⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ yucatan ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆

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the reason i always say "please don't be a ghost reader" this isnt just because i want votes, i mean i do, but ive been writing on this app for 3 almost 4 years and it helps me stay motivated because that means people are reading my stuff. and unlike other people, they have so many views on their books and i know my writing isnt the best but i love to write and it just helps me stay motivated. and i know i unpublish and republish my chapters and i get thats really annoying

【 SEASON EPISODE 5 PART 1 】

The golden hues of the late afternoon sun danced across the water as Clara carefully maneuvered her small boat up to the dock behind her house. She tied it off with practiced precision, the soft lapping of the waves against the hull the only sound breaking the serene quiet. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she started up the path toward the house, lost in thought about the day ahead.

Suddenly, an arm clamped around her from behind, and a hand covered her mouth. Her breath hitched in panic, her senses sharpening as adrenaline shot through her system. Without thinking, Clara jabbed her elbow backward with all her might, hearing a loud grunt as she connected with her attacker's stomach.

She spun around, fists raised, only to see JJ crumpled on the ground, holding his midsection.

"JJ?" she blurted, eyes wide. "What the hell?"

John B was standing over him, doubled over with laughter, though he quickly held a finger to his lips to shush her. "Clara, keep it down!" he whispered harshly, glancing over his shoulder.

"What's going on?" Clara whispered back, lowering her voice but keeping her fists clenched.

JJ groaned, staggering to his feet. "Damn, Clara. Remind me not to mess with you," he muttered, still clutching his stomach.

"Seriously, what's happening?" Clara pressed, her eyes darting between her brother and his best friend.

John B motioned for her to follow and pointed toward the road. Clara squinted, spotting an unfamiliar car parked just outside the Chateau. Its windows were darkly tinted, the kind of car that screamed trouble.

"What the hell is that?" Clara muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"They're watching us," John B explained in a hushed tone, his expression unusually serious.

Clara frowned. "Who's watching us?"

JJ shook his head. "We don't know. That's the problem. But they've been sitting there for hours, and it's giving us the creeps."

John B nodded toward the dock. "We need to get out of here, now. Follow us, and keep your head down."

Without another word, JJ dropped into the shallow water by the riverbank, his movements quick and fluid. John B followed, motioning for Clara to do the same. Clara hesitated for a moment, then slid into the cool water, her heart pounding as she crouched low, the three of them hunched over as they moved through the murky shallows.

"Wait," JJ whispered suddenly, stopping in his tracks. He turned to John B. "You got the keys to the Pogue?"

John B glared at him, whispering back, "Of course I have the keys, dumbass. Why would I not have the keys?"

Clara had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as she noticed JJ balancing his backpack on top of his head, his expression deadly serious. It was such a ridiculous sight amidst the tension that she had to fight back a snort.

"Focus," John B snapped, his voice sharp but quiet.

Clara nodded, straightening her expression as they crept closer to the Pogue. The air was thick with tension, every ripple in the water sounding unnaturally loud to her ears.

When they reached the dock where the boat was tied, they moved quickly. JJ climbed aboard first, immediately crouching low, while Clara followed, helping him untie the ropes securing the Pogue to the dock. John B slipped onto the boat last, heading straight for the engine.

"Keep your heads down," he instructed as he fired up the motor.

The low hum of the engine cut through the quiet, and the boat began to glide away from the dock. Clara and JJ stayed low, their eyes fixed on the shoreline. Clara's heart raced as she glanced back at the parked car, its presence looming like a dark shadow in the golden light.

"Any idea who's in that car?" Clara whispered to JJ, her voice shaky despite her best efforts to stay calm.

JJ shook his head, his jaw tight. "Not a clue. But I know one thing-they're not here to make friends."

Clara shivered at his words, her mind racing with questions. Who were these people, and why were they watching the Chateau? As the Pogue picked up speed, putting distance between them and the shore, she couldn't shake the feeling that their lives were about to get even more complicated.

The sun hung low over the horizon, casting an eerie orange glow across the abandoned, burnt-down house that loomed in front of Clara. The charred remains of the once-standing structure now stood as a hollow shell, the blackened beams and debris scattered like the remnants of a nightmare. The house had been a place of refuge for Clara, Sarah, and the group, away from the prying eyes of the Kooks and the ever-present danger that seemed to lurk around every corner. It was quiet here, aside from the wind rustling through the charred remains of the house, but the silence was deceiving.

Clara was sitting cross-legged on a patch of grass near the remains of the house, flipping through old, dusty archives. She was still catching up on what she'd missed the past two days, trying to piece together the puzzle of what was going on. Sarah sat beside her, her hair slightly tousled, her focus on the same task. Every so often, Clara's gaze drifted toward Sarah, and the flutter in her stomach never seemed to go away. She couldn't help but smile whenever their eyes met.

