𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𑁍 𝙟𝙟 𝙢�...

By jjsjunkie

181K 3.5K 11K

𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙖𝙮... More

ꕥ 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 ꕥ
꧁ 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 ꧂
シ 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙮 シ
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗢
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗩𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘
☆ 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 ☆
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗪𝗢
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗜𝗫
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡

4.5K 90 177
By jjsjunkie

"𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚"


𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨...

𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙞𝙩 - 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 ♪

THE MAYBANK HOUSEHOLD WAS INTIMIDATING IN NATURE. While not big in size, it was still daunting, giving the allure of a haunted house despite the summer sun cascading down upon the withered exterior. Everything was in shades of gray and brown, no hint of color anywhere. The inside was cluttered with trash and empty beer cans and various stolen knick knacks while the lawn outside was covered in tools and unfinished motors and, well, more beer cans. It lacked warmth and safety and stability. It didn't feel like a home at all.

Blue tried not to pull any sad or concerned faces as JJ walked her and Pope through the house and out to the back porch. Knowing JJ's home life and its hidden tragedies were one thing; having to catch a glimpse of it in broad daylight was another.

"Excuse the mess," JJ said, his voice carrying that tone of humor that was fabricated in order to hide his discomfort. "We can go sit outside until the criminals come back."

The blond boy grabbed a half-empty case of beer before leading them to the backyard. Pope and Blue shared worried glances to each other when their friend wasn't looking. Their shared anxiety was halfway caused by the fear that Luke - JJ's dad - could pop up at any given moment, and halfway caused by concern for the blond. It was clear that bringing them to his home was not something he enjoyed, and they knew he was only doing it because John B said to.

"Do you think they're alright?" Blue asked, deciding to steer the conversation towards her brother and Kiara in order to avoid any awkward sentiments.

Pope shrugged. "Can't kill a Pogue."

JJ nodded, "Word." He said in agreement as he raised a beer towards the boy.

Blue sighed, not being able to shake the feeling that John B found the trouble he had been searching for in that lighthouse. The arrival of the police only confirmed her heightened intuition. "What if they didn't get out in time?" She wondered out loud. "If he gets arrested, it'll alert DCS, and we'll be gone by tomorrow." She couldn't help but voice her paranoia as the fearful thoughts came to her in waves too big to be ignored.

The blond boy shook his head before handing the girl a can of the bitter alcohol. "John B has the survival skills of a cockroach, Bluey. Even if he gets arrested, I'm sure he'll be out in no time, and DCS probably won't hear a thing about it."

She sighed, "Let's hope." She mumbled before cracking the can open and taking a swig, letting the lukewarm liquid run down her throat.

"What was he hoping to find in that lighthouse, anyway?" Pope spoke up, declining a beer from JJ with a wave of his hand. "Did he think Big John would be camping out up there?"

JJ kicked the boy's leg, causing Pope to screech in pain. The blond fixed a pointed gaze on his friend before speaking. "Dude, watch it." His eyes shifted to Blue for a short second, trying to get Pope to take a hint.

Blue rolled her eyes at his antics. "It's fine, Jayj." She assured him, though she appreciated the sentiment. "I think JB was probably just hoping there was another clue in there." She answered the previous question.

"What? Like a scavenger hunt?" Pope asked.

"Yes, exactly like a scavenger hunt." Blue replied sarcastically at the absurd thought. "Hopefully we'll find some Easter eggs along the way."

"I do like those chocolate coins." JJ chimed in.

Somehow, the girl found it in herself to laugh despite the topics that were floating around in the air. JJ took out his vape, inhaling and exhaling flavored smoke in repeated actions before letting Blue take her turn. After letting the chemicals swirl around in her lungs a few times, she spoke up again.

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm sure we're about to find out." She said.

The words washed over the three teenagers in eerie waves. It was like sitting on your surfboard in the ocean, running your hands over the water and feeling the beginning of a surge, knowing something was about to happen. The thrumming in your chest, the anticipation of what's to come - it was all there. But instead of a sense of excitement being paired with it, the Pogues only felt a mix of dread and worry.

"And you call me the pessimist." Pope mumbled, making Blue laugh, but the sound was short and sweet.

