what now? | outerbanks

• thirty-seven •

John B.
   
    Over the past few days, when I haven't been comforting and caring for Sarah, us Pogues have been doing all the research we can get our hands on.
    Here's what we've learned:
    Long before any locals arrived on the Outer Banks, a tale circulated among the island about a cursed treasure buried beneath the sand, lost during the time of the notorious pirate Captain Red Morgan. Known for his brutal raids and unmatched cruelty, Red Morgan was also rumored to have crossed paths with a mysterious sea witch—a sorceress who protected a powerful artifact, the Siren's Tear. The jewel is said to have the power to summon the ocean's wrath.
    Before his death in 1721, Captain Morgan was said to have acquired the Siren's Tear, only to be cursed by the sea witch, who vowed that whoever possessed the jewel would suffer an inevitable doom. The legend claims that Morgan buried the jewel in a hidden cove on the Outer Banks, but as the curse spread, so did the myth of the treasure.

    We called Eli Pritchard back, telling him we're interested, and he set up a meeting. He told us everything he knows and showed us the compass in full view. Eli, while cleaning an old shipwreck near Cape Lookout, found a strange artifact—an ancient compass with an inscription that matches the one from Captain Morgan's ship logs. He is convinced that the compass is the key to finding the Siren's Tear, but he knows he's not the only one looking for it.
He says he knows of a group of hunters, dangerous people from an island off the coast of Kingston, Jamaica, who have also been searching for the jewel.

