"And then, we were right outside like this.." jj is explaining what happened at Ms. Lanas house. He leans against the wall, reinacting the scene.
"And then all we hear, is just- bam! bam!" He said, stressed out. "Knocking paint off the wall, g!"
I look at jj, finding it hard follow, even though i was there.
"First off, look at this shit!" He walks over to us and shakes his hair, the paint follicles sprinkling everywhere.
"That's.. dandruff. Disgusting." Kiara says.
"Alright- jj." Pope says, asking him to stop.
"Its not dandruff, it's paint." I clarify. "Maybe paint mixed with dandruff but.."
"Look at all that! That's paint." jj cries.
"Oh, okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us?" Pope asks me.
"Yeah," me and jj say at the same time.
"Did you get a good look at them? what do they look like?" he asks us.
"Anything," Kie adds.
"Mm- burly?" jj says.
"Burly?" Pope says, disappointed.
"You know, like--"
"That's not very helpful jj." Kie sighs.
"No. like- you know how them guys look at my dads garage. The guys he sold cargo hides to, smuggling drugs. That type of burly." He explains.
"Yeah, we know.." Pope and Kie say. m
"So I can tell you, these boys- these killers," He inhales some smoke from his juul. "Square groupers."
"Like narco square groupers? Pablo Escobar square groupers?" Pops asks.
"Mhm." I say.
"Not everything's a kingpin movie." Kie groans.
"Okay so what do these square groupers look like?" Pope asks, getting impatient.
"You weren't there, bro!" I say to him, he's asking so many questions when there was a woman getting beaten up inside there.
"Apparently you guys don't know what to look for!" Pops yells.
"Dude! I wasn't taking mental Polaroids the entire time, man! I was under duress, okay?" jj cries, his voice cracking in the middle.
I huff and take over for him, because I know he's distressed. "I can tell you by the way Ms. Lana was screaming.. these guys are serious hombres, man."
jj sits down, his head in his hands.
"Why would they want the compass?" Kie asks.
"Things a piece of shit, you couldn't pawn it for five bucks if you wanted to." Pope says.
I give Pope a look, telling him to shut up.
"No offence, John b, I know it's in your family." Pope says after seeing me look at him.
"The office." John b says, ignoring him. "My dads office- he always kept his office locked, he was worried about competitors and shit. We used to laugh about it all the time"
John b takes out a key. "I just left it as he kept it, ever since he was gone."
"Mhm, for when he comes home." I say, looking at the rest as they raise their eyebrows.
We walk in.
John b starts rooting around and grabbing books.
"What the hell, i thought this was just a storage room or something.." I look around.
"It kind of is, just a storage room for all my dads treasure shit." He explains, still rooting around.
John b looks up at a huge pinboard, many black and white photos pinned against it.
"What's that." Pope says, looking up curiously.
"jj, help me take it down." John b says, immediately grabbing two corners.
jj and john b take the board and place it on the desk. "Whew."
"Okay, what's this." I say as we gather around it.
"Holy shit.." John b looks closely at some of the photos.
"What.. wait what?"
"That's the compass.. so is that.." He starts pointing out how these pictures all have the compass in it. "This is a record of all the people who were given this compass throughout the years."
"So.. like a family heirloom?"
"Yeah."
"Robert Q Routledge.. 1880 to 1920." Kie reads out, pointing at the first photo.
"There's the lucky compass." jj said.
"Thanks for pointing that out, though we already know, j." I sigh.
"alright, just tryna' be helpful or some shit." He mutters.
"He was actually shot, right after he bought it." John b says from memory.
We go a bit silent, and look at the next photo.
the rooster crowed loudly outside.
"Then the compass was shipped back to Henry. Henry was killed in.. a crop dusting accident? Yeah. But that was right after he recieved it." He tells us as we all look at each other, concerned.
"After he died, it was given to Stephen. He died in Vietnam. " Stephen was shown wearing army uniform in his photo.
"I'm guessing he died in action, right?" jj hoped.
"Actually, he was run over by a banana truck out in the country."
We grew dead silent.
"Anyways, after that it was passed down to my dad," He points at the last picture.
"Hmm, sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here." jj points out.
"You have a death compass," Pope blurts.
"No I do not."
"Jesus christ." I say, rubbing my forehead as the rest bicker back and forth.
"My dad used to talk about some compartment, that he hid secrets in." John b said, twisting the compass.
We all looked curiously.
He shook the compass and it revealed a message carved into the metal.
"What's that?" Kie says.
"That wasn't here before." John b says. "Shit, this is my dads hand writing." He smiles and looks at all of us.
