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❝ you are so naive sometimes ❞
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𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

"Guys, we're coming up on Freedman's Church" Pope speaks up, gaining all of our attention "The church Denmark built for all the slaves he freed"

We speed past the church and I intently watch from the window like a child on a school trip.

"There it is, Angel Oak" Kiara points out and we all look forward.

"Oh, shit! Tide's coming in" John B notices as the van slows down.

"Hey, wait a second. Look. They already came through here" Pope informs us "Those have to be Limbrey's tire tracks. Guys, we gotta go"

"Mmm, what do you think, chief?" JJ asks John B.

"I'm thinking it's looking a little dicey" John B answers.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with that statement" JJ nods.

"Yeah" John B mumbles.

"Okay, clearly, they made it. No?" Kiara counters.

"In a two-wheel drive? I don't know about that" JJ scoffs.

"The Twinkie is kinda beat up, Kie" I remind the Carrera girl.

"Hey!" John B throws an empty can back at me but I manage to dodge it.

"Why are y'all acting like you're not gonna do it anyways? Like when have y'all ever done the safe thing?" Sarah smiles widely in amusement.

"She's got a point" John B shrugs and they both turn to face forward again.

"Speed is your friend here, okay? So, put her down in second and hammer down, brother" JJ tells him.

"Stick to the ground in the middle" Pope adds.

"All right, ready? Here we go" John B announces, sending the van speeding forward.

"Come on. Punch it" JJ encourages "Speed is your friend. You're not going fast enough"

"I'm in second" John B retorts.

"It's gonna slide" Kiara comments worriedly.

"You're fishtailing already" JJ states matter of factly.

"I know" John B huffs.

"Not to put any more pressure on you, but if you don't make it through, we'll be stuck here forever" Pope declares, leaning between the front seats.

"Oh, yeah. No pressure" I scoff sarcastically.

"Put your head back, okay?" John B orders, pushing Pope's head back.

We reach the other side of the road that's not flooded and everyone cheers in relief.

"I told you we'd make it" John B brags proudly.

"That's my girl" JJ chirps happily and I glare at him, causing his grin to drop "I mean, not that because obviously you're my girl and not the van"

"Yeah, yeah. Hold the excuses, Maybank" I wave him off and he frowns, but doesn't argue.

"All right, right here. That's good" JJ tells John B, the van slowing to a stop and he climbs out "Angel Oak is right through here"

"All right, so word to the wise" He continues as he opens the side door for us to get out "Definitely know that gators nest back here, so keep your eyes peeled, okay? You don't wanna step on a mama gator. That's the last thing you want"

The blonde boy holds out his hand to me with a boyish grin and I can't help but smile, taking a hold of his hand as I jump out the van.

"They have nests?" Kiara questions.

"Seems like a good place to park" Sarah mutters.

"All right. You don't wanna be a Pat Womack. She had her calf chewed off by a gator, right? You know that, right?" JJ tells us.

"That's actually not true" Kiara corrects him "Pat Womack was injured in a car accident, but I hear you"

"Okay, just live in ignorance" JJ scoffs "But like, she had her calf chewed off by a mama gator. I know that for a fact"

"You are so naive sometimes" I comment in amusement.

"They like the brackish water. Wait. Hold on. I see something" JJ lets go of my hand and crouches down near the water.

"What are you doing?" Kiara asks him in disbelief as he starts splashing the water with a long stick.

"JJ, stop that" I scold him, yanking him back away from the water.

"Right. Wake them up. That's smart" Sarah says sarcastically.

"I was just making sure it wasn't a gator. That's all, all right?" JJ retorts.

"Okay, I just wanna make this crystal clear so you don't lose your shit and cause another riot" Sarah speaks to John B from behind us but I'm nosey and listen in "I am here for Pope and not you"

"You're here for Pope and not me?" John B asks, not convinced.

"Yeah" Sarah answers.

"That the case?" He mocks her.

"Mm-hmm" She nods in confirmation.

"Then why are you back here walking with me, huh, Sarah Cameron?" He questions her and I turn my head back just in time to see Sarah let go of a branch she's holding, causing it to hit him in the face.

"I don't know. Why am I?" Sarah scoffs, speeding up to catch up with us and I snort loudly in amusement.

I hold my hand up to my sister as she reaches me and she gives me a high five, the both of us grinning childishly.

"Hey, shh" Pope warns us as we near the sound of a loud engine.

The six of us duck behind a crowd of bushes and peek out to see the scene in front of us. Carla Limbrey, Renfield and Rafe all stand beneath the Angel Oak with a bunch of digging construction workers.

"I don't see shit" Rafe declares, shovel in his hand "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" Carla assures him.

"Well, whatever we find, I get my cut" Rafe retorts.

"I know you don't believe it, but countless stories over millennia prove that..." Carla speaks to Renfield as she approaches the boy "...miracles happen"

The deafening sound of wood crunching causes me grimace as I share a worried look with Kiara and Sarah.

"Hey! Wait! Stop! Stop. Please stop. Did you hear it?" Carla shouts frantically "Hey, get in there, boys. Do it by hand"

"Oh. This has gotta be the cross" Carla grins as the work men all start digging.

"It's smaller than I thought" She states, looking down into the hole "It looks like a-"

"Casket" Rafe finishes for her, causing Carla and Renfield to glance at him.

"He put it in a casket" Carla laughs "Denmark put it in a casket. Get it up!"

"Let's go" Renfield orders.

"Here. Come on" Rafe coaxes, helping them pull the casket out of the hole in the ground.

They drop the casket onto the dirt and Rafe grabs a crowbar from its place next to the base of the tree.

"They got the cross? What do we do? What do we do?" JJ rushes out.

"What can we do?" John B counters.

"Be careful" Carla warns him "Don't touch anything inside! Don't touch anything inside!"

Renfield and Rafe pry open the casket and throw the lid off to the side, Carla leaning over to look inside before pausing in confusion.

"It's just a corpse" Renfield announces "Sorry, Carla"

"A corpse" I repeat in a quiet voice, my heart aching when I turn to see the broken look on Pope's face.

"We must have missed something" Carla huffs out.

"Of course. Of course, yeah. Of course it's just a dead body. Jesus!" Rafe snaps at the woman in irritation.

"We just got the wrong place. We'll go back to the island room. We're going back! We're going back! It's not over!" Carla yells in determination.