And I smell a lot of it on you.” She said. I started to open my mouth to say more but she put a finger over my lips. I sat quietly for 10 minutes when all of a sudden her eyes slowly opened. She looked at me.
“You’re special.” Was all she said, I was confused.
“How?”
“You’re a child of the sea. Only one I know of. And a child of time. Special. You can control time and the sea.” She explained. I sat still.
“That’s all. For now. You can go. Come visit me though, promise?” She asked.
“Of course.” I said. I smiled.
“Amelia!” My mom said. She snapped in front of my face.
“What?” I asked, annoyed.
“Just wondering if you’re okay?” She said, worriedly.
“I’m fine. I’ve got to go. The bus will be here soon.” I said grabbing my back pack from the chair by my wooden desk. My mom started to say something but I was out of my room and headed down the stairs.
“Bye!” She called.
“Bye!” I yelled, slamming the door. I ran to the bus stop up the street. I ran into my friend Jackie.
“Hey mate.” She joked.
“Don’t be a stereotype.” I said. She smiled.
“Nervous about today?” She asked.
“Who isn’t? Any of us could be taken.” I said.
“Are you saying you have a power?” She asked.
“No. I’m saying that any of us could have a power and we don’t know.” I said, cautioning her to stop asking if I have one. Her dark brown eyes searched mine for any sign of truth. It kills me not to tell her. But if I tell her it could get her in trouble if the Pirates took me.
“Okay. . .” She said. The bus pulled up. The doors opened and we climbed on. I could feel the tension in the air. We all knew we’d lose at least one person today. Jackie sat down quietly she grabbed a hair tie and pulled her thick brown hair in her a bun. The whole bus was quiet. Did Jackie have a power? Andrew, my guy friend who is tall, lanky with shaggy blonde hair, came and sat down on the seat with us.
“Okay everyone on this seat be honest with me. Do either of you have a power? Could I possibly loose one of my best friends?” He whispered to Jackie and I. Jackie seemed nervous. I bet I did.
“Well I do. Power over air. There, I am being honest.” He said. My eyes widened.
“You could’ve just put us in danger!” I whispered harshly.
“I bet you could handle yourself. You took karate.” He said.
“Against magic? Hah, yeah right.” I said. The bus stopped to pick up the last batch of kids. I could see one, Kenzie, running to make it. I looked to the other side of the bus, we were right by a cliff that led to the sea which led to Aka’s cave. Everyone knew that. I grabbed my book bag.
“Amelia?” Jackie asked.
“I’m not going to school.” I stated. I turned and walked to the front. I could hear the whispers of others. I heard walking. I knew Jackie was following me. I turned sharply and looked at Andrew.
“Well?” I asked. He got up and came with us. I jumped down the bus stairs and landed on the sand road. We turned and watched as the bus drove off.
“Okay what now? Arcade, movies, or diner?” Andrew asked. We have ditched school before. But never like this.
“Aka’s cave.” I said.
“Um what?” Jackie asked.
“How are we supposed to get there?” Andrew retorted. I looked into his mud brown eyes and with all seriousness I said,
“We jump.” I walked to the edge of the 100 foot cliff and stored my backpack behind a bush.
“Are you mental?!” Both of my friends yelled.
“No. I’m sane. Come join me.” I said. I leaped.
“What!” I yelled.
“Hurry up or you’ll be late for school!” She reminded me, again for the 5th time. I shut the door.
“Okay I know.” I muttered. I checked the mirror. Today was the last day of school. My sea blue eyes watched me judgingly. I looked over my outfit one last time. My gray skinny jeans were accompanied by a chain belt that hung loosely on my thigh, a white shirt, and black Bear Paw shoes. I fixed the cuffed bracelet on my wrist. I stared in the mirror. I was 16 years old as of yesterday. I tucked my straight black hair behind my ear as I saw a movement in my mirror. I turned around ready to fight, my mom stood by my desk.
“Nervous?” She joked.
“Yes.” Was all I said, I was not happy with her lately. She always joked about my secret.
“Don’t be.” She tried to reach out to grab my hand but I pulled away. I crossed my arms.
“You aren’t the freak.” I said.
