PARADISE ON EARTH | jj maybank (DISCONTINUED)

1.07

"MY DAD'S. MY DAD'S office." Said John B, who immediately started walking towards the inside of the house. "He always kept his office locked because he was worried about his competitors stealing his Royal Merchant research. We used to laugh at him like he was actually gonna find it."

"But now that he's gone, we've kinda just... left it as he kept it." John B finishes off, taking the key out of his pocket and begins to unlock the office door.

"Yeah, For when he gets back." Kiara says, causing Laura to look at her strangely. The three looked at each other, avoiding eye contact with the twins.

"Yeah." John B took the lock off, and opened the door, immediately looking around. Laura walked in second, taking a moment to take everything in. It had been so long since she was allowed into the office so it felt surreal to her.

"I've slept over here like, 600 times, and I've never seen this door open." Pope said, looking around as well. John B took a cork board off the wall and brought it over to the desk, allowing the other four to look at it.

"Here, look. This is the original owner right here." John B starts, pointing at the name written down.

"Okay. Robert Q. Routledge, 1880 to 1920. There's the lucky compass, right there." Kiara stated, pointing at the compass in the picture. Laura and John B looked at each other skeptical, before she stated,

"He actually got shot after he bought it." Laura said, in a very casual tone for the dark statement. Kiara's face dropped immediately. "But then the compass was shipped back to Henry."

John B continued for his sister, "Henry was killed in a crop-dusting accident when he had the compass." Pope and JJ looked up at each other skeptically. "After he died, the compass was given to Stephen. Stephen had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam."

JJ cut him off. "Let me guess. He died in action, right?"

"S-sort of. Uh, a-actually, he was killed by a banana truck. In-- in country. Um, anyway, after that, Stephen passed the compass down to him." He points at a specific picture of a man with two kids. "Our dad."

"Hmm. Sounds like there's a recurring theme here." JJ says with an obvious tone.

Pope agrees with him, "Yeah, you have a death compass."

"Seriously dude, get rid of it." JJ continued, "It's cursed and it's made it's way back to you." Kiara and Laura watched as the boys bickered about the compass. Laura wanted to laugh, but also knew it wasn't a laughable topic.

"Look, our dad used to talk about this compartment in here." John B started, taking out the compass. "Soldiers used to hide secret notes." He then opened it, and Laura looked down confused.

"What's that?"

"That wasn't there before. This is our dad's handwriting." John B said, looking up at his sister quickly. She snatched it out of his hand, looking at it carefully, running her thumb over the carvings.

"How do you know that?" Pope said.

"Because he does the weird R's with the-- See it?" Laura said, holding it out for the others to look at.

"Can I see it?" Asked JJ. Laura held it up to him personally, as he started to try and read the word. "Red-- Rout-- No I think that's an A." Laura chuckled as he attempted to pronounce it.

"It says Redfield." Kiara said, "Okay, well, what's Redfield?"

"Besides the most common name in the county?" Pope said sarcastically towards Kiara. Laura handed the compass back to her brother so he can keep it safe since she is too clumsy to do that.

"Oh maybe-- maybe it's a clue." John B said. "Right? Maybe it's a clue to where he's hiding." Laura dropped her head, crossing her arms over her chest. John B had way more hope than she did, but nobody wants to admit it.

"A clue? Come on that's--" Kiara and Laura give Pope a look practically telling him to shut up. "But if it is a clue, maybe it's an anagram?"

"Yes. Perfect. Anagram. You need paper. Here you go." John B says, immediately grabbing paper and placing it down on the desk in front of Pope. JJ was looking up at the ceiling, done with the bullshit.

"How can you concentrate with that thing constantly crowing at you?" Pope asks frantically.

"JJ and I love the rooster." Laura says. The rooster keeps getting louder and more annoying for the girl. "Alright, seriously, think." Laura turned, seeing John B writing on something else.

"Guys. Guys! Somebody's here!" Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and looked out the window. Laura rested her hands on John B and JJ's shoulders, standing on her toes to look out the window. JJ turned around, walking back towards the door.

"John B, I told you. Why does it always--" John B grabs his shoulders, and pushes him against the wall to shut him up.

"JJ! Hey, look at me. Where's the gun?" The other three began walking over to the duo on the other side of the office. Laura ran her fingers through her hair, panicking. JJ stutters, trying to get an answer out.

"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need the gun?" Kiara says, frantically. It looked like she was going to cry, putting her hands up to her face to cover it.

"It was in my backpack and then I-- on the porch." JJ continued, his eyes closed. He opens them, and then leaves the office to go on the porch and grab his bag.

"John Routledge!" The group heard, and JJ immediately ran back into the office, shutting the door behind him.

"They're on the front porch, guys." JJ whispers. Glass shattering could be heard out in the other room. Kiara pointed towards the window, signaling that they could get out that way. JJ and Pope immediately ran over and tried to get it open.

"What's-- What's happening? What's taking so long?" Kiara asked, looking over their shoulders at the window.

"It's painted shut, okay?" JJ says, angrily towards the girl. Laura turns and grabs a knife, then hands it to JJ.

John B was standing against the door, his eyes closed. Yelling was heard throughout the house, and Laura jumped, the yelling scaring her. JJ and Pope continued to try to open the window, but it didn't budge. Kiara grabbed another knife that was in the room and both her and JJ continued to open the window.

"You better not be in there!" Said the man outside. He started kicking at the door, and then Pope and John B ran over to the window. Kiara gasped in horror, and Laura grabbed onto her brother's arm. Just then, a gunshot rang.

Finally, the window opened and they all climbed out as quickly as possible, closing it back once they were all out. They ran into the chicken coop, hiding in there. But of course, Laura and her clumsy self had to trip while running, causing a setback for her. She still managed to make it before she was noticed.

The five sat closely together, trying their hardest to stay quiet. Laura was currently freaking out, once again picking at her nails. JJ noticed, and immediately grabbed one of her hands to get her to stop. The rooster was still being obnoxious.

The two men walked outside, crates full of things. Laura sighed out, needing that rooster to be quiet. "Do something, Pope. Shut him up."

"What do you want me to do?" He asked. Laura grabbed the rooster and set it in her lap, and it started to quiet down. The chickens started clucking, but it was nothing out of the ordinary for them.

Laura was on the verge of tears, causing JJ to put his arm around her shoulders hoping to provide some comfort for her. She put her head down, resting almost on top of the quiet rooster in her lap. Her breathing became heavy, until hearing the truck doors close, and then they drove off.

She let her arms go limp, the rooster jumping out of her arms. Laura let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and rested her head on JJ's shoulder. His grip got tighter on the girl, knowing the panicked state she was in.

The group waited a few moments before leaving the small coop, knowing that they were safe at least for now.