But then, the air shifted, the quiet broken by the sharp sound of footsteps. Clara's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly glanced up.

John B and JJ appeared out of nowhere, as if they had materialized from the shadows. Clara raised an eyebrow at the sight of them. JJ looked disheveled, a mixture of exhaustion and frustration on his face, while John B had that intense, determined look he always got when things were getting serious.

"First, I almost get strangled to death by Kooks," JJ began, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand." He threw his hands up in exasperation, as if everything were falling apart.

Clara blinked, processing the information. "Thirty grand?" she asked, incredulous, standing up from her spot on the ground. Her voice was low, trying not to draw attention, but the shock in her expression was clear.

John B looked over at Clara, his brow furrowed, clearly stressed. "And I ran away from DFCS after you ran off, Clara. I've been hiding out at Pope's. But I don't think you're going back to the group home now. I think they want us both off the island. Back to the Mainland," he explained, his voice quieter now but heavy with concern.

Clara's heart sank. "What do you mean 'off the island'?" she whispered, the weight of the words hitting her like a brick.

JJ, ever the one to shrug off heavy topics, scoffed and leaned against a piece of burnt debris, crossing his arms. "We should just dip," he muttered casually, his tone dismissive as if everything would be solved with just a run for the hills.

Clara exchanged a glance with John B. They both looked at JJ, then back at each other, unsure of what to make of his suggestion.

"JJ, seriously?" Clara asked, her eyebrows raised in disbelief. She couldn't understand why he was suggesting this, especially now, when everything seemed to be on the verge of falling apart.

John B let out a heavy sigh, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Where do you wanna go? Hmm? Yucatan?"

JJ's eyes brightened with excitement as he pushed off the charred beam he was leaning on, his hands gesturing wildly. "Yeah, exactly!" he said, his grin widening. "Surf all day, catch lobsters with our bare hands, live off the land. What else do we need?"

Clara rolled her eyes, clearly done with the idea. "You just wanna leave because you got your ass beat," she shot back, frustration creeping into her voice. "You think running away is the answer?"

JJ narrowed his eyes at her, the playful edge in his tone fading. "You didn't see the photos," he said, his voice dropping.

Clara stared at him for a long moment, trying to read his expression. The seriousness in his eyes caught her off guard. But before she could respond, John B stood up abruptly, his tone changing as he looked around the burnt-out house.

"Think about it, Clara," John B said, urgency in his voice now. "They're willing to kill for the gold. That means it's out there! It has to be. If we find it first, we can change everything."

Clara froze, her eyes widening as the reality of their situation set in. "Have both of you lost your minds?" she snapped, her voice filled with disbelief.

JJ, always the loud one, took a few steps toward John B, his frustration boiling over. "One hundred years, man. One hundred years, people have been trying to find the Royal Merchant, and no one succeeded. And you think you're the ones who are gonna actually find it?" he shouted, his voice rising in anger.

John B's gaze didn't waver, his jaw set in determination. "I'm going to find it. We can't stop now. Not when we're this close," he said, almost pleading.

JJ let out a frustrated growl and threw his hands up. "When are you gonna get it through your thick skull? If you keep going down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad!" His voice was full of raw emotion, each word laced with concern, but also a deep anger.

Clara's heart clenched at the mention of John B's father, and before she even realized what she was doing, she was moving toward JJ. The shock on his face when her fist collided with his nose was almost too much to process. He stumbled back, eyes wide with disbelief, as he clutched his face, a trickle of blood starting to pour from his nostrils.

Clara stood there, breathing heavily, her anger still simmering. "We can't just give up," she said firmly, her voice steady but fierce.

She didn't even look back as she turned and stormed off, walking away from both of them without a second glance. She could hear John B and JJ calling after her, their voices a mix of surprise and frustration, but Clara's mind was made up.

She wasn't going to give up-not when everything they had been fighting for was within reach.

As she walked away, JJ stared after her, still holding his nose in disbelief. John B stood motionless, watching Clara's retreating form, the weight of her actions heavy in the air between them.

JJ winced, his voice barely a whisper as he spoke to John B. "What the hell just happened?"

John B was silent for a long moment, his eyes following Clara's silhouette until she disappeared from sight. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter now, filled with a strange mix of awe and concern. "She's not giving up."

ASH SPEAKS!

i apologize for how short this chapter is :(

but next chapter... clara goes to midsummer's!

PLEASE DONT BE A GHOST READER!
COMMENT AND VOTE! IT HELPS US WRITERS STAY MOTIVATED:)