Bad Karma

thirteen

Leilani Elrod

Episode 2. The Lucky Compass

I was overthinking. Whenever something changed or something drastic happened, my brain tended to wander and I would call the events of the past few days pretty drastic. Overthinking was my least favorite thing and I always made it habit to not do it. Because when I started overthinking and my brain got all scrambled, the nightmares came back.

It started with me and my family on the boat, but ended differently. Sometimes I made it out of the water, like I did in real life, but sometimes I didn't. And sometimes, my parents did. And I watched them look down on me from on top of the boat while I floated into the abyss, warped smiles on their faces as I sunk farther down. And that was the one I had just woken up from, panting and sweating in my bed.

I sat straight up, throwing the covers off me and wiping my face, clutching my chest as I tried to breathe again. The room was too dark for my liking and the darkness made my brain even more scrambled, so I stumbled over to the door, turning a lamp on in the process, and left the room.

Big Johns door was closed, indicating that John B had made it home and JJ was sprawled out on the sofa. I felt guilty for waking him, but I wasn't thinking clearly in the moment and it was all I could think to do. So, I pushed on his bare back and whispered his name. He only moved softly, muttering gibberish before going still and snoring.

"JJ." I said a little louder, shaking his shoulder.

"Hm?" He moved again.

"JJ, are you awake?" I said again, removing my hand from his back.

"Yeah, yeah." He peeked an eye open, rubbing them and sitting up. "What's up? Is JB back?"

"Um, yeah." My voice shook.

"Woah, Lee, what's wrong?" He pulled me down next to him and I bit my lip. I don't want to cry.

"I just- I had a nightmare and-"

"Come on." He stood up, keeping me tucked beneath his arm as he walked with me to my room, laying down with me and pulling the covers over us. "I've got ya." I nuzzled into him, wrapping my arms around his torso and closed my eyes. My brain was finally quiet for the first time in hours.

----

Snap. Crackle. Pop.

I ignored it at first, until it got louder. I opened my eyes, blinking until my eyes adjusted to the lighting. JJ had me in an iron grip, soft snores coming from his mouth.

"JJ." I poked his cheek, "J, wake upp."

"Shh." He groaned, pulling me closer. JJ was not a morning person. The noise continued and I began squirming around in his arms.

"Come on, J, you hear that? It sounds like-"

"Is that a fire?" He finished for me, finally opening his eyes and sitting up, releasing me. It was already late in the day, a reminder of the rough night I had. We both definitely needed that late sleep, though. I know I did.

But nothing could have prepared us for John B standing in front of the burning pile of Big Johns belongings. JJ and I were silent as we stood next to him, all of us watching in shock. The only thing left out of the pile, but was slightly charred, was the Routledge family tree and the only name that was now eligible was Olivia R. Routledge and a picture of a woman next to it.

"So, you gonna tell us what happened, bro?" JJ finally asked. And John B did tell us while on the way to pick up Pope and Kie.

"She just took the compass?" I threw my arms up and onto my back on the car seat.