the masterlist of everything you need to know about powcoa and her account! i.e rules, requesting info, what she writes and a list of all her works (so far).
A teenage girl struggles to maintain her secret and seeks her friends help to find her father after he mysteriously vanishes, only to find out, that her father wasn't the only one
(word count—8.3k)
chapter four
REESE !
THE TALL GRASS that surrounded the shore itched her legs as she walked around the motel and over to the front. She kept swiping bugs off of her and dry blue grass irritated the skin on
her legs so bad she could hardly walk.
Reese hastily walked around a few fallen tree limbs and a mattress with mysterious stains she didn't even want to know about, eventually making her way up to the front of the parking lot where a police cruiser had been parked.
She looked down at herself to see mud stains and debris all over her. Her overalls had been caked in dirt, probably from when she fell at the rental shop and her shoes were dirtied from her walk up to the motel from the boat. She groaned. At least it would make her story more believable to whoever she was going to talk to.
Reese hurriedly made her way around the blue and white truck and then put on her best worried face. Her brown hair was disheveled and tangled which helped sell what she was going for. She saw deputy Shoupe, at least that's what she thought his name was, and another lady talking to what she could only assume to be the motel manager since he was pointing like he was giving directions.
She mustered up whatever courage she had remaining after the earlier events of the day and rushed forward, panic in her voice. Did Reese want to do this? No. But did she make a promise? Yes.
"Hey," She called out, running up to the officer with her steps faltering. She played up the injuries she'd gotten last night, hoping it would distract him long enough. "Please, please help."
She watched as both of the officers turned to her, their attention being taken away from going up to where the pogues were and over to her. The woman officer, looked suspicious, but still walked over to Reese, placing a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. Shoupe stayed where he was, as if assessing the situation.
"Are you okay?" The woman asked, looking Reese over and lingering on her bandaged leg.
"No, no," Reese spluttered, trying her best to sound anxious and frazzled. It wasn't too hard considering all she'd been through and the fact she still hadn't had a chance to figure out where her dad went. "Please, you have to help me."
Reese looked at the officer with pleading eyes and she turned to her superior, Deputy Shoupe. Reese had heard stories of him, though she was almost positive she'd never met him before. Her dad had, seeing as they went to high school together, but Reese was never friendly with the man.
"Now, hang on a minute," Shoupe said, holding is hand out. "You're Harbour's kid, ain't cha?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as if it would help him identify Reese.
"Yes, yes," The brunette girl nodded rapidly.
She watched as Shoupe turned his attention back to the room he and his partner were no doubt heading too, the same room the three boys had entered maybe 10 minutes ago.
Internally, Reese screamed. She was supposed to be the distraction and it didn't seem to be working.
"Well, then if you don't mind waiting just a second. I'm sure we can figure something out for you, we just have more pressing business to handle," Shoupe said, nodded for his other officer to walk away from Reese and start heading up the stairs.
"No, no wait," Reese insisted, taking a couple steps, as if to follow them, and then stumbled, playing up her injury. "He's missing. My dad's missing!"
She didn't want to go out and say it, especially not to an officer since her father may have been involved in some really bad stuff. If they looked to much into his disappearance then they might figure out what else he was up to as well. Not that Reese knew what it was, but it couldn't be good, especially after what she over heard last night.
Shoupe turned around at her words, slowly, as if he was still trying to process the girls words. "What?"
"He's missing," Reese repeated, which made it feel all the more real. "He's been missing since last night. I tried to call the station but the phone lines are down, so I tried to find you. Since you know him."
"You're serious?" Shoupe asked, waking closer to Reese in suspicion.
"Yes," She said exasperated.
Shoupe shared a look with his partner, one that Reese couldn't understand. "Well, if that's the case, my partner here will take you back to the station and you can fill out a missing person report. How's that sound? I'll be there soon to get a witness statement."
"You—you aren't going too?" Reese stumbled over her words.
"No," Shoupe shook his head. "I've got a couple of things I need to figure out here. Your dad being missing isn't the only thing wrong on this island."
"But," Reese started, but was ushered closer to the police car by the woman officer with Shoupe.
"Come on," She said. "It will be alright," the officer said in some failed attempt to make Reese feel better.
"Shoupe please," Reese pleaded, using her best acting. She had never been good at it and didn't understand how people could fake something like emotions, but this time she tried her hardest. "You know my dad. You know he wouldn't just run off. Something is seriously wrong and I need help."
The deputy sighed and turned back to look at the motel that he was no doubt about to search. "Look, I know you're not like these Pogue kids running around the island and stirring up trouble, but right now there's bigger things going on than your dad being missing. I'm sorry to put it that way, but it's the truth. Now, if you'll just go to the station and write out a report I'm sure we can figure out what happened."
Shit, shit, shit, Reese cursed internally. This wasn't working and now Beau and the pogues were about to be caught snooping around a potential crime scene which was a very bad look. Not to mention she might be implicated in that since she came up to them.
"No!" She stomped her foot, turing up the drama. "If you'll won't help me, I'll look myself," She insisted. If the pogues were going to be caught despite her best efforts, she would not be there when they did and this seemed like the only way out of what she'd started.
"Now, hold on a minute," Shoupe started but was cut off when Reese made a break for it. She darted in between the two cops and down the asphalt path that lead to gate of the motel. "Hey! Reese," Shoupe called behind her.
She didn't stop even at the idea of being chased down by the police. She ran through the tall grass ignoring the sea grass rubbing against her legs and all the way around back to the shore line where the H.M.S Pogue was sitting.
"Hey, what happened? Aren't you supposed to be distracting them," Kie asked frantically as Pope attempted (and failed) to throw rocks at the window of the room the others were in to alert them.
"Long story," Reese managed to say out of breath. "Police, not believe, go," She huffed out as she held her side.
Pope turned to face her. "What did you say to them?"
