MATILDA , jj maybank

45

MATILDA! CHAPTER FOURTY FIVE:
THE TIDE
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"I just don't get it. I mean, you guys saw the map. He hides his gold so no one finds it for 170 years, and than he sends a message to his son Rober to come here to his mothers grave, but the message never gets to him and Denmark wanted him to find the cross I know were in the right spot, it just feels like—" Pope went on as he was trying to figure out what to do next. The group had put Cecilia back into the ground where she had been before.

"Like we missed something?" JJ interrupted, and the group looeked to him as he looked up at the tree. Liz furrowed her eyebrows and walked towards him slightly. JJ walked around the tree. "Guys. Come here" JJ said before he climbed up the Twinkie and Liz followed him along with Kie who stood behind her.

"There he goes"

"Whoa" Liz stood up on the van, and Liz looked where his eyes were, at the hole in the tree.

"That looks like—"

"The painting in the island room" Liz finished JJs thought

"It's worth a shot right?" JJ asked, looking towards the hole

"Yeah" he nodded

"Let's do it" John B said

"one of you go for it" JJ told Liz and Kie who gave an offended look

"No chance!" Liz exclaimed

"you do it!" Sarah called to JJ from the ground

"Sorry. Me and Kie went in the storm drain so..." Liz trailed off

"They did go in the storm drain"

"Yeah no I'm gonna do it. It's just..." JJ moved his hands, very hesitant to put it in the hole.

"He's scared" Liz whispered to Kie who smirked

"I'm not scared, dude"

"You seem scared" Kie told him before he put his hand in the hole very slowly.

"There's something in here" he said, trying to pull something up and Liz felt a wave of anxiety wash over her as JJ went silent before letting out a small laugh— than suddenly he started screaming in panic trying to get his arm out and Liz didn't waste a second before going towards him and grabbing ahold of his forearms to try and help him.

"JJ!" She exclaimed and the others panicked from below... than he stopped. And began to laugh.

"Dick" Liz muttered, letting go of JJ

"Oh, You asshole" John B told him, getting off the car as he was ready to jump on that car.

"Oh man! I got all of you on that one" JJ exclaimed

"Oh, yeah real original"

"Wait, but seriously there's something in here" JJ said as he put his hand back in and pulling out a spyglass, hanging it to Pope.

"HMS Royal Merchant" Pope read aloud and JJ jumped down beside them, Liz and Kie sitting on the Twinkie.

"Give it to the captain" JJ said, extending the full thing "it's a spyglass"

"No shit" Liz shook her head and John B pulled it away from JJs eye, turning it.

"There's something on the ends" John B turned the Spyglass and found an inscription

"An inscription right there."

"Look at that shit" Pope gasped, taking it from John B

"What does it say?" JJ asked

"You've come this far, do not falter. The cross is on the freedman's altar... Freedman's altar. The cross is at the church!" Pope exclaimed

"What are we doing here guys?"

"Come on!" Pope said "we got it!" JJ and Pope did the Pogue handshake, and the others got in the car and they started to drive off.

"Oh crap the tide!" Liz said as they approached a much bigger puddle than before. The road was completely covered.

"How deep is that?" Kie asked

"I dunno, the roads gone" John B answered, before coming to a halt.

"Tide rose faster than I thought it would" JJ told them

"Just a little bit" John B muttered

"Uh, John B how high are the spark plugs?"

"There good. We're fine" John B stated

"No how high are they?"

"Oh, um... just above the taillight" John B looked out his window

"Okay so that's what, three feet?"

"That's three"

"The water can't be three feet deep" Kie said

"Than what's the problem?" John B asked

"Not a problem. No we're good. We're good she'll make it"

"Yeah. Ladies a gentleman fasten your seatbelts. Hold onto something, we're going into hyperdrive" John B told everyone just before JJ decided to quickly spit out a prayer, than John B pressed on the gas and in just a few seconds they were splashing through the water and they were almost at the end, so hopefull they would just get out but the Twinkie made a wrong turn and it went into the deeper water.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no"

"I think we miscalculated" Pope said and Sarah made a sign with her finger

"I knew I should've driven" JJ stated

They all got out from the car and stood just about knee deep in the water. "Okay, maybe we can walk from here" Pope suggested

"What and leave the Twinkie? The... the tides coming in"

"Yeah we can't leave her" Liz added

"So than what are we supposed to do?"

"Not stay here"

"I could take my step dads truck" Kie spoke to the group and they all looked at her

"Kie, are stay sure?" John B asked

"How much worse can it get you know?" Kie said

"We need something to put her out with. There's a winch at the chateau"

"That's like Two miles"

"Yeah that's a good idea"

"If we're gonna do it, let's go" John B told them and Liz nodded as she followed JJ and Kie