"If the shoe fits." The girl mumbled into her beer can before taking a sip. The boy just smiled back at her, neither of them taking offense to their usual jabs.

Moments began to pass by; the sun was darkening into a burnt orange hue and the air was getting slightly chillier. As minute after minute came and went, Blue's worry grew, her imagination running to wild lengths - wondering what could have happened to her brother and best friend. The boys noticed her anxious state and tried their best to distract her and cheer her up, but nothing quite worked.

Well, not until the familiar sound of the Twinkie's nearly extinct engine came roaring into JJ's backyard.

Blue, JJ, and Pope all perked up as the beloved hippie van pulled to a stop near the side of the Maybank house, several honks sounding out into the air before it was parked. The driver side window was rolled down, revealing John B, who was now sporting several bruises on his face and a sheen of sweat covering his tan skin. Despite his newly withered appearance, the boy seemed to be okay as he motioned for his friends to get in.

At the simple wave of John B's hand, the Pogues stood up, making their way towards the beat-up vehicle. "Let's ride. "JJ simply said as he blew smoke into the air, keeping his vape in his mouth as he pulled his cargo shorts up while walking.

Pope sighed, "This better be good."

Once they all clamored into the van, Blue spoke to her brother from where she sat in her designated seat in the back. "What the fuck happened to you?" She asked as she locked eyes with him in the review mirror, his black eye from the Boneyard fight still purple and blue.

John B sighed. "Long story, Bluey."

𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

AS THE POGUES DROVE OFF to the other side of the island, John B told them about the lighthouse, how the worker told him about an infamous wrecked ship called the Royal Merchant, and how he started acting dodgy and got John B arrested once he started asking too many questions. He told them about Sheriff Peterkin and how she wanted the compass (another contender to add to the mix), how Ward Cameron heard about him stealing and fired him, and how he ran into the square groupers and how they chased him through town until the sheriff popped up. He told them about giving the compass to Peterkin and then going home and nearly burning all of Big John's belongings to a crisp in a fit of rage.

By the end of it all, Blue's head was spinning. "So...you've had an eventful day, Johnny." She muttered, still processing all of the information, not quite sure how to respond. While she was personally upset about him giving away her father's compass and almost destroying all that was left of him, she couldn't find it in herself to be angry. After hearing about all the struggles her brother had endured in such a short amount of time, all she could feel for him was sympathy - nothing else.

John B scoffed. "No kidding."

"Okay, so what are we doing now?" Pope asked from his spot next to Blue. "Why don't we just call it for the night?"

While that probably would've been a smart idea, the Pogues weren't ones to throw in the towel. Not even after the day that they had.

"I'll explain once we pick up Kiara." John B replied. Blue noticed a nervous hitch in his tone as he spoke, and she wondered why he seemed anxious when speaking about Kie but decided not to question him at that moment. Her brother had been through his fair share of exhausting shit in the past twelve hours, and she didn't want to add any unnecessary stress or drama.

Not too long later, they were parked outside The Wreck, Kie's family restaurant that resided in Figure Eight. Pope volunteered to bring her out, but merely two minutes after the boy walked in, he came back outside with a pointed look at John B and a shrug in his shoulders.

"She said she's not comin'!" He called out from his spot on the restaurant's walkway.

"Why not?" JJ asked from his spot in the passenger seat, speaking to Pope through the open window.

Blue began to put the pieces into place. Kiara would never ditch the Pogues, so something must have happened while they were at the lighthouse together. She fixed a look on her brother, noticing his anxious expression worsen at Pope's news. "What did you do to her, John B?" She asked, raising a brow at him even though he wasn't looking at her.

"Shit." John B cursed, nervously tapping the steering wheel before placing a hand on the door handle. "Hang on. I'll deal with it." He ordered, dodging his sister's question as he left the van before making his way inside the restaurant.

Once the boy was gone, Blue made her way up to the front of the van, resting her head on the side of JJ's seat. "How much you wanna bet he made a move and she rejected him?" She asked the blond.

He scoffed, "It's gotta be the other way around. You've seen how she's acted around him recently." JJ pointed out, but Blue knew better.