"I just said that my dad was missing and needed them to help me find him," Reese said, still out of breath.
"And you ran away from them? Shit," Pope cursed. "They are going to know something's up, we have to tell them," Pope insisted, throwing another rock at the window of the motel to get the trio's attention. Instead of hitting the pane of the window, it clattered onto the fire escape below, making a loud clank.
Reese gave sarcastic look toward Pope, "That's how you throw?"
"He was on the math team," Kie answered frustrated, picking up yet another pebble and launching it at the window. It fell just short and clattered against the rotted wood window sill.
Reese scoffed and grabbed a couple of pebbles from the bank of the marsh and reared back before rocketing them toward the window. They hit it pane with a sharp ding before dropping to the ground. Both Kie and Pope stared at her.
"What?" Reese shrugged. "I play softball at home," she answered their questioning looks. When she wasn't spending the summer with her dad, she was at her mom's house for the rest of the year. Not her choice, but until she turned 18 it wasn't really up to her. Softball made it better at least, but being away from her friends and her boyfriend, even if he was a pain the ass sometimes, was really difficult.
It was then the blinds of the room peeled back and Beau's face was just barely visible through all the grime built up on the left pane. He gave a questioning look to the group.
Almost simultaneously the group of three standing on the bank of the marsh whispered as loud as they could, "Cops!"
Reese waved her hands in the direction they were coming from while Kie waved her hands to get the attention of JJ and John B, and Pope kept trying to get the message across.
Reese could feel her heart rate spike, pounding against her chest, as her, Pope, and Kie all raced back to the boat. She jumped onto it, careful to avoid any water from the marsh. She didn't realize how difficult it would be to avoid water. Kie and Pope crashed behind her, piling onto the boat and trying to look as nonchalant as they could.
Now, they could only hope the boys would understand what they were trying to say and find a way to hide or get out of the room.
"Shit," Rees cursed, realizing her fatal mistake.
"What, what?" Kie asked, out of breath either from the anxiety of maybe being caught or running to the H.M.S Pogue.
"They talked to me, if they see me with you guys, they'll for sure know something is up," Reese said, panic bleeding into her voice.
Kie's eyes widened at the realization. She looked at Pope and back at the window of the room the boys were in. "Should we peel?"
Pope shook his head. "You never leave a Pogue behind."
"Then, what are we going to do?" Reese asked.
"Just, just get in the water and hide behind the boat," Pope answered, thinking up a solution on the spot.
Kie and Reese made eye contact, both knowing exactly what would happen if Reese went into the water, even touched it. "No," Reese immediately responded. "That's, that's definitely a bad idea. I'm not doing that."
"What other choice do we have? Either you go or we all get caught and I'll lose my merit scholarship. Also, the others will be caught too. So." Pope shrugged to finish off his sentence.
Reese looked to Kie again, silently pleading with her to say something that Pope would listen too. She shook her head. "He's right."
"What?" Reese asked, shocked at the words coming from Kie's mouth. "Are you kidding?"
"It's just water," Pope said. "Yeah, it's a little dirty from the storm, but it's not like you don't go surfing in the ocean which is literal fish shit."
"That—" Reese bit her tongue before she could say what she wanted to, which would be spilling her newfound secret to Pope. She wanted to say, I can't, I'm apparently a mermaid and can't get wet or I'll sprout a tail. Instead, she just kept quiet and sat still.
"Reese," Kie started. "Do you want Beau to get caught? That's what might happen if you don't get out of here." Kie was smart to use Beau's wellbeing against Reese like that. She knew they were close, so telling Reese that he may get into serious trouble was definitely one way to get her to what she wanted.
"Kie," Reese hissed. "You know I don't want to," She gritted her teeth, pretending to smile hoping Kie would get the message.
In a hushed whisper Kie responded, "Just go home after you get into the water. No one will see you, but if you don't we'll all get caught."
"Are you kidding me? I've never swam with a tail before. I have no clue what I'm doing," Reese whispered harshly.
"It'll be fine. We'll come get you once you're back on land and everyone is back on the boat."
"No. I already risked my reputation and basically my dad's too trying to distract the cops. That was all I promised, so I'm staying here until you think of something better."
"Okay," Kie said defeated, standing up and motioning for Reese to do the same.
Reese, confused, stood up as well, thinking maybe Kie had thought of a less favorable solution but one that didn't compromise Reese's secret.
"So, you'll do it?" Pope asked, looking behind him at the two girls, not having heard their hushed conversation.
"I'm sorry, but you're a Kook and they're my friends," Kie apologized before shoving Reese backwards into the marsh behind her.
"What the—" Reese said, but her voice was muffled as she was enveloped by the water below her.
"Kie!" Pope called out, watching as Reese fell into the murky water. "Why did you do that?"
"She wasn't listening. She'll be fine," Kie assured.
"Well, at least she's hidden now. We'll get her out once the coast is clear. Though it's still not great that you pushed her."
"Like I said, she'll be fine. She's going to swim home."
Pope whirled his head around at that and stared at Kie, confused. "Swim home?"
"That's what I said."
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
THE WATER WAS COLD and now so was Reese's opinion about Kie. After their shared experience of her becoming a mermaid literally in front of the other girl, Reese thought she would be more understanding and maybe stand up for her in circumstances like the one they were just in, but boy was Reese wrong.
So, there she was, sitting on the dock behind her house, three towels covering the length of her tail, which was probably a good couple feet longer than she was tall. Thankfully, her father kept the cabinet on the dock stocked with towels and other supplies for emergencies. This was probably not the emergency he had anticipated, but still an emergency nonetheless.
While swimming back from the run down, gross motel the Pogues were at, Reese had made a couple of discoveries. One, she can breathe underwater. Not something she would ever have thought possible. Two, she can swim, like really fast, though it took her a while to get the hang of it. And, three, she was absolutely never going back in the water. Surfing, boating, and fishing be damned, that transformation was terrifying.
