𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒, 𝗉𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗒𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽

18: 𝚊𝚡𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚛

"I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property." JJ recalls.

They all begin making their way forwards and onto the grounds that belonged to the Crain house. Y/n hesitates at first, thinking whether this was a good decision or not. Glancing over his shoulder, Pope motions for her to follow, which she slowly does. Pope stays in his spot, waiting for her to join him before they walk to their friends.

"Honestly, I don't really believe the stories of this place." John B informs.

"Which stories did you hear?" JJ asks.

"The one where she killed her husband with an axe and that she's been holed up ever since." Kie replies, glancing to her sister. "On certain nights, when the moon is full... you can see her in the window!"

JJ's face falls when she sees she wasn't being serious about it.

"No, Kie, it's not funny, cause it's all true. I swear to God, guys, this is all real." JJ insists. "I knew Hollis."

"You knew Hollis Crain?" Pope questions, receiving a nod in response.

"How do you know Hollis Crain?" Y/n asks.

"She was my babysitter. She told me all about it. Told me the truth... about her mother and what happened in this house. So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and... she was a murderer and all. Hollis didn't believe it." JJ explains. "Until that night."

"What night?" John B questions.

"It all came back to her. When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs. So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink... full of blood. Her mother just says that she cut her finger. The next morning, she says her father and her split up." JJ continues. "But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags. Week pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head, looking straight back at her."

"God, you are so full of shit." John B comments.

"Dude, I swear to God, man." JJ insists.

"Did she call the police?" Pope asks.

"She didn't have time." JJ replies.

John B, however, just ignores his friend's crazy story and walks in-between the two, going right past him and towards the Crain house.

"Wait, bro!" JJ calls, making him stop. "You sure you wanna do this? She's an axe murderer. You got a cast on."

"I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay? I got nothing to lose, right?" John B reminds. "You coming or what?"

As the blonde scratches his arm out of nerves, the sisters and Pope follow John B more onto the grounds of the Crain residence they stood on. Eventually, John B turns to face his friends as they stop behind some plants, crouching down to stay hidden.

"So here's the plan." John B begins. "We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter."

"Okay, like, what kind of water?" Pope questions.

"Like, pond water?" Y/n asks, giving a suggestion.

JJ chuckles. "Bong water?"

"No, it just said look for water, okay?" John B replies.

"That's the shittiest secret message ever." Kie comments.

"You wanna complain a little more, Kie?" John B fires back in annoyance. "Nobody said it was gonna be easy."