"Can I see?" I grab it before he says yes because I get what I want.
I observed it and jj looks over my shoulder. "Red- Rout-" he tried to pronounce the word. "I think that's an A."
"Redfield." I say, correcting jj, look over my shoulder at him.
"Right." he says as we lock eyes for a second.
"Okay, whats redfield?" I say, breaking out of it.
"Besides the most common name in the county?" Pope sighs.
"A clue?" John b says, stressed.
"A clue? Come on.. that's.." Pope says but gets stopped when Kie gives him the death stare.
"If ... it's a clue maybe it's an anagram?" Pope adds out of fear of Kie.
"Perfect- we need paper." He looks around.
Kie grabs some for him. "Here."
jj, kie, pope and I rush to the desk to try figure it out.
"How can you concentrate with that thing always crowing at you?" Pope complains as the rooster outside crows.
"Darl made me get it." John b sighs.
"I made him get it." I confirm, smiling.
"And I love the rooster." jj adds.
We all try figuring it out. "Dedfiel. Colors— that's stupid.." Pope starts thinking.
"What about like the f means fed-ex delivery truck?" I point out.
"No that's looking way too deep into one letter." Kie laughs.
"Defile? that a word?" jj asks Pope.
"No, is it an address?"
"A street name? Defile avenue.. Defile road.."
"Guys! Someone's here." John b cries, we all look up.
We see a black suv parked outside, and then two men emerge from it.
"Guys.. guys, that's not them right?" Kie cries tearing up from fear.
"No, no, no no.." The boys start to panic.
"Fuck.." I start to back up from the window.
"John b.. I told you!" jj starts panicking and walks over to the other side of the room.
"Hey! look at me!" John b grabs jj and pins him against the wall.
"Where's the gun." He asks with genuine worry.
"Gun? I had it.. in the- um." jj stutters trying to remember.
"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need it?" I whisper shout at him.
"It was in my backpack, and then I— the porch. It's on the porch." He comes to realisation quickly and goes to the door.
"Go quickly," John b says, pushing him out.
"jj no- he's going to get shot!" I yelp at John b.
"John Routledge!" A man shouts angrily from outside, jj stumbles and turns back around running into the office and locking the door shut.
"Where's the compass? Where's the gun!" John b starts trembling.
"No- this is not happening." I cry.
"Oh my god we need to get out, now." Pope yelps.
We hear the men start to tear the place apart.
"Window- Window now!" Kiara yells- pointing to the window.
Pope and jj grabs the bottom of the window, trying to push it up.
They struggle hard as the men outside yell and throw shit at walls.
"It's painted shut, guys." jj says, struggling to open it.
John b leans against the door, breathing shakily.
I scatter through the drawers, and find a sharp knife, running over to jj and pope.
"A knife- I've got a knife." I start to cut through the paint. I do it in a hurry, causing me to slash myself in the hand- leaving a gaping wound.
I drop the knife in pain. "Shit!" I cry loudly.
"Darl- you okay!" jj says- letting go of the window but pope grabs him back to get it open.
I hold my hand in immense pain and look around to try find something to wrap it with as Kie grabs the knife and start cutting.
John b gives me his bandana in a hurry and i tightly wrap it, wincing as it applies pressure on the wound.
Blood drips down onto my jeans and I shakily breath.. holding in a painful scream.
The door rattles- and the man outside starts kicking it in.
the window finally opens and we all rush to it.
I try to let jj get out first, making sure he's okay- but jj helps me out, knowing i'm in pain.
We rush over to the chickens coup and stumble inside.
I hold my arm as the blood seeps down my arm, I lean my head back against the wall.
The chickens start clicking and flapping their wings, thinking we're a threat to them.
"Shut it up!" jj whispers as we hear the men load up their car.
"Pet it or something, I don't know!" Kie cries.
The rooster flies around, panicking- so jj grabs it mid air and pins it to the ground, snapping its neck and killing it instantly.
I let out a gasp- mostly from pain.. but also because he just killed ms.puffins the rooster.
Kie starts to cry, as she sees the rooster broken neck- and it's head dangling freely.
jj throws the rooster carcass and stumbles beside me, leaned up against the wall.
I look over at him, my eyes a bit teary.
He puts his hand on my limp and slashed hand, making me breath in and out slowly.
I smile at him in appreciation.
_____________________________
The twinkie rumbles side to side as John b drives along the road, not telling us where we're going.
"It's obvious, right? a family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was going to get back to me, right?" John b rambles on.
"Yeah, it's possible." Kie tilts her head.
"It could also be possible that you're making shit up to deal with your emotions.." Pope shrugs.