Her vision went white, she felt paralyzed for seconds on end and she could feel the scales forming and legs coming together to form the tail. It wasn't painful per se but it was uncomfortable and not something she wanted to do again. Also, the fact she had no clue how or what happened to her that made her this way was also terrifying thought by itself. Add that to the transformation, nightmare fuel.
And, it took forever to become human again. Unless she had some sort of special skill that was specifically meant for drying off quickly and reversing the tail thing, she was stuck with a long, useless on land, tail for hours. It had already been close to two and half hours since she was pushed off the boat and she was still waiting to change back.
"Reese!"
She quickly turned her head around and panicked filled her body. If someone saw her like this... she didn't even want to think about what would happen.
"Reese?" Beau called out again, this time more concerned when he saw her lying on the dock.
Relief washed over her when she saw her friend. "Beau," She smiled. "I'm glad to see you're not in jail."
"Why would I be in jail," Beau feigned, pretending that he hadn't done anything.
Reese just gave him a sarcastic look as he sat down next to her. She moved the towels a bit more to cover her tail fully.
"It's still so crazy to me," Beau said, putting his weight on his hands and leaning back.
"You and me both," Reese laughed, but there was no humor behind it. "But, at least you aren't the one with a tail."
After a couple moments of silence, Beau spoke.
"Listen," He started, "I heard about what happened."
"Oh, I get it. Kie sent you here to apologize because she can't do it herself."
"No, no, that's not what this is," Beau shook his head. "I'm here because I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"So, she didn't even say sorry, got it," Reese nodded, pursing her lips. "That's great, I didn't think we were getting along anyway."
"Reese, come on, don't be like that," Beau said.
"Why should I not? She pushed me off a boat when she knew about this," Reese gestured down to the tail that she could feel start to tingle slightly, like pins and needles.
"Yeah, but she did it because she knew that you could swim and it was because her friends were in imminent danger. That's not totally uncalled for since you weren't really listening."
Reese scoffed. "I wasn't listening? Because that totally justifies pushing someone off a boat!"
"Reese," Beau said indignantly. "That's not fair."
"Oh and fair is making someone do something they don't want to do and making them go through a traumatic event."
"What are you talking about traumatic? You've gone swimming dozens of times."
"Yeah, before I had a fucking tail! This is ridiculous," Reese said, scooting slightly away from the boy next to her.
"What's ridiculous is you not understanding why she did it!"
Reese shook her head again. "I can't believe you. I seriously can not believe you. You're taking her side? Really? We've been friends longer than you've known her and you're choosing her over me?"
"It's not about picking sides, Reese," Beau replied calmly.
"Then what is it about?" Reese asked, ripping the towels off of her and standing up. Her legs had finally reappeared and she'd be damned if she was going to sit here and listen to any more of Beau's bullshit. "If you like her or whatever, just say that. Don't give me shit for being upset about her actions."
Did she really just say that? She hated fighting with Beau. They'd been friends for so long, but recently he'd been different. Maybe she was different too, but that didn't mean she wanted their friendship to change.
"Like her?" Beau asked incredulously. "I don't like Kie. Well, I do, as a friend, but not anything else."
"Yeah right," Reese laughed. "You're taking her side and defending her."
"Reese, it's not like that. Why are you being like this?"
"Stop lying," Reese demanded and stomped her foot. Just then, water from the marsh came flying into the air, over the covered portion of the dock where the pair was standing, and thudded against the roof.
Both Reese and Beau froze. "What was that?" Beau asked.
"I don't know," Reese said, looking down at the water behind her. It was still rippling with motion.
Beau looked at her contemplatively. "You don't think...?"
"Think what?" Reese asked, not understanding what he was getting at.
"Think that Kie is in the right? And that you deserved to get pushed into the water?" Beau answered with another question, staring directly at Reese to see what would happen.
"Are you kidding me? After everything I just said?" Reese waved her hands again, frustratedly. Another splash of water came from the marsh behind her and landed on the roof again. She swiveled around to gaze at the water below her.
"I knew it," Beau exclaimed, walking up to Reese. "You did it."
"I did what?"
"You! You're making the water move."
Reese turned to look at Beau, who was now directly behind her, looking over her should into the water. "I am?"
"Yeah. That's why I said that, to see if it was actually you or if I was losing it. Try it again."
Ignoring the first part of what he said, Reese stuck her hand out over the water. She had no clue what she was doing but this felt right. She spread her fingers and narrowed her vision to only focus on the water in front of her.
Slowly, it started to move. The water began to ripple out from where her hand was placed above it. She began to lift her hand higher and the water followed. It sprouted from the center of the ripple and rose through the air. It followed Reese's hand as she brought it higher and higher.
"Holy shit," Beau commented, watching from behind her, eyes wide.
"I can't believe it," Reese whispered in disbelief. "I— I am moving water. With my mind. Oh my god, I sound crazy."
"It's not crazier than saying you had a tail a couple minutes ago."
So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Her dad went missing, her and Rafe fought and he locked her in her room, something she'd definitely be talking to him about later, she grew a tail, helped distract the police, and now she can move water with her mind. Not to mention that multitude of other insane things that had happened.
"I guess," Reese shrugged. She dropped her hand and the water fell back into the marsh, splashing up onto the dock. She stepped out of the way slightly as to not get water on her legs and bumped into Beau, who was standing directly behind her.
Beau cleared his throat and stepped back a bit. "Sorry."
There was a momentary silence, an uncomfortable one to say the least. It was as if their argument had been cut short and neither wanted to continue it. Reese didn't want to because she knew she always said things she'd regret when she got upset. She could only guess why Beau didn't want to.
