'✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹ t h e   m a s k .ᐟ
episode one. ▌ 𝙰𝙻𝙻 𝙰𝙱𝙾𝚄𝚃 𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚁𝙶𝚈.

The sun hung low over the Outer Banks, casting a golden streak across the sprawling marshes. Daisy Shelby balanced barefoot on the edge of a dock, her sun-bleached hair flowing over her shoulders as she stared into the waves beneath her.

A vintage fishing rod dangled loosely from her hand, more prop than tool. She wasn't here to fish—Daisy never really stayed still long enough for that—fishing wasn't her vibe.

The Outer Banks was separated into two parts: the Kooks, born into wealth and beachfront homes, and the Pogues, who scraped by with salt air, and borrowed dreams. Daisy, belonged to the latter. She was The Cut's favourite daughter, belonging to the Shelby Family—earning the nickname "Pogue Princess."

It wasn't a title she'd chosen, but Daisy wore it like she did most things: a little too proudly and with a wink.

"Dais, are you even trying?" Finn, one of her oldest friends, called from a nearby skiff where he was untangling a net. His face was smudged with salt, his shirt damp from the afternoon's catch.

"Try harder, Finn!" she shot back, smirking. "I'm manifesting a fish. It's all about the energy."

Everyone knew Daisy wasn't about the practical. She had the sharp tongue of someone who had nothing to lose and a magnetic charm that made her impossible to ignore. She could make a story out of strangers she'd gaze at and make a sandbar party feel like the ultimate miami experience.

While others scrambled to survive, Daisy thrived on daring—jumping from abandoned lighthouses, sneaking into Kook parties just to steal their liquor.

As the setting sun dipped closer to the horizon, her phone buzzed in her shorts. Pulling it out, she saw a message from her older sister, Marley—a figure more ghost than sibling.

marley
dee, we need to
talk. it's important.

She rolled her eyes, shoving the phone back into her pocket. Marley had been gone for years, — choosing only now just to contact her younger sibling as their mother has just died.

Important. What could be more important than this? than now?

"Let's go!" she called to Finn, already tossing her fishing rod onto the dock.

She sprinted toward the Carolina skiff 21, leaping in. The boat rocked, making Finn curse, but Daisy only laughed.

She was always moving—like the tides, like trouble.

The boat's engine roared to life, the shoreline fading behind them as they sped toward a hidden inlet.

Yet Daisy's gaze drifted toward the distant outline of the lighthouse, her smile faltering for just a moment.

For a girl who made it her mission to live in the present, the past was starting to feel a lot closer than it should.

She laided back in the boat, stretching her golden legs out. Her mind would circle back to her older sister's text. Daisy didn't want to care,
she wanted to forget all about this.

Marley's sudden reappearance after years of radio silence felt like a stone dropped into the still waters.

She didn't want to care, but Marley had a way of making herself impossible to ignore.

"You good, Dais?" Finn's voice cut through her thoughts. He parked his boat up, so he could face her.

"Always," she lied, leaning forward into the cooler, grabbing a beer. Daisy took a swig and shrugged off the weight of her thoughts. "You're the one who should be worried. I heard Sophie dared you to race her skiff tonight."

Finn groaned, and Daisy let out a laugh — sounding loud and forced.

"You should try relaxing," Finn sat on the edge of his boat, a beer in his hand. 

"I know being the Pogue Princess is exhausting, but maybe let someone else take the crown for a night." He added.

"Please-" Daisy scoffed. "If I relax, who's gonna keep this place interesting?"

But the joke felt hollow. Her gaze drifted again, this time toward the dark horizon where the lighthouse stood like a silent sentinel.

The laughter around her faded into the rhythm of waves lapping against the boats. Daisy let her fingers trace the top of her beer can, trying to push back the unease feeling in her heart.

"What's so interesting about staring off into space?" Finn teased, tossing a bottle cap her way, bouncing off her shoulder.

"Just planning my next big adventure." she shot back, her voice sharper than intended.

Finn raised an eyebrow. "You mean trouble, right? Because that's more your style."

