PARADISE ON EARTH | jj maybank (DISCONTINUED)

1.18

"I second that."

"Do you guys see them here? No, right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic. We've got the map, right?" John B finished, then looked at JJ.

"It's out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it." JJ said, looking down at the map lying on the table.

"It's 'cause the coast has changed." Kiara said looking at JJ. Laura lifted her head and looked at the map.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed." Pope stated.

"What about the old forts?"

"Battery Jasper." Kiara stated, pointing to it on the map.They all looked around at each other, then stood up and made their way to the van.

At the top of the hill stood stone. Laura was the first one out of the van, and stood on top of it, looking at the view. The other four got out, and John B took the map out of his bag. Pope took it and laid it across the short stone wall.

"We're in battery, right here." As Pope spoke, JJ stood up on the stone next to Laura. "So if this is parcel nine, then it's somewhere northeast of here."

"Somewhere over there." Kiara said, pointing slightly to the left.

"Over there? Guys, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision." JJ said, pointing to the same place Kiara was.

"Tannyhill Plantation was the entire island. It got sold into smaller pieces over time." John B stated.

"The more you know." Laura said sarcastically, smiling at her brother.

"So we're just looking for an old stone wall." Pope said, still leaning over the map to look at it. Right after it was said, the group started climbing back into the van.

"Okay, so the road should split up here." Said Pope, looking between the map and the road ahead of them. "Alright, you're gonna take a left."

John B turned onto the nearest left road carelessly, causing Laura to slide into Kiara in her seat. Laura laughed, "Sorry."

"That looks like a stone wall to me." JJ said, leaning over and looking out the opposite window to look at the stone wall.

Laura climbed out once John B had stopped, going over to the stone wall to look over it. Everyone else followed her over, looking at the old house. "Are you kidding me?"

Worst-case scenario." JJ chipped in, following the brunette's gaze to the house.

"Why'd it have to be here... of all places?" Pope said to himself, his face dropped.

"I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property." JJ looked at Pope with a very serious face. The two girls looked at each other, a mix of confusion and disgust covering their faces.

"So... how are we getting in?" Laura asked, her gaze being pulled back to the large house. She didn't get a response, so Laura looked back over at them and they were giving her weird looks. "What?"

Laura started walking to find the entrance, then began leading the way. She looked around at the overgrown plants, and old, moldy statues covering the lawn. It was beautiful yet dreadful the way it looked.

"Look, you guys know whose house this is, right?" Kiara asked, following behind Laura closely, stepping over things.

"Honestly, I don't really believe the stories of this place." John B stated. The other two boys looked back at him confused while continuing to walk behind the girls.

"Which stories did you hear?" JJ asked Kiara.

"The one where she killed her husband with an axe and that she's been holed up ever since. On certain nights, when the moon is full... you can see her in the window." Kiara put her hands up, wiggling her fingers in JJ's face, then turned around and did it to Laura.

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

"Wait, you knew Hollis Crain? How the hell--?" Laura asked, very confused, not able to finish her sentence.

"She was my babysitter, man. She told me all about it. Told me the truth... about her mother and what happened in this house." Laura looked up at the bay window covered in white curtains at the front of the 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. Until that night." JJ paused.

"What night?" John B asked.

JJ looked up at him slowly. "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. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags.

"Weeks 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." JJ finished.

"Funny story, JJ." Laura chuckled.

"I swear to God, man. Didn't have time to call the police, though." JJ started, but then John B walked through Pope and JJ. "Wait! Dude! 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 nothin' to lose, right? You comin' or what?" John B turned, and then started walking away.

"Come on." Kiara said, following him.