"Um," Beau started, breaking the silence. "I came over because I figured you wanted some, like support or something. You've gone through a lot and..." He shook his head. "Well, you know I'm always here for you. There's this thing going on at the boneyard tonight. A kegger. We should go."
"A kegger? Like, drinking?" Reese tilted her head to the side. As much as she wanted the distraction from everything that's been going on, she needed to find her dad more than anything. At least some clue as to where he went.
"Yeah. You know, a rager and all that stuff. I thought it might help you get your mind off everything."
"Beau," Reese started, about to decline the invitation, but he continued.
"I'm sorry for arguing and ignoring your feelings. You're my best friend and I'd never want to hurt you or anything like that, I just get frustrated that you don't like my other friends. I know I don't control that."
"Beau," Reese said again, this time trying to get his attention and stop his rambling. Beau had this tendency to over explain things and when he apologized, he would go on and on even though he already got his point across. It was kind of sweet actually.
"But, I know I can get Kie to apologize if you just come tonight. Everything will be okay again, maybe you guys might actually get along," He nodded.
"Beau!" Reese grabbed his shoulder. "It's fine. I'm over it," She lied. She was still very much upset that he took Kiara's side over hers, but if he liked her and didn't want to tell Reese that was his own problem. "But, I'm not going to a party tonight, let alone a party with her there."
"But, you just said you were over it?"
"First, I'm over our argument. Second, my dad is still missing. I need to be out looking for anything that can tell me what happened, not at some party."
"Oh shit. I forgot about that," Beau admitted, finally understanding why Reese was so stressed out.
"Yeah, so..." She trailed off, not really sure where to go from there.
"Well, I can help. After the whole kegger thing. I just have to be there. It's something about laying low—"
Reese internally sighed. Once again the Pogues were taking precedence over her. Not that she had room to talk since she'd been hanging out with Rafe and Sarah a lot.
"It's fine, Beau. I'll be fine. I'm going to the Cameron's to see if Ward or someone saw him last night. Go to your kegger thing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," Reese said rather firmly, ending the discussion there.
It wasn't long after that Beau left, promising he'd be back after their little party and that he'd help her with whatever she needed.
The only problem with Reese's plan is that she didn't have any way to get to the cameron's. It was only a 5 minute drive but upwards of a 20 minute walk. Her car and her bike were both back at the marina. She didn't want to walk after just getting her legs back, not to mention the large ass cut on her leg that still ached.
Unfortunately, with no other option, walking would have to be what she did if she wanted any help finding her dad or any clues that lead to where he went. Maybe she could even find answers on what the key she found at the seafarer was or what it belonged too.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
"I'M SORRY, REESE. I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM," Ward Cameron said with sympathy, a small frown on his face to express his empathy.
Reese had managed to walk up to the Cameron's and almost immediately find Ward out in the yard picking up debris from the grounds along with a crew of other people. At first he thought she was looking for Rafe, but when she told him what was going on he got visibly tense and solemn.
"Are you sure? You didn't prep anything for the storm yesterday? " Reese asked, trying to go through every single possibility that she could think of.
She didn't remember anything from last night accept that her dad went to the marina and that he was blackmailed. She didn't know by who or why, but she knew it happened.
"Reese," Ward started. "I want to help. Your dad is a close friend of mine. I just don't recall him being around last night."
"Didn't you help him with the boats," a voice called from the hallway. It was Sarah. She walked in with her arms crossed. "Hi, Reese," She said with a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"You did?" Reese tilted her head to the side. She gave a small wave to Sarah to acknowledge her presence before turning back to Ward.
"Oh, that's right. I did. With all the storm prep I completely forgot," He laughed. Almost immediately after, his gaze fell down to Reese's leg, specifically the bandage there. "Are you okay?"
At the swift change in topics, Reese almost got whiplash. She followed his gaze down to her leg where the gauze had turned a gross shade of brown from the marsh water and the seagrass she'd walked through.
"Holy shit," Sarah remarked, waking closer to her fried and staring at the large bandage.
"Sarah, language," Ward reprimanded.
Ignoring him, Sarah continued. "That looks bad."
"Yeah, it hurts," Reese remarked, stating the obvious. "I think I fell."
"You think?" Ward repeated, also approaching Reese with concern. His eyebrows pinned together.
For as long as her and Rafe had been dating and even as long as her and Sarah had been friends, Ward told Reese he considered her family. That she was always welcome there and he treated her like one of his own kids. So, the fact he was visibly concerned for her wellbeing wasn't out of the ordinary.
"Well," Reese looked down sheepishly, momentarily forgetting the reason she'd come here in the first place. "I don't actually remember what happened. Rafe says I might have a concussion, but I still remember certain things."
"And your memory still hasn't come back," Sarah asked.
"No," Reese shook her head.
"I'm no doctor," Ward said, looking into Reese's eyes. "But, I think you need to go to the hospital. Get looked at. It could be brain damage."
"Dad!" Sarah exclaimed. "Don't scare her."
"I'm not trying to, I'm just worried."
"Okay," Reese said. "But, I'm not. I'm worried about my dad. So, if you can just—"
"I think your dad would want to know his daughter is safe," Ward cut in, nodded his head as if to get Reese to agree.
"No offense, Mr. Cameron, but I'm more worried about my dad than a scrape on the leg and some memory loss."
"Ward, please," Ward insisted. No matter how many times he told Reese to call him by his first name she never listened. "And, I know your dad wouldn't want you to be walking around hurt."
At this point Reese was getting increasingly frustrated that Ward wasn't listening. He kept insisting on making sure she was okay, changing the subject, and overall avoiding the conversation she wanted to have entirely.
"Reese, if you can't remember what happened, it might be worth it to get checked out at the doctor or something," Sarah reasoned.
There was not just one reason for not wanting to go to any sort of doctor, but two for Reese. The first being she needed to find her dad. The second being if any single amount of water touched her at the doctor she would sprout a tail and be experimented on for the rest of her natural life.
