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I left the Outer Banks, nine and a half months ago. I don't really know if I planned to ever return. That was before I found the envelope addressed to me, Harpy, the front read. Scrawled in my father's messy handwriting. Now, I was back, heading in the direction of the last place I wanted to visit but my unanswered questions left me with more to deal with than a few bad memories.
I exited my car, envelope in hand, walking through the rotten gates of Kildaire County Cemetery. The willow trees wept down into my path, mirroring my mood. My feet drug as I walked down the path, towards the graves of my family. The overgrown greenery blocking them from view. As I continued through the graveyard, I couldn't help but notice all of the grave and mausoleums left untouched by family. Smith, Archer, Logan, Redfield, all covered in moss and beaten to a pulp from the stormy summers.
Departing from the main path, I walked towards the familiar gravesite. Jackson & April Avery. I sat down next to the grave, setting the envelope beside me.
"Hi, mom, dad," I said.
"I'm sorry I haven't come to visit," I told the stones, "I would've but I had to figure some stuff out first." I sat around thinking. About everything before, about now, just everything.
I was drawn out of my thoughts as I heard people approaching me. I quickly grabbed the envelope and jumped behind a grave, out of sight.
"So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right," I heard a voice say, figures approaching where'd I'd stood just moments ago, three males, one female. They looked younger, but their shadows were all I could see
"But it's not a place," the same voice paused, "it's a person." The four figures stood in front of one of the mausoleums I passed. Redfield.
"Voi-effing-là," another voice chimed in.
"See, my great-great-grandmother Olivia Redfield. That was her maiden name," the first voice spoke again. I stayed in my position, listening to the conversation.
"Help me with the door. Come on," the figures started to push the door, which wouldn't be likely to budge.
"Are you pushing," the last male finally spoke.
"Yeah, I'm pushing," the rest of the group grunted, exasperated from pushing the heavy stone.
"This door is like 700 pounds. It's not gonna budge," one of the male voices spoke.
"We didn't come this far to get this far, all right," another chimed, still attempting to push the door open. I sunk farther into my hiding spot as the others jumped back, a snake slithered out of the door.
"Whoa," one of the boys said after jumping back.
"A snake," another yelled out, thanks captain obvious.
"That's a moccasin, all right. Ye olde Dr. Cottonmouth. Death in tall grass," Captain obvious said, as he starting barking at the snake slithering its way to the ground. Yes, barking. As the group argued, the snake slithered its way towards me.
"Oh shit, no, no, no," I said jumping back, giving away my hiding place. One of the boys looked back towards me, as I cussed at the snake. I tried to rehide myself, but he was already moving towards me. A flashlight shining on the grave I was at. I tried to move out of the light but was already caught as the figure addressed me.
"Harper Avery," the figure called out in question. I could now see exactly who it was and could assume who was over by the mausoleum. John Booker Routledge. Not someone I'd had many interactions with but I knew of him and he knew of me.
"John B, what are you doing," Kiara Carrerra called to him. I sheepishly stood from my position, meeting John B's eyes.
"Hi, John," I said, waving slightly at the boy in front of me. Confusion littered across his face. It wasn't unknown in the OBX that I'd run away after my parent's death. The small reunion was cut short as captain obvious resumed barking. John B turned away from me, beckoning me to follow him.
"Stop barking at the snake," he called to JJ.
"Just making sure it's clear," JJ said as we approached, completely oblivious to me. We'd made it to the group by now, Kie gapped at my presence.
"Hey, Kie," I told her, slightly smiling. Kie and I had been friends at school but never really interacted other than that. She smiled back and hugged me. The three boys were oblivious to our interaction.
"We're not gonna get in there, all right? It's not budging," JJ told them. I inspected the large door, noticing the small hole in the top corner.
"I can get through," I told them.
"What," John B questioned me, "no, no, no, no. You think you're gonna fit through the hole?" I nodded my head, moving forward to further inspect the hole.
"That hole," he gapped.
"Look, this is about your dad," Kie reasoned with him, "and honestly, I really don't believe in it, but you deserve to know the truth." I didn't really know what they were talking about but assuming it was something important.
"I'll do it," I told him, my face dead serious. John B finally nodded to me, understanding I wasn't going to back down.
"Can you help me with that," Kie said, starting to clear the vines covering the hole.
"Give her a boost," John B told JJ, who had finally noticed my presence.
"Hey, Harper. How's it going. I'm gonna boost you, all right," he said. I handed my envelope to Kie, the edges more frayed than the previous day.
"Please, keep this safe," I told her.
"I've seen it in the movies several times. Ready," JJ asked me, placing his back against the door and squatting down.
"Remind me what we're looking for," I asked them, directing my gaze towards John B. If I was going to do this, I needed some sort of guidance.
"You'll know when you see it," He told me skeptically looking between the others. Not really helpful, but ok. He had a certain glint to his eye, determination, desperation, something like that.
"Hold my flashlight," I told them.
"All right, so put your hands right there," JJ started to guide me, "all right, on three." I put my foot in his interlaced hands, hoisting myself up to the hole and through it.
"Okay, never mind. Just forget about three," he mumbled to himself. The temperature dropped once inside the mausoleum. The only light source was the reflection from the flashlights outside.
"Flashlight," I asked, reaching my hand out of the hole.
"Yeah, here," Pope said, handing me the flashlight. I was now able to see the grey stone, surrounding me.
"You alive? You got, like, a... a heartbeat and everything," John B called in nervously.
"Uhm, I think so...," I said back.
"That's good. That's good. Yep." I looked around me spotting a glint of white out of the corner of my eye.
"Uh... I need some more light," I said, not sure what I was seeing.
"Yeah, yeah, here. Yeah, I gotcha," John B said shoving a lantern through the hole. With the new light source, I was able to see an envelope, identical to the one I handed to Kie. I gasped, not sure what to make of this but pulled it out of its place.