While she had assumed something was brewing between John B and Kiara, she now realized that it wasn't as simple as that. There was something that had been misunderstood. "No, he's got the look of a boy that's been rejected." She responded.

The corner of JJ's mouth quirked up at that. "Well, you would know that look well, wouldn't you, Bluey?" She scoffed before swatting him on his shoulder, making him burst out laughing.

Surprisingly, John B and Kiara came out of The Wreck moments later, making their way into the Twinkie. Blue and JJ couldn't help but send the pair teasing looks, but they were met with rolling eyes and annoyed scowls.

As the moon began to shine brighter and the sky got darker, John B drove out of Figure Eight and began taking them back to the Cut. It had been silent for a majority of the trip as exhaustion had been creeping its way through all of them throughout the day, but conversation began to strike once they made it the bridge that divided the island.

JJ, who had moved from the passenger seat when Kie joined and now resided on the very back bench, spoke with a slightly slurred tone and punctured the quiet surrounding them. "You mind if I just relax on this one?" He questioned as he lounged in a laying position, holding his head up to speak to his friends. A newly rolled joint rested in his hand and Blue had to resist the urge to reach over her headrest and snatch it. "It's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff's gone down."

"You can say that again." She mumbled.

JJ quickly wore a shit-eating grin. "A lot of weird stuff's gone down."

As the two dumbly giggled at their banter, the other Pogues groaned out loud, not enjoying their back and forth as much as the pair themselves did.

Once their laughter died down, JJ continued to address the group. "I'm just gonna lay low." He made eye contact with Pope, then suddenly perked up as if a bright idea came to him unexpectedly. "Oh, did you want a hit of this?" He asked as he held the joint out to his friend.

Blue rolled her eyes at the question. "You know what he's gonna say."

"I keep the signal clear." Pope pushed the drug away.

"See?"

JJ sighed, slipping into his infamous rambling mode that often accompanied his highs. "Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative? If you got creative-"

As Blue was giggling to herself at the blond's intoxicated words, the boy was cut off by John B, who seemingly decided to put the mindless ramblings to an end. "Look, I-I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, alright?" He admitted to his friends while keeping his eyes on the road. The Pogues all looked at him as he spoke. "And wrong about everything else going on."

"Oh my God, is he actually admitting that he was wrong right now?" Blue slightly joked, looking to JJ who snickered at her sarcastic words.

John B continued as if he hadn't heard anything. "But I-I was right about one thing. Okay?" He pointed out before turning his head for a moment, locking eyes with his sister as the words left his mouth. "Dad's trying to tell us something."

All of the humor and intoxication that had been swirling around in Blue's system quickly died down after her brother spoke. While she always had a feeling that the compass wasn't leading them to their father, the realization that Big John was trying to reach out to them was real, and it was a hard thing for her to grasp. The fact that they were actively searching for more messages sent her mind into a spiral that hadn't begun to slow down yet.

She didn't quite know what she was hoping to find. Anything seemed to have pros and cons, highs and lows, light and darkness. But before she could ponder it further, the van was pulling into a cemetery lot, parking close to the fenced grounds.

Blue made a weirded-out face as John B started to hustle them out of the vehicle. "What the fuck are we doing at a cemetery? At night?"

Pope seemed to share the same sentiment. "Yeah, this is like the start to every horror movie, bro."

As always, their concerns were ignored. "Come on." John B ushered with a roll of his eyes.

Before venturing into the dark and mysterious graveyard, the Pogues grabbed flashlights and electric lanterns from the back of the van. JJ snagged a headlight and strapped it on while the rest opted for regular hand-held devices. As they made their way into the cemetery, grass and leaves scrunched under their feet, that being the only noise that accompanied them on their tense walk. Blue felt goosebumps traveling on her skin as she kept looking around, seemingly trying to catch a ghost wandering around with how many times she checked her surroundings.

JJ chuckled at the girl. "I'll protect you from the ghouls and zombies, Blue. I happen to be an expert at it."

Blue scoffed at the blond, crossing her arms in order to obtain some warmth. "Playing video games doesn't make you an expert."

