well, well, well

"COME ON! YOUR LEGS AREN'T BROKEN, get your ass moving!" Marty states, pulling John B from his un-broken wrist as she quickly walks through the second floor of her house.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," he laughs, as she pushes open another door and shows him the interior.

"I hope you like it, it's your room," Martha gushes as she looks upon her cousin.

John B steps inside, his eyes getting glossy as he takes it all in light bluish-gray walls decorated with his posters from his room back at the Château, his old comforter and blanket neatly tucked under the mattress, his family photo frames hanging on the wall, his skateboard, surfboard, and some clothes packed against the opposite corner near a desk.

He turns to her as his shaky fingers graze on his father's picture. "When did you"—

—"When you were unconscious, JJ and my father moved some stuff in here. J actually picked out everything. Do you like it?" She tilts her head, leaning on the door frame.

"I love it, thanks cuz," John B says, pulling her in for a hug.

"I'm so happy you're here," Martha embraces him. Their smiles never dropping.

"I'm so sorry," John B suddenly apologizes, squeezing her in his grasp. "I should've defended you back at the campfire. What Kie said wasn't right."

"Thanks, Johnny," Marty replies, pulling away with appreciation, "that means a lot, seriously."

"Can I have a hug too?" A familiar voice can be heard over Martha's shoulder. Its tone ranging with pouty-ness.

"Can I just hug my cuz in peace, J?" John B states, stiffening out his arm to push back the blond boy.

Marty rolls her eyes, quickly pulling away from the brunet and patting on his head. "Oh shush," she teases him.

"Yeah, shush," JJ joins in on the fun, obnoxiously poking at his best friend's arm, his smirk growing wider as his girl smiles at his actions.

"Stop it," John B scolds, playfully swatting his hand away, indirectly causing an all-out slapping war between the two boys.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom," Marty announces, tired of their silliness, and walks out of Johnny's bedroom.

"Bro!" JJ says in excitement, hitting John B's arm in a final slap. "Can you believe this shit, Bree?"

"No, I can't, it's crazy. All my life, I've despised kooks and, now, my family is kooks. It's weird to think about that's all," John B discloses, looking around the spacious room before looking back upon his best friend from third grade. "Thank you, J, seriously," he utters, quickly wrapping his arms around the kid in a warm, brotherly, hug.

"Of course, Bree," JJ replies, holding him tighter.

➵ ➵ ➵

THE RED AND BLACK MOTORBIKE ENGINE running as Rafe snorts a line of cocaine on its warm seat. Sniffing his nose, his eye puffy and red from both the drug and the crying he did as his father beat him senseless.

It is dangerous to be outside, considering the news broke out and there have been reporters and cameramen at the Cameron residence all day... until Ward scrambled up enough money to bribe them off the property for least twenty-four hours.

Rafe has been locked up in his house all day, with a watchful eye of his step-mother Rose, but now he's finally free to leave the building— as long as he doesn't leave the property, he's safe.

Or so he thinks.

"You gonna give me a bump, big boy?!" Barry shouts from behind, startling the nineteen year old. "Man, check out this place, though, huh?"

"Hey, Barry. Barry. Hey, man," Rafe says, trying to calm down the long-haired criminal waltzing into his backyard.

"It's fancy! It's a nice place to live!" Barry continues to be loud, noticing how paranoid and jittery the kid has become.

"Listen, okay, I don't have your money," Rafe whispers, looking up to the white house to make sure no one was watching.

"Mm-hm," Barry hums, walking up and relishing at the sight of the boy's jittery behavior.

"All right? Uh— you shouldn't be here now. What are you doing?"

"I'm right here. You wanna know why?" Barry looks up at him with disgust.

"Give me till the weekend, okay?" Rafe looks down, patting Barry on the chest. "All I— all I need you to do is front me more coke."

"Don't touch me, you freak!" Barry yells, pushing his hands off his chest. "I heard about your little extravaganza with that girl on your phone," he points at Rafe's pocket. "I'm not giving you any more."

"Is that why you're here?" Rafe asks, a little taken back. "Suddenly you, of all people, have a moral code?"

"No, no, I'm here because you ain't got my money, but you got all this nice shit," Barry pulls him closer to the bike, it's exhaust smoke hitting their legs. He extends his fist out to hit Rafe but the kook prince backs away.

"Hey, chill, chill!" Rafe yells, scared shitless out of his mind, backing away until he trips on his own feet and Barry grabs his arm.

"Hey! Get off! Hey! What're you doing? Hey!"

Barry pulls him over to the burning hot metal of the motorbike, pushing his arm onto the pan so hard that Rafe's skin starts to sizzle. "Put that on right there. Yeah!"

"Hey! Shit! Stop, stop, stop, stop!" Rafe pleads, dropping to his knees as the pain is overwhelming.