Daisy smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes. She glanced again at the lighthouse, its beam sweeping across the water like it was looking for something—or someone. She couldn't shake the feeling it was calling to her.

"Alright, Princess, your move." Finn stretched out, pointing toward the horizon. "You planning on storming the lighthouse or just staring at it all night?"

Daisy drained the rest of her beer, the fizz biting the back of her throat. She stood, balancing on the edge of the boat, her hair blowing back with the wind.

"Why not both?" she challenged.

"Dais, come on," Finn groaned, leaning back in his seat. "The old man who runs that place hates visitors. You really wanna get chased off by some shotgun-wielding hermit?"

The pair fell into silence -- a comfortable one -- Finn drove his boat back considering it was getting late.

"I'll be back before you miss me." Daisy hopped off the boat, landing on the dock, she turned to face him with a wink.

She felt his eyes on her as she made her way toward the shore, her heart pounding harder with each step.

She didn't know why the lighthouse called to her tonight, but Daisy had learned long ago to trust her gut—no matter where it led her.

Daisy smiled to herself. The lighthouse loomed ahead, sticking out like a sore thumb as she stared at it.

The sand was cool beneath Daisy's feet as she left the dock behind. She looked out to the lighthouse, its presence both eerie and inviting.

The beam swept past her again, lighting up the narrow path ahead, like it was inviting her in.

She felt her pulse quicken, her heart thumping in her chest.

Her steps slowed as she approached the base of the lighthouse.

The wooden door was closed, the paint peeling, and a rusted padlock hung loosely on the latch. Daisy ran her fingers over the cold metal, feeling the edges of a story she didn't yet know.

A noise startled her—a twig snapping.

She spun around, her breath catching. For a moment, she swore she saw a shadow flicker in the distance, near the dunes.

"Who's there?" she called, her voice steady despite the unease creeping up her spine.

The silence was her only answer. Daisy wasn't the type to scare easily. If someone was watching, they'd have to do more than skulk in the dark to shake her.

She turned back to the lighthouse and gave the door a push. To her surprise, it swung open with a groan.

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of smoke and mildew. She instantly gagged, lifting the top half of her shirt up to her nose.

Her flashlight's beam cut through the gloom, revealing a spiral staircase winding up into the darkness.

Daisy hesitated, should she be doing this? She suddenly shook it off, the familiar rush of rebellion taking over.

Whatever secrets this place held, she was determined to find them.

The first step echoed loudly, but Daisy kept climbing. The higher she went, the more the sounds of the ocean faded, replaced by an unsettling stillness.

Her mind flickered back to stories she'd heard about the lighthouse —the one's JJ would tell specifically. -- rumours of hidden rooms, strange lights, and people who had disappeared without a trace.

At the top, she found herself in the lantern room. The lightbulb that hung from the ceiling, gave the room a dim light.

She stepped closer, her breath catching when she noticed something odd—a bundle of papers, carefully laided on a workbench.

They looked old, their edges yellowed.

Curiosity bubbled through her. She reached out, fingers brushing the brittle pages. The top sheet was covered in handwritten notes, a mix of numbers, sketches, and phrases she couldn't quite make out.

But one word stood out, scrawled in bold letters across the bottom.

TREASURE.

Her heart pounded as she heard the sound of footsteps behind her—slow, deliberate. Daisy spun around, flashlight raised.

A figure stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the night.

Their face was hard to make out, but their voice was sharp and low.

"You shouldn't be here," they said-- their deep voice echoing the room.

Daisy tightened her grip on the flashlight, her mind racing.

She stood frozen for a moment, the beam of her flashlight trembling as it illuminated the stranger's outline. They stood frozen, standing right by the door.

"Funny," Daisy said, her voice steady despite her heart about to jump from her chest. "I was about to say the same thing to you."

( AUTHORS NOTE 🪽 : )

first chapter how we feeling ... ? ( 1500+ words phew ) on a side note . . . happy holidays everyone <33

( unedited )

vote + comment for chapter two! 🦌

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