SKEETER
"Do you guys know who's house this is right?" Kie questioned as they walked through the garden. Everything was over grown and wrecked. It looked terrible.
"Oh yeah, no I do." JJ nodded holding River's hand and pulling her through. He smiled at the girl, when they were kids they'd come here and play hide and seek. It was scary, but fun.
"Honestly, I don't really believe the stories of this place." John B announced, scrunching up his face. The five of them had heard a range of stories about Mrs Crain.
"Shhh." Pope said quickly. River's hand covered his mouth, making his eyes widen.
"You guys are all so fucking loud." River mumbled looking at the four. "Shut up."
"What?" John B shrugged with a small scoff.
"Which stories did you hear?" JJ questioned Kie.
"The one where she killed her husband with an axe. And that she's been held up ever since." Kie explained as they continued walking. "On certain nights, when the moon is full you can see her in the window." Kie whispered and dance around with a playful smile on her face.
"No, Kie, this is not funny cause it's all true." JJ shook his head. He believed the stories. "I swear to God you guys, this is all real. Right baby girl?"
"He's telling the truth." River nodded, wrapping her hand around his wrist and pulling herself closer to him. There were only a few short hours that they weren't next to or touching each other and she hated it.
"I knew Hollis." JJ said, turning around slightly and jumping at the sight of a statue, River couldn't help but laugh at the boy.
"You knew Hollis Crain?" Pope questioned curiously. He couldn't tell if JJ was just fucking around or if he actually meant it.
"Yeah dude." JJ nodded.
Pope pushed JJ's shoulder lightly and said, "Dude, how do you know Hollis Crain?"
"She was my baby sitter man. She told me all about it. Told me the truth about her mother and what happened in this house." JJ said, making them look up to the house.
It was a creepy old house, most kids came and played hide and seek in the garden, but that was all. Nobody ever dared to enter the house, at most, they'd go up to the front porch.
"Is this the baby sitter you used to have a crush on?" River questioned, making JJ go all red and flustered.
"I-yes." He nodded. "So, as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and she was a murderer and all. Hollis didn't believe it. Until that night." JJ said, quickly changing the topic.
"What night?" John B questioned his best friend.
"It all came back to her." JJ paused and turned to look at the house. "When Hollis was six years old she heard her parents arguing down stairs. So, she goes down stairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink, full of blood. Her mother just says that she cut her finger."
River watched JJ as he spoke, he gave her hand a light squeeze before continuing,
"The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But the Hollis noticed something, her mother going into the parlour constantly, in and out and in and out, with plastic bags. Weeks pass and Hollis decides to use the out house. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the out house, is her fathers head, looking straight back at her." JJ pointed to his eyes, taking a step closer to John B.
"God, you're so full of shit." John B snapped, throwing his head back slightly.
"Dude, I swear to God, man." JJ shook his head as John B pushed past him.
"Did she call the police?" Pope questioned curiously.
"She didn't have time. Bro wait hold on—" JJ reaches out for John B. He pulled John B back and prevented him from going any further.
"What dude?"
"You sure you wanna do this? She's an axe murderer. You got a cast on." JJ motioned down to John B's cast.
"I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay? I got nothing to lose right? You coming or what?" John B raised his brows. He didn't seem to care about the alleged axe murderer, he wasn't going to let his father down.
"Come on." Kie said as she and Pope followed John B.
River stayed behind a minute with JJ. "I go where you go J, always." River smiled, the boy wrapped his arms around the girls waist and pulled her into him.
"Same here Ri." He placed a kiss on her head and let out a sigh before following the others.
"Hey come on. Come here. So here's the plan. We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter." John B whispered as the group crouched down.
"Okay, like, what kind of water? Like, pond water?" Pope questioned curiously.
"Bong water?" JJ questioned with a smirk. The four of them turned to JJ with furrowed brows. River slapped his shoulder, making him pull her into him. He squeezed her so tight that she couldn't breath.
"No, let her go." John B instructed as River turned red. JJ let her go and she took a long deep breath. "It just said look for water. Okay?"
"That's the shittest secret message ever." Kie complained, walking off.
"I have to agree." River said raising her hand slightly.
