On Top//Topper Thornton

eight

I don't know what John B says to fix the situation but a few minutes later he comes out with Kie in tow. We start the drive to the cemetery.

JJ is lying down in the back smoking a joint. "You mind if I just relax on this one? It's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. I'm just gonna lay low." He looks at Pope. "Oh, did you want a hit of this?"

Pope holds his hand up. "I keep the signal clear."

I grab the blunt and take a hit. "Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative? If you got creative, then..."

John B interrupts, "Look, I... I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right? And wrong about everything else going on. But I... I was right about one thing. Okay? My dad is trying to tell me something."

It's not much longer till we get to the cemetery. John B leads the way. "Come on, hey. Hey, come on."

"I'm coming," Kie states.

"This place is scary," I say.

"I'll protect you." JJ pulls me close to him.

I push him away playfully. "Hands off, JJ."

"John B, what are we doing?" Kie asks.

"Shut up. Okay so, you know how you're trying to remember a song and can't remember who sings it?" John B says.

"Yeah," Kie says.

"So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place." John B holds up the lantern to a mausoleum. "It's a person."

"Voi-effing-là," JJ remarks.

"See, my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name. Help me with the door. Come on," John B says.

Pope steps forward. "All right."

"One, two, three..." John B and Pope try to push the tomb open.

Kie turns to JJ. "Go."

"Are you pushing?" Pope asks.

"Yeah, I'm pushing," John B assures him.

JJ squeezes in next to Pope. "Hold on. I got it."

"This door is like 700 pounds. It's not gonna budge," Pope states.

"We didn't come this far to get this far, all right? We got this," JJ insists. Suddenly a snake hisses by him. "A snake!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Pope shouts.

We all jump back away from the snake.

"That's a moccasin, all right. Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth. Death in tall grass." JJ starts barking at the snake.

"JJ, shut up. Shut up!" Kie shouts.

"You're gonna wake the dead, man," Pope states.

"They're afraid of dogs. Everyone knows that, man." JJ states. He grabs John B. "Wait, hold on."

"What?" John B asks.

"If there's one, there's probably dozens," JJ warns.

"What?" Pope asks.

"All around," JJ adds.

"Can you stop, JJ. You're scaring me," I tell him.

JJ keeps barking at the snake.

"Stop barking at the snakes," John B instructs.

"Look, John..." Pope starts.

"Just making sure it's clear," JJ states.