Night fell quickly. It felt like the moment golden hour began it ended and gave way to the blanket of darkness. It was unsettling to be in the wild with only three flashlights to light their way. On the bright side, the scorching summer heat pounding down on them had finally eased up, making their hike seem far less daunting and Big John somewhat less cranky.
"Do you see that?" Big John whispered as the monuments they had admired from the top of the mountain appeared before them, this time only a couple meters out of reach.
"Whoa," John B breathed while Grace silently admired the stone.
Big John ran his fingers across it while shining his light towards the monument. "Oh my God. It's just as the legend predicted it."
Grace grinned at her sister who smiled back at her. Dealing with the scorching heat, treacherous hike, and irritable Big John had been worth it after all.
"See these four columns here?" Big John asked while pointing around at the pillars which surrounded them, "Mark the cardinal directions. And there it is."
Grace followed his eyes to see what looked like an alter sat perfectly in the centre of the pillars.
"The temalacatl," Big John breathed in disbelief. It was kind of wholesome to see the man's dreams come true. Grace just had to forget that fact that he literally killed to be here if she wanted to see the joy in it all.
"I'll be damned," John B responded as he ran his fingers over the intricate masonry work.
"I can't believe it," Big John continued while he admired the carvings.
Grace stared down at the symbols trying to make sense of their meanings. The language was so unique. She'd never seen anything like it.
"Oh, it's as real as the day, boy," Big John said hands still running over the circular alter, "A thousand years of astronomy, mathematics is all contained in this."
Grace didn't need to be told how impressive it was. Simply looking at the complex designs was proof enough, but Big John's pure childlike wonder emphasized how significant the artifact truly was.
"This proves that the Kalinago were every bit equal to the Mayans," he continued, "This... this is gonna rewrite everything."
Grace looked up at John B and they shared a look of pure disbelief. It went beyond the gold and wealth now, it was a historical discovery that could potentially change what's written in history books. None of the Pogues had really considered that possibility.
Big John's hand surged forward to the square indent in the centre of the circle. "Oh, you see that? This right here. That's where she goes."
"Yeah, yeah. Get the gnomon out," John B urged.
Big John pulled the gnomon out of his bag making the air grow thick with anticipation.
He held the gnomon over the alter. "This is it. This it the moment, boy."
"Nice and easy. Nice and easy," John B muttered as Big John slowly lowered it.
Grace suppressed the urge to rush them. The build up was killing her.
"That's right. Look at this," Big John whispered. The gnomon finally made contact with the stone and he lowered it in slowly, "Please, please, please."
The stone slotted perfectly into place. Big John let out a relieved laugh while the teens stared down at the relic in awe.
"Yo, listen up," Big John said, drawing their attention away from the alter, "When the moon hits its zenith, that's when the action starts."
The trio stared up at the moon. It was full, providing a cool glow to the otherwise darkened woods.
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𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank
FanfictionGrace Cameron was a Pogue. Always has been. Sure her dad and half-siblings were the Kookiest a Kook could get but her mom had grown up on the Cut so she did too. Her friend group vowed to have a good time all the time but when a boat goes down in th...