"No, I'm seriously okay," Reese insisted. "I just want to know what happened to my dad."
Sarah looked at Ward before relenting. "Okay, but if you change your mind let us know."
"I will," She said to Sarah and then turned her attention to Ward who was back to looking uncomfortable. "So?"
"Well, let's see. I was within at the marina prepping The Seafarer, but the I came back here. He may have stayed at the marina to ride out the storm," Ward divulged.
Great. That was no help at all. That was literally everything she already knew, so the fact Ward just told her that was completely useless.
Reese sighed and slumped her shoulders. "Okay, thanks."
"Tell you what," Ward said suddenly. "I'll do what I can to find out what happened."
That was odd. Ward went straight from wanting to change the subject entirely to now wanting to help Reese figure out what happened?
"Thanks, but I already tried reporting it and the police were pretty useless," Reese said.
"Dad has some serious connections. If he can't figure out what happened then I don't think anyone can," Sarah added.
Come to think of it, that did seem like the truth. Reese's dad undoubtedly had connections in high places as well, he knew Shoupe for goodness sake, so the fact Ward knew people too wasn't too far fetched.
"So how's about a compromise?" Ward suggested. "I stay here and use my 'connections' as Sarah put it, to find out anything about what happened to Ford, and you hangout with Sarah so she can make sure you're okay. Make sure you aren't going to pass out and lose your memory again, huh? Sound like a deal?"
It did sound nice. Reese wouldn't have to do any work and she got to hangout with her friend while Ward did some investigative work she probably wouldn't be able to. But at the same time, this was her dad they were talking about. How could she not try to figure out what happened herself?
"Uh," Reese stammered.
"Look," Ward said. "You've got nothing to worry about. If anyone can find out what happened to Ford, it's me. Take your mind off it for a while and go be a teenager. When you get back, I'll have found out what happened."
Reluctantly, Reese agreed. Taking her mind off things for a while couldn't hurt, especially not if Ward was out looking for answers.
Sarah and Reese left the room rather quickly after that, letting Ward do whatever he needed to do to figure out where Ford was in private.
They took the stairs up to Sarah's room and before long Sarah was taking clothes out from her closet as if trying to figure out what to wear for something.
"What are you doing?" Reese asked, jumping onto Sarah's bed and bouncing a bit as she landed. She spread out on her stomach and kicked her feet in the air as Sarah pondered her choices.
"Trying to figure out what to wear," Sarah replied simply, holding up a green floral dress in front of her. Reese shook her head as if to say no and Sarah threw it aside.
"Where are you going?"
"We are going to the boneyard," Sarah smiled.
Reese rolled her eyes and groaned. "Are you seriouuuus?"
If there was once place she didn't want to go, it was there. Kie was going to be there which is the one person she did not want to see for a very long time and Beau was also going to be there and she was still very much upset with him.
"Yes, come on, it will be fun," Sarah insisted, throwing a flowy, blue halter neck dress at Reese.
It landed directly on her face and Reese flinched, pulling the article of clothing off of her and holding out to look at it.
"I'm so sure," Reese remarked sarcastically, tossing the dress aside next to her.
"It will!"
"In case you've forgotten, both of us are not on speaking terms with Kiara who will in fact be there."
"That's the reason you don't want to go?"
"Duh," Reese said, flipping over and grabbing a book off of Sarah's nightstand and flipping through it.
"Oh these shoes would be so cute with that," Sarah said with her head halfway out of the closet, a pair of white sandal wedges in her right hand. "We're going."
"Ugh, fine," Reese relented. She sat up, putting the book down and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "Hand me the shoes."
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
THE BONEYARD WAS PACKED with people. Everywhere Reese looked there was a group of people. Some getting beer, some sitting down on fallen trees, some messing around by the water. Kooks, Pogues, and the tourists all coming together to get absolutely hammered. Thankfully with all these people around Reese hoped she wouldn't run into anyone she didn't want to see.
The only thing she hadn't considered beforehand was that the boneyard was a beach. And where there's a beach, there's water, and where there's water there's a chance of sprouting a tail. She decided she would be staying as far away as possible from anything remotely close to water, which meant no beer either.
The sand was course between her feet as she walked over to a log and sat down. Sarah had run off somewhere with Topper and left Reese all by herself. So much for hanging out. It didn't bother Reese too much though, she hadn't really had much alone time to think about and process everything that's happened.
The rough grain of the dry wood was almost uncomfortable, but Reese wouldn't sit in the sand without a towel. She didn't mind it but it got everywhere and felt gross afterward.
Her mind wandered to what Ward had said earlier, well, more accurately what he didn't want to say. He almost didn't tell her he saw her dad last night and only did when Sarah outed him when she walked in. Reese couldn't figure out why though. Maybe it had just slipped his mind? Everyone had been busy prepping yesterday so that wasn't a crazy idea.
But even still, Reese couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Something about what Ward had said felt wrong, maybe it was his tone or his expression, but there was definitely something he wasn't telling her.
"I didn't think you were coming," Beau said from behind the brunette girl, taking a seat next to her on the log.
"Here I am," Reese smiled weakly. "Yeah, uh, Sarah convinced me, but now I don't even know where she went. Probably off somewhere with Topper."
"Where's ol' Rafey at? Shouldn't he be like forcing you away from me or something," Beau laughed like he'd said something funny. He was very obviously drunk, there was no denying it.
Instead of making some quippy one-liner about the amount Beau clearly had to drink, Reese answered honestly, "I don't know, actually. I haven't seen him since this morning."
"Well, good," Beau said, swinging his arm around Reese's shoulder, a red solo cup in his hand. Reese could smell the booze in the cup, it smelled horrendous. She was never the biggest fan of beer, but if it was the only thing to drink it would do in a pinch. "Because that means we get to hang out."
