We start driving on Goat Island on a muddy road. The tide must be coming in because most of the road is covered with water.
"Are we doing it?" JJ asks. "We either get stuck or get across."
"I don't know." JB says.
"Guys, those are Limbrey's truck tracks." Pope says.
"Are we going or not?" I ask.
"Why are you acting like you're not gonna do it? Y'all have never done the safe thing." Sarah says.
"She has a valid point." I say. "Go fast."
JB backs up the Twinkie and then pushes the gas full on. We all tumble around in the back of the van. JB and Kie are in the front so they are fine. I close my eyes so nothing pokes me in the eye.
The van stops a few feet away from the water. "You guys good back there?" JB asks. I open my eyes and see that my head is on JJ's chest. I look at him and he looks at me. I look away and get up.
"Yeah I'm fine." I say. I glance at JJ, he is looking at me. We get back in our seats and we both share awkward glances again. Then we park the Twinkie.
We start walking to the tree and JJ starts talking. "You know there's gators here?" He asks as we walk through the bushes.
"Yeah, This is where Ash got bit as a kid." John B says.
"Yeah, keep your eyes peeled." JJ says. "You don't wanna step on a momma gator, that's the last thing you want." JJ says.
We starts walking more but I zone out. I think about when I told JJ the story.
"I was dragged underwater but my Dad full on tackled the gator and pulled me to shore." I squeeze JJ's hand again and I close my eyes in pain. JJ rubs his thumb over my knuckles.
"Damn Ash, I was right, you are one strong cupcake." JJ says.
"Helloooo, Ashie?" JB asks. I snap back to reality.
"What? Sorry." I say.
"What we're you just thinking about?" He asks.
"Nothing important." I say. I glance at JJ. We keep walking. I see JJ look at me.
"Hold on, I see something." JJ says. He grabs a stick and whacks the water.
"Right, wake them up. That's smart." Sarah says.
"I was just making sure it wasn't a gator." JJ says. We keep walking and we hide behind some bushes. We watch Limbrey and Rafe.
They pull something out of the ground but then they look disappointed.
"Back to the island room!" Limbrey says. "We must've missed something!" She says. They all get in their trucks and drive away.
We all run up to the huge hole and see an open casket. Pope looks sad.
"Cecilia Tanny, Denmarks wife." Pope says. "He wasn't talking about the cross. He buried her at the foot of the angel." Pope says.
"His wife was his true treasure." I say. JJ and I share a quick glance in each others eyes.
Pope sits next to the grave and cries a little. Kie sits next to him and I sit next to him as well.
"Denmark was hung for burying his wife." Pope says. "And now they defiled her grave." Pope says. He reaches his hand into the ash in the casket and he picks up a little thing that says, "Cecilia." No one talks for a few minutes.
Sarah picks up the ring. "This must've been from Denmark." She says. "Her wedding ring." Her and JB look at each other and I can see the sadness and regret in John B's eyes once again.
"We can't leave her like this." Pope says.
"We won't." JB says. He puts the lid back on the casket. JJ hammers it down and I grab some flowers to lay on top of the grave. Then we rebury her and pull the Twinkie up to the tree.
I sit on the roof of the Twinkie and stare at the branch where JJ and I had that magical night. He night before we tried to break JB out of jail. It was super romantic and we fucked on that branch. I actually thought JJ loved me. I'm so fucking stupid. I take a sip of my water.
I look over and see JJ climbing onto the branch where we fucked. "JJ, what the fuck are you doing?" I ask.
"Remember when we fucked on this very branch?" JJ asks.
I choke and spit out my water. I start coughing. "I bet you'd rather fuck some other girl there." I say.
"Do you guys have to argue right now?." Pope asks. I roll my eyes.
"The map had a hole in the tree." JJ says. "Like this one." He says. He points to a hole in the tree. He sticks his hand in and then he starts screaming.
"Ahhhh!! Something's got me!" He says. He starts yelling.
"Kie! Pull him out!" I yell. Kie starts screaming as she tries to pull him out. Then he bursts out laughing.
"Really?" JB asks.
"Fuck you JJ." I say.
"Trust me princess, you already have." He says. I roll my eyes. He pulls out a telescope.
"Woah." Pope says. "HMS Royal Merchant." He says. JJ takes it and looks through it.
"There's an inscription." JB says.
Pope reads it. "You've come this far, do not falter, the cross is on the Freedman's altar." Pope says.
"The church!" I say. "Let's go!"
We all get in the Twinkie and starts driving to the church. The road is completely covered with water now.
"Crap. The tide." Pope says.
YOU ARE READING
Sunshine in the Rain
FanfictionAshlyn Routledge lives in the Outer Banks, paradise on earth. She's John B's twin sister and the two have been super close their whole life. They do everything together. After their fathers disappearance, they're closer than ever and just hang out o...
