Lacey and Grace looked up on sync when the door of their room opened. Lila creeped in that night, giving a small smile. Lacey put her computer aside while Grace set her book on her lap. Lila crawled in the middle of then and laid there with a sigh, "I'm sorry for being mean to you guys."

"We're sorry for not telling you sooner." Grace spoke as she patted Lilas dyed locks, "We were just scared."

"We didn't want you to choose him over us." Lacey said back as she looked down at her as well, "We love you too much."

"I'd never choose any parents over you guys." Lila said as she shut her eyes, "I'm sorry for Logan."

Grace and Lacey shared a look. They smelt the alcohol on her breath but knew it was far from the right time to ask.

"What do you mean, honey?" Lacey asked, catching Lila start to drift, "Lila?"

"I'm sorry for killing him." she whispered, falling in and out of sleep, "I'm sorry for taking him away from you."

Grace placed a hand on her face, "Lila, do you-"

"Stop." Lacey said suddenly as she watched, "She's asleep."

"Lila?" Grace whispered down to her, getting nothing in return, "You stay here, i'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Lacey asked, being ignored. She looked down at Lila and ran a hand through her hair, keeping her still and asleep. Grace headed down stairs, peaking into the kitchen as she heard the voices.

"Grace." Rose said from behind her, earning a gasp, "I didn't know you were awake."

"Do you have guest?" her voice rung, catching the attention of the woman and the man in the kitchen.

"Where's Lila?" Rafe asked her suddenly.

"Sleeping." Grace said bitterly, looking at the unknown pair, "Sorry, i'm Grace Griffin."

"Carla Limbrey." she said back with a minor smile.

Rafe waited until both Lacey and Grace left in the morning to show Carla the island room. When Renfield voiced that he'd met Lila and that she's recognize him, it worried Rafe that Lila would run off and tell her friends if she happened to wake. He warned them to stay quiet a moment as he slipped up stairs and walked to her room. He didn't find her, going into her moms room instead.

Lila was passed out in the king sized bed, arms thrown above her head as her head tilted to one side. Her lips were slightly parted, chest heaving in the slightest. One of her legs was bent while the other straight, laying on top of the covers. Rafe shut the door as he approached her, touching her calf and feeling the coldness of her skin.

"Lila." he whispered, sitting next to her. Lila didn't answered, a light weight that crashed the second she got the smallest sip of alcohol in her system. Rafe knew that and could imagine she was drinking at the bond fire that night, slapping her leg slightly. Lila gave a noise, moving in the slightest, "Get up, I gotta bring you to my room."

When she didn't move nor hear him, Rafe huffed. He stood up, leaning over and picking her up. Lila groaned as he held her, accidentally hitting her head in the door as they walked out of the room, "Ow."

"Sorry." Rafe said, pulling the door nearly shut with his foot, "I'm taking you to my room."

Lilas arms dangled suddenly as he lifted her better, tumbling slightly.

"Jesus, work with me, woman." he said, earning a groan as he mocked it.

"Too tired." she said back.

"Just stay asleep." he spoke, pushing his bedroom door open with his foot and heading to his bed. He laid her down, her head hitting the pillow and she'd been out yet again. Rafe huffed in disbelief, recovering after the fight it was to get her in here. He pulled the blankets over her better, making sure her arm wasn't bent oddly. Leaning down, he kissed her forehead before headed to the door.

Locking it from the outside.

"Hello?" Sarah called out a few hours later as she walked into her house, finding it oddly quiet and dull. She heard loud knocked coming from up stairs, "Wheez? Where is everyone?"

"Sarah!" Lila yelled from the other side of Rafes door, hitting it, "Your asshat brother locked me in here!"

"Lila?" Sarah called as she got to the other side, "What the hell?"

"Do you have a key? I have to pee, dude!" Lila called from the other side, yanked on the door, "Where is he?"

"I don't know, you're the only one here." Sarah called back as she searched the hallway for the key, "The room down the hall is completely destroyed."

