The Maiden Voyage

In the waning days of lazy summer afternoons and warm nights abuzz with the dwindling lights of fireflies, Amber could often be found beneath the fragrant Magnolia tree in her back yard. She would sprawl out on a giant blanket and read for hours and watch the clouds go by while listening to the soft, summer breeze and the symphony of rustling leaves that would soon be changing and falling to the ground. She was a dreamer and an eternal optimist, which people found to be a bit ridiculous. Amber didn't care. She might be a little silly for spending so much time with her head in the clouds, but it was just her nature and it couldn't be helped. From a young age, Amber knew she was different than all the other girls her age, but it didn't bother her in the slightest.

It was near the eve of her 18th birthday, and she had her sights set abroad. Her parents had promised her a chaperoned tour through Europe if she did well in her lessons, which she had. In a few short weeks Amber would be on a White Star ocean liner with her eldest cousin Yvonne, cruising the open seas, away from the prying eyes of her mother. Amber was giddy at the very thought of her upcoming adventure. She imagined the antics and the mischief she and Yvonne might get up to. She had been dreaming of this voyage for well over a year. It would be her first taste of freedom away from everything familiar to her.

It was custom for young people on the brink of adulthood to go out and experience the world with an older and more experienced member of their extended family. It was an important right of passage from one phase of life into the next, although Amber wasn't so interested in what traditionally came soon after returning stateside. She would be expected to begin her search for a gentleman in order to become a wife and mother. Not much else was expected of her or any other woman. This was a situation where her natural optimistic tendencies failed her. There were so many things she wanted to do in life, and neither of those things were on her immediate to-do list.

Oh well, she thought. No time like the present, and as of this moment, every second of her long awaited adventure lay in front of her. She wouldn't waste this magical time sulking over what would transpire upon her return. Most things in life tended to work themselves out, eventually. So, with no further ado, she threw herself back into her reverie and gazed up into the sky where the clouds were turning rosy pink as the sun disappeared and the first star began to twinkle as if it were winking at her.

The day had finally come to board the ship. The port was bustling and alive with merchants, other passengers, and families waving bon voyage to their loved ones. Amber and Yvonne were smartly dressed and excited for their trip. Amber's parents had come to see the young ladies off, and her mother couldn't help but shed a few tears. Her baby girl was going out into world as a young woman, and she knew these were the last moments of true innocence before her Amber would enter into the realm of adulthood and inevitably marriage.

After a bit of fussing, many hugs and kisses, double checking they had their passports and tickets, Amber and Yvonne took their first steps onto the gangway. The salty sea air in their nostrils made them feel alive, vibrant and independent. They were ready to take on the world. It would be a ten day journey across the Atlantic ocean. Amber had never been on a ship so luxurious and was beaming with excitement over the many places she would soon discover.

Once the attendant checked their documents and collected their luggage, they were free to find their state rooms to freshen up for the reception where they would meet and mingle with their fellow travelers. This was not something that particularly interested Amber. Yvonne, who had been recently widowed, was more than excited to get to the party. Amber reluctantly agreed to accompany her cousin hoping there might be a window of opportunity to sneak away to do some exploring of the ship on her own.

Amber was combing her hair and rearranging her hat at the vanity when she saw what looked like a small safe left slightly ajar in the reflection of the mirror. It was built into the wall next to the dresser. Being the curious person she was, Amber went to see if anything had been left inside. Interestingly enough, it appeared a previous passenger had left a small, black, leather bound notebook behind. Being the nosy little bookworm she was, she immediately took it from the safe, dusted off the cover, only to discover there was no title. Her interest grew exponentially. Obviously, there was nothing else to do but take a peek inside to see what she had found. It seemed to be someone's diary.

Amber felt a little pang of guilt, as she wouldn't want anyone to read her private diary. Since she did not know this person, and likely never would, any feelings of reservation passed quickly. She opened the mysterious book to he first page and saw that it wasn't just a diary but also filled with detailed charcoal sketches. Some were landscapes, others were seascapes, but the most interesting drawings were those of the human figure. Most were partially or entirely nude, which was something she had never seen before. This fact made them all the more fascinating to her.

As she leafed through the pages, the exotic accounts of this person's life experiences and masterfully drawn portraits leapt off the page into her impressionable young mind. She felt her cheeks getting hot and a flutter in her belly that was foreign to her. She couldn't believe what she was reading or seeing. It was all so new and tantalizing. If Yvonne were to discover it, she'd surely take it away. Amber thought it best to tuck it under the mattress as to keep her discovery secret.

The reception was dull just as Amber had expected. Idle chit chat and niceties were being exchanged with the subtle undertone of flirtation occasionally being perceptible. Although she was already a widow, Yvonne was just twenty-three and in the market for a new beau. Amber was just waiting for a gentleman to catch her cousin's attention so she could discretely make her way back to retrieve the book.

Once the coast was clear, Amber made a bee line for her room. She didn't want to risk anyone catching her with this scandalous material, especially Yvonne, so she set out to find a quiet area where no one would find her. Amber heads towards the nearest staircase and begins her decent into the bowels of the ship. Once the conversation between passengers begins to fade into a distant hum, she sits herself down against a cold wall of an empty hallway.

Amber can't wait to see what other astonishing things this diary will reveal to her. As she carefully turns each page, an envelope falls out of the black notebook into her lap. It appears to be very old, as the paper has yellowed and the crease at the flap is barely intact. She knows she probably shouldn't open it, but the temptation is too much and she gives in to her curiosity.

A neatly folded piece of parchment easily slides out of the discolored envelope. The creases in the parchment are much the same as the flap of the discolored envelope, very fragile. As she unfolds the contents with the utmost care, Amber is struck with surprise as she finds herself gazing at what seems to be a crudely drawn map. What's more is that the map appears to be a rough sketch of a floor plan of the vessel she boarded just hours ago. A map to what, she wonders.