"That's it, you little bitch! Huh?!" Barry laughs at his pain.

"Okay, stop, stop! Okay, chill, man," Rafe groans, as Barry pushing him away.

"How's that feel, baby boy?" Barry yells, watching Rafe fall on his back, holding his wrist as he teeters in pain.

"That's just the coming attractions, big boy. I might deal with shitheads, but i don't fuck with rapists, keep that in mind," Barry leans down, spitting in disgust.

"I'll keep this," he stands, walking over to his bike, "consider this shit right here as your down payment. You got three days." He revs the engine as a last hoorah before stealing and riding away on Rafe's toy.

➵ ➵ ➵

"I'M SORRY, YOU'RE STAYING WHERE?" Kiara sasses as she questions John B about the whole truth. She hasn't seen him in a day or two and she's unbelievably upset with him.

John B sits on an available barstool while the rest of the gang is sitting outside in the sunroom. He told them that he could handle her, but they all knew that he couldn't.

"Uh—"

—"He's staying with me!" Marty finishes for him, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest, looking intimidating as ever. JJ is standing behind her, posting up by the back of her chair. Pope is next to her, focusing on the map and trying to figure out everything like he usually does.

Kie rolls her eyes, grabbing some drinks off the counter and bringing the tray into the sunroom, ignoring Marty as she hands Pope and JJ their drinks.

"Okay, look the only reason I'm living there is that she's my family," John B continues, tired of this whole conversation already.

"Family?" Kiara turns to look at him, eyebrows raised as she slides the black tray under her arm. "What about us? Huh?"

"What do you mean "what about us?" You guys are my family too, I never said that you weren't!" He points out, before continuing, "I just don't understand why you are continuing to make a bigger deal of this than it should be."

"It's because she doesn't want to admit that she's wrong," Marty states, causing Kiara to finally turn around and face her. "I can appreciate that stubbornness and I understand. I forgive you, Kie."

Kiara sighs, guilt plastering on her face as her cheeks heat up from a few sentences. "You're right, M, I'm sorry. I was just a little fired up seeing that my two friends have a better relationship with Sarah Cameron than I do, and I specifically took it out on you. But, hey,  I wasn't completely wrong in what I did say, I mean look at you now."

"Speaking of kook shit," Pope asks John B, leaning in his chair with his arms behind his head and a cocky smile growing on his face, "do you have a membership to the clubs now?"

"I don't know, Pope," John B shakes his head, sitting down in an available chair at the round table.

"What about those little golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ adds on, sipping on his drink. His muscle cut-off showcasing his bicep as he lifts up his cup. He walks over to where Martha is sitting and takes a seat on the armchair. She smiles at him before lowering her head on his thigh, humming softly as his fingers find their way to comb her hair.

"Does it come with a sweater-vest or do you have to buy one on your own?" Pope teases again.

"Nah, we have better taste than that shit," Marty slightly shaking her head as she looks up at her boyfriend and winks at him.

"Look, you promised," Kiara states, causing the group to look up at her. "You said you weren't with her."

"Bro, just own it. She got you," JJ declares, winking back down at his girlfriend.

"Look, if you want to hang out with her that's fine," Kie shrugs, "but I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah."

"Do you guys see her here?" John B announces, "no, right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic," he side glances down at the old map in front of him. "We got the map, right?"

"Well, it's outta whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it," JJ says, sipping from his pop.

"It's cause the coast has changed, Doc," Marty mumbles, causing Pope to snicker at her remark.

"Okay, McFly" he nods, his mouth forming into a straight line as he feels his cheeks and ears grow hot from his blushing state. She hasn't called him that in ages.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed," Pope declares, grabbing his pencil from behind his right ear and tapping the eraser part on significant forts that are scattered all across the island.

➵ ➵ ➵

"WE'RE IN BATTERY, RIGHT HERE," Pope says as he holds down the map, trying to protect it from floating away due to the sea breeze.

The five friends looking out into the horizon as they try to figure out and pinpoint an area that is more similar on both the map and real life. JJ and Marty stand hand-in-hand on some fort ruins; Kie and John B standing on the dirt and soil as they try to follow Pope's instructions on their whereabouts.

"So, if this is parcel nine, then it's somewhere northeast of here," Pope exclaims, finally figuring it out. He points over to the left of them.

"Over there? Guys, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision," JJ points out, sending doubt into Pope's plan until John B speaks up.

"No, Tannnyhill Plantation used to the entire island. It got sold into smaller pieces over time."

"Okay, so we're just looking for an old stone wall."

➵ ➵ ➵

"NO FUCKING WAY! OUT OF ALL PLACES ITS THE CRAIN HOUSE," Martha exclaims with a laugh as she pulls open the side door of Twinkie and walks onto the dirt path with JJ and Kie behind her.