"You know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies." jj says with a smile.
"Listen I'm not concocting, ok?" John b interrupts jj. "My dads trying to give me a message!"
"If it helps you believe, John b." I sigh.
"I don't need a therapy session Darla! I'm not tripping out.." He defensively says.
"It's okay to trip.." jj mumbles loud enough for john b to hear.
"Look, my dad is missing, okay? Missing." john b yells, interrupting jj again.
"You don't know what it's like to have the closet person to you vanish," He says to us all.
I look up at him, raising my eyebrow. Yes I fucking do.
"Dude." jj says to him, looking at me.
I cross my arms and ignore john b, looking out the window. "Not the only one who has these problems.. john b." I sigh.
"Darla- I'm sorry, But your mom has been missing since you were 13, my dad only went missing, there is a difference." He said in defence.
I scoff. "Right."
"She's probably dead, but with my dad? I don't know." He shakes his head.
I nod. "I know, you're right, which is why you don't have to remind me.. because I already know."
Kie looks back at me and smiles, hoping I'm okay.
I give her a reassuring nod.
We pull past a sign that shows we're going to Redfield lighthouse.
"It's obvious, the lighthouse.. my dads favourite place."
_______________________________
We pull up beside the lighthouse, John b and Kie get out of the front and me jj and pope get out of the back.
"Alright, here's what's gonna happen. you're going to post up and look out for bogeys, okay?" John b tells jj.
"Wait, why me?" jj asks, offended.
"Because you're not coming." Pope tells him.
"Why?" jj starts to get angry.
"Look jj, there are independent variables and dependent variables, you're an independent variable, we don't know what you'll do!" he starts saying all this sciencey shit.
"Shut up Pope!" jj yells.
"Guys- why are y'all yelling!" I laugh, as the two bicker back and forth.
"Listen! Pope- stand by with jj." John b shuts them up.
I laugh more as I see Popes face drop.
"Meet back at jjs house if we get split up." He tells them.
"Great." Kie says.
"Bye bogey watchers!" I say, walking along with john b and Kiara.
"Oh, I think 3 might be a bit intimidating." John b looks at me.
I stop. "Okay, bye Kie." I say, expecting for John b to agree.
"You'll be the only one to tame them." John b says, looking at jj and Pope.
I stand open-mouthed. "Really?"
Kie waves goodbye as they walk off.
I turn around to see Pope and jj laughing at me. "Welcome bogey watcher."
"Piss off." I snap, stomping over to the twinkie and climbing inside.
"Mommas mad." jj whispers.
____________________________
jj climbs into the twinkie as Pope sits outside, working on his merit scholarship essay.
"Hey, you're supposed to be watching out." He tilts his head, sitting down across from me.
"No, I'm here to 'tame' you two." I correct him.
He scrunches his eyebrows. "Okay then."
His eyes trace to my hand. "Are you okay?"
I sigh and nod. "Still stings, but.. not anything major. It'll heal."
He looks back up at me. "You're always the one to get hurt."
I look up at the car roof. "Okay, false."
"It's always you bro! Always sacrificing." He smiles as he says it.
"Well, if you put it that way." I tuck my hair behind my ear, holding the title of 'the one who sacrifices' because I like the ring of it.
"Sorry for killing the rooster." He randomly blurts.
I purse my lips and look at him. "Yeah, she was getting old."
He laughs.
We lock eyes again, this happened earlier. And yesterday. I swear the butterflies are like turning into birds because my stomachs in knots.
"I never formally got to apologise, for the fight." He says.
I look down.
"I'm sorry, like really sorry, I didn't mean any of it. I was just so mad that your dad.."
"It's okay jj, I'm sorry too. Let's just- forget it ever happened." I smile.
"Right." He nods.. it goes silent for a minute. The silence allows us to hear police sirens wailing closer to us.
Suddenly Pope closes our door and hops in the drivers seat. "Cops, let's peel." He explains.
____________________________
jj, pope and I decided to hang behind some random houseinstead of meeting john b and kie, which yes.. it's pretty mean but it got boring hanging around jjs house.
jj passed me the blunt. I inhaled and looked at pope.
"You guys are throwing your lives away doing that." He complains, fanning the smoke.
"Alright Pope, you've never tried it. Why don't you?" I exhale, waving the blunt in his direction.
"Not going down that path." He pushed my arm, causing me to drop it.
"Dude! oh my god, that was our last one." jj yells.
"cry about it, I did you a favour by possibly refraining you from taking another year off your life with ever puff."
I cross my arms, when we hear what sounds like the twinkies horn honk next to us.
