waves • jj maybank

nine

"you mind if i just relax on this one? it's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. i'm just gonna lay low. oh, did you want a bit of this?" JJ says offering his blunt to Pope.

"i keep the signal clear." Pope held has hand up.

"dude, okay. do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative? if you got creative, then—" John B cut JJ off making everyone look at him, Ace grabbed the blunt from JJ's hand taking a hit, he smirked watching leaning against her.

"look, i- i know i was wrong about the lighthouse, all right? and wrong about everything else going on. but i- i was right about one thing. okay? my dad is trying to tell me something." John B soon pulled up to the cemetery as everyone piled out of the car with flashlights.

"come on, hey. hey, come on." John B whispered.

"i'm coming. this place is scary." Kiara says following behind the boy. "John B, what are we doing?" she asked.

"shut up. you know how you're trying to remember a song and can't remember who sings it?" John B questioned.

"yeah." Kie said.

"i use google or youtube for that so" Ace added holding onto Kie's arm.

"so, Redfield. this whole time, i thought it was a place, right? but it's not a place. it's a person." John B raised his lantern as the others raised their flashlight.

"voi-effing-là" JJ says.

"see, my great great grandmother Olivia Redfield. that was her maiden name." everyone stayed quiet looking the tomb then at each other unsure.

"help me with the door. come on." John B started to move the door followed by Pope, "alright."

"one, two, three..."

"go"

the boys started pushing the door open struggling only being able to pull it apart only a little. they all heard a hissing quickly jumping back yelling and screaming.

"that's a moccasin, alright. ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth. death in tall grass." JJ said in an accent and started to bark at the snake.

"JJ, shut up. shut up!" Ace yelled.

"you're gonna wake the dead, man" Pope nudged him.

"they're afraid of dogs. everyone knows that, man. wait, hold on." JJ said grabbing John B's shoulder.

"what?"

"if there's one, there's probably dozens." JJ said referring to the snakes.

"what?"

"all around."

"stop. you're scaring me."

JJ proceeded to bark at the snakes, everyone smacked his arms shutting him up.

"stop barking at the snakes." Ace scolded him.

"look, John-"

"just making sure it's clear."

"shut up. John, look."

"it's a snake." JJ kept repeating, Ace covered his mouth pulling him away from the group looking at Pope.

"we're not gonna get in there, all right? it's not budging. we should probably just go." Pope says, Ace eyes the tomb seeing the part they opened.

"i can get through" she says.

"what? no, no, no, no. you think you're gonna fit through the hole? that hole?" John B asked. JJ quickly moved his head back looking at her.

"hell no. you're not going on there" JJ says grabbing her hand.

"look, this is about your dad. and honestly, i really don't believe in it" Kiara adds.

"but you deserve to know the truth." Ace looked at him, "i'll do it" she fixed her flashlight walking towards the tomb.

"i'll get those-" JJ moves over yanking out some vines so she could get through. "promise me you'll be careful in there" he whispers.

"i will, i promise" she whispered.

"give her a boost" John B said.

"i'm gonna boost you, all right?"

the boys and Kiara helped move some branches as JJ leaned against the tomb cupping his hands, "i've seen it in the movies several times. ready?" he asked.

"of course you have" she looked at JJ then John B, "remind me what we're looking for." Ace asked.

"you'll know when you see it." John B nodded.

"all right, so put your hands right there." JJ says, "yep. foot.." Ace mumbled climbing up. "your foot. all right, on three." JJ continues, "all right-" Ace jumped up not wanting to wait on his count climbing into the tomb. "okay, never mind. just forget about three." JJ said.

"you were taking to long." she told JJ.

"okay, flashlight." Ace called out once she got situated inside the tomb, Kiara handed her the flashlight turning it on looking around.

"you alive? you got, like, a- a heartbeat and everything?" John B asked.

"so far" Ace looked around the tomb.

"that's good. that's good."

"uh.. i need some more light." Ace says.

"yeah, yeah, here. yeah, i gotcha" John B moved his arm in giving some more light.

Ace saw something and immediately froze in shock not believing her eyes.

"did you find something? is there gold?" JJ asked.

"oh my god."