“You are not a freak.” She said. I looked out my window to the beach.
“They’ll be coming today.” I said. The Arlie Beach Pirates we called them. They were immortal. Yes I lived in Australia. They came every year at the beginning of summer. They’d kidnap one or two kids and then we’d find out that they were magical or something. I was lucky not to of been taken. I had power over the sea and time. No one but my family and the magic sooth sayer, Aka, knew. When you turned 14 you were required to visit her so she could say if you had a power. I still remember her exact words that day.
“Come sit down.” She said as I entered her cave. I sat on a beanbag chair. She grabbed my hand.
“So how does this work?” I asked.
“Easy. Just sit still and then I’ll find out in a minute.” She said. Her eyes were closed.
“How do you find out?” I asked. Her eyes snapped open.
“I’m a hound dog of sorts. I can smell out magic and feel it course through the person’s blood. And I smell a lot of it on you.” She said. I started to open my mouth to say more but she put a finger over my lips. I sat quietly for 10 minutes when all of a sudden her eyes slowly opened. She looked at me.
“You’re special.” Was all she said, I was confused.
“How?”
“You’re a child of the sea. Only one I know of. And a child of time. Special. You can control time and the sea.” She explained. I sat still.
“That’s all. For now. You can go. Come visit me though, promise?” She asked.
“Of course.” I said. I smiled.
“Amelia!” My mom said. She snapped in front of my face.
“What?” I asked, annoyed.
“Just wondering if you’re okay?” She said, worriedly.
“I’m fine. I’ve got to go. The bus will be here soon.” I said grabbing my back pack from the chair by my wooden desk. My mom started to say something but I was out of my room and headed down the stairs.
“Bye!” She called.
“Bye!” I yelled, slamming the door. I ran to the bus stop up the street. I ran into my friend Jackie.
“Hey mate.” She joked.
“Don’t be a stereotype.” I said. She smiled.
“Nervous about today?” She asked.
“Who isn’t? Any of us could be taken.” I said.
“Are you saying you have a power?” She asked.
“No. I’m saying that any of us could have a power and we don’t know.” I said, cautioning her to stop asking if I have one. Her dark brown eyes searched mine for any sign of truth. It kills me not to tell her. But if I tell her it could get her in trouble if the Pirates took me.
“Okay. . .” She said. The bus pulled up. The doors opened and we climbed on. I could feel the tension in the air. We all knew we’d lose at least one person today. Jackie sat down quietly she grabbed a hair tie and pulled her thick brown hair in her a bun. The whole bus was quiet. Did Jackie have a power? Andrew, my guy friend who is tall, lanky with shaggy blonde hair, came and sat down on the seat with us.
“Okay everyone on this seat be honest with me. Do either of you have a power? Could I possibly loose one of my best friends?” He whispered to Jackie and I. Jackie seemed nervous. I bet I did.
“Well I do. Power over air. There, I am being honest.” He said. My eyes widened.
“You could’ve just put us in danger!” I whispered harshly.
“I bet you could handle yourself. You took karate.” He said.
“Against magic? Hah, yeah right.” I said. The bus stopped to pick up the last batch of kids. I could see one, Kenzie, running to make it. I looked to the other side of the bus, we were right by a cliff that led to the sea which led to Aka’s cave. Everyone knew that. I grabbed my book bag.
“Amelia?” Jackie asked.
“I’m not going to school.” I stated. I turned and walked to the front. I could hear the whispers of others. I heard walking. I knew Jackie was following me. I turned sharply and looked at Andrew.
“Well?” I asked. He got up and came with us. I jumped down the bus stairs and landed on the sand road. We turned and watched as the bus drove off.
“Okay what now? Arcade, movies, or diner?” Andrew asked. We have ditched school before. But never like this.
“Aka’s cave.” I said.
“Um what?” Jackie asked.
“How are we supposed to get there?” Andrew retorted. I looked into his mud brown eyes and with all seriousness I said,
“We jump.” I walked to the edge of the 100 foot cliff and stored my backpack behind a bush.
“Are you mental?!” Both of my friends yelled.
“No. I’m sane. Come join me.” I said. I leaped.
End of preview. If you're interested please email me at [email protected]