𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𑁍 𝙟𝙟 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘

So, although she technically did not have Routledge DNA, she still carried the last name and she was raised by the most curious of souls, so she couldn't help but be the same way. And the second she saw the bronze compass in her brother's hand, she knew the two of them were beginning to fall down a very long and precarious rabbit hole.

One they couldn't crawl out of. One that would consume them.

One that they wouldn't be able to let go of.

𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

"THIS IS A REALLY STUPID IDEA."

Blue's statement went ignored. She figured it would; the two teenage boys in the front seats of the van were practically allergic to logic and reason. They actively went out of their way to make things even more chaotic and messy, fighting against doing things the easy way, giving the girl major headaches from time to time. While she usually joined them on these escapades and often enjoyed them, there were times she wished they would take a step back and look at things through a different perspective before jumping into something idiotic.

And this was definitely one of those times.

John B, JJ, and Blue were currently headed to Lana Grubb's house. Yes, the Lana Grubbs whose husband just died very recently, the wife - sorry, widow - that was still in mourning, the woman that most definitely did not want any visitors. Yeah, that Lana Grubbs.

See why Blue thought it was a stupid idea?

But her brother had insisted that this was the only way to receive answers regarding their father's compass being in Scooter Grubb's boat. Blue had questions as well, ones that gnawed and chewed at her mind until she was nearly considering committing herself to a mental hospital. Ones that had been plaguing her since she first saw the bronze heirloom come tumbling out of that bag. Ones she wanted, needed, answers to, but was scared of what she would find if she searched for them.

What if the compass being in the wreck ended up just being a misunderstanding? What if Lana didn't know anything about it? What if it turned out to be confirmation that her father was dead, instead of a sign for the opposite?

She wanted to have hope - the same stubborn, blind hope that her brother was clinging onto - but too many doubts and worries were settling into her exhausted nerves. She desperately wanted the compass to be a sign that her father was still out there, but the logical side of her brain was combatting against that idea on all fronts.

It had been nine months - why would a sign come now? Why not earlier? If their dad really was out there, wouldn't he have told them sooner so they wouldn't worry and mourn?

Despite Blue's logical doubts, John B was convinced this was a sign that their father was alive and searching for them, giving them clues as to where he was hiding. Her brother was stubborn and relentless, pushing the idea onto his friends and sister, denying any of their hesitations or uncertainties. Blue wished she felt that way, she wished she had that kind of unwavering faith that crossed all boundaries, but all she felt was torn.

As the Twinkie raced down the dirty and abandoned roads of the Cut, she let her mind seamlessly drift away, going off into a faraway place where everything was normal - like it used to be. She thought of running around the marsh, hearing her dad's voice calling out for her clear as day, telling her to come back home for dinner. She thought of dragging her father to the surf shops and begging for him to buy the fruit scented wax instead of the regular kind, despite it being more expensive. She thought of a time when she felt safe, loved, and hardly ever sad.

But now, all she felt was uncertain. She was uncertain if her father was dead or alive. Uncertain that her brother was in his right state of mind. Uncertain if she was going to get taken away at any given moment. And all of that uncertainty manifested into an immense fear, one that continued to grow with each passing day.