"Your family is so weird." Lila said back, "What was the point of locking me in?"

"Where did your moms go?" Sarah asked, looking under the vase and sighing in relief when she got the key.

"They had to go put a flyer out so they could get work done and make money." Lila said as Sarah opened the door, "No one else is here?"

"No, I looked all over." Sarah said as Lila hurried toward the bathroom, "Hurry up, we better go see your friends."

"I oddly enjoyed that." Lila said as she climbed off the back of Sarah's bike, "For someone who is hung over, was locked in a room by her ex, hungry as hell, and is ridiculously confused."

"You know I got you." Sarah said as they looped arms and headed up to the chateau porch, passing the Twinkie with its cracked window shield.

"Well, hello, princess and the frog." JJ said as he nodded toward Lilas choice of green shorts.

"What's up?" Kie asked.

"I got locked in a room and almost peed on myself." Lila huffed as she moved JJ's legs to sit down, "I need some breakfast right now."

"Shouldn't you be on Figure Eight with your little group of polo players?" John B questioned as he looked at Sarah with a raise of his eyebrows, "Or did you break up with Topper."

"We're just friends." Sarah faked a smile his way.

"Why were you locked in a room?" Pope asked Lila as he looked her way.

"Heck if I know." Lila shrugged, "Rafe has some secrets he clearly doesn't want me to know."

"Well, that's not the first I have heard that." Pope pointed out, "Why are you wearing green?"

"Why is everyone being weird that i'm wearing green?" Lila asked in disbelief as she looked at her shorts, "I've wore green before."

"Yeah but not just green." Kie pointed out as she eyed her, "You don't have any purple?"

"My underwear is purple." Lila pointed out.

"All right, what are you doing here?" John B said as he sat up and looked at Sarah.

"I'm here for Pope." the blonde said back as she looked his way, "I think I found the island room."

"The diary says the cross holds the most holy relic in all of Christendom, the Garment of the Savior." Pope read as they road in the Twinkie.

"So wait, he saying there's a holy garment inside the cross?" Kie questioned with a odd look.

"Yeah. It says the garment is capable of healing the sick from any malady." Pope read again as he stared down at it.

"Mmm, yeah, 'If only I may touch his garment, I shall be made well.' "JJ spoke up with a nod, making each of them look back at him oddly, "What? I went to sunday school."

"Ugh, so did I and we learned nothing about this." Lila commented as she huffed, "All they ever taught me was homophobia and misogamy."

"I hate your village." Kie rolled her eyes.

"Same, I genuinely have zero clue why my moms want to stay there so bad." Lila said, falling back on the seat, "Do you think that has to do with why Limbrey wants the cross?"

"It definitely explains it." Pope nodded her way, "She thinks it can heal her."

"Feels like witchcraft to me." Lila hummed, "Still don't get why I was locked in a room."

"You know, i'd also like to know why Lila was locked in a room." JJ nodded.

"What else does it say?" Kie asked Pope with a nod.

"Many feel that we have sinned to steal such a sacred thing, and God will strike his vengeance on us." Pope read, looking down at the shipwreck on the page.

"Thing is, God did have his vengeance." Kie commented.

"He sent a hurricane to sink the ship." Pope said back, "Only Denmark survived."

"This place still freaks me out." John B commented as they walked through the Cameron house.

"So, what do you think Rafe has to do with the cross? I mean, like, maybe he is trying to ask for forgiveness?" Lila asked with a odd look, walking in the middle, "Doesn't sound like him."

"Definitely doesn't sound like him." Sarah agreed.

"Dunno. But whatever it is he clearly doesn't want you knowing anything about it." Pope said as he glanced back at Lila when they walked into the trashed room, "You didn't hear any of this happening?"

"Pope, I was hammered." Lila shook her head.

"Two beers and a shot of vodka." JJ said as he held a finger at her, "Lightweight."

"You've got to be kidding me." Pope said as he looked around at the room.

"Yeah. I know, right? It's the island room." Sarah gave a minor laugh, "It's been here this whole time."

