We pull up to JJ and Pope. "Let's ride." JJ says.
"This better be good." Pope says. They both get in the back seat.
"Ash what happened to your eye?" JJ asks.
"Electric shock and some dude punched me in the face. I'm fine now." I say.
"What?!" JJ asks. He looks at my black eye. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yeah." I say.
"Please don't make out again." Pope says.
JJ and I's eyes go wide and we look at John B. His eyes go wide too.
"You guys made out?!" He asks.
"Maybe." I say. JJ kisses me on the cheek and I kiss him back.
We pull up at the Wreck. Pope goes in to get Kiara but she says she isn't coming.
"Why not?" JJ asks. "What did you do to her John B?" He asks.
"Shit." John B says. He gets out of the car.
"I bet you 20 bucks that he kissed her." I say to JJ.
A few minutes later, they both walk out and I get in the back seat so then Pope can have the front.
"Hey Kie, did you know that JJ and my sister had a make out session?" JB asks.
"Really?!" She asks. "Finally." She says.
"Guys it's been a long day." JJ says. "Does anyone want a hit of this?" JJ asks, holding a joint.
"Yes." I say. I take a hit of it.
"Guys I know I was wrong about the lighthouse alright?" JB says. "And everything else that was going on. But Ash and I's Dad is trying to tell us something." JB says.
We all get out of the van and walk into a graveyard. "John B, why are we in a graveyard?" Kie asks.
"So you know how you're trying to remember a song but you can't remember who sings it?" John B asks.
"Yeah." Kiara says.
"I thought Redfield was a place." John B says.
"But it's a person." I say. "Our great great grandmother, Olivia Redfield."
"Her maiden name." John B says.
We all try to push the door open but then a snake pops out. Pope screams.
"That's a moccasin, all right." JJ says. "Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth." JJ says. I laugh. JJ does some weird accent. "Death in tall grass." He says. Then he starts barking at the snake.
"JJ shut up!" Kiara yells. I start laughing at JJ. Like I said, he's the funniest person that I've ever met.
"Your gonna wake the dead, man." Pope says.
"They're afraid of dogs." JJ says. "If there's one, there's probably dozens." JJ starts barking at the grave again.
"JJ, stop barking at the snakes." John B says.
Kie and I observe the grave and find a small part where we can both fit in.
"I can get through." I say.
"Ashlyn." John B says. "You are not going through that hole. There are probably more cottonmouths in there."
"JB, this is about Dad. We need answers." I say.
"Ash, you are not risking your life for that." JB says.
"JB-" I say. He cuts me off.
"Ashlyn!" He says. "I've already lost Dad. We've lost dad." He says. "I am not losing you too."
Kiara goes through the hole and I stand next to JB. He has his arm around me to keep me close to him. I hold his hand because he's nervous about Kie.
"You alive?" John B asks. "You have a heartbeat and everything?"
"So far." Kie says from inside of the grave. JB hands her another light. Kie then gasps and says, "Oh my god."
She pulls out an envelope and hands it to JB. He looks at it and it says, "To Bird and Ash." My jaw drops and a tear falls down my face.
"JB." I say. I hug him. "Holy shit." I say.
"It's from Dad." JB says. We get Kiara out and then we see a truck drive up.
"Code red." JJ says. "Square groupers!" He yells. We all start sprinting and we climb over the fence. Popes shorts get stuck and now he's running in his underwear.
"It's a little tootsie roll!" JJ yells. I start bursting out laughing.
We all get into the van and drive away laughing. When we get back to the house, JJ makes a sandwich and pulls off the mold.
"Ew JJ." Kiara says.
"Ash you kiss that mouth?" Pope asks. I roll my eyes and sit next to John B. He opens it and JJ spits out the bread and I laugh at him. In the envelope, there's a map and a voice recording.
The map is where the royal merchant is. John B turns on the recorder and we all listen to my fathers voice.
"Dear Bird and Ash," The recorder says.
"Who's bird?" JJ asks.
"It's what my Dad called me." JB says.
"I hate to say I told you so but I told you so." It says. "And doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self loathing over our last fight. But don't kill yourselves yet. I didn't expect to find the merchant either." It says. "You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly father of the decade. What can I say? I could smell the barn. Hopefully we're listening to this in our brand new sugar shack down in Costa Rica." It says. "Living off passive investments and pulling on permits." A gun cocks. "If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kids. I love you Bird. I love you Ash. Even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side." The recording ends.
JB and I immediately hug each other. We both starts crying in each others arms. We just heard our fathers voice for the first time in 9 months. He could still be out there.
"I love you JB." I say.
"I love you too Ashie." JB says.
YOU ARE READING
Sunshine in the Rain
FanfictionAshlyn Routledge lives in the Outer Banks, paradise on earth. She's John B's twin sister and the two have been super close their whole life. They do everything together. After their fathers disappearance, they're closer than ever and just hang out o...