"I beg to differ."

As John B continued to lead them towards the creepy graves that resided in the short distance ahead, the other Pogues began to voice their discomfort. "This place is scary." Kiara said as her brown eyes swept over the moss-covered headstones and cobwebs that hung from low tree branches. "John B, what are we doing?" She asked with annoyance lacing through her tone.

John B shushed her. "Shut up."

"Rude!" Blue chastised him, earning a similar shush in response. She rolled her eyes yet again.

The Routledge boy began to explain himself as they ventured further into the unknown. "You know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" He asked.

Blue knitted her brows at the random question. "Yeah...?"

"So, Redfield." He continued without missing a beat. "This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place."

Suddenly, they were stopping at a mausoleum. The big structure was obviously very old; it's concrete walls were covered in cracks and ever-growing ivy, looking like it had been stationed there for centuries. Before speaking again, John B raised his lantern, shining the white light onto the name scripted at the top of the grave.

"It's a person." He said.

Blue's eyes instantly locked onto the name. "Redfield." She read aloud in an awed whisper.

"Voi-effing-la." JJ chimed in as his gaze raked over the concrete structure.

John B stood faced the group, explaining further. "See, our great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield." He said. "That was her maiden name."

"Smart clue, Dad." Blue whispered to herself. No one would've thought to look here. She wondered how John B came to the conclusion, but he was just as resourceful as their father was, so she wasn't surprised.

They all stared in silence for a moment, partly in astonishment and partly in a questioning manner. Now that they had found Redfield, what was next? What was the message?

Blue started to get antsy, and she finally understood her brother's manic and crazed state that he had been in since finding the compass in the Grady White. Now that everything seemed to be coming together, her mind was racing and all she felt was the need to discover whatever her father had left for them. She needed to know.

"Help me with the door," John B ordered the boys. "Come on."

"All right." Pope sighed in agreement.

Kiara jumped in with encouragement. "Go." She commanded.

Before Blue could tell them that it would be impossible for them to move that slab of concrete, the three of them stepped towards the grave, placing their hands on the edge of the door and using all of their strength on it - though it didn't move an inch. The boys grunted, muscles straining from the effort and veins popping out on their arms and foreheads.

"Are you pushing?" Pope asked through his strained voice and breath.

"Yeah, I'm pushing." John B groaned with his teeth clenched and jaw locked.

Blue and Kiara stood off to the side while the boys struggled. The Routledge girl watched in amusement, a small smile resting on her lips as she just sat back and looked pretty - as she always did. "This is hilarious." She muttered to Kie, who laughed in response.

"Come on." One of the boys grunted.

"Hold on. I got it." JJ assured, but he clearly did not have it.

Kiara shook her head at the scene in front of her. "Boys are so stupid." She muttered.

Blue nodded, "Very, very stupid."

As they continued to struggle with no reward to show for it, it seemed that the realization that they wouldn't be able to move the door was finally beginning to dawn on them. "This door is like 700 pounds, man." Pope breathed out, "It's not gonna budge."

"We didn't come this far to get this far, all right?" JJ responded with a drained and taut tone. "We got this."

Just as the blond boy was done speaking, a hissing sound filled the air, and the Pogues all jumped back as a snake's head popped out of a hole in the mausoleum's door. Blue nearly screamed at the sight as her previous calmness quickly turned into fear. The girl wasn't scared of a lot of things, but snakes definitely weren't included in that list.

The slimy animal came slithering down the concrete as the Pogues yelled and lurched backwards. "Whoa!" Pope exclaimed as he quickly stepped away.

"A snake!" JJ announced.

Blue clung to Kiara, nervously gripping the girl's arm as she watched the scaley creature roam the grass near her friends' feet. "That's so disgusting." She frowned, and Kiara attempted to comfort her by tapping the top of her head.

Everyone seemed to be scared - all except JJ, of course. The boy sprang into action, happily stepping around the snake as he spoke. "That's a moccasin, all right! Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth!" He voiced the last part in a very fake and very pronounced Southern accent. "Death in tall grass!"

