T H E G O L D
At that moment, the lights in the garden go out.
"They did it." I mutter in relief.
"Go time." John b whispers and the three boys pull their scarf over their noses.
I sigh "Guys, is this necessary, I mean-"
"Pull it up." John b pulls up my scarf up as he starts counting.
"Three, two..." we start walking, down to the basement.
We put our things down and JJ stands by the well.
"Holy crap, you know what this is? It just hit me. Pope, look." JJ pulls down his scarf and holds the rope out to Pope. "This is C.H.U.D. Full C.H.U.D." JJ smiles.
"What is he talking about?" asks John b.
"What is C.H.U.D.?" I look confused at JJ.
JJ looks at Pope, as if he didn't hear me "Cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers? Have you guys not seen that film?" He answers.
"Can't say I have, no." sighs Pope.
"It's actually a good movie. It's about like, cannibals living in the sewers and under New York City, and it's like--"
"Shut up! Shut up!" whispers John b. "All right, how deep do you think this is, Pope?"
"I don't know," he sighs.
We swing the rope over the beam on the ceiling, getting everything ready for John b to go down the well. I look down the well. I can't say I'm not afraid of what'll happen, but I trust my brother.
John b is hanging from the rope now, Pope holding tightly over the beam, and JJ pulling away with him a little further.
"What can I do?" I ask, kinda bored.
"You can be quiet." says JJ. Everyone, including me, looks confused at him. Since when does he talk so rude to me?
„Umm... yeah you can stand by the well and watch your brother." says Pope, breaking the weird silence.
"Hey, guys. I have one request." says John b who is now hanging over the well.
"Yeah?"
"Don't drop me."
"I'll kill you if you do." I turn to Pope.
The two slacken the rope for a brief moment, and John b drops down for a second.
"Whoa!" laughs JJ.
My heart stopped for a moment "Jesus Christ." I take a deep breath.
"Okay...you're gonna die first, for sure." says John b.
"Got ya." mumbles JJ.
"All right, just keep payin' it out nice and slow like that." the two put John b down, and on and on.... on and on.
All I hear from him is "keep going." all the time.
"Wait, hold on one second. I'm gonna get situated." JJ pulls the rope behind his back, and I can already see that this is not going to work.
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, shit-" JJ falls to the ground with the rope and John B falls seconds down into the well.
"Oh, shit! John, shit!" Pope and JJ try to get the rope back as fast as they can and then have John b safe again.
"Jesus!" cries John b. "I told you not to drop me!"
"You good, John b?" I look down into the well.
"What the hell was that?"
"Little technical difficulties." explains Pope.
After a minute or two, John b tells the two to stop. "I'm hangin' over some sewage-water lookin' shit."
I look down. "That's disgusting."
"You want back up?" exclaims Pope.
"Keep goin', i guess..."
"Okay, okay! I'm at the bottom."
"How is it down there?" asks Pope, we are leaning over the well.
"It's worse than I thought."
For the next few seconds, John b mumbles something that no one really understands. But then I hear him say "Mr. Crain" and John b yells out.
"JJ! Pull me up! Come on, man! Go!"
We look at each other confused, but then notice the seriousness in John bs voice.
"Pull him up. Come on! Pull him up!" yells Pope to JJ.
"Pull me up! Pull me up! Pull me up!" yells John b on, hysterically.
"What happened, John b? Shit!" I scream.
"Wait, wait, wait!" he then shouts, and we look at each other in confusion, again. Then he mumbles something again.
"What'd he say?" I ask the others, who shrug their shoulders.
When suddenly, Sarah and Kiara come rushing into the basement. "Guys!"
"Wowowow, what's going on?" asks Pope.
"Mrs. Crain! She's up there!" yells Kie. "She tried to kill us with a fire poker, guys. We gotta get the fuck outta here."
"We locked her in the parlor, but we gotta go!" yells Sarah.
"Okay, no, let's go. John b! Get back on, man!" yells JJ down the well.
"Three, two, one, pull!" says Pope as we all pull the rope together.
But we all fall down and let go of the rope. "Shit! Where is he?" I peer down the well.
"I found the gold!" yells John b all at once. But no one understands him.
"What's he sayin'?" asks JJ.
"JJ! Pope! Kie!-"
"Yo, he's drownin'! We gotta pull him up!" screams Kiara.
"Hey, John b! Get back on the rope. We're gonna pull you back up, okay, buddy?" shouts Pope.
"Pull!"
"Come on, guys!"
"Okay, okay. I'm on!" shouts John b then finally and we pull as hard as we can on the rope, when then, I hear a gunshot, and everyone yells out.
"Shit!" I scream, wincing.
"Shit! Hang on!" yells JJ.
"Pope! JJ! What the hell?" yells John b from the well, not knowing what's going on.
"Tie it up now, man!" yells Pope.
JJ stands in front of the well, completely overwhelmed. I look around anxiously. Normally he would calm me down now and protect me. But he does not.
But then he comes towards me and pushes me as hard and fast as he can behind a wall, so that I am protected. He doesn't say a word and hides behind another wall.
"She can't aim for shit." notes Kiara.
"She can't see." Says Sarah as we watch as Mrs. Crain walking down the basement. Pistol in hand. "She's blind!"
Mrs. Crain fires another time, into the void, while John b climbs up the well, and reaches the top.
"Shit!" I cry.
"Fuck!" I hear JJ mumble.
"Go! Go!" yells Pope, and we start running.
"I don't care if she is blind, that's buckshot!" yells JJ, referring to the fact that she's blind.
"Wait, John b!" I yell to my brother, who is just coming out of the basement. "I'm here. Whoo!" he cheers.
We all run into the bus as fast as we can. John b in the back. I still hear gunshots from the house.
"Why are we always getting shot at?" yells Pope.
"Come on! John b, run!" yells Kiara, from the bus we've already started.
John b runs after us. And then jumps into the moving bus.
"JJ, drive!" riffs Sarah forward, to the blond boy behind the wheel. "Go, man!"
"Oh, my God!" laughs JJ, turning to look at John b. He is sitting on the ground, his whole body covered in dirt from the well. "Are you okay? Are you shot?"
"No." says John B, out of breath.
"You look disgusting." Pope looks at John B.
"You really do." I agree from the passenger seat.
"god, you smell like ass." adds Kiara.
"What the hell just happened?" Sarah takes a deep breath.
"All-time Pogue Hall of Fame, baby." JJ exclaims. I see how he wanted to look to the side, to me, for a moment but instead, he looked back too the others.
"That bitch is possessed." Kiara states.
"That bitch can't aim." Sarah replies.
"How does she move that fast?" asks Pope in wonder.
"She's possessed." repeats Kie.
"I don't get it. Like Master Yoda. It doesn't make any sense, scientifically." explains Pope.
While the others are talking nonsense, John B keeps looking at the thing in his hand. The thing, covered with dirt, under which gold is hidden.
I turn to my brother in surprise "What is that?"
"No, you didn't." laughs Sarah.
"We did it, babyyy!" cries John b in delight.
"No, you didn't!" cries Sarah again, with a broad smile on her face.
"I did it!" cries the boy.
"Oh, my God!" Shouts JJ.
"Holy shit!"
"Whoo-hoo-hoo!"
We all shout in joy and vacation their victory, overcome with emotion.
"Wait. Guys, we're gonna be rich." notes Kiara.
"Full kook!" shouts John b.
"Like kook rich." say Kie and Sarah to each other.
"Full kook! Full kook! Full kook! Full Kook!" We chant in chorus.
I can't believe it. That boy really found the fucking gold. My brother.