AURORA AWOKE when the sudden morning breeze decided to freeze her, and she soon remembered that she had decided to sleep outside on the hammock. However, a blanket was placed over her, meaning one of the Pogues had come to check on her while she was sleeping; Rory took a breath of relief, internally rejoicing because they didn't hate her.

"Morning, Grumpy." JJ's voice chimed, as Rory peeled her eyes open to see him. He raised his hands in surrender, "I come in peace." He paused, hesitating as he debated what to say, "Are you okay?" His eyes quickly glanced down at the pack of cigarettes on the floor, but he pretended he didn't notice.

"I'm freezing." Rory mumbled.

"That's because you slept outside," JJ mused sarcastically, "I wanted to bring you back inside, but another part of me didn't want to die. It was Sarah's idea to give you a blanket. Don't tell her I told you that, though."

"She hates me." Rory sat up, burying her head in her hands as she wiped the sleep out of her eyes.

"Sarah couldn't hate you, no matter how hard she tried." JJ reassured, "She was just quiet this morning."

"Is she here?" Rory asked curiously. 

"No, they left a few minutes ago to deal with Terrance." JJ explained, "I told them you would help me sort out the Twinkie. Make sure it's ready to go to Charlest—"

"JJ." Rory sighed, "I'm not—"

"Why?" He interrupted, "It's just a road trip. Just... with money involved. It's nothing we haven't done before."

"It feels different this time." Rory explained, as she climbed out of the hammock, "Two people are already dead. Three people if you count the man that Shoupe showed us. How do we know that we're not next?"

JJ sighed, before placing a hand on Rory's shoulder, "Sister, listen." He started, causing her to roll her eyes. JJ continued, "I said listen. I won't let anything happen to you, alright? Nothing bad is gonna happen."

Rory deadpanned, "You said that before... then you got the bends."

"That was a misunderstanding," JJ defended, as they walked towards the Twinkie, "I've learned from that mistake. And I'm still alive."

Rory huffed, "Fine." Her brother cheered, before cracking open a beer can in celebration.

RORY
hey can we talk

Rory looked at the screen, almost wishing Sarah would reply in an instant. She stared down at the screen, her eyes burning into the brightness, as she patiently waited for Sarah to text her back. Nothing. Rory knew that she was busy burying a body, but she couldn't stop the anxious pit in her stomach knotting itself tighter as the minutes went on.

RORY
im sorry

Her fingers anxiously tapped the side of the phone as she waited for a reply. She didn't want her anger to ruin things between them; Sarah did seem really upset. Why did Rory have to take things so far? Though, in the moment, Rory was being reasonable. But, looking back, she could've just explained how she was feeling to Sarah, without saying she's suffocating.

RORY
tell me what i can do
to make it better

Her brother scoffed, his head underneath the Twinkie as he screwed the car parts, "Are you gonna help me with the Twinkie, or keep texting Sarah?" He pushed himself out from underneath the vehicle when his sister didn't reply. JJ wiped the sweat from his forehead, sitting on the grass, "She isn't texting you back because she's dealing with Terrance. You know that, okay?"

Rory sighed, looking up from the screen, "I know, but... What if she sees I've messaged her and chosen to not reply?"

JJ reassured, "You don't know that, Rory, because you aren't there with her. She's busy, okay? She'll read them on her way back, then talk to you." He rolled himself back under the Twinkie, "What was your argument about anyway?"

Rory frowned curiously, "She didn't tell you?"

"No," The boy replied, "She walked back inside and went straight to her room." He added, "Pass me the wrench."

Rory placed her phone in her pocket, before crouching down next to the Twinkie and passing the tool to her brother. She took a breath, "I just wanted to be alone last night. I like being alone when my head is... crowded. Sarah, uh, she just wouldn't leave me alone."

"Well, she is your girlfriend, Rory." JJ explained, his head still under the vehicle, "You can't push her away."

