Insel der Toten

            The salty breeze of the Baltic Sea greeted me coldly as I climbed from the hatch and onto the main deck. The wind blew brilliantly, gripping the masts with its mighty hands and rushing our ship along with the current. 

Captain Lukan stood firm, hands on his hips, and gazing upon the sea before him. He dressed in Germany’s colors; our homeland. He was a prideful man, dressing our ship in German flags, and singing folk songs when nights grew dim and dreary. Lukan was different from the typical pirate captain, in the way that he believed in family, and togetherness, but I suspected that the only thing these men cared for were themselves. 

We have been on this particular voyage in search for Ansel Anderon’s treasure, located on Insel der Toten.

I closed the trap door and found my balance, saluting Captain Lukan as he turned. Showing him respect wasn’t something that he deserved, but nonetheless, I did this every single morning. He smiled widely, showing off his shiny gold teeth, medals that showcased his captivating past, racking your brain with fictitious stories of what could’ve possibly happened to the man before you. I thought about his past a lot, desperately trying to piece together details that may give hint to an illustrious past filled with love, courage, and tragedy. On the other side of things, I wondered greatly if there were even any stories to tell. 

“Mornin’ bright eyes, I hope you caught some sleep last night, for we have a big day ahead of us!” He boomed, jumping past me and hanging onto the fore mast. His exciting attitude always radiated on board of the ship, helping the men get through the day. 

Captain Lukan’s glorified bestfriend, a rather plump cat dressed in shades of cream and white, waddled after him. His name was Maus, and he had been Lukan’s doting follower since time immemorial. 

“Please, Leon, make sure everyone is prepared and alert! Insel der Toten is a few miles north and we will be docking there shortly.” With that, he disappeared into his cabin.

For a second, I pondered Lukan’s ways of finding such things, and I recognized him for his leadership. Although, there has always been a small part of me that felt superior to my captain, in which I could complete tasks and rule over my crew more efficiently, and with greater profit. 

I cleared my head, and opened the trap door, viewing the sleeping crew. My jealous emotions overwhelmed me, and so I screamed “Rise and shine, gentleman! The day has arrived and our island is just north of us! Get to your spots or face the plank!” 

A small shuffle crescendoed into a cacophony of men preparing for our highly anticipated adventure. They shoveled food into their salivating mouths, and dressed in their finest colors. They all eventually found their way to the deck. 

 As quartermaster and first mate, I monitored as the crew performed their daily duties, and assisted the Captain in what he needed help with.

The gunners were reliable men, always near the gun ports, and ready for action. They stood courageously, and praised Lukan like the saint they believed him to be. 

They men grew up together in the same orphanage in Rostock, Germany. At the ages of fourteen, the staff had become fed up with the incessant trouble they brought with them, and they were kicked out, left on the streets, and facing their inevitable death. Captain Lukan had been trading in Rostock, and found them. He showed them the life of piracy, in which they fell deeply in love. It’s been history since then, and they are loyal to Captain Lukan, and the pirate life.

I walked over to the captain’s cabin, and faltered, deciding whether or not knocking was a good idea. Before I came to a conclusion, Lukan slammed the door open, knocking me to the floor. He strutted, the click of his heels hitting the wood boards of the main deck.

“Look alive boys, there’s Insel der Toten!” He shouted, gesturing for us to join him on the quarter deck.

I got to my feet and ran, pushing others out of the way to get a glimpse. Sure enough, there it was. 

The island seemed to stretch around five to six miles, and was blanketed in luscious greenery, rocky cliffs, and generally eye-catching flora. 

Oohs and ah’s fell from the mouths of the crew, and it gave Lukan an obvious boost in his ego. 

“I know, isn’t it just magnificent? Truly a wonder, and we’re the first people to step foot here in over four hundred years. Boys, there lies treasure on this island, but I expect you all to be alert and ready. Lives may be lost. It is important to keep your wits about you, and remember that we must work smarter, not harder. I’ve been told stories about Captain Ansel Anderson’s treasure since I was a wee lad, and this is what my life’s work will have amounted for. Our pirate days will be behind us, if we only succeed this one time.” 

A hush fell over the crew. The only sound was the sea, crashing against the sides of the ship, aiding the tense silence. 

“Fellows, please. Don’t fail me now.” 

He exited the quarter deck, Maus following shortly after him. The crew stayed silent, presumably thinking of what riches were ahead of them, and what their lives would look like after we had found Anderson’s infamous lost treasure. 

The men returned to their duties, and I heard them discussing the frivolous things they will do with their share. Pitiful.

Slowly, I walked over to the railing of the ship, and contemplated what Captain Lukan said regarding an uncertain death we all might face. Who decides who lives and who dies, and why in this life, was mine being decided by a man of which I had no empathy for? He meant nothing to me, and these feelings, however rejected they were by me, demanded to be felt. 

“Hey, we’re almost here,” Isaak yelled over the crashing water.

