CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

NINE

"So much for no more stupid ideas," Harley laughed as she skipped ahead of John B and pulled a face at him. 

"You're way too happy about being in a graveyard," Pope noted.

Harley dropped back and let John B and Kie pass. She shrugged. "It's creepy for sure." She twirled around prowling closer behind Pope before she pounced startling him. "Ghosts skulking around ready to scare you to death."

The group laughed at Harley's silliness. JJ found it the funniest though likely because of the weed he'd smoked. 

"Come on, lighten up." Harley hugged Popped from behind. "How often can you say you've been at graveyard at night searching for clues to a big mystery."

"Thankfully never."

"Fair enough," Harley said. She let go of Pope and went to JJ. 

Kiara complained, "This place is scary." She held up a light against the headstones following John B who was ushering the group to follow faster.  "What are we doing here?"

"You know how you try to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?"

"Yeah..."

"So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place." John B held up his lantern. "It's a person."

The blue hue lit up the rock face to a tomb. Thing twigs and ivy grew across the front, moss building in the crevices and cracks. Carved in bold letters, read the name Redfield. 

"Voi- effin- la."

Harley snickered at JJ shaking her head.

"See, my great-great-grandmother. Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name."

"Now what?" Harley asked. 

"Help me with the door." John B stepped toward the crypt with Pope.

The two braced themselves and grunted out their efforts to edge open the heavy door. When nothing happened, JJ joined in trying to force it open. Encouraging sounds of stone moving resounded, hopeful eyes meeting the sight of crumbling rock. 

Suddenly, hissing rattled through the air, a snake slithering out of the hole on the side. The boys leapt back, JJ right into Harley's arms. 

"That's a moccasin alright. Ye olde Doctor Cottonmouth. Death in tall grass." JJ then began barking at the snake.

"What are you doing?" Harley hissed in disapproval although she was holding back laughter, too. JJ did the most random and funny things and whilst  he shouldn't have been doing them it was near impossible to not laugh about it. 

"JJ, shut up. Shut up!" Kie called desperately trying to silence him. 

Harley glanced over her shoulder, no guards in sight. She stepped forward and smacked a hand over JJ's mouth giving him a hard glare. 

"Stop barking." She let go.

JJ started up again trying to explain that the snakes were scared of dogs, but the group wasn't having it.

Harley clamped her hand over his mouth again. "Shut up, JJ. Please." 

He made no move to protest allowing the group to focus back on the crypt. 

Harley smiled and placed a kiss on his lips the second she removed her hand, whilst no one was looking.

Giddiness bubbled in her chest at the dumbstruck gaze that washed over JJ"s face. Both of them wore stupid grins whilst their hearts stuttered at the fact any one of the group could have seen. Well, JJ's stuttered more in surprise.