"You wanna complain a little more Kie? Nobody said it was gonna be easy." John B mumbled as he followed after the brown haired girl.
"I'll search the northeast quadrant. You search the northwest quadrant." Pope instructed to JJ, he didn't give him any time to disagree as he walked off straight away.
"The decapitation quadrant!" JJ shouted alarmed and pointed to the area. "Come on baby girl." JJ said grabbing her hand and running his thumb over her knuckles. "You're with me."
"I fucking hate this shit. If we don't find the gold I'm going to kill someone." River mumbled as JJ pulled her with him.
"Oh my god." JJ jumped once he saw another statue. He took off running, leaving River behind.
"You bet your ass, it will be you." River mumbled and followed after the boy.
"Here we go." John B said as he opened a door and they all walked in. River let out a small squeal once she felt the cobwebs on her skin. She hated spiders. JJ let out a little chuckle at the girl.
"Down came Mrs Crain and cut off all our heads. Up came the sun and dried up all the blood-" JJ sang to the tune of Incy wincy spider as they walked through the cellar.
"Can you stop." Pope questioned, turning and pointing the flash light in JJ's face.
"I think you have a lovely singing voice JJ." River complimented him, JJ placed a kiss on her temple as a thank you, although he knew she was being sarcastic.
"See any water?" Kie questioned as they looked around. River was creeped out by all the old toys and pot dolls. "Another dead end?"
"There's not even water on the pipes." JJ pointed out as he ran his hand over one of the pipes.
"There's no water here." Pope pointed out.
"Not a dropamino." JJ mumbled.
"Know why we didn't find it?" Kie questioned before turning to face John B. "Bad karma."
"Oh no here we go." John B mumbled shaking his head.
"You know, we had a good thing going. And then you decided to rope in Barbie. And now the trails gone dry. Coincidence? Probably not." Rivers eyes widen as she looked at JJ. He was playfully mimicking every word that Kie was saying, River tried her hardest to not laugh at the boy.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you about Sarah." John B said taking a small step closer.
"Yeah?" Kie questioned cockily.
"Yeah. What the hells the deal? What's going on with you two?" John B questioned, trying to remain calm.
"Nothing." Kie shrugged. She was of course lying.
"Nothing? Is it because I kissed you? Is that the problem?" John B smirked.
River gasped once she saw Kie smack John B across the face. She didn't mean to, it was just a natural reaction.
"Oh shit." JJ mumbled, covering his mouth in shock.
"Stop treating me like I'm some girl that's obsessed with you. Instead of your best friend who's actually trying to look out for you." Kie snapped, her eyes widening.
"Did you uh, hit me?" John B questioned raising his brows.
"I can in fact confirm that she did." River said taking a step forward, raising a finger and pointing at John B. JJ was quick to pull her back.
"Skeeter." Kie said raising her hand, showing him the now squished mosquito.
"Skeeter?"
"Yeah you see it?" She questioned with a smirk.
"Yeah." John B said as he also smacked Kie across the face. River let out a shocked gasp.
"John B!" River shouted scoldingly. She never thought that he'd be the kind of person to hit anyone. With the exception of Topper.
"Where's your proof?" Kie questioned, clenching her jaw.
John B raised his hand before saying, "Skeeter."
"Yeah? There's probably one right there." Kie said slapping his arm.
"There's one right there." John B said pushing her shoulder.
"Yeah? Really? You saw that?" Kie asked cockily.
"On your forehead." John B said tapping Kie's head.
"You're dead. That's it." Kie said slowly backing up as John B followed her. "Today is the day that you die. Today is your funeral. One bandito."
"These things are like a freaking swarm!" Pope muttered hitting away the mosquito's.
"Shh. Keep it down." JJ instructed, River slapped JJ's arm.
"Skeeter." She said quickly, making a smile appear on JJ's face.
River turned around to see why Pope was muttering about but JJ slapped her ass. River gasped, her mouth fell agape as she turned back to JJ, who had a playful smile on his face.
"Skeeter." JJ lied.
"You are unbelievable." She scoffed,
PLAYFULLY SHAKING HER HEAD AT THE BOY.