I have to be honest; while I am still a little skeptical and cautious, this thrill feels good. It feels like old times.
The only problem is, it's not old times. We have a business, we built our own home as a group, and we just bought a new house as a married couple. And, Sarah's having a baby.
I've been sitting with the news over the past week or so, and it still doesn't feel real. I'm scared, of course, but there's something more than that. I keep imagining feet padding down the halls, giggles erupting from bedrooms, bottles in the sink- so many new sights and sounds to come. It's new, and it's going to be hard, but I can't wait.
"Good morning, baby," Sarah mumbles, rolling over in bed so our noses touch. She's been distant lately, and I completely understand. I can't even imagine what her mind is like right now, and I usually know her every thought. She's getting better, though, slowly coming to terms with it all and seeing it as a blessing rather than a curse.
"Good morning, princess," I say, kissing her softly and running my hands up and down her arms. "Not feeling sick?"
"Not yet," she smiles, a grateful glint in her eyes, and I frown thinking about how hard this has been on her. "I am tired. Pope kept us up way too long last night talking about the treasure."
"I know, but I didn't have the heart to stop him. You know this is his thing."
"Yeah, what a nerd," she giggles, her glowy cheeks pressing to her eyes.
"I meant to ask you: how are you really feeling about this whole treasure hunt thing? You seem okay, but with everything..." I trail off, searching the girl's hazely eyes for answers.
"I don't know, honestly," she admits, rolling over on her back so she's looking up at the ceiling, her arms crossed over her stomach. "It's obviously fun, exciting, like old Pogue days. But there are new risks, new things to lose. It really makes me nervous knowing we're bringing a whole new life into this."
    "Look, you make the call. I'll do whatever you deem fit," I tell her, her opinion being the most important to me.
    "It scares me, like, scares the shit out of me. Especially being pregnant and thinking about everything else hunting brought us in the past, but they really want this. You saw the look in J's eyes the other day; he's so excited. I don't want to hold anyone back; I think we should at least try."
    "Then that's that," I say, lips pulling into a closed smile, my eyes taking in Sarah's overwhelming beauty despite just waking up. She's even more beautiful now that I know a piece of the two of us is living inside of her. I'm still nervous that the mix between pregnancy and treasure hunting is a dangerous one, but I'll do whatever she says. "Well," I say, looking at the clock on her bedside table, "we need to get up; head over to Pougelandia."
    Today, we decided, we're going to tell the others about the baby. Sarah really wanted to wait, knowing that the pregnancy is still in its fickle, unpromised stages, but we know we can't go on with this treasure hunt if the others don't know.
"You're shaking," I say, Sarah's hand in mine as I drive the familiar route to the house and shop.
"I just want them to take the news well, that's all."
"I'm sure they will. They all love you, Sar."
"I know that, but this is big, and it's going to change a lot of things. I just don't want to be a burden," she lilts, twisting her hair tight around a finger. I only hum in agreement, kissing her fingers, the shaky limbs feeling like ice beneath my warm touch.
The van pulls into the yard not long after, and I exit the car nervously, helping Sarah out of her side as well. I take a deep breath, preparing to tell everyone the news as we walk hand in hand to the shop.
The four others, Cleo and Pope, JJ and Kie, are sitting spread out in the shop, scrolling mindlessly through their phones.
"Sarah!" Cleo exclaims, hopping up from her seat to wrap Sarah in a hug, and I stand awkwardly next to them.
"No one's ever excited to see me," I mutter, playfully rolling my eyes at the girls hugging.
    "Oh, don't play, JB. We love you too," Cleo smiles, hugging me too. "Let's get to work on a plan for this hunt." Her words are quick and precise, like she's been waiting for us to show up for this reason only.
    "Well, actually, before we do that," Sarah starts, her voice wavering a little bit, but only enough for Kiara and me to notice. Kie looks back at the girl, an eyebrow quirked slightly, and I can tell she had a hunch about what's about to happen. "I have something to tell you guys."
    "Yeah, okay. What is it?" Pope asks, only half listening as he counts bills in the register.
    "Why don't we go sit upstairs?" She suggests, nervously gesturing them up the stairs, and I follow as the caboose.
She sits down in a hammock, and I snuggle in close next to her, the others finding their own respective seats.
"What's up?" JJ asks casually, his hand resting on Kie's thigh.
"I didn't want to tell anyone until a little later, but with the treasure hunt, we thought it was too dangerous to keep it a secret. You guys know I've been pretty sick lately, and," she rambles on, and I put a hand on the small of her back for support, watching her every expression cautiously, but Pope cuts her off.
"No," he starts suspiciously, coming to realize what Sarah's hinting at. He turns to face Cleo, whose eyes rapidly widen with excitement as she realizes as well. Kie's grin is like nothing I've seen before, and I think I even see tears form in the corner of her eyes.
"You're kidding!" Cleo stands up, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. Then, my eyes pan to JJ, who is sitting just as he was before, with scrunched brows and a twisted face. He has no idea what's going on. He looks around, his blue eyes searching for any clue as to what's going on, and then he looks into Pope's eyes for explanation. "JJ, she's having a baby!" Cleo gushes, her arm straightening towards Sarah, and the boy's gaze follows the limb until it meets Sarah's no-show stomach.
"You're lying," he doubts, a small smirk landing on his lips as he turns to Kie for confirmation.
"It's true," she confirms, tears spilling out of her eyes in joy and relief. Finally, the secret is out.
"I'm having a baby," Sarah cracks out, her voice taut with overwhelming emotion. JJ immediately jumps up and engulfs the blonde in a hug, and the brotherly protectiveness is palpable from my spot on the hammock. The rest take their turns hugging and complimenting us, the moment feeling like a weight off of both of our lines.
"Wait, you already knew, didn't you?" JJ accuses, pointing a playful finger at Kie. "That's why you were so stressed the other day."
    "Yup. I was actually the first to know, so, basically, she loves me more than all of you!"
    Sarah's face lights up, a goofy smile dancing onto her face, and for the first time in a while, she looks truly happy. "She said it, not me!"
    "So we're gonna have a little pougelet?!" Cleo remarks, giddy with joy.
    "Yup; a little baby Pogue."
    "But not for like another eight months," Sarah says with a frown, poking out and caressing her nonexistent belly. "We've got a long way to go."