𝗠𝘆 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 ⇉ 𝗝𝗝 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸

Try Me

"POPE, WE'RE not stealing the drone, alright? Think of it as... borrowing with extended privileges." Ari quips from her makeshift seat on the floor of the dilapidated van.

They were en route to the maritime graveyard that was once JJ's dad's workplace, a place where rusted dreams lay submerged beneath layers of bureaucratic neglect.

"Humans are the only animals that can't tell fantasy from reality." Pope mutters, his arms crosses tightly against his chest as he stares out the window.

His reflection stares back, a mirror of his internal conflict.

The passing scenery was a blur of marshy greens and murky browns, mirroring the moral ambiguity of their quest.

"Did you come up with that nugget of wisdom?" John B asks, glancing quickly at Pope before refocusing on the road.

The question hung in the air, punctuated by the van's rattling protests.

"No, Albert Bernstein did." Ari chimes in, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Pope nods in stoic agreement, his gaze never leaving the window.

"But it applies, doesn't it? To this whole treasure-hunting thing." Pope says, finally tearing his gaze away from the window.

Ari rolls her eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the truth in his words.

"Oh." John B replies slowly, the wheels turning in his head as he processed the weight of Pope's words.

"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?" Pope turns to John B, his gaze intense, piercing through the bravado that John B usually wore like armor.

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ didn't even look up from his task of meticulously rolling a blunt, his fingers dancing with practiced ease.

"It's fantasy, but possibly reality." Kie says, turning to glance at Pope before looking back at John B, her eyes searching for something, perhaps a sign of unwavering conviction.

"Reality." John B repeats softly, a genuine smile gracing his lips as he met Kie's gaze.

"Virtual reality." JJ adds, flicking open his lighter to ignite the blunt, but Ari snatches it from his lips and tosses it to Pope.

"Keep the signal clear." Pope says, throwing it to the back seat as they pull up to their destination.

"Ready?" Kie asks, turning to Ari, her voice a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"Let's get this over with already." Ari replies, getting up from her spot between JJ's legs.

She carefully opens the door, the hinges groaning in protest, and slips out, making sure not to make much noise as she closes it.

"Hey, don't worry. You guys got this." John B reassures them with a smile, his eyes reflecting the hope that they all desperately clung to.

"It's not us we're worried about, JB." Ari grins, linking her arm with Kie's as they walk toward the dilapidated shack, their footsteps echoing in the stillness of the marsh.

"Hello! Excuse me!" Kie calls out, waving with exaggerated enthusiasm at the guard through the dusty car window.

Ari, ever the picture of innocence, sat beside her, fiddling with a strand of her sun-streaked hair.

The guard, a burly man with a weary expression, ambled over and opens the door. "Can I help you ladies?"

"Hi! Um, we actually have a flat tire." Ari says, flashing a disarming smile. Her eyes widen, feigning a helplessness that both she and Kie knew was far from the truth. "We were wondering if you could possibly help us out?"