"Yeah," Reese nodded absentmindedly, still thinking about the interaction with Ward.
"Blue is a really good color on you, y'know that?"
Taken aback by the sudden compliment, Reese looked at Beau bewildered. "Thank you?"
Beau didn't reply and they settled into a comfortable silence. Beau was just smiling out at the beach, people watching and Reese kept replaying the conversation she'd had earlier.
"Hey, Beau," She said.
"Yeah," He hummed, clearly content.
"If someone says they don't know anything and then get caught in that lie when they actually know something, what does that mean?"
Beau blinked a couple of times before shaking his head as if to clear his mind. "Run that by me again."
"Well, it's just that I was talking to Ward earlier—"
"That's your first mistake. Ward is no good," Beau says, taking a sip of his drink. Since he was holding the cup in the hand attached to the arm across Reese's shoulders, she was forced closer to him as a result.
"Hey," Reese said, moving her head out from under his arm to put some distance between them. "I'm being serious."
"I am too," Beau shrugged. "I don't like him and I don't care if he's your boyfriend's dad or if he owns half the island. He's bad news."
"Okay, well, can you just listen?" Reese asked, grabbing the cup from Beau's hand to get his undivided attention.
"I was drinking that," He deadpanned.
"Not until you listen," Reese instead.
That's when it looked like Beau noticed that Reese didn't have a drink. "You're not drinking?" He asked and tilted his head, then as if answering himself he nodded. "Well, I guess you didn't plan on coming so that makes sense."
"Beau, listen." Reese demanded, holding his chin and forcing him to focus. "I need your opinion, like a serious, no bias or bullshit opinion, okay?"
Beau blinked a couple of times, trying to process what Reese had said and then slowly nodded.
"Good. So, I was talking to Ward about my dad, right? He said he didn't know anything, but then Sarah said that he helped my dad prep his boat last night before the storm and then Ward tried to change the subject altogether. Don't you think that's, like, a little suspicious?"
Beau was silent for a second before laughing loudly. "I am waaaaay too drunk to understand any of what you just said."
"Dude," Reese groaned, swinging her head back in annoyance and looking up at the stars.
"Whaaaat? It's a party, right?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So forget about your worries for two seconds and then tomorrow worry about them again."
"That's such bad advice," Reese insisted, but a small smile made its way onto her face.
"I see that smile," Beau said, poking Reese to get her smile wider.
"Stop," She giggled, pushing his hand away.
"See? There's the Reese I know," Beau laughed, poking her shoulder again.
He went to do it again when a hand grabbed his wrist and yanked it away from Reese. "She said stop," Rafe said, his tone grave and his eyes dark.
"Found him," Beau quipped, wrenching his wrist out of Rafe's grasp.
"Rafe," Reese greeted, surprised. "I wasn't being serious," She shook her head. "We were just goofing off."
"I don't care. When my girlfriend says to stop, you fucking stop," Rafe hissed down at Beau.
At that, Beau stood up, standing just a couple inches shorter than Rafe. "Relax man," He said, putting his hands up in the air as if to say he was innocent. "I know her well enough to know when she actually means what she says."
"For sure," Rafe said sarcastically. "That's why you've been bothering her for the last ten minutes."
"First of all," Beau started. "It's honestly creepy you watched us for that long. Second, I've known her longer than you have been dating, so yeah, I think I know her pretty well."
Beau turned to leave, muttering something under his breath and giving a quick goodbye to Reese.
"What did you just say to me?" Rafe asked, specifically asking about what Beau had said under his breath.
"Babe." Reese grabbed Rafe's shoulder to stop him from walking any further. "Just leave it."
"No, I want to know what this asshole just called me," He snapped, but not specifically at Reese, just generally. Reese knew he was just frustrated since he didn't like Pogues in general, but Beau was his least favorite.
Beau turned around to stare directly at Rafe. At this point the commotion had caused the group of three to attract a couple of stares and Reese even saw Sarah waking up behind her with Topper not far behind.
"I called you a dick, alright?" Beau yelled, holding his arms out as if inviting everyone to hear. "I called Rafe Cameron a dick!"
Now people were really staring. Kooks, pogues, and tourists alike were all fixated on the altercation between the two boys.
Rafe clenched his jaw and laughed dryly, but there was no humor in it. "You're a little bitch, you know that?"
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, really. You can't stand that I'm with Reese and you aren't."
"Baby, seriously. Let's just go, okay," Reese urged, tugging on Rafe's arm, but he didn't budge.
She tried to keep these two apart since she knew they didn't like each other and she feared something like this would happen. If Beau hadn't been super drunk then maybe there would've been hope, but not with how impaired he was right now.
"It's obvious that you're so obsessed with her that you're willing to make a move on my girl when I'm not around. It's fucking pathetic," Rafe insulted, stepping closer to Beau.
Over Rafe's voice, Reese could hear someone ask what was going on and another person ask why they were fighting. She heard people talking over each other and speculating about why this fight was happening and if someone would actually throw a punch.
Beau's eyebrows went up in fake surprise. "You're so full of shit," He commented. "It's not my fault you're so insecure in your own relationship you have to make shit up to make yourself feel better."
"Just admit it," Rafe said. "Better yet," He waved his hand around to emphasize his idea. "Just admit you're a filthy Pogue who doesn't have a shot with Reese or any Kook for that matter."
"Rafe," Reese growled. "Stop it."
"Not until he says it" Rafe countered.
It was then Reese surged backwards with the weight of both Beau and Rafe pushing her. She came to realization as she hit the sand that Beau had tackled the taller boy to the ground.
Reese groaned in pain as she found her bearings and got to her feet, dusting the sand of the blue dress she was wearing. She took a couple of steps back to get out of the way of anymore tackles and regained her composure.
Shouts and yells from the crowd that accumulated around their group flooded her ears and she saw Beau on top of Rafe, throwing a punch square to his jaw.
