"This is the north drain. It should've gotten washed into the gully," JJ says as we walk down to the bottom of the marsh. "So, if it got flushed out from this drain, it would've been pushed out to, like-," JJ says. "Somewhere in this trash," Pope finishes, looking around in the piles of floating plastic.
"Correct," JJ nods. Kie sighs. "Oh, my God, people who use plastic should be shot," Kie mutters. "Okay, personally, I love plastic. Use it everyday. Love the stuff," JJ smiles. I give him a look, rolling my eyes as I pull apart nets. "Yeah, well, hopefully you recycle it and don't just let it flush into the ocean," Kie retorts. "I thought you'd say something like that... so, trash bags," Pope says, holding up a few bags. "Did you just... proactively protect the environment?" Kie smiles brightly.
"Maybe," He smiles. JJ gives me a look this time. "Do you want us to leave you two alone, or what's goin on?" He smirks. Pope chucks the bags at his chest. "Just pick up the trash," He sighs.
~~~~~~
"Well that was fun," JJ sighs, wiping the sweat off of his forehead as he tosses the last bag up to me on the bank. "If it's not in the trash then it's gotta be in the storm drain," Pope says, placing his hands on his hips as I hop off of the top of it and land next to them. "It's in... it's in the storm drain," JJ nods, gesturing to the entrance of the drain. "Damn it," I sigh. "Of course it is," Kie nods. "Good thing I brought the crow," JJ says, pulling it out of his bag.
"So, are we gonna do like, rock, paper, scissors?" Kie sighs. "No," JJ shakes his head. "Or alphabetically?" She asks. "Nah," JJ chuckles to himself, squatting down to open the drain. "On three, Pope. One, two, three," He grunts as they pull it open. "Or, is it, like, the oldest goes?" Kie mutters. "In the sewer," JJ says.
"There's this worm that you get when you're down there. It gets into your blood, and then it- then it has to come out your pecker," He purses his lips, looking at Kie and I. "So, uh... that would be a hard pass for me," He says. "Yeah, that's gonna be a no for me," Pope nods. "No, I get it," I shrug. "I get it. You guys are scared," I nod. I laugh slightly. "No, no, I'm not scared," JJ defends. "It's kind of cute," I shrug with a laugh.
"I'm not scared, I'm not scared," They argue as I keep laughing. Kie gives me a look like, go ahead. "It's the pecker thing," Pope nods. "I'm not scared, I'm not," JJ defends. "You should've just led with that. You don't have to be scared. I'll do it," I nod. "Okay, just, you know, be careful," JJ nods at me as he pulls the grate back.
I roll my eyes. "I'll be so careful," I nod sarcastically as I put a hand on either side of the drain. "I deserve that," He nods. I get onto my hands and knees, crawling through the muddy water into the drain pipe. I hold my breath as I enter the dark and dirty space, unsure what's floating in the water around me. "Just, uh, holler if you need anything, okay?" JJ calls after me. "We'll uh, we'll holler back," He says uncertainly. "Very helpful. Thank you," I roll my eyes again as my voice echoes.
"Shit," I mutter as I crawl deeper, vines scraping my face. "Y/n... you find anything yet?" Pope's voice echoes through the tunnel. "Yeah, y/n/n, do you see the gun?" JJ calls. I look forward into the dark cave as far as I can see, dirt pooling around my hands and water dripping above me. "Nothing," I call with a nervous exhale.
"It's probably at the bottom of the catch basin," I hear Kie's voice echo. I grunt as I pull myself out of the pipe and into a pool of sewage. I sit back against the wall, the sewage pooling at my waist as I pant heavily. I glance above me at the grate, sunlight streaming through the cracks. I carefully lean back, reaching my hand into the sewage and searching for the gun.
I go back to my hands and knees, searching through the water. "People are so shitty," I mutter as I toss another beer can away from me. I shiver as I flick slimy sewage off of me, making gagging noise. "Eww," I mutter, peeling slime off of my arm. I reach into the murky water again, tightening my fingers around something.
"Guys, I think I found something!" I call through the drain. "Ugh, gross," I sigh as I rummage through the water. "Wait, you got it?" I hear JJ yell. I pull something up in front of me as Kie yells. "Is it the gun?" She calls. "Oh, JJ, oh my god!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I freak out, splashing through the sewage. "You guys, there's something dead in here!" I scream frantically, standing against the wall. "Is it-," Pope calls. "Like a person?" JJ screams.
