The Haunting

“Look dad, I see a whale!”

“Where?”

“Right there! Look!!”

“I do see something but I'm not sure if it's moving. Hold on son let me grab my binoculars, call your mom and sister to come check this out!”

“Mom! Ava! Hurry, come and see this! There's a whale, look!!”

“What is it Max? A whale? Where?!”, asks Mom.

“That's not a whale! That's like a large buoy or something.” Ava snaps, rolling her eyes.

“This far out Ava? Can you just try to use your brain sometimes? That's definitely a whale!”, exclaimed Max.

“Hold on hold on, I found my binoculars. Ok, lets see.”

“Hmmm - well bad news or good news?” asks Chris as he turns to look at Max and Ava.

“Good news!!!” they exclaimed.

“Ok, well it's definitely something interesting but it's not a whale, sorry bud!”

“See I told you!”

“Smh whatever. Anyway, so what is it dad?”

“Well it looks like it could be a boat of some kind.”

“What? Let me see. Let me see, what kind of boat?”, says Max with reignited excitement.

“Here you take the binoculars and make sure you share with your sister and mom. I'm gonna see if I can steer our boat in that direction.”

“Chris, do you really think that's a good idea?”, asks Carolina hesitantly.

“Yes why not honey? We’ll get closer and see what it is. It looks like it could be something interesting.”, Chris says as he grabs his wife by the waist and kisses her cheek.

“Ok, you're right! This is an adventure after all.

Forward bound!”

The excitement in his family’s eyes was palpable. Maybe, we can finally be a family again. Thought, Chris. I knew all we needed was an adventure together.

As they got closer, everyone was eager to see what they had found..

“Chris I think we’re almost there and I think I know what it might be.” says Carolina holding up the binoculars.

“What is it Carolina?”

“I'm not sure but I think it might be a sailing ship. An old one too by the looks of it.”

“What? No way! Is it abandoned?” shouts Chris.

“Here, take a look!”

“Oh my yup, yeah that's an abandoned ship alright. And it looks very old.”

“Dad,” says Ava excitedly, “ isn't there a law called the law of finds. Where anyone who finds a shipwreck is entitled to the full value of the goods found on a shipwreck.”

“You're right Ava, I do remember reading about that on our flight here! That is if no one else has found it first and I find it hard to believe no one has already taken whatever valuable goods they could from there, but let's get closer and check it out!”

“Ok,” says Carolina “but let's be very careful please.”

“Yes of course mi amor!

What's better on a family adventure then to find a shipwreck?”

“Well I have always wanted to find buried treasure,” laughed Carolina

“Hey dad, pull up around here. I think I see a name…Mmmmarrryy Celeste.

Mary Celeste!" shouts Max eagerly.

“Wait, what?!” states Carolina half in shock, “no way! That's not possible. Let me see… Oh. My. Goodness!”

“Chris, honey, please come here and see this. Do you remember the boat I told you about in my dreams as a little girl?"

“Yes of course I remember. Why?”

“Remember the name I told you I continuously saw?”

“I mean, yeah but.. This doesn't make sense.”

“Yeah no kidding! I don't get this at all. I mean what are the chances??” Carolina said with a perplexed look on her face.

“Ok well let's call the national guard.” states Chris.

“Wait, if we do, we might not be allowed to keep anything we find.” says Ava.

“Yeah plus there's no way I’m NOT getting on that ship and exploring first”, declared Carolina.

“Let's get on it then and see what there is first. But we have to be very careful.” Chris responded.

“I agree,” says Carolina. “This ship could be rotted to the core and can be dangerous. Maybe since I'm the lightest, I should go on?”

“I don't think that's a good idea, Carolina!”

“Chris, I know what I’m doing. This ship has haunted me since I was a little girl. I know I am meant to do this.”

“I know you don't believe in coincidences, Carolina, but maybe this is one of them."

Carolina glances at Chris and gives him the “the look”

“Do you trust me?”

Chris sighs, knowing it was a losing battle. “Of course I do.”

“Good, then help me get up and over. Come on!”

Chris begrudgingly helps Carolina over into the abandoned ship deck.

“Be careful mom!” whispered Max.

“Yeah mom, please!” breathed Ava.

“ I will my loves!”

“Step by step Carolina, con cuidado.” declared Chris as he hesitantly let go of Carolina's hand.

Chris looks away for a second to check if there are any other boats around. Luckily there weren't. It turned out to be a perfect day, not a cloud in the sky, perfect temperature and calm, bright blue soothing waves. As he looks back over onto the abandoned ship, he notices he doesn't see Carolina anymore, his heart quickens..

“Carolina, where are you? Carolina..”

“I'm down here. I'm in the cabin.”

“What?! Please Carolina, be careful!”

“Oh my gosh no way…” shouts Carolina.

“What? Are you ok?”

“Ahhhhh” Carolina shrieks!

“That's it! I’m coming over!” cries Chris.

“No! Hold on, omg you're not going to believe this!”

“What is it Carolina? Tell me or I'm coming on!”

“Ok!” laughed Carolina “I’m coming back slowly with a couple things.”

“This is not funny and what things?”