"I wasn't." Rory shot back, tensing. She took a breath, "I just wanted to be alone, but she followed me and wouldn't let me go and..."

"And then you shouted." JJ assumed, because he knew how Rory worked; he was used to it happening, and learned to work around her anger. He rolled himself out from underneath the Twinkie, sitting opposite her, "Sarah will understand, okay? She's just upset. This has happened before, right?"

"Yeah, but I was using back then," Rory explained, "So, I had an excuse to freak out over little things. Now I'm clean, the anger is just me. It's who I am."

"Don't talk like that," JJ shook his head in disapproval, "When it's happened before, high or not, Sarah has always forgiven you. Why would it be any different now?"

Rory's mind flashed to when her and Sarah spoke about a wedding; maybe Sarah wouldn't want to marry her after last night's argument? Rory looked at the floor, her heart dropping to her stomach. The argument was different this time because they weren't just girlfriends anymore, they were reaching a level of being each other's fiancés. Aurora has so much more to lose, and that terrified her.

JJ noticed her change in expression, as he frowned slightly, "Rory? Yo, what's wrong?"

Suddenly, the ruffling of leaves and twigs snapping caused the two siblings to jump to their feet. JJ picked up the wrench, clasping onto it tightly, as he looked around at the trees and bushes around them.

"Maybe they're back from burying Terrance." Rory said, though it sounded more like a question that seeked reassurance. 

"They wouldn't be back yet," JJ replied, before turning back to the Twinkie and opening the bonnet of the vehicle. He reassured, "It's probably nothing. The wind, or something."

Rory nodded, before peering into the bonnet of the Twinkie and watched JJ screw a few parts. Rory pointed at the engine parts, criticising, "Screw that tighter, J."

"It's fine the way it is." The boy replied, sticking his tongue out as he concentrated on fixing the next part.

Rory sighed, "It needs to be tighter. Let me do it. JJ, just—" she tried to take the wrench from her brother hand, though he pulled away.

He bickered, "No, no. I'm the handy-man. Rory, let go. Let go!" Rory let go immediately, as the same sounds of twigs snapping grew louder. JJ remarked, "Well, that was easy—"

"Shut up." Rory interrupted quickly, slapping a hand over his mouth. She listened as the sound of distant footsteps grew louder, as JJ's eyes widened in concern.

Abruptly, Rory grabbed the wrench from JJ's hand and stepped out from behind the Twinkie. She raised the tool up in the air, though her body flinched when a familiar man appeared in front of her.

Rory jumped back onto JJ, "Fuck! Holy... it's you." She looked at the man that was a servant from Goat Island, his expression still the same, which creeped Rory out.

"You almost made us killers, man." JJ caught his breath, watching as the man raised his arms in surrender.

"But, you ain't killers." The man grumbled, "Not yet, anyway." He paused, as the twins glanced at each other in concern. The man added, passing the boy a letter, "Mr Genrette wanted to give this to you in case something happened. And I guess it did. I've been lookin' all over for you both."

JJ questioned curiously, "What's this?"

"Don't know. But he said you'd both want it." The man replied, before walking away.

"Well... bye. Bye, sir." Rory called out to the man who continued walking, before turning back to JJ who was struggling to read the letter. She frowned, "Well, that was weird."

"Cursive." JJ scoffed in disbelief, "I can't read it."

Rory grabbed the letter from the boy, reading the envelope, "To Master JJ and Mistress Aurora Maybank."

"Read it out loud." JJ replied impatiently, looking over his sister's shoulder as she opened the letter,  "Rory, rea—"

"Wait. Just wait... hold on." Rory shushed him as her eyes began darting along the cursive words on the page. JJ looked at her, trying to gather what was happening by the expression on Rory's face.

Her eyes fell on the word 'father' and her whole body froze.

"What?" JJ frowned, glancing at Rory and then the sheet of paper, "What is it?"

Rory hesitated, her eyes fixed on the six-lettered word on the page, "We're not going to Charleston."