I scream loudly as parts of whatever it is float around me. "Oh my God! There's something dead! I repeat...," I scream as loud as possible. "Like a person?" Pope calls again. "There is something dead in here!" I scream, trying not to fully panic. It isn't working. "Y/n don't touch it! That's how you get worms!" JJ calls. "Did you find the gun? Is it Gavin?" Pope screams.
"What is it?" JJ screams. "Is it Gavin?" Kie calls frantically. "Don't touch it!" Pope yells again. "Y/n is it a gun? Do you see the gun, y/n?" JJ screams. "Do you see anything?" He calls as my breathing slows. "You guys owe me for life!" I scream at them. Suddenly, the water starts gurgling behind me. I spin around. "Oh, shit!" I cry as it fumes, rising slowly. It's being flushed out.
"Guys!" I scream. "Guys, the water!" I yell again. "Y/n, get out of there now!" I hear JJ scream. Water rushes from all directions through the pipes, filling slowly. I step up on the ladder to the grate above me. "I don't have time! Guys!" I scream frantically, tears starting to fall. "Shit! Oh no!" I scream as water splashes against me. I hear all of them start frantically calling my name as I reach up, trying to get up the ladder before the water overcomes me.
I screech as I reach the top, banging on the grate as water reaches my ankles, roaring angrily below me. "Please, JJ, guys!" I scream as I bang on the grate. "Help I'm over here!" I yell, trying to keep the tears from my eyes so I can see. "Y/n!" I hear someone yell.
"Y/n, we're coming!" JJ shouts. "Hey, guys! I'm over here!" I scream as loud as possible. The water is up to my stomach now, gurgling and splashing around me. "The water is coming up!" I scream, wiggling my fingers through the grate. "Y/n!" JJ, Pope, and Kie all shout as they reach me, bending down to lift the manhole. "Pull! Pull it!" I scream at them. "Getting close! Pull, pull!" JJ screams as the four of us grunt, me trying to push it up and them trying to pull it.
"Hurry! Hurry!" I sob as water pools around my neck. "JJ, JJ, please, please," I sob, pressing my face against the gaps. "Don't worry, y/n, we're gonna get you out of there, I promise!" JJ shouts as I sob, banging on the manhole. "JJ, Pope, Kie!" I sob as the water rises higher, forcing me to press my face against the manhole. "Shit," Pope yells when the pocket knife JJ was using snaps in half. The go back to pulling as I sob hysterically, pounding on the grate.
I whimper as the water rises around me and I take one last breath, falling beneath the surface. I pound on the grate with the last of my effort, clinging to the bars above my head as I scream under water. Finally, the top pops off and water falls away around me. I surface, falling over the edge of the hole and gasping as JJ, Pope, and Kie fall back. I couch and choke as I lay on the ground, trying to pull air into my lungs.
"Y/n," JJ pants as I pull myself to my knees. "Are you okay?" He mutters, wrapping one arm around my back and one around my waist as couch up more water. "I thought we lost you," He cries, burying his face into my shoulder. "JJ, get off me, JJ, get off me!" I scream, trying to force him off. I go back to my hands and knees, coughing loudly as JJ backs away.
"Y/n, you good?" Pope mutters as I continue coughing. "Never better," I moan, raising a thumb. I exhale deeply as I stop couching, placing my hands on my knees and sitting back on my heels. I grin, pulling something out of my back pocket. "This wasn't what we were looking for, right?" I smile, holding up the gun. We all laugh, smiles lighting our faces. "Oh my God," JJ smiles as he takes it from me. "Holy shit," Pope mutters in relief as I stand up slowly, Kie helping me to my feet as she laughs.
"Oh, my God, we're gonna get this son of a bitch man," JJ grins as I fall into his arms. "Let's go, y/n," Pope nods. "Good job," Kie laughs. "Yeah," I nod with a grin. "You did it, y/n, you did it," JJ laughs as he hugs me tightly. We keep laughing with relief as Pope and Kie join us in a group hug. "Let's get this to Shoupe," Pope says as he pulls away. "Let's get this to Shoupe," JJ nods as I continue panting. "Okay," I nod with a smile.