The call of seagulls echoed, and the sight of looming palm trees clouded my vision. They hung gracefully, blowing with the wind. The salty sea breeze stung my eyes, and the boiling heat was like a small child, begging to be taken notice of. 

A crew mate by the name of Albrecht called from the crow’s nest, “It’s time to dock boys!” 

His shout permeated, and everyone got into position.  

The anchor was being held by two men, prepared to drop when ready, and the men working the rigging definitely did that: working. Their muscles glimmered with sweat and flexed impressively as they pulled ropes and toyed with the sails and masts. 

Captain Lukan stood on the forecastle deck, staring pretentiously at the water. I wondered what he was thinking about. 

The giant boom of the anchor bursting through the surface of the water signaled that it was time to exit the ship. 

The men gathered their weaponry and lined up before the plank, which lead to the beach of Insel der Toten. One by one, the men skipped onto the island, filled with excitement and ideas of jewels, gold,  and other riches. Before I left the ship, Lukan clutched my arm.

His eyes stared through my soul, and looked intent and serious. Quietly, he told me “Leon, when all is said and done, it has been a pleasure having you as my right hand man. Thank you,” His hand twitched, still tightly gripping my arm. It almost started to hurt.

“Thank you.” I responded, wincing. The pain brought disdain for him. Shouldn’t I be happy?

 He let go, and I walked off the ship.

Our crew circled together on the beach, waiting for me and Captain Lukan. The men were antsy, obviously ready to begin the search.  

“Boys!” Shouted Lukan, gathering their attention efficiently, showing us a map, detailing the island and the location of the treasure. “I want you split up in groups, three or four men each. We won’t be leaving this island til the treasure is found, and that is a promise. Meet back here at dusk.” Maus circled throughout Lukan’s legs, purring lovingly. 

Albrecht, Conrad, and Isaak called me over.

“We’re goin’ to that cliff o’er there, it looks to be about the general direction that the treasure is in. You comin’?” Isaak asked, gesturing to cliff north to us. I was surprised, I was planning on looking there first as well. 

“Okay, let’s get going,” I responded. 

And just like that, we were off, desperate to find whatever Captain Anderson had left here hundreds of years ago. 

We sliced through the over-hanging vines, and maneuvered around the trees. Our bodies were drenched with perspiration, and trudging through the intense heat left us severely dehydrated. 

Isaak looked almost green, which compelled Albrecht to say,

“Isaak, do you want to sit down for a minute?”

I kept walking, but at a slower pace.  

He shook his head, which only made him more dizzy. “ I’m okay, lets just keep going please.”  

Reluctantly, Albrecht agreed and headed forward. Isaak pushed forward.

A few hours passed, and the rocky cliff stood before us. By then, the sun had began its goodbye, and the sky had turned to a burnt orange, showering the trees in golden light. The cliff towered monstrously, and was incredibly steep, resembling a rocky wall, with foot holds scattered inconveniently. I was stumped, and admittedly intimidated. 

“How are we supposed to do this?” Conrad exclaimed, angered and frustrated. He stomped off. His frustration was more than infuriating. We had been walking in the blazing heat for hours, hiked through miles of thick and sticky vegetation, and they gave up as if there was simply no other options. 

“Just give me some time.” I spoke softly, throwing myself into the shade cast by the overhanging cliff, brainstorming what I could possibly do here. 

I got up and examined the incline. It wasn’t impossible, especially if only one of us went. 

“One of us has to go up alone,” I said, catching Isaak, Albrecht, and Conrad’s attention. They looked among each other awkwardly, twiddling their fingers. “I can do it though,” I said, “I really don’t mind.”

This comforted them, in a bothersome way. Of course, they wouldn’t be brave enough to do it themselves. 

I took of my leather vest and rolled up my pants. My skin being exposed to the air was refreshing, and helped relieve the sweltering warmth. 

Quickly,  I scanned the wall and looked for a nick to place my foot, and so I began my trip up. 

I grabbed onto the sharp ledges and rocky indents carefully, lifting myself higher and higher. Sometimes I would shoot the men below me quick glances, and I would see them waiting anxiously, appearing farther and farther away as time went on. 

After what seemed like forever, I had reached the ominous cave perched on top of the mountain’s peak. It was covered in moss, bushes, and other flora, and the cave was pitch black, not a single detail being illuminated by the sun’s glowing rays. 

To the best of my ability, I tried to find Anderson’s treasure. I walked into the cave with my arms stretched in front of me, feeling around for anything out of the ordinary. It was surprisingly deep, stretching for around fifty steps.

The ceiling dripped perpetually, hitting my forehead and soaking me in centuries-old ground water, which wasn’t exactly pleasant. The hollow was damp, and reeked of moldy wood. This pungent odor could either be sign of a rotting chest, filled with riches, or maybe it was just an unpleasant thing the cave had grown over time. 

