"There it is, Angel Oak." Kie looked out the window of the twinkie, sitting at Bali's feet.

"I'm surprised no one has decided to ruin the environment and chop it down." Bali commented, Kie's face lighting up as she looked her way.

"You just completely talked about saving the environment without me even bringing it up." the taller girl grinned, "This is why I like you more then the others."

"Obviously, Kie. I didn't sign that petition at Sarah's halloween party for nothing." Bali shrugged, fixing her ankle bracelet.

"Halloween party?" JJ asked, looking over in questioning.

"Freshman year." Kie said back, referring to her Kook year.

"Oh, shit. Tides coming in." John B spoke up as he looked at the water puddle down the dirt road.

"Wait a second look." Pope pointed to the tire tracks, "They already came through here. Those have to be Limbrey's tire tracks. Guys, we gotta go."

"What do you think, chief?" JJ looked toward John B.

"I'm thinking it's looking a little dicey." the curly haired boy said back, "Ladies, any thoughts?"

"Go for it." Bali encouraged from the back, "Just gas this sucker."

"Well, let's not listen to my, currently lacking brain cells, lover." JJ pointed out to John B with a nod of his head.

"Okay, clearly, they made it. No?" Kie suggested.

"In a two-wheel drive? I don't know about that." JJ shook his head, looking out the window.

"Why are y'all acting like you're not gonna do it anyways?" Sarah spoke up from the back, trying to hold back her smile, "Like, when have y'all ever done the safe thing?"

"She's got a point." John B nodded as him and JJ looked to each other.

"Speed is your friend here, okay?" JJ nodded, turning back in his seat.

"Gas her up." Bali encouraged, hitting the side of the van as John B speed forward, "You call this gassing it? My dead grandma can move faster then this."

"Cmon, bro, punch it. Speed is your friend." JJ encouraged alongside Bali.

"You too scare the shit out of me." Pope said in disbelief.

"It's gonna slide." Kie spoke up, holding onto the side of the van.

"Not to put any more pressure on you, but if you don't make it through, we'll be stuck here forever." Pope leaned up toward the pair in the front.

The twinkie made it through the mud puddle, gliding easily on the dirt road again. The group sighed in relief, cheering slightly.

"See, JJ and I talked you through it." Bali nudged John B's seat, "We're like a basketball coach."

"Yeah, we are!" JJ cheered as he reached back to high five her.

"Never will you two need to coach basketball, never." Pope shook his head as the twinkie came to a stop near the tree, John B getting out to open the back doors for them.

"Cmon Pope, I can teach your kiddos how to dribble." Bali said, jumping out of the van onto Popes back with a animal noise.

"Kids basketball? You've lost me." Sarah shook her head, getting out after Kie.

"All right, so word to the wise, definitely know that gators nest back here, so keep your eyes peeled, okay?" JJ spoke up, Pope dropping Bali off his back as they looked around.

"You tell me this now?" Bali looked toward her boyfriend, holding her leg up to show the alligator skinned combat boots, "It's not real alligator but what if they think I skinned their baby or something?"

"They might think that." JJ nodded his head, "You don't want to be Pat Womack. She had her calf chewed off by a gator, right? You know that, right?"

"That's actually not true." Kie commented back.

"Pat Womack was injured in a car accident, but I hear you." Sarah shrugged, pushing branches out of the way as they walked in a line after Pope.

"Okay, just living ignorance. But like, she had her calf chewed off by a mama gator. I know that for a fact." JJ hummed, turning to hold the branch out of the way for Bali.

"Where'd you hear this?" Bali hummed, ducking under it to walk by JJ's side.

"I read it." he said back, confidently.

"Was it in cursive?" Bali hummed, getting a look of disbelief back, "Just a question."

"I have taken a strong, heart felt, offense to your words." JJ put a hand to his chest, "You have damaged my insides."

"Aw, sorry, lover." Bali put her arm around him, "Wanna share a cherry after this?"

"No!" Kie yelled suddenly, "God, I never wanna hear about cherries agains. You've ruined that for me."

"You told her?" Bali asked in disbelief as she gave JJ a look of disbelief.

"Told him what?" John B spoke up.

"Bali likes to put cherry syrup on JJ and lick it off." Kie said back.

"Kiara!" Bali said in disbelief.

"Oh my god." Sarah laughed, "Did not expect that one."

"Can we change the subject?" Bali spoke up in embarrassment.

"Please." Pope begged alongside her.

"Wait, I see something." JJ spoke up as he hurried toward the water, grabbing a stick and hitting the water.

"Right. Wake them up. That's smart." Sarah nodded her head.

"I was just making sure it wasn't a gator. That's all, all right?" the blonde boy held his hands up in surrender.

"Shh, I can smell Rafe." Bali spoke up suddenly.

"You can smell him?" Kie asked in disbelief.

"Yes, my sniffer is very advanced." Bali pointed to her nose, "Listen."

And sure enough, the sound of moving trucks and excavators were heard. Pope looked toward Bali, "Just when I think you are possibly normal, something like this happens."

"I don't see shit!" Rafe called as the ground all looked from behind a bush. Rafe, Limbrey, Renfield, and construction workers digging up dirt at the foot of the tree, "You sure this is the right spot?"

"It's there. The garment will be in the cross, and the cross will be at the foot of the tree." Limbrey announced. By the look of Rafes face, she's said this enough times to annoy the shit out of him.

JJ pulled a small twig off Bali's north face jacket, keeping close to the bush as he looked in disbelief. The crunch that echoed through the air had Limbrey yelling, Reinfield and Rafe standing close by as the construction workers jumped down into the hole, "They got the cross? What do we do? What do we do?"

"What can we do?" John B asked him with wide eyes. Bali took JJ's hand, watching Rafe and Renfield break the casket open.

"It's not there." Bali spoke up, seeing the looks on their faces, "They didn't get the cross."

"We're going back! It's not over!" Limbrey called as she got to her feet, clutching her crutches. It didn't take long to load up again, the trio leaving the open casket laying there as they drove off.

Pope began walking forward as soon as they walked off. JJ followed, "Pope. Pope, wait. Wait! Shit."

Pope stared down at the casket, rotten bones on the inside as he took deep breaths, "Cecilia Tanny, Denmark's wife. He wasn't talking about the cross. He buried her at the foot of the angel."

"The true treasure." Kie frowned.

Bali sighed, leaning on JJ's arm. Pope began to cry as he bend down, "What can we do, Pope?"

The rest of the group kneeled down next to the grave with him, "Denmark was hung for burying his wife, and now they defiled her grave."

Pope reached down, pulling a small pin from inside of the grave. Sarah did the same, a small ring in her palm as she smiled, "This must have been from Denmark. Her wedding ring."

"We can't leave her like this." Pope frowned as he looked at his friends.

"We won't." John B promised. Him and JJ grabbed the casket lid, laying it back over and shutting it tightly. Sarah placed a few flowers she found on top as John B hammered the nails back in.

Bali took her amethyst bracket off and placed it with the flowers. She met Popes eye, "It's an amethyst. It will help heal her after what they've done to her grave."

"Thanks, Bal." Pope gave a sad smile

•

kylie speaks

y'all have been dying
to know what jj said to
kie in the car so i finally
gave it to y'all.

working on a bali edited rn