The other side | OBX

52 - homecoming

"You sure this is the place, pope?" JJ asks and Pope nods, gulping harshly, "Pretty sure."

"Alright, let's go and get this over with then, shall we?" I exclaim as JJ help me out of the rusted truck, Kie not too far behind me. We walk slowly up to the fence and Pope holds up a small piece of beige paper and nods, "Twenty Seven King Street."

"This place gives me the creeps. " I groan as JJ and Kie examine the fence in front of us. "Talk about home security. Are those spikes supposed to keep people out?"

all of us are silent for a second before Kiara shakes her head, uttering a no. "Slave quarters are over there. These spikes were to keep people in." Pope sighs and I purse my lips. No one should have ever had to live through what they did in that time period.

"Okay so who is gonna knock, cause I vote Pope. " I push him through the gate as JJ leaves it propped open, all of us following in suit. "Not like I had a choice, I'm the reason we're here so I would be weird for anyone else to." he glances back at me, his eyes rolling and I make eye contact with kei, and a giggle escapes both of us.

Pope's hand grasps the knocker, knocking three times and I swear it almost made my ears hurt. "You think that was too much?"

"It echoed the entire house. That's for sure. So they definitely heard it." JJ blinks and Pope glaces at both Kie and I. "Maybe nobody's home." Pope reaches foward and again and knocks twice before the door is pulled open, revealing a brunette man with scruff covering the lower part of his face. His hazel eyes scan over us all before he licks his lips, pointign at Pope.

"You must be Pope." he smiles and Pope glances at us as if asking 'what am I supposed to do now?'

"Um. Are you Mr. Limbrey?" he asks and the man immediately answers, "Ms . Limbrey was expecting you yesterday."

"Oh. I'm... I'm so sorry. My car broke on the way up here." Pope starts and JJ takes over explaining, "Carburetor blew up in the middle of Nowheresville. Sorry bout that." his lips fold together but the man doesn't seem the slightest bit amused.

"Yeah, she was, uh, real upset when you didn't show up."

"We tried to call, but there was no number on the invitation. we got here as fast as we could." kie explains, a sympathetic look etched on her face. "She also expected you to come alone."

"I mean, these are my friends. They helped find the Royal Merchant too. I-" Pope tries to explain but the man cuts him off once again and it takes everything in me to not scoff in response.

"The instructions were explicit. Your friends can stay outside." he fakes a smile and I step forward slightly, "Sir, we came all this way so could we just-"

"Del, it's okay. I got this. I'll be good." Pope's eyes intersect mine, his words full of assurance and I nod.

"Okay, we'll be right here." Kie smiles at him, grabbing his hand. "Keep the car running."he looks at us and Kie nods, squeezing his hand in response. He lets go, following the man in and the door closes behind him.

"He's gonna be fine right?" I look at the two in front of me, nervousness coating my words. "he's gonna be fine li. Now let's go to the truck, you look like your knees are going to buckle underneath you." JJ says, grabbing a hold of my arms as he leads me back the the vehicle.

"It's just, you guys didn't grow up in this kind of environment, so you don't necessarily know. Kie your mom married a pogue but she grew up on the island. Both of my parents did not, they grew up here and let;s just say my grandparents make Ward look like a cakewalk. We can't trust her, especially since she comes from here, from old money."