{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{15}

"Redfield," Brie breathed, flashing her torchlight over the word.

JJ looked over at her face, highlighted in the dim lights of their torches. Despite the cuts and bruises across her skin, she still managed to look effortlessly stunning. Pieces of blonde hair fell over her face and he had to resist the urge to reach over and brush them away. Her eyes glittered in the light, lips parted in awe.

Within those few seconds of reading the inscription, he could tell that she had sobered up. He kind of wished that she hadn't. She was adorable and funny when she was high, not to mention that the last time they got high they had their first kiss and...yeah, that.

"Redfield isnt a place," John B explained, "Its a person. It's my great, great grandmother, Olivia Redfield. It was her maiden name."

JJ gave an impressed nod. "Voi-effing-lah."

Brie wasn't as sober as he thought she was. She snorted in laughter until she saw Kiara glare at her. She coughed to cover it up and pressed her lips together to stop her giggles.

"Come on, help me with the door," John B said to Pope and JJ.

The door was huge and made from solid stone. JJ very much doubted they could shift it. They all leaned against it and pushed as hard as they could, but to no avail. JJ's sore arm ached but he forced himself to push harder, grunting with the effort.

Brie let out a ridiculing laugh.

"You boys are all the same," she sighed with a mocking smile. "Oh I'm a big strong man, I can do anything with brute force. Yeah right! You'll never move that door, trust me."

They all stopped pushing and glared at her. JJ's arm was throbbing now after struggling against pushing an eight foot wall of pure rock, which he now saw was pretty fucking stupid.

"What?" JJ asked incredulously, "You got a better idea?"

"Yeah, I do," she said, raising a challenging eyebrow. "Look."

She pointed to the small hole in the wall, covered in ivy and crumbling brick. Sure, Brie was small, but that looked like a tight squeeze. Even if they could get her in, it would be a struggle to get her back out again.

Pope peered through the hole and then let out an short yell, jumping back. A snake dropped down onto the floor, making everyone gasp collectively and stumble away.

Maybe it was because he was totally stoned, but JJ remembered something about dogs and snakes. So, naturally, he decided to bark at them.

"JJ!" Brie shouted, "What the fuck?"

Pope and John B shoved him as Brie slapped his arm, glaring at him and shaking her head in disappointment.

"You're going to wake the freaking dead, man," Pope scolded.

"What?" JJ asked, defensively, "They're afraid of dogs everyone knows that!"

Brie stepped up to the hole and shone the torch in, glancing around. JJ grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back, earning him yet another harsh glare.

"Woah, hold on, princess!" He said, still not taking his hand off her shoulder to keep her in place, "If there's one, there's probably dozens."

"So?" She snapped, "They're harmless, dont be such a pussy."

"I'm just saying!" JJ argued, spinning her back to face him. "You want to get bitten by a venomous snake and then try and tell me they're harmless? That's really how you want to die?"

Brie shrugged his hand off and narrowed her eyes at him. He raised his arms in surrender.

"Oh my god, can you stop it?" Kiara whined, "You're scaring me."