𝗠𝘆 𝗘𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 ⇉ 𝗝𝗝 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸

𝘨 𝘩 𝘰 𝘴 𝘵

THE TWO ROUTLEDGE siblings sat on the same seat, used to steer the HMS Pogue. But after a while, Ariella got tired of it and decided to let John B take over. She really only wanted the seat, so she didn't have to sit on the floor of the boat.

Now, she simply leans her head against his shoulder, the cool breeze blowing through her hair and her eyes squinting as the little bit of sun that came through the clouds, shone on her.

The Pogues were on their way to Goat Island to meet a man named Wes Genrette.

In JB and JJ's words, to get them back into the G game.

All their eyes grew wide as the island came into sight. Ariella picks up her head from John B's shoulder as her eyes found JJ's, who sat directly behind her. His eyes went from the island to her, disbelief in his gaze.

Goat Island loomed ahead, a rugged landscape dotted with thick, yet slightly tamed vegetation and rocky outcrops. The shoreline was jagged, with waves crashing against the rocks, sending sprays of seawater into the air.

The island had an eerie, almost mystical aura, with dense trees that seemed to whisper secrets in the wind.

Ariella was happy to have left Cora Lynn in Noah's care. This was not something she could've tagged along on.

Something about the island already gave her a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach and her gut feelings were never wrong, but she decided to keep it to herself for now.

They needed this.

"Do you guys know anybody that's been here?" Kiara breaks the silence, her voice laced with curiosity as she leans back against the boat's edge, the gentle rocking of the waves creating a soothing rhythm. "'Cause I don't."

"Nope." JJ responds, shaking his head vigorously, glancing around at the others, who mirror his uncertainty.

"Hey, Sarah, you must know somebody who's been here, right?" Pope chimes in, Sarah's face scrunches up in thought, though slightly offended. "I mean, like, all Kooks, they... they know each other. They go to the same parties."

"Are you kidding me? You've heard the rumors, right?" Sarah glances around at the Pogues, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"I have." Ariella raises her hand, her eyes falling onto JJ. "I've told you about it, remember? The one about the daughter?"

"Oh, yeah." JJ nods, the memory flooding back to him. "Didn't she drown with her baby?"

"Mhm." Ariella hums, her expression shifting to one of seriousness, almost losing her balance when John B nudges her playfully.

In a quick retaliation, she pushes him completely off the seat, sending him tumbling onto the floor of the boat with a loud thud.

The Pogues erupt into laughter, the sound echoing against the water as John B flips her off, a grin plastered on his face despite the playful insult.

Ariella smirks back, her eyes dancing with delight as she grabs JJ's hand, pulling him closer to join her on the seat. He lifts her effortlessly, setting her on his lap, his arms wrapping around her protectively as he takes control of the boat, steering them into the unknown.

"I heard she was possessed first or something." Kiara interjects, her voice a mix of intrigue and caution, bringing them back to the chilling conversation.

"And then I heard that was all bullshit because...what?" Pope quips.

Ariella raises her eyebrows at him, pointing a finger in mock reprimand. "You out of all people should know better than to call whatever happened to her 'bullshit'. What we used to think were 'ghost stories' kinda led us here, so..."