"Oh my god," She whispered as Sarah came up next to her.
"Are you okay?" She asked worried.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Reese mumbled distraught.
"What happened?"
"I don't know, me and Beau were just talking and then Rafe came and," She shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what just happened.
"They are going to kill each other," Sarah told Reese worriedly. "My dumbass brother."
"We need to stop it," Reese agreed, but was unsure how to go about it.
Another punch landed on Rafe's face and before Reese could even process what happened Rafe grabbed a fist-full of sand and threw it directly into Beau's face, effectively blinding him.
"Stop," Reese screamed, attempting to get either of their attention.
"Rafe, stop it," Sarah cried directly after to no avail.
As if seeing Beau on the ground was a call to action, John B sprinted forward through the crowd and kicked Rafe in the stomach.
Rafe recoiled backward and stumbled a bit.
"Shit, shit, shit," Reese cried, becoming increasingly more panicked
"Dirty Pogues." Reese heard from somewhere behind her and then Topper shoved Beau down to the ground as he was trying to get the sand out of his eyes.
"Topper stop!" Sarah screamed.
This was the worst thing Reese could imagine happening. Her boyfriend fighting her best friend and other people getting involved. How did this even happen?
Rafe took a swing at John B and landed one on his cheek, dodging an incoming punch from Beau who was back on his feet, one eye closed from the sand.
Topper left another blow on John B's face which sent him tumbling to the ground. Topper then dragged him over to the water and kept kicking and pummeling him until he couldn't get up.
Despite everyone's pleas to stop, Topper beat John B until he looked like he would black out and Rafe and Beau continued struggling against one another.
Reese couldn't make out what Topper had said to John B, but she knew it couldn't have been anything good.
She watched in terror as Topper proceeded to hold John B's head underwater as if subjecting him to the same fate his dad had.
"Oh my god," Reese said breathlessly. She didn't know what to do. Like when she overheard that conversation in the dark marina building, she felt frozen, stuck in place.
She watched helplessly as JJ walked over to Topper with something metallic in his hand, glinting in the moonlight, and pressed it to the back of his skull. It was when she heard the click over all the noise she realized it was a gun.
She felt the breath leave her lungs, the same way it did when she heard the same noise at the marina only that time is was her father's life in danger. She couldn't move or catch her breath. She just stood there motionless as everyone and everything began to move slowly.
She saw people running, fleeing the scene once a gun became involved. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rafe stop what he was doing and turn his attention toward her, leaving Beau standing with his fists up.
She felt the world go silent around her, the only thing she could hear was her dad pleading for his life in an echoey, dark foyer with an unknown man who'd just killed someone.
She felt a tug at her arm and stared at Rafe as he grabbed hold of her elbow and started to drag her away from the scene unfolding in front of her.
"Get the hell off our side of the island," She heard JJ yell distantly as he fired the gun into the air twice.
She flinched at the sound. Her ears were ringing and her throat felt tight. She couldn't breathe and could barely understand what was happening around her.
She felt Rafe urging her away from the beach, away from Beau, who was now staring at her with concern, away from the gun, and away from Sarah who was still there.
It wasn't until a couple seconds later Reese found the courage to actually move her legs and run with Rafe away from the beach. Not because she understood what was happening, but because it was what Rafe was trying to get her to do.
She kicked off the white wedges on her feet so she could run faster and her and Rafe fled the beach, not looking back at the shoreline behind them.
A teenage girl struggles to maintain her secret and seeks her friends help to find her father after he mysteriously vanishes, only to find out, that her father wasn't the only one
(word count—4.3k)
chapter three
REESE !
"KIE, CLOSE THE DOOR," Reese heard Beau say, his voice slow and steady. It was like he was trying to calm down a scared animal. Reese could understand it in this instance and any wrong move and Kie might run and tell the other pogues. That was the last thing she wanted.
She would be labeled a freak. The girl who had a tail. She might be experimented on and ostracized. Reese hadn't even had time to process what was happening to her and now she had two people who she didn't plan on telling about this who knew about it.
"What is going on?" Kie asked, her voice quick and high pitched. Clearly, Reese wasn't the only one freaking out.
"Kie," Beau started, his voice more demanding this time. "Just close the door."
Reluctantly, Kie stepped forward and pushed the wooden door closed. The hinges squeaked, probably a result of the water damage from the storm yesterday.
"Okay, now will someone tell me what's going on?" She asked, crossing her arms and staring at Beau and Reese on the ground. Reese felt her neck muscles start to tighten as she had to crane her neck to see Kie behind her.
Reese watched as Beau held out his hands and floundered for an explanation. She felt bad that she was making him go through this. After everything she'd done to him in the past few months and she was still putting him in awkward situations.
But, at the same time, she felt upset and rage bubbling up inside her. Why did everyone else deserve to know what was happening to her when didn't know herself? Rafe, Beau and now Kie all demanding explanations from her that she didn't have.
"I don't know," She blurted out angrily. "I don't know. Can everyone please stop asking me questions?"
There was silence and Reese looked at Beau, who seemed startled by her sudden outburst, but remained by her side. Then, she looked over at Kie, who made a face of disbelief.
She shook her head and gestured at Reese. "This is why we didn't want to help her, Beau."
"Help me? I never asked for your help," Reese seethed. It's true. She didn't. She was fine trying to figure this out for herself. Maybe she would've told one person down the line when she'd finally figured out what was happening to her. Now, she had two people, one of who she hated, who knew this deep dark secret she'd have to carry for possibly the rest of her life.
"Once a kook, always a kook. Never wanting to even be near a pogue," Kie remarked. "Beau, you may be friends with her, but that doesn't mean I have to stand here and be treated like shit for wanting to be there for my friend." She reached for the door handle, ready to leave.
