High Tide // JJ Maybank

Chapter 39

Pope rolls out of the way of the falling cross. The cross falls from its place in the rafters, plummeting toward the old Woden floor boards. It lands upside down, sticking straight up from the floor.

JJ begins to move from where he pulled the two of us against the wall, avoiding the falling cross.

"Hey, you good?" JJ asks, placing his hands on his friends and rolling him over to face him.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just give me, like, one second to catch my breath." Pope breathes out.

"You did it, Pope." John B informs the boy on the floor.

JJ and John B both stand up, giving Pope space. They both step toward the gold cross, reaching out to trace their fingers over the intricate designs.

"Pope, she's... she's beautiful." JJ says in awe.

"I've never seen anything like it." Sarah agrees.

John B continues analyzing the cross. He squats down when he finds a keyhole in the side of it, running his finger over the opening. "Well, here's why Limbrey wanted the key so bad."

"Whoa, good find. How much do you think she's worth?" JJ questions. "Like, if we melted her old bones down, dude, I'm talking like high billions."

"JJ, that's not gonna happen." I state, looking up at him. "This needs to go in a museum."

"What? So, no one sees her?"

"It goes in a museum so that everyone can see her." John B argues.

"Hey!" Pope calls out, cutting off the argument. "It's my ancestors' cross."

"Right, okay, alright." JJ back pedals.

"This is bigger than money, and the world's gotta know the truth."

"Yes, and if we don't get this shit out of here before Limbrey gets here, nobody's gonna know. So saddle up." John B announces.

The Pogues all bend down to try to lift the large cross. Mumbles of plans on how to get the cross up and out of the floor start to form. John B grabs the top of the cross, acting as a counterweight for the rest of us to lift it out of the broken floor boards. Grunts and groans begin to fill the air as we all exert ourselves, lifting the cross.

Pope breathes loudly in raspy gasps, catching my attention.

"Pope, you don't look so good." I notice.

"Ah, I can't, I can't.." He drops his corner of the cross. Objections come from JJ as the cross becomes heavier from losing a person.

The cross thuds on the ground as we all have to lower it, the weight becoming too much. Pope collapses against a pew. I step toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Pope, hey, what's going on?"

"I'm not okay. I'm not okay."

"Your eye, it looks all puffy." Sarah points out.

"I can't--" Pope gasps for air.

"He's having an allergic reaction." Kie realizes.

"How many times did you get stung?" Sarah asks.

Pope passes out, sliding off the seat and collapsing to the floor. Sarah and Kie both grab underneath his arms in hopes of keeping him somewhat on his feet.

"What about the cross?" Kie asks.

"JJ, try to hide it!" John B instructs the blond boy.

JJ rushes off to start figuring out a way to hide the cross. Sarah helps him as the rest of us get Pope to the Jeep.