Blindly touching everything I could wasn‘t exactly efficient, but I had no other option. I caressed rough edges and grassy walls, and frighteningly wet unknown objects. To no avail, there wasn’t a chest, which was aggravating. In my ignorance, I fell forward, hitting my head off of a rigid object, causing me to fall to the ground. 

Groaning, I sat up, clutching my head-wound, and a tingling pain pulsed throughout my body. In a state of confusion, I sat there for a moment, going through the sequence of events that had just occurred. 

When I had finally gathered myself, I realized that I had no inkling of what I tripped over in the first place. I stretched my hands in front of me, and felt a large article. I ran my fingers along the surface, and was greeted with the familiar feeling of wood. I felt around more, and suddenly found a latch.   

I found myself uncontrollably smiling. I gripped the edges of the chest tightly, and pulled with every ounce of strength I had. It was heavy, which provoked the question, how did it even get up here in the first place?

The trek was hard, but eventually I pulled the chest out of the cave. It had turned dark, and the night sky shone brilliantly. It’s blue light illuminated the chest, the golden latch glimmering in the moonlight. 

My hands shook as I reached for the latch, and clicked it open, against the rust. It put up a good fight, but it was no match for my strength. 

I took a deep breath. My life would change forever once I discovered the contents of the treasure. 

Slowly, I clutched the top of the chest, and pushed it over, exposing an array of jewels, gold coins, and a lone treasure map. 

I slumped back, in awe of the riches before me, but I was mostly encapsulated by the map, creased and worn, not seen in hundreds of years. 

A series of grunts and rustles grabbed my attention, and I noticed Isaak, sweaty and out of breath, climbing over the ledge. I quickly shut the chest, and watched him attain his footing. 

“It’s past dusk, time to head back. We were gettin’ worried about ya,”  explained Isaak, approaching closer. I edged farther away with every step he took, feeling protective over the treasure I had discovered. He then noticed the chest, his eyes widening with delight. 

“You found it!” He began to jump around, howling to the moon, and probably alerting every single person on the island. 

Isaak ran to the chest, reaching for the latch. Without thinking, I gripped his hand tightly, and threw it away from the treasure. He looked hurt, but mostly angry, a fire gleaming in his eyes. 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Isaak yelled, running back towards the chest. I got up and pushed him, which enabled him to push me back. We reached the perimeter of the cliff, Isaak standing closest to the edge. His eyes began to look worried when he noticed where our physical altercation had located us. 

“Calm down Leon, please.” He cried, forcing all of his weight against me, but to no avail, it simply just wasn’t enough. 

I didn’t think, I just shoved. Isaak fell silently, and the sound of his body hitting the ground was a soft thump. I looked over the edge, and there lie his lifeless body, under which a scarlet pool was forming. 

A flood of adrenaline pushed through me, and I decided what I needed to do next. Over the next half-hour, I designed a rope made of discarded vines, and attentively lowered the chest to the ground, making sure to leave it in good condition. I then found my way down, and headed back to the beach, carefully planning my next move.

It was pitch black when I arrived to the beach. I peered through the leafy branches, and saw a pillar of smoke from a burnt out fire, and the rest of the crew sleeping peacefully on the grains of sand.

The chest dragging behind me, I tip-toed from the trees and towards the ship, praying that I wouldn’t be heard. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Captain Lukan spat, holding his dagger tightly against my throat. I gulped, feeling the oxygen become harder and harder to obtain. Still, I was resilient, and I stayed silent.

Lukan became frustrated. “Let go, before I have to do something I’ll regret.” He said sternly. I wondered where his ideology of family and togetherness had gone. 

The moment I felt his grip loosen, I hastily seized the upper-hand, grabbing the dagger and shoving him to the ground. I pressed it against his throat, and my thirst for blood begged to apply more pressure. 

“Leon, please. You don’t need to do this,” He choked, a tear falling from his eyes. I felt no remorse, and if anything, I felt anger. 

I pushed deeper, and a flood of red cascaded from his throat, amalgamating onto the sand. 

It was a sad scene, I must admit, to see the man that raised you have his life taken, let alone by your own hands. Something inside of me pushed these empathetic feelings out, and I stood up, ready to head to the ship. 

I hurriedly trekked the chest on board, and took down the sails. It took every ounce of strength I had to hoist the anchor onto the deck, and it had caused quite the commotion, waking the crew, and alerting them to what had occurred. 

The boat had already started south, too far for the boys to even attempt to swim. Their cries and screams echoed across the water, barely reaching the ship as time went on. 

I stood on the main deck, examining the mysterious map from the treasure chest, and feeling the cool sea breeze. Maus had managed to stay on board, wrapping his tail around my legs, and purring. 

Insel der Toten wasn’t visible now, and I waded alone, in the middle of the Baltic Sea. Open waters lay ahead of me, and the only thing in sight was the opportunity for adventure, alone.