Denial || An OBX Story

Chapter Seventeen

The Pogues all read the letter which wrote 'Redfield' and none of them really believed it. "Voi-effing-là." JJ comments, taking a look up like the rest of his friends.

John B nods before turning to look at the rest of his friends. "See, my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name."

They all went silent. The sound of crickets around them only added to the eery atmosphere of the graveyard. The night sky was darker than usual but the moonlight brighter.

John B speaks up again, "Help me with the door. Come on." He tells the group.

Pope was the first to step up. The one person who couldn't do anything related to athletics. Him and John B push at the door, but when it fails to move, JJ joins in. However, he wasn't very helpful as the door still refused to move. "This door is like seven hundred pounds. It's not gonna budge."

JJ shakes his head in frustration as he continues to push at the large stone. "We didn't come this far to get this far, alright?" He says. "We got this."
But then a hiss is heard and all of the boys jump back. JJ starts to yell, blowing their cover, if they even still had one. "That's a moccasin, alright? Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth. Death in tall grass." JJ sounded like a nature channel, making the whole group look at him with shared annoyed looks. But when he started barking at the snake, that was when Maddie rushed up and pushed him back with her hand over his mouth.

Kiara whisper yells at him. "JJ, shut up. Shut up!"

Pope tosses his arms in the air, "You're gonna wake the dead, man." He mentions sarcastically, making Kiara then roll her eyes at him as well.

JJ roughly pushes Maddie's hand off his mouth before he argues back with his friends. "Dude, they're afraid of dogs. Everyone knows that, man." When JJ steps back up to the tomb again, he quickly steps back, pushing Maddie behind him. "Wait, wait, wait." He says again, making everyone stop to hear what he had to say again. "If there's one, there's probably dozens. All around."

Kiara walks back up next to Maddie. "Can you stop? You're scaring me."

JJ starts to bark again, this time John B stepped up to push JJ back. "Stop barking at the snakes."

JJ poorly tries to defend himself. Him being the only one who thought his approach would work. "I'm just making sure it's clear."

"Shut up." Pope tells him, standing in between JJ and John B, turning to look directly at the brown haired boy. "John, look. We're not gonna get in there, alright? It's not budging." John B's eyes shined with disappointment. So much that you could see it so well in the dark. "We should probably just go."

"I can get through." Kiara says, pointing her flashlight at a hole between the wall and the door.

"Damn, girl. We're going from being scared to wanting to go inside?" Maddie asks with a smile and the sound of her joking could be heard well. "I'm impressed, I like this Ki..."

"No, no, no." John B interrupts her, turning to look at Kiara who looked like there was no convincing her to not do it. "You think you're gonna fit through the hole?" John B asks worriedly. "That hole?"

"Look, this is about your dad." Kiara deadpans. "And honesty, I really don't believe it it, but you deserve to know the truth." She pauses for a second, waiting for John B to say something. Anything. "I'll do it."

Maddie smiles towards Kiara, but Kiara doesn't return the gesture. Instead she walks over the the grave and starts to push some of the weeds out of the way, asking JJ and Pope to help her.

Maddie watches in enjoyment as John B tries to help the struggling boys move the stiff branches. JJ backs away and puts his back up against the wall, putting his hands on his knee for Kie. "I'm gonna boost you, alright?" He tells her, moving the hair from his face. "I've seen it in movies several times. Ready?"