Ain't Shady Baby, I'm Hot

14

"That would have been nice to know!" I shouted as Pope and JJ kept me from jumping out of the door. Their arms around me like a set of seatbelts.

"Stop whining. You'll be fine." Kie said softly, though the look on her face told me she wasn't as confident as she appeared. I turned to face Pope who was looking at me with the most reassuring expression that I stopped trying to get up.

"Fine. But only because if a ghost comes I'm pushing Pope at it." The male gasped poking me in the side.

"What? Why me?"

"You spend so much time talking about the dead and death, I figured you would want to talk to an actual dead person." I shrugged watching him nod.

"Fair."

"I also thought you may be able to bore it enough it wants to kill itself a second time."

"Hey!" The four of us erupted in laughter as Pope crossed his arms offended. Though we knew it was just for show as he continued the banter. "We could always just give the ghost JJ, his golden retriever tendencies would probably drive the ghost insane." Now JJ was the one not laughing.

"I don't actually have golden retriever tendencies, do I?" The laughter died out as I turned to face JJ, my hand on his cheek.

"Hun, if you were a dog, you have about an 85% chance of being a golden retriever." He cocked his head into my hand still staring into my eyes.

"Do you like golden retrievers?"

"I'm still your friend." The other three laughed as JJ launched at me. A big goofy grin on his face as he dug his fingers into my sides.

I couldn't help the shrieks of laughter as I tried to bring my knees and hands up to defend myself without hurting JJ, but then there was another set of hands poking at my sides.

"Not you, too, Pope!" I cried as I had tears fill my eyes. "I trusted you!"

"You should have thought about that before you planned to sacrifice me to a ghost!" He popped back playfully as John B continued to drive us to the cemetery.

"Okay, okay, guys let her go. She's not breathing." Kie piped up from the front seat as I struggled to breathe.

"Ow guys." I groaned as they finally stopped tickling me. The torture left my sides sore and my abs on fire as streaks were left over on my face because of tears. But even through the pain I had a big grin on my face.

"You mind if I just relax on this one? It's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. I'm just gonna lay low." I sat up blinking at JJ with his quick change. His hands lighting a joint as Pope and I both subtly slid away from him. "Oh, did you want a hit of this?" He gestured the joint between the two of us.

"JJ." I warned his eyes widening as he pulled the joint to him protectively.

"Right, sorry. Pope?"

"I keep the signal clear." Pope leaned away from JJ.

"Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative. If you got creative, then -"

"What the fuck?" Pope and I both whispered to one another as we shared a similar look.

"Look, okay, I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right?" John B started, interrupting the argument that was about to begin back here. "And, and pretty much everything else. But I- I was right about one thing."

"Shit, B. Spit it out!" I shouted his stutter and lack of getting straight to the point irritating me.

"Okay. My dad is trying to tell me something."

"And that's why we're going to the cemetery?" I point at the large gate entrance in front of us.

"Yup. Come on." He cut the engine and we all piled out. John B urging us along like a mother duck.

"We're coming." Kie said turning on her flashlight. The rest of us doing the same. "John B, what exactly are we doing?"

"Shut up. You know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" John B was walking backwards and talking with his hands. His theatrical behavior showing his excitement.

"Yeah."

"So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place. It's a person." We all stopped in front of a stone structure. John B's flashlight shining on the letters.

Redfield

"Voi-effing-lá." JJ filled the silence as I took a step closer to the center of the group.

"See, my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name. Help me with the door." He got to work, Pope moving to help.

I watched, a slight smile on my face as they attempted to move the stone. JJ pushed in between the two to help.

"Here, come on, I got it." I sighed, stepping close to Kie as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. The two of us watching amused at their antics.

"This door is like 700 pounds. It's not gonna budge." Pope's voice was strained as they pushed against the stone.

"We didn't come this far to get this far, all right?" JJ gasped out. "We got this."

"Famous last words." As if on cue, a loud hissing noise came from that direction.

"Whoa!" Pope shrieked nearly falling backwards.

"Ah! A snake!" JJ shouted jumping back, "that's a moccasin, all right. Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth." I held my hand over my mouth at his horrible western accent. "Death in tall grass." My eyes widened as he followed the snake before beginning to bark at it.

"JJ, shut up. Shut up!" Kie shouted as I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around the blond's waist and mouth. Tugging him backwards as he continued to bark into my palm.

"JJ, chill the fuck out." I hissed in his ear. My heart accelerated as I focused on calming down.

"You're gonna wake the freaking dead man." Pope complained as JJ settled into my arms.

When he deemed he didn't want to be trapped in my arms, he gave my palm a quick lick making me groan and wipe my hand on his sleeve.

"You could have just tapped me." He grinned deviously.

"I'll keep that in mind for next time."

"Oh my gosh." I groaned face palming.

"Wait, hold on." JJ turned to the mausoleum. "If there's one, there's probably dozens."

"Would you stop!" I hissed popping him on his shoulder.

"You're scaring me." Kie added, making JJ start to bark again.

"Stop! Stop barking at the snakes."

"Oh my gosh. Don't tell me this is because of the golden retriever comment." I groaned, Pope stifling a laugh as JJ cocked his head my way.

"I'm just making sure it's clear. They're scared of dogs."

"Shut up. John, look, we're not gonna get in there, alright? It's not budging." I turned my attention back to the mausoleum. My flashlight scanning the outside as I came across a small whole in the stone.

"We should probably just go." Pope concluded.

"Hey Kie," I whispered pointing at the hole in the stone, "you ever gone spelunking in a cave?" She gave me this blank expression, one that told me she was contemplating all of her life decisions that led her to this moment.

"I can get though."