angel - rafe cameron (outerbanks)

18 - the boneyard

chapter 18
the boneyard

angie's hands trembled on the steering wheel as she raced toward the boneyard, her mind a chaotic storm of thoughts. the text had rattled her, every word laced with the promise of answers, of something bigger than the suffocating fog she'd been trapped in since maddie disappeared. she barely remembered throwing on the hoodie and joggers, the hoodie swallowing her frame and the joggers sitting crooked on her hips. her usually meticulous self had no time for details—not today.

the road blurred beneath her tires, the soft hum of her car's engine drowned out by the blood pounding in her ears. she barely paused at stop signs, her foot heavy on the gas as she veered off the main road and onto the sandy trail that led to the beach.

when she skidded to a stop, angie threw the car into park and bolted from the driver's seat, her sneakers sinking into the shifting sand as she sprinted toward the shore. the salty air whipped at her face, and her hair, still damp from her earlier shower, stuck to the back of her neck in unruly tendrils.

the boneyard stretched out before her, eerily quiet and bathed in the soft, golden light of late afternoon. it was never this still, this empty. she slowed to a jog, her breath coming in shallow gasps as her eyes darted across the expanse of sand, scanning for any sign of life.

nothing.

angie's heart sank, but her feet carried her closer to the lifeguard stand. her steps faltered. the world tilting on its axis as her gaze locked on a single, out-of-place object.

the white box sat primly on the wooden step of the lifeguard stand, its corners crisp and clean against the weathered wood. a black bow tied in a perfect loop rested on top, its stark contrast against the box so sharp it felt deliberate—meticulously planned. angie stopped dead in her tracks, her stomach twisting so violently she thought she might throw up.

her heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out the gentle rush of the waves behind her. her breath caught in her throat as a dark thought took root, clawing its way to the forefront of her mind.

maddie.

she took a hesitant step forward, her sneakers crunching against the sand, the sound far too loud in the unnatural stillness. the air felt heavier now, pressing down on her shoulders, making her limbs feel heavy as she inched closer to the lifeguard stand. the box didn't move—didn't so much as shift in the breeze, as if even nature itself was too afraid to disturb it.

angie stopped a foot away, her arms wrapped around her middle as though holding herself together. the box was pristine, untouched, but it radiated a sense of foreboding that made her stomach churn.

every instinct screamed for her to leave it alone, to turn back and run, but her feet betrayed her, inching closer with an agonising step. when she finally stood over it, her chest heaving with shallow breaths, she crouched down, her trembling fingers brushing the edge of the box. she tenderly picked it up, cradling it as though it might shatter—or worse, detonate.

her heart pounded so hard it hurt, each beat reverberating through her chest like a warning bell. as she lifted the box, her arms tensed, half-expecting it to betray its perfect, pristine exterior with some sinister secret. but it didn't. it was still. silent. perfectly sealed.

the breath she exhaled came out shaky and uneven. angie straightened, holding the box close to her body, her eyes darting nervously across the beach. empty. the waves crashed softly in the distance, but nothing moved, no figures lurked, no shadows emerged. nothing.

the weight of the box felt wrong in her hands—heavy, but not in a way that made sense. it was more than its physical weight. it was the unknown that pressed down on her, the overwhelming sense that whatever was inside would change everything.