Early in the morning, Claire, who was determined to avoid meeting her family’s eyes for a while, rushed out of the house before breakfast. She went to Graves supermarket and bought some milk and sandwiches. Claire also bought some snacks and some of the supplies she planned to take to Driswen on Monday.
Everything went into the boat. No questions were asked about why she was buying so much or where she was going. As soon as the delivery men left, she changed into a diving suit and set out. There was only one thought on her mind; treasure.
The sea was still half asleep, but a good number of boats were already sailing on its surface. The sun had not yet risen, but it was threatening to do so soon. The morning breeze carried the scent of salt and seaweed. Far above, gulls were already awake, conducting what sounded like a very loud musical performance.
"SCREEEEEE!"
"SCREEEEEE!"
Claire looked up from the wheel of her boat, wondering if the gull which Beryl had claimed was her nemesis was circling in the air. Apparently, it would shit on her once a day!
Her grandmother had claimed the gull and Percy, the cat, were in cahoots to kill off the old women in this town.
One gull landed on the railing of her boat and tried to steal her bag. But the bag was firmly tied down. After a few failed attempts, it flew away with a loud SCREEEE. Claire could have sworn that it was cursing her.
"Well, right back at you." She screamed.
The gull screamed again and flew away. She sighed and turned her attention to the sea and touched the pearl. "Treasure. Treasure. Help me find a treasure," she whispered. She thought of gold bars, gold coins, old porcelain, silver coins and ancient scrolls. Even luxury cars flashed through her mind.
Claire laughed at herself for being silly. Why would luxury cars be sitting at the bottom of the sea?
The pearl warmed up slightly, as if it understood what she desired. Then, it went cold again. She steered farther from shore, sailing for forty minutes. The sky brightened from dull blue to navy blue. The weather became warmer.
Claire didn’t give up quickly. Treasures were not like sea food in Driswen, found everywhere one looked. She needed to be patient. That patience lasted for another two hours, and she wondered whether to give up.
"Are you working..."
Just as she was starting to question the abilities of the pearl, it warmed up.
Claire’s eyes widened. "Oh?"
The pearl heated again, against her skin.
"Ohhhh?" She screeched, getting even more excited. Without hesitation she anchored the boat, wore her goggles and the rest of her diving gear, then leaped overboard.
The water was cool and clear. Everything beneath the surface looked mysterious. For a reason she couldn’t explain, Claire was not frightened. In fact, she had the strong feeling that she didn’t need any diving gear. She followed the warmth from the pearl which was beginning to feel like a tiny stove.
She knew how it worked. The hotter it was, the pricier the find.
"It’s got to be a treasure," she thought. "Maybe a pirate chest."
The warmth increased.
Claire’s mind spun with more wild theories. "A lost royal crown."
The pearl got hotter.
"A shipment of precious books." Claire grinned.
She noticed something shiny behind a coral formation and triumphantly rushed in to pull out.... a gold-plated toilet!
Claire stared.
The toilet stared. Several fish swam through it.
Claire blinked. "Seriously?"
Some tiny fish lived inside the the bowl. They looked offended by the interruption. Claire tied a rope around the toilet. As long as the gold was real, it was worth something. The only problem was that she could not give Apollo’s grandfather a toilet as a birthday gift. If she dared to do so, maybe the old man would faint.
Ten minutes later, she deposited the toilet onto her boat. The gull that wanted her bag returned. It looked at the toilet, then at Claire. Then at the toilet again.
Claire didn’t know if a bird could be speechless, but this one certainly appeared to be in that state.
"Don’t judge me, I am poor," Claire said defensively.
The gull judged her.
She started the boat, because the pearl was now cold but seemed to be pointing her in another direction. Claire sailed on onward for another hour. Then suddenly, the pearl became warm again.
And not like the first time. It was very warm, as if there was an emergency. Claire’s heartbeat quickened.
"Round two." She muttered.
Claire dropped the anchor and dove. Down she went through forests of sea grass. The pearl grew hotter and hotter.
"Treasure," Claire’s eyes gleamed. Definitely treasure. She could feel it. She reached the source, her feelings closed around something metal.
It was heavy and solid, but she couldn’t make out what it was. Then she pulled harder, using both hands. At last, it came free.
It was a safe. An actual safe! Just covered in barnacles.
Claire nearly danced with excitement. She tied a rope around it and swam upwards. The safe was not as heavy as she imagined. In fact, it was lighter than the golden toilet. She spent twenty minutes getting it onto the boat and cracking it open with a wrench.
Finally, the door popped.
"Yes!" She screamed.
The scream died as soon as casino tokens came pouring out. Three thousand of them. All expired, worthless and slightly moldy!
Claire stared into the safe, swallowed her disappointment and closed the door. She opened it and closed it again.
The gull which had decided to take a vacation on her boat made a sound that Claire could have sworn was mocking laughter.
Claire sighed. The pearl had burned hot and led her to the safe, but its contents were worthless. So, what did this mean? Did the pearl only work for sea food? Was it useless for other things?
"Should I give up on treasure hunting?" she muttered.