𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐍 ━━ 𝘫𝘫 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬

𝐂.26

"I'm just gonna lay low," he mumbles, his cheek falling to rest on top of the seat in front of him. Pope turns his head, holding a deadpan expression.

"Oh, did you want a hit of this?" JJ offers, his hand reaching out and holding the unlit blunt in front of the annoyed boy.

"I keep the signal clear," he says, holding his hand out in a halting manner.

"Dude, okay," JJ shifts upwards, accidentally moving Martha's body further down his abdomen. "Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative? If you got creative, then"—

—"Look, I— I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right?" John B interrupts JJ's quote-un-quote persuasive speech.

"And, and pretty much wrong about everything else going on. But I- I was right about one thing. Okay? My dad is trying to tell me something." He rambles on as he pulls his way into a dark parking lot.

"John B, where are we?" Kiara looks around as he leads the group to a broken section of a chain-linked fence.

Martha holds out her battery-powered lantern in front of her, her eyes contorting as she reads a nearby trespassing sign. "A cemetery? Really?!" She whispers in disbelief. "Has Pope's necrophilia grown on you, JB?"

"No, that's his thing. Come now," John B jokes, continuing his adventure into the dark and creepy-looking cemetery.

"I'm coming, this place is scary," Kie whispers, her feet crunching the dead leaves beneath her as she jogs up to the front of the pack. "John B, what are we doing?"

"Shh, shut up," He shushes her, pointing his flashlights to his lips momentarily. "Okay, so you know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" He turns, facing the group.

"Yeah, I get that all the time," Martha yawns, looking back at John B with a tired smile on her face.

JJ had his arms around her shoulders, feeling keen and content as she quickly started to doze off on his chest and collarbone. "I think someone is way past her bedtime," he teases, wrapping his hand around her waist for more security.

"She can't fall asleep now! This is her story too!" John B whisper-shouts, waving his hands in frustration. "JJ! Wake her up!"

JJ is too busy watching his girl mumble cute things in her exhausted state that he barely recognized John B talking to him. "Wha- what?"

"Wake her up!"

"I can't wake a girl up from her much-needed slumber! Do you want me to die!" He whisper-shouts back, lowering his voice as Marty's head dips into the nape of his neck, her allergies leaving her in a quiet snore. He smiles a toothy grin, honestly proud, hugging her back and picking her up bridal style. "Continue, please."

"Ughhhh, okay so, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right?" John B shrugs, turning back around and leading his friends deeper into the dark field.

"But it's not a place," he states, stopping in front of an old memorial. "It's a person."

"Voi-effing-là," JJ mumbles, his headlight shining brightly on Marty's body —which is still wrapped around him, even though his arms were starting to hurt.

"See, my great-great-grandmother, Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name." He looks towards his friends, the black eye is still swollen from the other night. "As in, Sleeping Beauty's great-great-great-grandma."

"Wait, she's actually related to you?" Kiara asks, side-glancing to the touron sleeping soundly in JJ's muscular chest. Kiara giggles under her breath, Martha sleeps so peacefully.