Blue, still reeling from the fear of the animal, shook her head at the blond boy's ridiculousness. "What the fuck is he doing?" She mumbled.

Kiara sighed, "Being JJ." Blue could only nod, knowing there was nothing else to it than that.

All of a sudden, JJ started barking at the snake, kneeling down at the creature as it slithered away from the concrete grave. His loud yaps echoed throughout the cemetery, carrying the annoying sounds as they bounced off headstones and into the night's chilly air.

"JJ, shut up!" Kiara yelled at the blond.

"Shut up!" Blue repeated the command.

Pope shoved the boy away from the retreating snake. "You're gonna wake the freaking dead, man!"

JJ shrugged as if he had done nothing wrong. "They're afraid dogs." He simply pointed out. "Everyone knows that, man."

"Oh my God." Blue muttered, resisting the urge to roll her eyes for the hundredth time that night. She was in love with an idiot. Still, despite her exasperation at his antics, she found herself admiring his goofiness and weird solutions. There was no one quite like him, she thought.

Something to seemed to have occurred to the blond, making him stop his outlandish actions. "Wait, hold on." He said.

"What?" John B and Kiara asked at the same time.

"If there's one, there's probably dozens." JJ spoke as he looked inside the same hole that the snake crawled out of.

Blue groaned, digging her head into Kie's shoulder. "Just kill me already." Another pat to the head was sent her way.

"All around." The blond boy continued.

"Stop! You're scaring us." Kiara said, motioning to herself and the girl that was still clinging to her arm.

Instead of responding, JJ started barking again, effectively making all the Pogues roll their eyes at once. Blue wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

"Stop barking at the snakes!" John B yelled at his best friend.

"Just making sure it's clear!"

In the middle of the absurd and almost comical commotion, Pope grasped John B's shoulders, pulling his attention away from the scene JJ was causing. "Look, John-" The blond interrupted him before he could finish a sentence.

"It's a snake!" JJ exclaimed again.

"Shut up!" Pope yelled, making the Maybank boy still. He turned back to John B and continued speaking. "John, look. We're not gonna get in there, all right?" He motioned to the concrete door that was still stuck in place. "It's not budging."

Blue waved a hand towards him. "Thank you for pointing out the obvious."

"We should probably just go." Pope finished.

They all looked to the mausoleum, shining their flashlights on the structure and pondering what they could, or should, do. While they wanted to discover whatever the clue or message was, it wasn't clear how to find or extract it, so they were left in a confused state.

Blue didn't want to leave. Despite the gross snakes and ridiculously heavy door, she didn't want to go - not without her father's message. She couldn't leave without it.

Kiara's gaze raked over the mausoleum several times before she suddenly removed herself from Blue's grasp. Just as the younger girl was about to question her friend, Kie spoke up, cutting through the newly established silence. "I can get through."

"What?" John B asked, his head snapping towards her.

Blue followed Kiara's line of sight, landing on the hole that the snake crawled out of. She instantly shook her head at the idea. "Now that's stupid." 

"No, no, no, no." John B rambled as he caught onto the girl's plan. "You think you're gonna fit through the hole? That hole?"

Kiara sighed, facing the two Routledges before speaking. "Look, this is about your dad." The pair of siblings stilled as they stared at her, slight shock covering their features at the turn of conversation. Kie seemed to visibly soften as she continued with her reasoning. "And honestly, I really don't believe in it, but you guys deserve to know the truth."

Blue's heart warmed at the words. She knew that her friends didn't have the same hope or determination that her and her brother did - she knew they thought that Big John was dead and that there was nothing else to it than that. But still, they went along with all of it because they didn't want Blue or John B to be alone or unsupported. She knew that their friends would follow them to the ends of the earth without ever having to be asked. And thought the rabbit hole they were spiraling down into may lead to nowhere, Blue was sure it would be alright simply because they had their family right there with them.

"I'll do it." Kiara simply said as she stood up to the door. "Come on." She motioned for the boys to help her up.

Blue walked up with the rest of the Pogues, moving the vines away from the hole in the door and clearing away any obstacles. John B, JJ, and Pope shoved the large bunches of ivy away, ripping the branches off the concrete with strained effort.

