fade away youth// rafe cameron

2-STARING AT THE POSTER ON THE WALL

When I wake up at the Château in the morning it's still standing so that's good. What more could you ask for the morning after a hurricane? As I'm coming out of the bathroom, I see John B in the kitchen. He goes to check his phone.

"No service," I tell him.

John B groans as he goes to turn on the lights.

"No power," John B says. "Great."

"That's what we get for being poor," I tell him.

He looks at me. "Thought you'd be at your Kook house with a storm like last night."

I shake my head. "I'm a Pogue. If a hurricane is gonna get me, I'm going out Pogue style."

John B nods. "Fair enough." He walks over to JJ who is sleeping on the pullout couch. He slaps him on the back. "Yo, JJ, you been outside?"

"I have polio, bro. I can't walk," JJ tells him.

John B yawns as he walks out the back door.

"Rise and shine, JJ," I tell him.

JJ finally rolls over and looks at me. "Mornin'."

I laugh lightly. "Come on. Get up."

"No," JJ whines.

I hit him with the pillow. "Come on."

We stand out on the back steps. The hurricane really did a number on the island. There are fallen trees around the backyard and more than one boat.

"Are the chickens okay?" I ask.

John B nods. "The chickens are fine."

"Thank God," I tell him.

"Agatha did some work, huh?" JJ says.

"Yeah, she did," John B states. He is pulling tree branches out of the boat.

Thunder rumbles as John B hops into the boat. JJ and I walk over towards him.

"What you thinkin'?" JJ asks.

"I'm thinkin' that storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh maze. All those drum are gonna chase the crab," John B tells us.

"What about the DCS? Wasn't that today?" I ask.

John B shakes his head. "Nah, they're not gettin' on a ferry." I give him a look. "Come on, think about it. It's God tellin' us to fish."

John B, JJ, and I get the boat back into the marsh. We pile in ready to pick up the others for the day.

"It's kind of a smuggler's boat," John B says.

I wave as we pass a man on his boat. "Good mornin'!"

"Sure hope Guffy's boat didn't sink," JJ says. "He doesn't have insurance."

John B nods. "Yeah." He waves to a woman and her husband on the dock. "Hi, Miss Amy! You guys get through it?"

Miss Amy smiles. "Still here."

"She totally looked at me," JJ states.

"I saw it," John B states.

I give JJ a look. "In your dreams."

The boat pulls around the dock and I can see the destruction Agatha caused. Boats are overturned and in all kinds of places a boat shouldn't be. Docks are partially destroyed.

"Dude, look at this place," I state.

"Agatha, what did you do?" JJ questions.

"She is a crazy lady," John B remarks.