Paradise on Earth

Redfield Lighthouse

After the big scary guys left we all decided that it was time to figure out what is so important about this compass. Well John B decided, the rest of us tagged along. John B hasn't stopped conspiring since we got in the van. "I mean, it's obvious, right? A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message?" He explained to the rest of us. "He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?"

"Yeah. It's possible." I mumble resting my head against the back of the driver seat head rest. JJ sat next me and Pope next to him. Kie is in the passenger seat while John B was in the driver.

"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels." Pope concludes. I reach over from my seat and smack him in the head. For the hundredth time this week. "Ouch! Would you stop hitting me!" I make a face at him before sitting back.

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it." JJ goes to hand me his blunt but I immediately push him away. I'm not in the mood nor is it the time to get high.

"I'm not concocting, okay?" He snaps from the front. I can see him glaring at us from the rear view mirror. "My dad's trying to give me a message."

"If it helps you believe, John B." Kie sighs. She reaches for his hand to comfort him i guess but he quickly pulls away. His glare now fixed on her.

"Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay? I'm not trippin' out."

"It's okay to trip, bro, but..." JJ reassures him as he takes another hit but John B cuts him off.

"Look, my... my dad is missing, okay? Missing." He emphasizes. "You don't know what it's like to have
the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering."

The rest of us go silent. There's nothing we really could or should say cause he's right. We don't know what it's like. Mostly because John B refuses to talk about it. "It's been almost a year." Kie mumbles breaking the silence.

"Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility." JJ suggests.

"Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere." Pope jumped in.

"Absolutely. Uh... or Atlantis."

"You guys!" I scold them giving the 'what the hell?' look.

"Look, what do you think the message is?" Kie asks him.

"Yeah B, where are we even going." I ask looking through the window to see the caught familiar scenery. My question was quickly answered when I saw the 'Redfield Light House' sign followed by one underneath it that read, 'Closed Due To Hurricane'.

"Redfield." John B recalls from the compass. "Redfield Lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place."
-
We all filed out of the van one by one. The only thing separating John B and the answers he's been looking for nine months, is apparently this white picket fence. We stare up at the lighthouse in uncertainty. "You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?" John B told JJ.

"Wait... Why me?" JJ protested. From the look on his face I could tell that he is not happy about being the only one left behind.

"Because you're not coming." Pope intervened. Starting to get a little too cocky.

"But why?"

"There are independent and dependent variables. You're independent. We don't know what you'll do." Pope tries to explain to JJ. As much as I hate to admit it but he's right. I want to trust JJ but I can't. Not with this.

"Shut up!"

"Would you both shut up?" I speak up making everyone fall silent. "Pope, you stand look out with JJ. Okay?" Pope looked like he was going to protest but decided against it.