杰克感到熱辣辣的陽光灑滿樹屋,他聞到了海水的咸味兒,聽到濤聲。
他和安妮一起望向窗外,只見樹屋卡在一棵棕櫚樹上,不遠(yuǎn)處是藍(lán)色、明亮的大
海。天、海相接之處有一艘大船在行駛,就像書中的圖片那樣。
“太晚了!”波利叫道。
“看!”安妮說。
只見波利在樹屋上空盤旋,然后向大海俯沖過去。
“快點(diǎn),咱們跟著它,也到水里去!”安妮說。她脫下雨衣,往地板上一扔。
“等等,咱們得先研究一下書上的內(nèi)容。”杰克說。他正準(zhǔn)備拿書,卻被安妮一
把搶了過去。
“你可以在海灘上看啊。”安妮說。她連書的封面都沒看一眼就把它塞進(jìn)了杰克
的背包。
杰克嘆了口氣。事實(shí)上,海水看上去的確很誘人。于是他說,“好吧!”隨即也
脫下了自己的雨衣。
“走吧!”安妮把背包遞給杰克,然后走下繩梯。
杰克將雨衣疊起來,放到書堆旁邊,然后背起背包,走下繩梯。
安妮的腳剛一觸沙地就朝大海奔去。杰克看到她雨靴都沒脫就蹚進(jìn)了水里,于是
大叫:“你的靴子,安妮!”
安妮聳了聳肩,說,“它們會(huì)干的。”
杰克脫下自己的靴子和襪子,把它們放在背包旁邊,然后卷起牛仔褲的褲腿,跑
過燙腳的沙地,沖進(jìn)波濤。
海水溫暖、清澈,杰克甚至可以看見水中的貝殼和小魚。
他用手遮擋眼睛以避開陽光,然后朝遠(yuǎn)處的大海望去。
那只高大的、正在行駛的船似乎靠近了點(diǎn)兒。
“波利呢?”安妮問。
杰克環(huán)顧四周,沒有發(fā)現(xiàn)波利的蹤影。棕櫚樹上,烈日下的沙灘,藍(lán)色、明亮的
海洋上空,均不見波利的身影。
杰克又朝海面望去,發(fā)現(xiàn)那只船又靠近了,現(xiàn)在杰克都能看見它上面飄揚(yáng)的旗幟了。
然而他定睛一看,不禁打了個(gè)寒戰(zhàn)——那竟然是一面黑色的骷髏旗!
“噢,天哪!”他吸了口氣,拔腿往岸上跑。
“出什么事了?”安妮一邊跟著他嘩啦嘩啦地往岸上跑,一邊問。
杰克跑到他的背包跟前,從里面一把抓出那本書,看了一眼封面,他和安妮第一
次注意到了書名。
“呀!”安妮驚叫道。
“《加勒比海盜》。”杰克讀道。
2 The Bright Blue Sea
Jack felt hot sunlight streaming into the tree house.
He smelled saltwater.
He heard the sound of waves.
He and Annie looked out the window.
The tree house was in a palm tree. Beyond was a bright blue sea. A tall sailing ship was on the horizon. It was just like the picture in the book.
“Too late!” squawked Polly.
“Look!” said Annie.
Polly was flying in circles above the tree house. Then she swooped down to the ocean.
“Come on, let’s follow her!Let’s go in the water!” said Annie. She took off her raincoat and dropped it on the floor.
“Wait, we have to study the book first,” said Jack. He started to reach for the book. But Annie grabbed it.
“You can read it on the beach,” she said. Without even looking at the cover, she shoved the book into Jack’s backpack.
He sighed. Actually, the water did look wonderful.
“Okay,” Jack said. He took off his raincoat too.
“Come on!” Annie handed Jack his backpack, then started down the ladder.
Jack folded the raincoat and put it next to the stack of books. He put on his backpack. Then he went down the ladder.
As soon as Annie hit the sand, she ran toward the ocean.Jack watched her wade into the water. She was still wearing her rain boots.
“Your boots, Annie,” called Jack.
She shrugged.“They’ll dry out,” she said.
Jack took off his boots and socks. He put them beside his pack. Then he rolled up his jeans. And ran across the hot sand into the waves.
The water was warm and clear. Jack could see shells and tiny fishes.
He shielded his eyes against the sun. And peered out at the sea.
The tall sailing ship seemed a bit closer.
“Where’s Polly?” said Annie.
Jack glanced around. No sign of Polly. Not in the palm trees. Not on the sunlit sand. Not over the bright blue sea.
When Jack looked out at the sea again, the ship seemed even closer. Now Jack could see its flag.
As he stared at the ship’s flag, a chill went through him.
The flag was black. With a skull and crossbones.
“Oh man,” he breathed. He started out of the water.
“What’s wrong?” said Annie. She splashed after him.
Jack ran to his backpack. Annie followed.
He grabbed the book from his backpack. He looked at the cover. For the first time, he and Annie read the title of the book.
“Yikes!” said Annie.
“Pirates of the Caribbean,” Jack read aloud.