Carolina steps out of the cabin with a box.. Chris squints trying to see what Carolina is holding. Whatever it is, it looks heavy.

“I’m coming to help you!”

“No! Chris, I don't know how this boat is holding up my weight, but I don't think it will hold up both of ours. I got this!”

Carolina lugged the heavy object to the edge of the boat and onto the rail.

“Ok mi amor. Here it is!”

“Ok, what is it?” Chris says furrowing his brows. Still unsure as to what his wife could possibly see in this rusted old piece of junk.

“Geez, patience really isn't your strong suit babe. Just pull it over- it's heavy and please be gentle, it is also very fragile. Kids I'm gonna need your help with pulling me over, ok?”

“Ok mom!” Both kids declared letting out a sigh of relief to be pulling their mom back onto their boat and off that big rotted piece of floating wood.

“Chris I need you to take a glance into this old box!” Carolina says, panting. “I didn't know what I was looking for but I knew there was something there for me to find and I think this is it.”

“Looking for?” asks Chris.

“Well, yeah! What we were brought here for.”

“Ok my love, I don't know what you’re talking about but we weren't brought here. This was simply happenstance.”

Carolina lips slowly pursed up into a smile and looking into her husband's eyes calmly states, “Oh yes we were. Look into that box and tell me I’m wrong.”

Chris hunches over the box, gently opening the latch on the rusty metal storage box and slowly lifts the cover.

He bolts upright with a gasp, and whispers “how can this be?”

Looking up at his wife's elated face he carefully steps forward and peers back into the box,“I can't believe this.”

Carolina, wraps her arms around Chris’ neck and says “Believe it my love! Believe it.”

Chris gently pulls back from his wife, still in disbelief looking into his Carolina’s eyes asking,

“How is there this much here? In dollars no less? How or more like WHO left this here? Someone could be looking for this or worse coming back to get it? If that's the case maybe we should place it back and just leave.” concern creeping back into Chris’ voice.

“Well I counted the rolls and I estimated $20,000 in there.”

“What? That's exactly what we need for Max’s surgery. Baby how can this be?” Chris says, his voice cracking.

“I don't know my love! I don't know, but I'm telling you this would be too much of a coincidence. I'm telling you WE were led here.” Carolina says laying her head on Chris’ chest, warm tears slowly coming down her cheeks.

Max and Ava exchanged glances and then looked at the money and started jumping up and down in joy.

“We’re rich!!! And we’re gonna be famous!!! Can you imagine how jealous everyone back at school is gonna be” they both laughed fervently.

Chris and Carolina chuckled, glancing back at them.

“Wait but what is this little black book?” says Chris bending down to pick it up.

“At first I thought it could be the captain's logbook, but look it's some sort of journal, I think from a crew member.

“Honey, this could be worth a lot of money. How is it in such perfect condition after all this time?”

“No se, mi amor. But does it really matter? What matters is that what we thought could possibly be our last family vacation together for a long time, has become our savior!”

“Ava, Ava wake up wake up!!!”, shouted Carolina. I've been trying to wake you for the past 10 minutes mija. Sheesh you are a hard one to awaken huh.

“Huh, mom? What? What's going on? I just had the weirdest dream.

“Ok I wanna hear all about it but first you have to hear the good news your dad just got!!!!” Carolina exclaimed excitedly.

“What, what good news?” Ava asked, groggy and confused. “Wait but before I forget I have a nagging question, I don't know why but I feel it's important I ask, Does ‘Mary Celeste’ mean anything to you mom?”

“Huh,” Carolina half chuckles,“what a strange question. I haven’t heard that name since I was a little girl.”

“That's the name of the boat I used to dream about all the time as a young girl to the point that your grandma thought it was haunting me. Why do you ask such a question? What was it that you dreamt about?”

Ava’s eyes widened, and Carolina had an eerie feeling in her gut. ‘The boat came back. The Mary Celeste. How can it be? How is my daughter now dreaming of this same exact boat?’ thought Carolina.

“Mom, I have to tell you this dream!”

“Yes mija, please do!”

Ava begins to retell her dream to her mom...

“And then dad finds the little black book and we're all excited because we found the money for Max’s surgery,” she says bursting into tears, “and I know it was a dream, but it felt so real and we were so excited Mom!” Ava sobbed.

Ava glances up at her mom with tears rolling down her face, and sees the bewildered look on her Mother’s face.

“Mom are you ok?” Ava asks, concerned, but Carolina just sat there with her mouth agape.

Chris swings Ava’s door open, “Ava, honey, did you hear the good news?”

Without waiting for a response he continues, “Bossman Charlie gifted us a free trip on his sailboat in the Caribbean for a whole week!! We leave tomorrow! Can you believe it? It's probably the only trip we’ll be able to take before your brother's surgery and I know you have plans this summer with your friends, but I was really hoping you'd be excited too and want to join us.”

Ava looked up at her dad, jumped out of bed and hugged him.

“Dad, I'm so excited! Of course I’ll be there. I’ll start packing right away.” She hugged him tightly and opening her eyes slowly, Ava, shared a glance with her mom who was still sitting on her bed.

They both smiled warmly, knowingly.