My Great Grandfather's Father's Secret

"This is amazing! I always love being in here!" I said to my sister Mia, my arms spread inhaling the fresh air. "Well, what can we do around here if not fishing, swimming, boating and visiting the mermaids at the reef?" She said grimacing annoyingly. I smirks at her, "Treasure hunt! Oh my god! I remember the map at the cabin's chest at the attic!" I said, then ran off to the cabin our family owns for generations.

I climb up at the ladder to the attic. I open the old dusty chest and rummage at the things inside it. I take the map that has been here for years. I've already tried figuring it out but I was just a kid. Maybe growing up helps me understand the map. I take the map, the monoscope, and the compass with the same symbol just like the symbol drawn at the map's lower left side. I hold the painting of my great grandfather and talk to it. "Hello, grandfather! Wish me luck finding out your map. Please give me your blessings this time. Thank you!" I giggles and put everything back to the chest except the things that I needed.

I lay the map on the table in front of my grandfather and figure out the symbols and the trails on it. I can see giant snake, lion, wolf, witch and an evil winged creature. I've been to the place but I haven't seen any monsters and I didn't find treasure either. I can't figure out the symbol that looks like fishtail with an ugly mermaid head before the end of the trail. Creepy. I haven't been in that hideously creepy cave. What if there's really something in there just like the symbol on the map? "Y'know, my grandfather used to tell me that my father loved to play at the island nearby. Whenever he wants to hide from grandma, he makes a creepy sound like an evil mermaid sound. Great grandpa used to teach him that." Grandpa said putting down his newspaper and sips his coffee. "Really? Why would he do that to grandma?" I asks. "Because he don't want to be found." He said. A thought just hits me.

I use my dad's motorboat, and Mia tags along 'cuz she says she wants to see me fail again. So, I just let her. We go to the island not far from our island.

On the next island, holding the map in front of me we entered the giant snake symbol. After a little later, we take the left side route going to the lion, and then later on right turn to the wolf. We take another right turn to the witch symbol. Then, to the evil winged creature symbol to our left. At the end is a cave. This is the last, I would never try entering this mermaid symbol if not only grandpa told me the story of great grandpa hiding from his mother. "Are you sure about this, Jonathan?" Mia said holding my elbow nervously. "I've got a flashlight." I said bravely and slowly steps inside the cave with Mia beside me. I look at the map and see another ex sign drawn behind the big rock. "Okay, what if all of those symbols on the map became real?" I asks Mia. "Are you crazy!?" She exclaims in a hush voice.

We get to the location of ex symbol slowly. I lifted the big rock laying on the spot. I dig it using the garden trowel I brought until a meter and a half deep I hit a hard object. I dig deeper and wider more and a wooden chest appears in front of us. "Whoah!" I exclaims in awe.

Mia helps me lift the chest up the ground. I put the soil back to the hole. "So, you're gonna help me carry this." I said. "Are you kidding me? This is like tons of weight!" She complains. I look around outside the cave and find an old plank. I tied the chest on top of it and Mia and I pulled it out through the boat. We lift it to the boat patiently as it was so heavy.

Back to our island, "Grandpa! Dad! Mom!" I called everyone yelling repeatedly. They all rushed outside worriedly. "Hey! What's wrong?" They ask and pauses as they look at the chest. "Really? you've found a chest?" My dad asks. "Yeah! Using great grandpa's map." I exclaims. "I think, this old chain will be on use after years." My grandpa says handing dad an old necklace with an old style key. My dad sits to my opposite in front of the chest and open it while everyone's watching. As dad opens the chest, "Wow!" We all exclaimed in awe. There is a golden crown with red big gems around it, golds coins, gold jewelries, pearls, gems, gold goblets and a scroll. I took the scroll and open it. I read it out loud to my family. "August 19, 1890, To my dearest family, this is I, Estevan Hansen. I stole the royal chest from the pirates whom I have fought with, in a sword fight. They didn't know that it was I who have stolen their great treasury. The royal kingdom has been looking for the thieves who might have had the chest. I want you, my family, to have a great life but a stolen chest is not great enough as the simple life that we have does. Gold is nothing to a beautiful life that we have grown in our lives as we age. I love you, my family. I hope someday, someone in our family will find the stolen royal chest. I hope you do the right thing and if you must, grow our family's wealth using my stolen treasury. Lovingly yours, Estevan Hansen."

"Whoah! This is a royal chest!?" Oh my god! And that's the secret of our family all those years!? I'm proud being a Hansen!" Mia exclaims. We look more and bring the chest inside of the cabin to talk it out, y'know, what to do with it.