"How did this happen to us…!?" I thought to myself full of curiosity as I gazed upon the sunset occurring at the horizon of endless waves and seas with my childhood Best friend.

Yesterday

     We were only enjoying our campus' summer break by visiting My Bestfriend's private beach at the Okinawa prefecture. The sun was shining bright and it felt very warm and relaxing to our skin while we were walking across the sandy coastline.

"Hey, Itsuki! Look over there, an abandoned shipwreck!" My childhood best friend Hotaru excitedly pointed out with sheer ecstasy and joy written all over her face.

     Whenever I saw her this happy I always end up sharing her happiness, it's as if her Cheerful personality and loveable attitude is a contagious disease. A disease you wouldn't mind getting…

"I wonder how long it has been there." My curiosity got tempted by the abandoned ship, to me it looked really old but sturdy despite looking at it from at least 30 meters away.

     Man… I really wish I can explore abandoned ships and ruins in search of treasures…. I responded to her gleeful excitement while subtly sighing my disappointment towards myself for not being brave enough to confidently ask to try exploring the abandoned shipwreck.

"Do you Want to go check it out then?" Hotaru joyfully asked me with a soft, loveable smile.

     I sometimes wonder if she can read my mind. She seems to know exactly what goes through my head and always put an effort to try to help me come out of my shell….. I love that so much about her!

     I always preferred to be a loner although even I will openly admit that it does get very lonely a whole lot of times. I'm very grateful to have Hotaru always by my side. I should try doing her something special when we go back to the cottage.

"Ex… explore the shipwreck? I'd love to but only if you come along with me, so any ghosts will be too afraid to even dare attack me!" I proudly said trying to bait a response of agreement from Hotaru.

     I initially tried to act aloof but I quickly realized that won't get me anywhere so I dropped the act and decided to agree with her proposal on the basis that she has to come with me during the exploration.

"Is that a challenge? In that case Little Brother, YOU. ARE. ON!!!" she said with fire in both her voice and emerald eyes. She grabbed my arm and started sprinting towards the shipwreck across the beach while dragging me along with her.

     She definitely got very fired up from my Bet. Now I know I can safely explore the shipwreck whilst she covers my back encase something bad happens. Hotaru really tends to get fired up when it comes to bets and challenges, Is that a weakness of hers? I would argue it is both one of her scary sides while simultaneously one of the things I find very cute about her.

 

 

 

     Hotaru is a year older than Me hence She sometimes calls Me Her "Little Brother," She is 19 years old while I'am only 18 years old We met at an old playground, You could say that both of Us were "delinquents." Back at middle school, We would get into all sorts of trouble. Graffitis, prank calls, and sometimes littering got Me and Hotaru into trouble and though they aren't what I call major I'd say, We experienced it enough to a point We'd know each other's in's and out's

     After what felt like 3 minutes of being dragged by the arm we finally arrived at the shipwreck and it's sight is something I can only describe as one of the most breathtaking, magnificent and awe-inspiring sights I have seen in my life. Back at the other side of the beach I thought the ship was only 26-32 feet but up close it's about 60 feet tall.

"Well. Here We are! **AHEM!!** Ladies first." I acted a bit cocky by pretending to be a gentleman and posed in a way that exceptionally shows Her acting.

"Why Thank you kind, Sir, I shall enter first then!" Her tone was like of a duchess and was convincingly so.

     Hotaru was definitely only playing along with my act as she entered the crack in the ship's Hull and I simply couldn't if she Was being Genuine about what she just said. Well, it doesn't matter as I followed Her through the cracked hull shortly after anyway. The inside of this vehicle feels desolate. It's full of dust and cobwebs and something you could say is "Antique," it definitely creepy inside.

"Where do you think the dead bodies are?" Hotaru said in a very sly tone, obviously trying to make me think the place was haunted.

"If We do find a dead body, You better not scream like a child and cling to me tightly like the last time we entered something this abandoned." I teased her back while letting out a soft laugh.

"Oh, Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Itsuki." She laughed off my joke as we started rummaging through the crates and barrels.

     While We were trying to find some things in the room we were inside I noticed a door to another room as I instinctually entered it lead to a ladder to the main deck. I signaled Hotaru to come with Me as we were now on top of the ship's main deck.

"The view is very nice up here, you can also feel the sea breeze much better." Hotaru stretched Her arms and legs while feeling the sea breeze on Her skin.

     I noticed the door to the captain's cabin and I didn't know what came to my mind but I held Hotaru's hand as I mustered my resolve to enter the captain's office. Inside was a Chair and Desk for working, some wall decorations, 2 Cutlass Sabers, and a medium-sized chest

"This is was the main chief's office…" I said while we walked towards the chest on the desk. The chest didn't seem like it was locked and when Hotaru placed her palm on the lid….

"It's not locked, I can feel its loss." She whispered cautiously as she opened the chest.

     The chest had a mechanical parrot something you would see in a steampunk-esque world, it also had a hand mirror with some bone and spine-like textures and an old sheet of paper with some kind of chant written on it. Hotaru carried the robot-like parrot in her hands as she tried to twiddle around with it while I looked at the mirror and the sheet of paper.

    The old ragged sheet of paper had scribbles written on it.

"Oh Dieu saint, prends-moi ! Prends-moi et mon navire bien-aimé. Envoie-nous dans un monde qui m'est inconnu !!" I read the words written on the paper while Hotaru seems to be loving the robotic parrot

     I felt a great disturbance, No a chill ran up my spine when suddenly this old abandoned pirate ship started trembling and the skull emblem on the mirror started glowing green brightly.

"Wh- What did you do!?" Hotaru screamed nervously while She was trying to hold on to the door.

"I… I just read what is written here okay!!" I said loudly until the Mirror's Green light flash engulfed the entire Ship which impeded Me and Hotaru's Vision and after what felt like a portal or a vortex consuming the entire ship. We suddenly felt the ship make a loud thud and took even more damage.

     The crash made both Me and Hotaru collapse on the floor causing the mirror to Shatter near the antique desk. I felt extremely nauseous, I tried to reach for Hotaru but the feeling caused Me and Her to go unconscious.

"Ho…. Ho…ta… ru…." I spoke softly before losing consciousness.