"Layla! Babe, you up here?" Sarah called after she collected the rest of the pogues at the chateau.

"In here!" Layla called back from down the hall.

Kie nudged Sarah, "She's doing better today?"

"It was a rough night but she's starting to act like herself again." Sarah nodded her head as they neared the room, "I think she just needed to know we were all here for her, honestly."

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

"Pope, look." Sarah spoke as they walked into the dining room, the same one Layla stood in, turning to look back at them, "It's the island room."

"Incredible." Pope gapped as he looked around at it.

"It's been here this whole time." Sarah spoke, rubbing Layla back as she passed. JJ flicked her arm, making her look back and give him a grin. Their little way of apologizing.

"Yo, this is a map of the whole island." John B looked around, his sun glasses pushed up to hold back his curls.

"Yeah, John B, I think you're right because this is Rixon's right here." JJ pointed out, getting closer to the left wall, glancing out the window, pulling Layla under his arm in the process" Then there's the lighthouse."

"I've been studying it while you guys were gone, so much is here that we didn't realize." Layla spoke up with a nod, pointing at the wall, "I mean, the Wreck was build over a old playground."

"Guys, look, parcel 9 and the well." Kie ran her hand over the painting.

"So, if that's Parcel 9, and then if that's Rixon's, then that's gotta be the surf break at Mase." John B circled the room, pointing to the back wall as JJ followed him over.

"Right. And look." JJ held up the paper from Denmark, "Pope, come here. This is Denmark's handwriting for sure."

"The drawings." Pope pointed out as he looked from the wall to the paper, "They match up."

"Let me see." Layla looked down at the drawing in Popes hand, "I have one of these."

"What?" Sarah asked her.

"These types of drawing, I have one. I use it as my bookmark." Layla looked over at her, "The book I gave you to read."

"Let me see." Sarah looked at the drawing, "Holy shit, you do have one of his drawings."

"These are all his drawings. He..he painted this entire room." Pope spoke as he looked around the island room, eyes running across each drawing.

"Yeah, question is why. What's he trying to tell us?" Kie was next to ask, running her hand across a ship painting, her silver ring on display.

"It's gotta have something to do with the key, right? Right?" JJ spoke up again.

"Yeah, but what?" Kie spun to him.

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

"I didn't. It was like this when I got home." Sarah shook her head, looking up at the higher paintings, "Layla and I were wanting to have breakfast in here-"

"And we were met with a tornado that is a island room." Layla hummed, Pope giving her a odd look, "No? Never mind, not funny."

"It was like this when y'all got here?" JJ gave a look of disbelief.

"I don't know." Sarah shrugged.

"The freaks." a new voice came from behind the door, making the group gasp and turn their way.

"Did you not think to come out and say hello when you heard me singing?" Layla yelled at her with a hand on her heart.

"I was too busy laughing." Wheezie shrugged, "Plus, i've never met my sisters girlfriends before so, that would be a terrible first impression."

"What freaks are we talking about, Wheeze?" JJ spoke up toward the younger teen.

"Uh, sick lady and her attack dog." Wheezie shrugged, "They showed up last night, and they wanted to talk to Rafe."

"Pale blonde lady?" JJ hummed her way.

"She had crutches?" Kie went along with him.

Wheezie nodded in agreement.

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

"What happened?" John B jumped in, focusing on Wheezie again.

"First, they searched the whole house looking for something, and then Rafe told me to go upstairs. But I didn't wanna miss out so I listened through the grate." Wheezie nodded her head, falling into a story.

"I like her a lot more then your brother." Layla whispered to Sarah.

"Then they came in here and were freaking out, tearing down all the wallpaper saying how they found it." Wheezie recalled her memory with a wave of her hands, "And they were talking about getting across the sand flamingo."

"That's code." JJ confided.

"The Bahamas?" Layla suggested.

"The Cross of Santo Domingo?" Pope spoke up toward Wheezie in questioning.

"Yeah, that's it." Wheezie agreed.

"That's it." Layla mocked her slightly, Kie nudged her.

"Oh, they were talking about angels!" Wheezie added in quickly, eyes getting wide behind her glasses.

"Angels?" John B gave a odd look.

"Guys, Denmark's famous last words." Pope looked around with wide eyes, "He buried the real treasure at the foot of the angel!"

The group spread out quickly around the room.

"There's a church over here."

"Yeah, check the church."

"Could this be an angel?"

"Maybe."

"Whats- Whats going on? Are you guys gonna tell me?"

"The lighthouse maybe?"

"Maybe it's heat-sensitive."

"A graveyard maybe?"

"Graveyard is smart!"

"Hey, yo! Guys, I think I found something!" JJ cut in quickly, earning all of their attentions as they turned his way, "Come here. This humongous tree is still on Goat Island. And you know what it's called?"

"Angel Oak." Pope confirmed with mesmerized eyes.

"Look there. There's the keyhole." JJ pointed to the middle of the tree, that indeed had a key hole.

"JJ, brilliant." Layla shook his shoulders slightly.

"That means the cross is buried at the foot of the angel." Popes smile formed across his face, "That must be where he put it."

"We have to go!" he agreed with wide eyes.

"I think I'm Sherlock Holmes, all right? You're welcome by the way." JJ spoke up as they all began running out of the island room. Layla reached a hand out for Sarah, taking it.

"There it is, Angel Oak." Kie looked out the window of the twinkie, sitting on the opposite side of Layla.

"God, she's old." Layla squinted out the window, "Bout as old as my dad will be when he gets out of prison."

Sarah gapped at her, "Layla."

"Sorry, dark humor is whats keeping me from having a break down." Layla defended herself with raised hands, Kie patting her back.

"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?"

"I say we get out, swim through it, get a gator, and eat him. Haven't eaten gator since my mom was alive, before she was killed anyways." Layla hummed, John B and JJ turned to look back at her in sync, "No, never mind, nope, bad timing."

"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.

"Run me over a gator!" Layla encouraged.

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

"Layla, enough about the gator!" Pope yelled.

"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.

"All right, so word to the wise, definitely know that gators nest back here, so keep your eyes peeled, okay?" JJ spoke up, Layla looking back at him from where she lead the group with Pope.

"Wonder if they think we're a good thanksgiving meal like I do them?" Layla asked, glancing back at Sarah to encourage her to walk forward.

"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.

"I believe you, JJ. Gators have very strong jaws." Layla hummed, "Kie and Sarah just like to team up on everyone."

"We sometimes expect you to trio up with us." Kie called from behind her, "You know, considering you make A's."

"Layla makes A's?" Sarah asked, "Why didn't I know she was smart?"

"Offended." Layla looked back at 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.

"See, listen." Pope shhed them, hearing something as they all hurried toward the noise.

"I don't see shit!" Rafe called as the group 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.

Layla checked on Sarah, thankful she wasn't sad at the sight of her brother, only anger it seemed, keeping close to the bush as she 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. Kie and Layla shared a look, watching Rafe and Renfield break the casket open.

"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.

"Can't believe they just left her here like that." Layla spoke in disbelief, "Assholes."

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."

She turned to show it to Layla, getting a small smile in return.

"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.

Layla messed with the rainbow shoe string on her wrist before speaking up, "I could say a prayer."

"Are you sure you want to?" John B gave her a look.

"Yeah, i'm okay." Layla nodded, because she knew he'd been hinting at if she'd been ready to say a prayer because it had been her dads thing.

•

kylie speaks

so i know it seems
like im just 100%
ignoring that kie said
she was in love with layla
BUT IM NOT, i'm just
looking for a good time
to write them talking
about it lmao.