I've been laying on the beach so long that I can feel the way the sand has curved around my body under my towel. I have a strong disliking for the beach, but my dog loves it so I bring him here three times a week, four if he's a good boy. We've been throwing a frisbee around for a good 20 minutes. His pudgy bulldog legs thrust forward as he runs to give me the frisbee back. He drops the disk before darting full speed back towards the ocean. I stand up so I can properly monitor him since he isn't the best swimmer. He is digging and barking furiously at something.
"What is it, Poodie?" I ask because he would usually bring it to me.
His barking becomes more fierce so I decide to walk over to investigate. I kneel down next to him in the shallow water and see something shimmering in the water. I put my hands in the soft sand around the circular object. It seems to be about the size of a steering wheel. Curious as to what it is I take it out to see that it is a large, gold coin of some sort. The letters MFM are engraved in large letters that curve around what appears to be an island. My dog starts to bark insanely again. Before I can attempt to calm him down the tide comes in from nowhere, taking us both under.
"Avast ye mateys," his scratchy voice booms as ragged men started to make their way towards him. His giant black hat and the multitude of gold covering his body suggest that he is the captain. "Life-long companionship is underway. Put 'her in the helm 'n we be on our way!"
"Yo Ho!" They shout loud, fierce and in unison.
A lanky man with an eyepatch scurries forward to retrieve the giant coin. He takes is over to the massive wheel that has a hole hollowed out. He slides the coin until it locks in place. The ship suddenly spins causing men to fly all over the deck. A short, stout man with a peg leg wobbles out from the cabin below. He has a lumpy, tattered blue blanket with whatever's under it not being very happy about it.
"I dried 'n fed the poor fellow but he still seems a bit shook up. Lil 'lubber has yet to get his sea legs," he explains before the dog leaps from his arms.
"Poodie!"I exclaim. "Oh, please don't hurt him. I'll do anything if you let us go.
"Oye! Would ya look at who finally decided to wake," the Captain sneers as he turns to face me.
I am tied to the mast in the middle of the ship for all of the men to see. My bathing suit has dried, and the sun is starting to come up so I must have been asleep for quite some time. I was awake for their conversation but I was afraid of what would happen when I opened my eyes. I called out to my dog on impulse because he is my best friend and I couldn't live with myself if something happened to him.
"Do not hurt us," I demand while trying to put some bass in my voice.
"Why if I wanted to hurt ye I would have thrown you off the starboard side. Ye'd have walked the plank 'n be halfway to Davy Jones' locker by now. We need ye and yer pup for when we get to the island," he explains.
"What is the gold coin for? Is it magical? Why did it try to drown my dog and me?"
The captain sighs. "Would you care te explain, boys?" The captain asks no one in particular.
Several men walk excitedly walk over to where I'm sitting.
"Pirates have a history of bein' lonely. Bringing women on board is bad luck they says," A thin, older man begins.
"One pirate got tired of bein' so lonely at sea. He tried to enjoy the company of his mates in more ways than one, but it wasn't fer him," another pirate continues.
"He decided a pirate ought to have some sort of company on the seas. Sure the bond between mates, 'n courtin' wenches a shore was fun but he yearned for something more permanent," A balding man with a tattoo of the Jolly Rodger on his arm continues.
"Alas, he found the perfect companion on land. A whole island of em! He decided that no one but the worthy could find the island so he charmed it with a magic navigational coin," an eager young boy chimed in while gesturing towards the helm.
"Once we get on the island alls ye gotta do is set the coin in the same way ye found it on yer beach. Then all the perfect companion's will come a-runnin'. We've been doing this for years in search of finding the right one. We have a good-feelin' about you lot,"
"Squak, a good feeling," the parrot perched on the short man's shoulder repeats in a shrill voice.
"So you kidnapped me so I could summon a bunch of ladies for you?" I ask, genuinely confused.
The crew breaks out in laughter.
"It ain't wenches we want, love. Savvy?" The captain asks.
"You mean there is a whole island full of Poodies?"
"What in the name of Neptune is a Poodie?" The captain questions.
"Pood is my dogs name. I call him Poodie," I explain. I sense the captain about to make a snide remark when someone from the front of the ship screams, " land ho!"
They dock the ship as two men escort me on to the beach. The man who was steering takes the coin and buries where the sand meets the water, just like how I found it. The same peg legged pirate walks off the ship holding Poodie in his arms. He immediately runs to the gold coin laying in the ground. He lets out a bark that echoes back into the trees. We anxiously wait in silence as the ground start to rumble slightly.
About 40 bulldogs run out forest towards us. Their chubby bodies bounce up and downs as they wobble towards us. Each of the pirates rush forward to claim a puppy or two for their own. Pood runs around, playing with the unclaimed bulldogs. Once all the pirates have their puppies we board the ship. The man who took the coin picks it up before being the last to hop aboard.
"If you only needed Poodie then why did you have to abduct me too?"
"Arrg, most people don't like it when ya take their dog," the captain answers while fixing the miniature pirate hat on its head.
The captain takes the coin away from his crew member before walking over to the side of the ship with his dog close behind. He flips the giant coin into the water before walking back to the wheel.
"What happens to the coin now?" I ask.
"Oye, ya ask a lot a questions don't ye?" He asks while throwing me a sideways glance. "The next time someone walks a beach with what ya call, a bulldog, the coin'll appear the same way it did fer ya. Once they dig it up a band of pirates desiring non-human mates will most likely capture them so they can lure out the pups. What they do wit 'em after that is up to the captain," he explains.
"Well thank you for not hurting me or my little pupper, Captain um-" I stop not knowing how to address him.
"Captain is fine 'n yer welcome lass. It be I who should be thankin' you for without ye we wouldn't a found the greatest booty there is. If yer ever at sea and need anything just give us a holler," he concludes while flipping a small gold coin in my direction.
As I catch the trinket I can see my beach coming up on the horizon. They stop the ship once more to let Pood and I off. I say my goodbyes as my pup barks his to the other bulldogs on the ship. I run my hand over the coin that looked identical to the giant one that took us to the island. As we turn to walk away I realize that I had two more questions. I don't mean to be so curious, but I can't help it.
"Wait,how will you find me if I need help at sea and what does MFM stand for?"
The captain nods at me while chuckling as I watch the ship sail farther into the ocean. I flip over the coin to see if anything was on the other side. I see the words Man's First Mate engraved in large letters that curve around what appears to be a picture of Pood and I. I sigh while looking up at the setting sun, not believing the day I had.
"Come on, Poodie. Let's get you home. Poodie?"
I turn around to see him coming towards me with our frisbee in his mouth. I remember that out game of fetch was interrupted by our impromptu adventure. I take it from him before throwing it back towards the ocean. I figure 5 minutes wouldn't hurt as I walk over to my towel, taking a seat as Pood makes his way back to me.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