"I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husbands head on the property," JJ states, looking over at his girlfriend.

"Wait, how do you know about this place?" Pope asks, jumping out of the front seat as soon as John B turns off the ignition.

"Yeah, Sarah and I used to come here every Halloween when we were younger. Nicki kinda bullied us to go inside, told us only cool kids do it," she admits, confidently jumping over the stone wall and leading the group into the overgrown backyard.

"You've been inside?!" Kiara asks, quickly jogging up and scooting past the girl.

"Ha! No, we'd always stop at the base of the porch steps and cry our way out," Marty shakes her head, waiting for everyone to past ahead of her as she holds some branches back from the path.

"Honestly, I don't really believe the stories of this place," John B admits, following Kie as they emerge into a gentle clearing. Pope shushes him, rightfully so.

"What stories did you hear?" JJ asks Martha, holding her hips from behind, considering they are the last to follow.

"The one where she killed her husband with an axe and that's she been holed up ever since. On certain nights, when the moon is full, you can see her in the window!" She states, quickly turning around and wiggling her fingers in front of his face. "Oooh!" She imitates a ghost moaning.

"No, McFly, it's not funny, 'cause it's all true," he swats down her hands. "I swear to God, guys, this is all real. I knew Hollis," he turns to watch his path when suddenly a Grecian statue stands in front of him. "Jeez!"

"Wait, you knew Hollis Crain?" Pope asks, reeling back to the couple because he felt brewing tension amongst John B and Kiara. "Dude, how do you know Hollis Crain?"

"Yeah, dude," he stops in his path, "she was my babysitter, man. She told me all about it. Told me the truth..." he looks upon the rest of his friends who stopped to hear what he had to say. "About her mother and what happened in this house."

Marty looks up to the American Horror Story-like house, the wind blowing the leaves across the outside of it.

"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."

"What night?" John B asks, not buying any of this ghost story.

"When it all came back to her," JJ looks at Pope and Marty before turning around and looking at the creepy house. "When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs. So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink... full of blood."

John B rolls his eyes about the dramatics of it all.

"Her mother just says that she cut her finger. The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags. Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head, looking straight back at her."

"God, you are so full of shit," John B tilts his head back, laughing at himself for even believing all of it.

"Dude, I swear to God, man," JJ shakes his head, holding up his hands.

"Did she call the police?" Pope asks, coming closer to the blond.

"She didn't have time, but—wait, hold on! Dude!" JJ states back, before he's interrupted by John B walking in between them and continuing to walk.

"We can't do this!" Pope whisper-shouts, both boys chasing after John B.

"What?" John B states, tired of everything.

"You sure you wanna do this? She's an axe murderer. You got a cast on," JJ points to the house and then back down to John B's wrist.

"I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay? I got nothin' to lose, right? You comin' or what?" Johnny states, shocking Marty and JJ about how serious he was, before continuing into the garden.

"Come on," Kie states, patting Pope on the back as she follows the boy.

"It was a good story," Martha says, causing her blond boy to turn and look at her. "You should be an actor, perfect delivery and everything."

"Thanks, doll, but it's real," JJ states, walking towards his girl.

She holds out her hand and he takes it, instantly. She smiles softly at him before leaning up and kissing him on the lips in reassurance. "C'mon, you big baby."

John B squats down, bringing the rest of the group into a huddle. "Okay, so, here's the plan. We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter."

"Okay, like, what kind of water?" Pope asks, unsure of what to look for. "Like, pond water?"

JJ chuckles, "bong water?" He earns a few confused looks from Pope and Kie, but a sly snicker from Marty— which makes him blush.

"No, it— it just said look for water, okay?" John B states, retelling what the gist of the message was.

"That's the shittiest secret message ever," Kiara scoffs, walking off in a certain direction.

"You wanna complain a little more, Kie?" John B sasses, following her. "Nobody said it was gonna be easy."

Pope, JJ, and Marty remain. "I'll search the northeast quadrant, you guys search the northwest," Pope declares, standing up and pointing to each direction they needed to search, before walking in his chosen direction.

"The—!" JJ stutters, pointing over towards the west side of the garden. "The decapitation quadrant!"

"Oh, please, it can't be that bad. You're with me!" Marty says, hopping on his shoulders, piggyback style. "Onward!"

➵ ➵ ➵

"HEY, PSST! HEY, COME ON. It's the only place we haven't looked," John B calls out to his friends as he opens up an old side door to the basement.

Clicking on his flashlight, he leads the group inside the short-ceiling, dingy, dusty, and cobwebbed room. Pope follows, sighing as he waves his flashlight over some questionable decorations scattered around.