"You got it?" Kie asked.

"Yeah, we got it." JJ replied.

"Give her a boost." Blue ordered the blond boy.

JJ instantly crouched down, leaning his back against the door with his knees bent. He brushed his hair out of his face before tangling his fingers together, creating a makeshift step for Kiara. "I'm gonna boost you, all right." He said. "I've seen it in the movies several times. Ready?"

Instead of responding to him, Kiara looked to John B, asking a question of her own. "Remind me what we're looking for?"

John B and Blue both glanced at each other. Knowing their dad, whatever clue or message inside the structure would be instantly recognized - like the compass. Maybe not so easily recognized for others, but it would be for them.

"You'll know when you see it." John B said with certainty covering his words. Blue sent an encouraging nod to the girl as her brother spoke.

Kiara seemed to hold onto their answer, glancing around before finally pushing herself into action. "Hold my flashlight." She handed off the device to Pope.

"All right," JJ spoke, still in position at the door. "So, put your hands right there."

"Yep. Foot..." Kiara mumbled as she stepped onto JJ's joined hands.

The blond boy nodded, "Okay, on three." But Kie clearly didn't like that idea. Instead, she instantly began launching herself upwards, holding onto the concrete as she moved. "Okay, never mind. Just forget about three." JJ muttered as he boosted her.

"I got it." Kiara spoke as she climbed into the hole. Blue watched apprehensively; breath caught in her throat as the scene unfolded before her. She heard her friend's feet hit the mausoleum's floor and listened for any screams or snakes or tumbling stones. Luckily, all she heard was Kie's voice ring out from inside the structure. "Okay, flashlight?"

Blue stepped up. "Yeah, here." She stood on her tippy toes, trying to get the light through the hole at the top of the door, but was too short to reach. "JJ?" She asked, not having to say anything else before the boy was behind her. His hands gripped her hips in a gentle manner before holding her up, lifting the girl so she was able to pass the device over to Kiara. Blue attempted to ignore the butterflies that lingered where his hands were as he set her down.

A moment of silence passed as they waited outside the mausoleum. The air was tense, sending chills down the Pogues' spines in anxious waves. "You alive?" John B asked as he moved closer to the door. "You got, like, a-a heartbeat and everything?"

"So far." Kiara's voice echoed out.

"That's good."

"Yep." The girl responded. "Um...I need some more light."

John B nodded, "Yeah, yeah, here." He passed held his lantern up to the hole, hovering it inside with his arm raised. "Yeah, I gotcha."

More silence followed. Blue was beginning to get antsy again. The girl was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited, clearly not having enough patience that the situation required. JJ had to place his hands on her shoulders to keep her still.

"Did you find anything?" Blue asked, unable to stop herself.

"Is there gold?" JJ chimed in, partly joking.

Instead of getting a direct response, they heard Kiara's surprised mumble echo from inside the mausoleum. "Oh my God."

That made all of them straighten up, a mix of anxiety and excitement hovering over the group at the possibility of a grand discovery. Blue and John B quickly looked at each other once more before reattaching their gazes back to the concrete structure.

Rustling sounded from inside. Then, Kiara moved towards the door, putting something through the hole. Blue instantly grabbed at it with no hesitation. The Pogues gathered around, all looking at the big white envelope that rested in the girl's hands.

"That's not gold." Pope disappointingly muttered, but Blue paid him no mind. She didn't care that it wasn't valuable; it was something from her father. That was all that mattered.

She ran her fingers over it as she emerged into a state of awe and hope. John B looked over her shoulder as she flipped the envelope over, and both of them stilled at what was on the other side.

"FOR BIRD AND BLUE" was written in big bold letters that had sharp edges - their father's handwriting.

"Holy shit." Blue whispered.

Message received, Dad.


𝗼𝗺𝗴 𝗵𝗶
𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀, 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 👀
𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 & 𝗷𝗷 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 👀 𝗼𝗯𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗶 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗹
𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗸 @ 𝗷𝗷𝘀𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗲!!!! 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗮𝗯𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲/𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 :)))

𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲

𝗷𝗷 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗷:

𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂

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