Denial || An OBX Story

Chapter Fourteen

Kiara stands to his right as John B fidgets with keys to try and find the right one to unlock the door. "Yeah, for when he gets back." She smiles before sending a warning glare to Pope and JJ who roll their eyes.

John B finally unlocks the door and pushes it open. The smell of an old book and cardboard flooded their noses, making Maddie rub hers with the back of her hand. JJ looked at Maddie nervously, acting like she had a clue where John B's mind was even running.

Pope is first to follow Kiara and John B in. "I've slept over here like six hundred times. And I've never seen this door open."

John B throws a board onto a desk, showing a couple pictures that looked older. "Here look, this is the original owner."

The group swarms the board to look. JJ tosses his arm around Maddie's shoulder, who jokingly elbows his gut.

"Okay, Robert Q. Routledge.1880-1920." She points to the man. "There's the lucky compass right there."

"Actually, uhm, he was shot. After he bought it." John B mumbles.

Maddie smiles. "Ah, so Mr. Robbie buys the compass and gets shot. That's really good for him."

"Then, the compass was shipped back to Henry. Henry was killed in a cropdusting accident when he had the compass."

"King Henry. Cropdusting. What kind of story is this?" Maddie asks again, but John B rolls his eyes at her.

"After he died, the compass was given to Stephen. Stephen had the compass with him when he died in Vietnam." John B continues to toss facts around the room. Pointing to a new person every time.

JJ finally speaks up. He tries to take his hat back from off of Maddie's head but she slaps his hand away. "Let me guess, he died in action?"

"Sort of." John B says unsurely. "Uh, he was killed by a banana truck, in country."

"Maddie, I swear if you try to give this man a nickname I'll kick you out." Kiara smirks at Maddie, but Maddie winks.

"You don't like my good friend, Stevie?" Maddie smiles, taking a hit from her weed pen.

"Anyways," John B starts again, dragging his finger down to a picture of him and his dad. "after that. Stephen passed the compass to him. My dad."

"Sounds like there's a reoccurring theme here." JJ says, looking up and dropping his arm.

Pope adds, "Yeah, uhm. You have a death compass."

"No I do not have a death compass." John B is quick to argue back, tossing his arms in the air. This made Pope repeat himself and JJ tell him to throw the gold compass away.

Maddie smiles and flicks Pope's hat off of his head. "If we have a death compass, I'm giving it to Rafe, then hopefully he's next."

"That's not cool." Pope sighs, picking his hat up from off of the ground. "Don't wish death upon people."

"I'm not. I'm just saying that he's the person I'd give the compass to. Just so I can see if your theory is true." Maddie explains herself.

No one was paying attention to Kiara and John B until Kie's voice could be heard asking, "What's thay?"

It got eerily silent for what felt like minutes. They rushed over to see what she was talking about.

"That wasn't there before. This is my dads handwriting." John B smiles when he turns to look at Maddie, who looks at him questioning his thought.

"How can you know that?" Pope speaks up, the only one bold enough to ask.

"Because he does these weird R's. See?" He lifts up the compass proudly.