fade away youth// rafe cameron

34-But we fall right back

Like always we're sitting around at John B's. The guys are talking about what happened last night.

"That was epic," Pope says.

"Did you guys see Kelce's face?" John B asks.

"Bomb drop!" JJ dunks the basketball into the little rim and lands on the couch.

"Another broken couch," John B states. "You gotta sleep there tonight."

"I always sleep there anyway," JJ tells him. Sarah walks onto the porch. "Well, hello, princess."

"What's up?" Kie asks.

"Shouldn't you be on Figure Eight with your little group of polo players? Or did you break up with Topper?" John B taunts.

"We're just friends," Sarah tells him.

"He's just a friend. You have a lot of friends, Sarah Cameron," John B states.

"Yeah, and it seems like you've got some of your own too," Sarah counters.

"All right, what are you doing here?" John B asks.

Sarah sighs. "I'm here for Pope." He looks at her surprise. "I think I found the island room."

We all pile into the Twinkie headed towards Tannyhill.

"Guys, listen to this," Pope tells us. "The diary says the cross holds the most holy relic in all of Christendom, the Garment of the Savior."

"So wait, he's saying there's a holy garment inside the cross?" Kie asks.

"Yeah. It says the garment is capable of healing the sick from any malady," Pope tells us.

"Mmm, yeah. 'If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.'" JJ says. Everyone looks at JJ surprised. JJ shrugs. "What? I went to Sunday school."

Kie nods. "Sure."

"Well, that explains why Limbrey would want the cross so bad," Rafe states.

"She thinks it can heal her," Pope says.

"What else does it say?" I ask.

"'Many feel that we have sinned to steal such a sacred thing, and God will strike His vengeance on us.'" Pope reads.

"Thing is, God did have His vengeance," Kie states.

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

Sarah leads us down the hallways of Tannyhill. Rafe hasn't been home in days. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it reassuringly. I know it's hard for him to be here right now.

"This place still freaks me out," John B admits.

"Yeah, same," JJ agrees.

Sarah opens the door to one of the rooms. "Pope, look."

Sarah leads us into one of the rooms. The wallpaper has all been ripped off the walls. Underneath it looks like drawings probably of the island.

"Whoa! You've got to be kidding me," Pope says.

"Yeah. I know, right? It's the island room," Sarah tells him. "It's been here this whole time."

"The whole time," Rafe repeats. "That's... insane."

"No freaking way," John B says.

"This definitely means something," JJ reasons.

"Wow," I say.

"This is incredible," John B states. "Yo, this is a map of the whole island."

"Yeah, John B, I think you're right because this is Rixon's right here." JJ points to the spot on the wall.