"No freaking way." John B spoke, looking at the map under the torn wall paper.

"This definitely means something." JJ commented.

Lila looked at the hole in the wall, tracing her hand over it.

"Yo, this is a map of the whole island." John B spoke up as he looked around.

"Seems so small when you look at it like this." Lila spoke as she looked around.

"Yeah, John B, I think you're right because this is Rixons right here." JJ spoke as he looked up at the wall with a point of his finger, "And then there's the lighthouse."

"Guys, look, Parcel nine and the well." Kie spoke as she ran her hand over it.

"This is insane." Lila said in mesmerization, looking around at the room, "Why is it here?"

"I have no clue." Sarah said back.

"So if thats Parcel nine, and then if that's Rixons, then that's gotta be the surf break at Mase." John B nodded as he pointed to the back wall, JJ following.

"Right. And look." the blonde boy spoke, "Pope, come here. This is Denmark's handwriting for sure."

"JJ, you smartie pants." Lila threw a arm around him with a grin.

"The drawings, they match." Pope spoke as JJ held up the paper to the wall, "Denmark, you genius. These are all his drawings. He painted this entire room."

"Yeah, question is why. Whats he trying to tell us?" Kie asked.

"Let me host a seance." Lila spoke up as they looked her way, "We can try and contact him."

"Lila, do those even work?" John B asked in disbelief.

"They do as long as you don't show you're scared." she nodded before looking around, "Or I have my ouija board. He'll spell something to us. Like a clue."

"That's actually a really good idea." Pope said.

"Are you crazy? I don't do ghost." JJ said quickly.

"But it could help." Pope spoke his way.

"There only has to be two of us." Lila spoke up as she looked at Pope, "You and I can do it together and ask him just for a small clue. No one else has to be involved."

"No, i'm helping the two of you." John B spoke up, "Lila, are you sure you can do this?"

"I've done it millions of times." the blonde nodded quickly, "I can definitely do it."

"Okay, let's do it." Pope nodded.

"How did you know to uncover this?" John B asked Sarah.

"I don't know, it was like this when i got home." Sarah shook her head, "Rafe i'm guessing, since he locked Lila up."

"But why would he lock her up?" Kie asked her.

"I don't know." Sarah said back.

"The freaks." a new voice came through, making them all gasp and then turn to the door way.

"Wheez." Sarah said as she stared at her in disbelief

"What freaks are we talking about, Wheeze?" JJ questioned her.

"The old lady and her attack dog." Wheezie said as she looked at them, "They showed up last night and wanted to talk to Rafe. Grace came down and started asking questioned so he pretending to say she was our great aunt."

"Weirdo." Lila rolled her eyes.

"Pale blonde lady?" JJ asked as Wheezie nodded.

"She had crutches?" Kie added in as Wheeze agreed again.

"It's gotta be Limbrey." Pope concluded.

"What happened?" John B asked Wheezie with questionable eyes.

"After Grace and Lacey left this morning they searched the whole house looking for something, and then the guy said he knew Lila, so Rafe told me to go upstairs. But I didn't wanna miss out, so I listened through the grate. Rafe went and locked Lila in his room and they started saying they found it over and over when they came into this room." Wheezie said as she recalled the story perfectly, "And they were talking about getting across the sand flamingo."

"That's code for something." JJ agreed.

"The cross. The cross of Santo Domingo?" Pope asked her with a odd look.

"Yeah, that's it." Wheezie said back with a nod, "Oh, and they were talking about angels."

"Angels?" John B questioned.

"Lila." Pope said as he looked her way, "Get your board, we need answers."

"Got it." she said, hurrying off toward her room down the hall.

•

kylie speaks

rafe really was like
aw let me kiss you
on the forehead then
lock your ass in this
room.

also i'm so excited to
write about lila in her
element and with her ghost!
i know that some
religious people might get
uncomfortable with that so
i will put a tw and a symbol
to indicate when the ouija part
is over bc it won't be long!