NORMAL PEOPLE.  Outer Banks — Barry
a town haunted by the strange and unusual

A girl sat in her attic, the room flooded with light by a window peering out onto the front yard, casting long shadows on the floor from the various boxes and items stored up there and allowing dust particles to be seen dancing in the air.

Her curly black hair was held back loosely with a silk scrunchie, a few smaller pieces dangling in her face as she clutched a crudely drawn treasure map in her hands. The paper was yellowed, the once brightly colored drawings now faded with age. 

A tear slipped off her chin, landing on the paper and causing a drawing of a boat, meant to indicate the docks, to bleed, distorting it. Her eyes fell to the bottom corner of the page, three names written crudely in purple, blue, and orange crayon: October Anderson, Lorelai Sumner, Mattheo Freire.

Her phone vibrated on the wood next to her, finally tearing her gaze from the map for the first time in what felt like hours. She picked it up, wiping her teary eyes so she could read the text.

Auggie
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She pressed her thumb to her screen, unlocking her phone and opening his message. A screenshot of a news article lit up her screen. A lump formed in her throat, the world seeming to slow down as she read the headline.

BOYFRIEND ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH LOCAL TEEN'S MURDER

October Anderson, Lorelai Sumner, and Mattheo Freire had been friends since they were kids. At the time, they all obsessed over the urban legend of the Royal Merchant and its gold. They fantasized about being the ones to find the treasure, even working together to draw an accurate map of Kildare— or as accurately as could be done by a trio of nine-year-olds.

But time went by, and they grew up, their childish dreams of being treasure hunters long forgotten as middle school came and went, giving way to the challenges of high school and the social hierarchy.  The three of them considered themselves lucky enough to have grown closer together rather than drifting apart, Lorelai and Mattheo growing particularly close as they explored their evolving feelings for each other.

But just as quickly as it formed, their friendship had fallen apart, all three of their lives being changed forever when Lorelai's body was found in the park. Her skin was morbidly pale with a slight blue tint to it, which only made the bruises around her neck, eerily resembling the shape of two hands wrapped around her throat, all the more visible. The red lipstick on her lips— which was her signature date-night color— was smeared over her cheek, her brown eyes staring at the sky lifelessly.

The investigation quickly concluded that her boyfriend, Mattheo Freire, had committed the murder. He had no alibi for the night of her death, and Lorelai had told her father that she was going on a date before she left the house. However, the case against him was quickly thrown out when his DNA was compared to DNA found under her fingernails and he was found to not be a match.

Despite this, he found himself constantly being harassed and targeted by people who believed that he had killed her regardless of the DNA evidence, so he moved away from Kildare, leaving October alone with a heart aching for her best friends.

A year later, October was still grappling with the loss when Mattheo returned to town to live with his grandmother whose health was quickly deteriorating. Her only wish was to live long enough to see her grandson graduate, and he knew she would be in no condition to travel by the time his graduation rolled around, so he decided to move back to take care of her and finish out his senior year at Kildare High so she would get her wish.

Before October had time to process that her best friend whom she hadn't seen or spoken to in a year had returned, her brother, August Anderson, had dropped the bomb on her that he had found his birth mother. She was currently residing in Kildare County Jail on a drug charge and was willing to meet with him about his father.

At seventeen years old, October had already been dealing with surmounting school pressures and being attracted to her brother's best friend (and drug dealer), but add to that her ex-best friend begging for her help in finally clearing his name, her brother dragging her into a hunt for his father, and shady men lurking around her house inquiring about the map she had drawn with her friends when she was nine and you're met with a conspiracy that goes deeper than it may appear at first glance.

Truth is often stranger than fiction. Nothing is a coincidence. And everything is connected.

Taylor Russell. /  October Anderson

Jacob Elordi. /  August Anderson.

Kiernan Shipka. /   Lorelai Sumner †

Xolo Maridueña. /  Mattheo Freire

✸ Also Starring
I. Christian Bale / Arthur Sumner II. Jon Bernthal / Clyde Cromwell III. Helena Bonham Carter / Alison Moore IV. Lupita Nyong'o / Reyna Anderson V. Andrew Garfield / Charlie Anderson VI. As Described / Other Original Characters VII. As Portrayed / The OBX Cast

My grief defines me. I don't remember who I was before this deep, aching sadness. I don't think there is a me after.

✸     Author's Notes.

  This layout and synopsis is super basic and boring, but I adore this cast. I have so so many ideas for this story yall are NOT ready.

  Barry is aged wayyyyy down to 19, so dw my man is not about to catch a case.

  Barry with a v-line tat >>>>>

  August was adopted by the Andersons when he was a newborn, two years before October was born, so he's 19. I'm currently debating whether to pair him with Rafe for drama or Pope.

  rip to my girl Lorelai </3

  This story will deal with sensitive topics such as murder, grooming, drug use, violence, gore, and other potentially triggering things, so it is up to you to decide for yourself whether you can handle these subjects.

  The main plot is the murder, but there will be a lot going on as far as the gold and August's paternity.

  Tags.
paIedeath . faerieribs . equaIs . lucygraysbitch . f4brays . swampfever . MushuPork4U . -chanelcowgirl . qlorify . lavagirll0 .