"Down came Mrs. Crain and cut off all our heads," JJ begins to sing the "Mrs Crain Theme Song" to the Itsy-bitsy Spider tune. "Up came the sun and dried up all the blood."

"Can you stop?" Pope questions, stopping shortly to scold his best friend.

"Yeah, J, stop freaking me out," Marty admits, playfully whacking his arm.

"See any water?" Kiara asks as the floorboard creak underneath her. She swats away a mosquito. "Another dead end?"

"There's not even water on the pipes," JJ states, rubbing his hand on the metal to feel something. "Not a dropamino."

"There's no water here," Martha affirms.

"Know why we didn't find it? Bad karma." Kiara states, turning away from the trio and looking at John B, shading him and pissing him off.

"Oh, God. Here we go."

"Ya know, we had a good thing going," she states, anger dripping from her tongue, as the two friends step closer to each other. "And then you decide to rope in Barbie, and now the trail's gone dry. Coincidence? Probably not."

"This is exactly why I didn't wanna tell you about Sarah," JB states.

"Yeah?" Kiara asks, crossing her arms.

"Yeah. What's the hell's going on with you two? Huh?"

"Nothing," the curly brunette shrugs, not wanting to tell.

"Nothing?" John B repeats, smirking as his mind comes up with another answer. "Is it because I kissed you? Is that the problem?"

Kiara slaps him, hard, causing the rest of them to whisper and mumbles amongst themselves.

"Oh!" Pope cringes, holding closed fist up to his mouth. "Oh shit! That echoed, dude," JJ whispers, holding Marty back from swinging. "Hey! I know you're mad at him but there's no need for that!"

"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!"

"Did you uh... hit me?" John B motions to his face.

"Skeeter." Kiara raises her hand, shrugging the slap off like it is justified.

"Skeeter?" He questions, his eyes searching for another one to slap her back.

"Yeah, you see it?" She nods, holding her flashlight to her hand.

"Yeah," he replies, slapping her back across the left cheek.

"Oh, hey!" JJ says, not okay with this is going.
"Okay, alright, knock it off," Pope agrees, knowing that hurt.
"Johnny, what the fuck! Nevermind. Beat his ass, Kie."

"Where's your proof?" She chuckles, nodding over to what Martha says.

"Skeeter." JB raises his hand.

"Yeah? There's probably one right there."
"Oh, there's probably one right there."
"Yeah, really? You saw that?"

They begin to hit each other, continuously as they make up excuses of there being actual bugs.

"Shh!" Pope tries to calm them down.

"On your forehead," John B hits right above her eyebrows.
"You're dead. That's it. Today's the day that you die." Kiara chuckles, as she backs away.

"Jesus," Pope complains, hitting himself from all the mosquitoes landing on him. "These things are a freakin swarm! Why are there so many mosquitoes in a basement?"

"Dude. I know, seriously," JJ agrees, waving his hands in the air as he tries to sway away the nasty bloodsuckers. "Tiny vampire bats, just leave me alone."

"Oh, my gosh! Okay, can we leave? Cause I'm already itchin' to leave," Marty shouts, crossing her arms as she tries to itch the back of her exposed elbow. "Ha, punny."

Pope finds a pebble, dropping it into a hole. Listening to the rock that fell in the cracks of the old, wooden floorboard, the hollow echo as water splashes beneath him seconds later.

"I think I just found Mrs. Crain's voodoo doll, guys," JJ whispers, pointing his flashlight into the direction of an old doll.

"Boo!" Marty says loudly, shaking JJ's arms.

"Ah!" JJ jumps, startled by her scare. "Jesus Christ, McFly, don't do that."

"Oh shit," Marty giggles, "you should've seen your face!"

Simultaneously, Pope starts shuffling the wood around, trying to clear it in order to lift the floorboard much easier. "Hey, guys, help me move this!"

"Okay, just... be quiet," Marty agrees, trying not to wake up Mrs Crain above them. The group starts to clear things off, one by one the junk is finally off.

"Guys! Guys!" Kiara whisper-shouts, squatting down and grabbing the edge of the board. "She's probably right upstairs.

"Guys. I know. Yeah, yeah. Sh, sh," Pope agrees, as everyone follows her movements, leans down, and starts to shuffle the wood off— revealing a stone well.

"Well, well, well," Pope jokes as they all look down into the dark abyss.

"That was a good dad joke," Marty laughs, patting Pope on the back.

fez speaking!!

sorry for the long ass wait.
i've been at college for a month and i needed to transition into the young adult life and shit. (i've already had a midterm fml)

this was a long chapter too, so i hope that it makes up for the fact that i took fucking forever to update. (almost 3800 words)

thank you for 230K I LOVE YALL SO SO SOOO MUCHO.