Ocean and Alcohol ✘JJ Maybank✘

The Well

The cool breeze ruffled your hair, goosebumps prickling your skin. JJ's white collared shirt he had worn to the party was draped over your shoulders. He sat next to you, so close that you could feel the warmth radiating off of him. With your adrenaline from the night fading fast, a rather large rock of fear dropped into your stomach. You couldn't imagine what kind of storm your father was raging back at home. Shutting your eyes, you prayed silently that Kid had the smarts to stay out of his way.

"So, like, my dad's already going to kill me," Pope said as John B stoked the fire. "What's this mandatory meeting about?"

JJ looked up to John B, who pointed finger guns at him.

"Might as well tell him, man," JJ said, the barest hint of a smile on his face. "Before we're gaffed."

Kie turned to look at John B slowly, a look of worry on her face.

"Ready for this?" John B asked. You nodded your head eagerly. It had to be about the gold. There was nothing else that was so important.

"Uh, yeah," Kie said, eyes widening.

"So, the gold went down with the Royal Merchant," John B started, as if telling the beginning of a long ghost story. Your heart started to pound as if it was. Pope sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Here we go again with this," he said, leaning back.

"Hold on," JJ said, "Hear him out, alright?"

Pope looked away from JJ toward John B, who had a finger to his smiling lips. He was really enjoying this whole story-telling thing. If both him and JJ were this excited, it must be a real lead.

"It's been here the whole time," John B said. You scowled, your eyes narrowing as you gazed into the fire. John B looked around, letting his words settle in. "It's on the island."

You sucked in a sharp intake of breath, a smile starting to widen across your lips.

"Are you serious?" Kie asked, glancing between JJ and John B, as if one of them was going to jump up and say 'sike!' But neither of them did. "Oh, my god!"

"I'd like to voice my skepticism," Pope said, leaning his elbows against his knees.

"I'm sure you would, Pope," John B said as he stood. You rolled your eyes at him. JJ threw a stick into the fire. "But can I please present my evidence, sir?"

"Proceed." Pope waved his hand in a mocking manner.

You watched, eyes wide with merriment and a grin on your face, as John B presented his so called evidence. He spoke of Denmark Tanny, the slave who freed himself with the Royal Merchant gold, about the letter he left to his son. He told the circle about Tannyhill, the plantation that Denmark Tanny bought and how he freed slaves and got richer from his rice production. You weren't surprised when John B told everyone that Tanny was killed, but it still made you sad. All the good he had done in his life, only to be murdered.

"Harvest the wheat in parcel nine near the water," John B said. "Except, there's no wheat."

Your mind was swimming. It was so much to take in, so much that you didn't really understand.

"So, wheat is a code for gold?" you asked, squeezing your eyes shut in an attempt to understand.

"Look at this," John B took the two papers he had handed out and held them up. One was a picture of the gold with the wheat symbol stamped on the top. The other was the letter with the same wheat symbol on the bottom. Your heart started to soar. Kie laughed, her mouth falling open with glee.

"Holy shit," Pope breathed, looking at the pictures closer.

"All we need is the original survey map of the property," John B said, pacing back and forth in front of the fire. "And we've found the gold!"