John b parked up.
"Let's ride." jj said, stepping on the blunt to put it out as we walked over to hop in.
"This better be good." Pope groans.
____________________________
We are the Wreck to the Wreck to collect Kiara.
Pope walks outside after being sent into to retrieve her.
"Said she's not coming." He alerts us.
"Why not?" jj raises her eyebrow. "What'd you do to her, John b?"
We slowly look over at John b in unison.
"Shit. Hang on, I'll deal with it." He says, getting out of the car.
"That's weird." I say as he walks past Pope.
"You definitely see something between him and Kie though, or am I tripping." jj says, as we both are stilling looking at john b walk in.
"We all see it, i'm waiting for them to make it official." I shrug.
"Mmh, yeah." He says.
___________________________
We travel down the road and me and Kie sit in the very back seats.
"So.." I say to her as John b jj and pope are talking up front. "What's the deal."
She shook her head. "He kissed me, earlier. It was all sudden and weird so we just decided to stay friends."
I sat, open mouthed. "Ew, you and john b?"
"No, we decided to stay friends. Do you ever listen?" She scoffs.
"Still, you kissed him. Ew." I laugh.
"Ugh, get over yourself." She laughs back.
"I'm gonna lay low on this one, I'm pretty tired so Imma let y'all just go ahead and do this one." we hear jj say.
I roll my eyes as he smokes.
"Did you want a hit of this?" He waves it in Popes face.
"I'm keeping the signal clear." Pope raises his hand and declines.
"Dude, okay. do you understand your problem is that you don't get creative." jj complains, still waving the cig.
"If you got creative, then.."
"Look- I— I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right? And wrong about everything else going on." John b cuts high ass jj off.
"But I was right about one thing. My dads trying to tell me something."
____________________________
We're walking through what looks like some sort of graveyard.
"This place is scary.. Especially at night." I complain, waving a flashlight around.
"You know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" John b randomly says.
"Uh, yeah." Kie replies.
"So Redfield, This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place.." He stops at some huge ass tomb with the name Redfield across the top.
"It's a person." He sighs.
"Voi-effing-là." jj says, observing it.
"See, my great- great grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name."
"Help me with the door, come on." He says, walking over to the tombs cemented door.
John b and Pope start to push hard.
"Are you pushing?"
"Obviously."
"This doors like seven- hundred pounds it's not budging!" Pope groans as jj joins in.
Kie and I stay back.
"We didn't come this far- to get this far.. right?" jj groans.
Suddenly a hissing snake slithers out of a hole.
"Shit!" The boys yelp and bounce back.
"Ye old Dr. Cottonmouth!" jj says in a country accent. "Death in tall grass.."
He starts rapidly barking at it, which leaves me wheezing with laughter as everyone else yells at him.
"You're gonna wake the frickin dead man!" Pope says.
"They're afraid of dogs." jj says, proud of himself for scaring it off.
John b goes back to the door. "Hold on dude-"
"What!" John b asks.
"If there's one, there's probably dozens."
"jj, okay.." I sigh, rubbing my forehead as Kie complains about him scaring her.
jj starts barking in the hole.
"Stop barking at the snakes." John b shoves jj.
"John- Shut up! John, look. We're not getting in there, all right? it's not budging." Pope sighs. "We should probably just go."
"I can get through." I say, looking deeply at the hole.
"What?"
"No." jj says.
"Not with that hand injury, you'll hurt yourself even more." Kie says.
I look down at my hand.
"I'll do it, you stop sacrificing yourself for once." She says.
I sigh. "If you're sure."
"Positive.." She says in a not so positive tone.
John b kneels down to boost her up.
"Careful." jj says.
"Don't fall." Pope says.
"Remind me what we're looking for.." She says.
"You'll know it when you see it." John b nods.
I take her flashlight off her and pat her on the back. "You got this."
She takes John bs boost and lifts herself into the hole, shimming through smoothly.
We hear her thud down. "Flashlight?"
"Here.." I try to put my hand through the hole put i cant reach it.
John b grabs it off of me and passes it in.
"Okay then, I was fully capable of doing that I just had to go on my tippy toes." I sigh.
"You alive ?" Pope asks.
"Got a heartbeat?" John b follows.
"So far.." We hear her voice echo back.
"Good."
"Umm, I need some more light." She says.
I pass John b my lantern and he passes it through.
"Find something? Is it gold?" jj asks.
"Oh my god." We hear her say.
____________________________
END OF CHAPTER SEVENNNNNN
hope you enjoyed sweethearts 🙋♀️🙋♀️🙋♀️