MATILDA , jj maybank

47

MATILDA! CHAPTER FOURTY SEVEN:
THE CROSS
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The Pogues arrived at the Freeman Church, opening the doors the sounds of birds fluttering were heard and the door was very creaky. "Okay, your telling me Denmark Tanny decided to hide the cross here?" JJ asked and Liz looked around.

"Mm-hmm" Pope hummed in response

"Everybody just spread out" Kie told them and Liz looked around

"Okay we'll if I was an old cross hidden in a church... where would I hide?" John B asked

"I don't know, are you sure that Denmark hid the cross here Pope? Like are we at the right church?"

"It's gotta be here somewhere guys" Pope said

"I mean it's a cross and we're in a church it should be like... east to find it" Liz spoke

"What if we have to press a secret button or, like play a... a certain chord, and than all the sudden, the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something which we stand?" JJ asked

"I don't think that's happening J" Liz furrowed her eyebrows.

"How about we try to find obvious clues?" John B suggested

"It's not an escape room" Kie said

"It's got be in here" Pope exclaimed and they were looking over and under for the cross.

"I can't see where they'd hide a giant cross here"

"No, no, there no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead us to a church that had nothing in it!" Pope yelled

"Yea I get it" John B interrupted him "I don't know what to tell you man"

"The clues led us here. The cross is in this church" Pope sat down on the bench of the first row.

"Pope, it'll be all right" Liz said "we've figured stuff out in the past . Well find the cross"

"She's right" Kie added

"We've just gotta think about this logically, all right, where else would you hide a 7ft tall cross made of gold?" John B asked and Liz noticed Pope looking up at something. She followed his eyes to see him looking up at the beams that looked very much like crosses.

"Oh my god" Kie muttered "look at that"

Pope gasped, moving to the side and trying to figure a way out to try to get out there. He put his hands in the cracks of rhe wood.

"Pope" Sarah said as he began climbing

"Hey no!" JJ exclaimed

"Now Popes climbing the wall"

"Thank you for the observation weather man" Liz sarcastically said

"Wait. Pope, wait. this is crazy"

"Pope this church is old"

"Im just gonna—"

"Like really Pope, this isn't safe" Liz tried to tell Pope

"Yo! This church hits to be at least 200 years old."

"He's right pope, this is too dangerous"

"Yo let me just be real, your not the most coordinated person on planet earth"

"Pope? Pope!"

"You hear me? What are you doing?" Pope knocked on the wood and it was solid

"All right. This one's solid wood. I'm gonna try the other beam"

"Pope that rotten as shit right there" JJ told the boy as he moved

"Pope I hate to break it to you but that's wood" JJ said

"No, no. It has to be here. I know it." Pope stated as he moved onto the next pieces of wood

"Pope watch out for the wasp nest above your head" Liz informed Pope

"Hey, just... just move slowly, all right? Nice and east, all right?" John B said calmly to Pope who moved his foot and tried to kick the wood apart. A wood peice fell down and almsot hit Liz if JJ hadn't moved her.

"Look. It's hallow" Pope spoke "go get me a crowbar"

"Pope what are you gonna do I don't want this whole church to collapse on top of us that's all I'm saying"

Sarah arrived back with the crowbar, she threw it up to Pope and with Sarah's amazing throw Pope was easily able to catch it. Liz let out a sigh of relief.

"Not bad" Kie said as the rest clapped and Sarah giggled

"Hey, pope, Pooe there's the wasp next up there, okay?" John B reminded Pope "just love slow, all right?"

"Got it" pope responded before lifting the crowbar and hitting the wood, knocking some off and after Pope pryed the wood off they were able to see a shinning gold cross that had been trapped in the beam.

"Holy shit" Liz and the others gasped looking up at the cross. They had found it.

"It's here. Oh my god"

"You did it buddy"

The group started cheering in happiness, the girls jumping hi and down with each other, John B and JJ hugging while screaming. Pope cheered happily from the top of the beam.

"Holy shit! I thought you were crazy!"

"We did it! We did it!" Then cheered before Liz notice Poe start to wave his arms around

"Okay there stinging now. Ow!" Pope exclaiend before he dropped the crowbar and JJ grabbed Liz pulling her back.

"Take it easy! Take it easy!" Pope lost his balance, but was able to hang onto the beam.

"Pope!"

"Wait, Cushions!" John B said and they collected all the Cushions they could find and placed them under Pope.

"Pope hold on!"

"I can't hold!" Pope yelled before his one hand fell and he was now hanging by only one hand.

"I'm slipping guys!" Pope yelled before his finger slipped and he fell to the ground quickly onto the cushions. The group surrounded him, asking if he was okay, multiple at a time. Pope was still breathing but he did look very confused. Before his eyes looked at and his expression changed to worry. Liz followed his eyes to see the cross falling from the beam.

"Oh shit!"