It's old, faded and obviously well studied. The hallway is poorly lit, but she can see the indentation of where an X had been marked. In fact, this X appeared to be marked near the bottom of the ship. Amber squinted in the low light to see which deck and end of the ship the X was marking. As luck would have it, she was quite close to or possibly even right next to the exact spot where the X was indicating.

She remembered the safe in her room. If it hadn't been open, Amber doubted she would have even noticed it was there. When closed, the safe blended seamlessly into the wall, almost as if the previous passenger may have installed it themselves. If they were capable of hiding this book inside the wall in her room, maybe they had created a similar hiding place that corresponded to the X on the map.

What else is a girl to do when a possible treasure map literally falls into her lap? Find it, of course! She knew she couldn't be gone for long without Yvonne noticing, but she vowed to sneak out of her rooms once she was sure her cousin was sleeping to investigate this matter further. For now she needed to hurry back to the reception on the main deck.

Amber entered the room unnoticed, as she most often was. Nobody seemed to be concerned as to where she had wandered off to. All the better, she thought. Yvonne spotted her cousin walking towards her and the man she had ensnared in conversation. She seemed a bit annoyed that she would no doubt be interrupted. Amber got the message by exchanging a simple glance and decided to head back to her secret spot. She gave a nod and was off before Yvonne could protest her absence.

Once she arrived back in the dimly lit hallway, she began to search her surroundings for any irregularities in the walls or floor boards. She scoured every inch at least a few meters in each direction from where the X was marked on the map. Everything seemed normal. There were no suspicious indentations or markings that she could find. She was stumped. She took a seat next to a glass covered box which contained an ax and a fire hose. At least she still had the book, which she hurriedly pulled from her bodice.

Several pages in, there was a very peculiar drawing. It was of a sparse hallway much like the one she was sitting in. What an odd thing to draw she thought. What was the point? As she studied the drawing a while, she noticed there was a glass covered box similar to one she was sitting next to. There was also an indentation that seemed to match the size and shape of the envelope that contained the map. How interesting. Although the detail of the hose and ax were not included in the sketch, the similarities to where she was sitting were glaringly obvious.

Amber did not delay in searching the area around the box. She felt the drawing included it for a reason. As she was fumbling in the flickering lights, she realized the box holding the emergency equipment was not completely bolted to the wall. This had to be it! All she had to do was give it a slight tug, and the encased metal box came away from the wall revealing a hole that had been chiseled out of the concrete.

As if it had been undisturbed for however long it had been resting there, a purple velvet pouch was nestled neatly inside. The hallway was many decks below the main deck, and it did not appear to be regularly accessed by anyone. It seemed rather neglected and in need of some repairs. It made perfect sense to her that someone would choose this place to hide something valuable. Nobody would think to come down here looking for anything of the sort.

Amber was hesitant, but she reached for the pouch anyway. She gingerly lifted it from its hiding place. It was much heavier than it appeared. There was a familiar jingle as she gently shook it to guess what might be inside. It was definitely something worth taking a look at. As nothing seemed to be disturbed by her removing the pouch from its concealed location, Amber felt it was safe to at least take a peak inside.

Nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to discover. The gold almost seemed to glow in the dim lighting against the dark purple velvet. She took one of the coins out to examine it. She recognized it at once. She could not believe what she had stumbled across. It was truly a golden treasure.

A few years back, an Egyptian tomb had been discovered by a British explorer. Before the tomb could be properly exhumed and evaluated, someone had gotten word of the discovery and robbed the tomb of all its riches. Amber remembered reading about the heist in the newspaper. The tomb raiders were still at large, and the treasure had not been located. She couldn't be sure that this was all of it, but there was a twenty thousand dollar reward to be claimed by whoever returned it. The reward money would be enough to start a new life.

Amber knew the coins in this pouch were considered priceless, but she was an honest young woman. Plus, how would she ever be able to trade or sell them without being caught? She was too young to be deemed a criminal. She also didn't want to rob the rest of the world from studying these priceless artifacts. There was no question in her mind as to what she would do with her findings.

As soon as they docked in South Hampton, Amber planned to turn the coins over to the British authorities. She would officially be a legal adult by the time they reached their destination, so the reward money would all go to her. She could start a life for herself, live comfortably for quite a while and avoid returning home to be married off to whichever man her parents chose for her. Her most secret prayer had been answered.

Amber returned to the party upstairs as if nothing had transpired in the time she was missing. Yvonne didn't even seem to realize she had left the room. She was still shamelessly flirting with the mad she had cornered earlier. He looked miserable and Amber felt sympathy for him. The smile on her face did not convey her pity.

The rest of the trip went smoothly without anyone being the wiser. Amber had successfully kept the coins hidden until the day they disembarked in England. Yvonne and Amber had a wonderful time exploring Europe through the last days of summer until the first signs of autumn.

On the morning the two young women were scheduled to make the journey back home, Amber announced that she would not be accompanying her cousin. Amber had managed to execute her plan discretely before their departure, and the reward money was given to her as promised.

She explained her new found wealth to Yvonne and wished her well on the return voyage, but regretfully declined to accompany her home. Yvonne was a bit saddened by this news and jealous of her cousin's fortune, but the gentleman she had met on the first day of their excursion was scheduled to be on the return trip as well.

The two young women parted ways as Yvonne boarded the ship. There were tears in their eyes as they said farewell to one another, but they were mostly happy tears. The cousins were saying goodbye, but it wouldn't be forever. They both had their whole lives ahead of them and they were excited to see what the future had in store for each of them.