"Leave already then," Reese scoffed. She wasn't thinking straight, but who could blame her. With everything going on, with her sprouting a tail when she touched water, she felt like she didn't need to think rationally.
"Wait, Kie, just wait," Beau called out, getting up to his feet to follow Kie out the door. "Reese..." He looked at her with a confused look. As if wondering why she had acted that way. "Just, stay here."
"Where am I going to go," She asked as Beau walked away, leaving her by herself.
She felt like a fish out of water. Technically, she was, sort of. She might've contemplated if having a tail actually classified her as a fish if she didn't have bigger fish to fry at the moment. Shit. Fish puns were going to be a regular occurrence now. Not just with her, but if her and Beau came out of this still friends, he'd have no problem making fish jokes at her.
Reese looked around the room for anything that might help her dry off. She figured if she could get the water off of her skin, since that's what caused this in the first place, maybe, just maybe, she could get back to normal.
Beau had told her to stay put while he went to go talk to Kie for whatever reason. Reese didn't need her or her attitude. She figured Beau meant don't leave the building, which she obviously couldn't, but moving around to try and find a towel, well that was fair game.
Reese's eyes landed on a blue and white towel draped over the edge of the desk near the back of the shop. It was where her and her father did all the transactions and polished surfaces boards, so it would make sense they'd have some towels in storage.
While a majority of the shop was flooded when the windows broke during the storm, she guessed that the towels protected by the cabinet doors were relatively dry.
With a huge amount of effort, Reese managed to flip herself over onto her stomach. The tail was a lot heavier than it looked and it took a lot of strength to even move it. Slowly, she managed to drag herself over to the desk, her tail leaving a trail of water as it slid over the floor. She thought that if she ever had to do this again, at least her arms would be getting a workout.
After a few moments of remaining still to regain her strength, Reese opened one of the cabinets below the desk and a pile of towels fell out into a heap. She grabbed the one on the top, which remained dry, while the ones on the bottom had soaked up the standing water on the floor.
She rolled herself over to one of the only dry spots left on the ground and began to run the towel over the tail. It was a bit funny because the only towel that had stayed dry was the mermaid towel she'd had when she was younger that her father insisted on keeping even though it was incredibly old. He said she'd want to use it again when she was older. Well, he wasn't necessarily wrong.
After about three minutes of running the towel over her scales, she felt that familiar tingling sensation in her legs— tail. Then, just as it happened before, her tail went numb and the vision around her eyes started to turn white. Reese blinked a few times to clear her vision and there she was, sitting on the floor back in her overalls, completely dry.
"Alright, alright, fine." Kies voice could be heard outside as she reluctantly agreed to come back into the rental shop.
"Thank you," Beau said, opening the door once more. "I know how you feel about her, but this would mean a lot so..."
"Okay, I get it," Kie cut Beau off, walking in behind him. "So, what exactly are we supposed to help with? It's not like anyone has ever seen a mermaid before."
"I don't know, but there's probably a way to, you know, like, get her back to normal, somehow," Beau offered, clearly not sure on how he was supposed to help Reese, but he had the spirit.
"Well, where is she?" Kie's eyes fell onto the empty spot where Reese had been just minutes before.
"I told her to stay put," Beau shook his head in disbelief.
Reese took his opportunity to stand up from behind the desk, careful not to fall over because sprouting a tail again was the last thing she wanted.
"She's right here," She deadpanned, walking around from behind the desk, stepping over puddles.
It's now that Reese's mind seemed to think more clearly and less with her emotions. She was still slightly perturbed at the fact she could now turn into a mermaid with no explanation and the fact she had two people who knew that about her as well. Plus, everything that went on with Rafe earlier didn't help her emotions clouding her judgement.
She walked up to the pair, stopping in front of them and sighed. She hated apologizing and admitting she was wrong. It was like the worst feeling in the world. To have other people know you did something wrong and then judge you for it. In the past, she knew Beau wouldn't judge her for his actions or behavior, but now she hadn't seen him in so long she had no clue.
Honestly, it felt like she was going crazy. One second, she been so mad and angry she couldn't see straight and the next she'd feel horrible for her actions. It was new, starting this morning, but it had already happened twice and she hated it. She knew it had something to do with what she couldn't remember from last night.
"Look," Reese started. She wanted to look down at her feet and ignore the looks she knew she'd get from Kie and Beau, but forced herself to look at them. "A lot has happened to me in the past two days, but that doesn't mean I get to take that out on you guys. Kie, I know that we don't like each other, but I appreciate that fact you were willing to help me."
Kie nodded, giving a small side smile. Reese knew this wouldn't lead to a blossoming friendship with between them. She knew Kie and the rest of the pogues were her biggest fans. She'd hung out with them a couple of times, but it was clear that she wasn't necessarily welcomed by them.
She knew she should apologize to Beau as well, but what she had to apologize to him for was a lot more personal that just saying some rude comments. She had to apologize for a whole month's worth of shit, so she decided it would be done best in private.
"It's fine," Kie offered. "I know that if anything like that happened to me I'd be freaking out too."
Beau nodded. "I don't blame you," He assured. Then he looked off to the windows and Reese could see he wanted to say more, but didn't because of Kie.
Reese didn't really know what to say after that, if a thank you would be too much to say or not enough, but she did know she didn't deserve their forgiveness. Especially since she'd been so filled with rage only a few minutes ago. She also knew that no one, aside from the people who already found out could know about her having a tail. She started, her tone now serious, "You can't tell anyone. That I'm, you know..."
Reese couldn't even bring herself to say it out loud. A mermaid? It seemed implausible and absurd, but it was true. She, Beau and Kie all witnessed it, so it wasn't something he remind was just making up.
Kie looked over at Beau and then back at Reese, seemingly weighing her options before speaking. "I won't. It's not my secret to tell," She said finally after a moment of silence. Since Beau'd already agreed, Reese's comment was more directed at Kie than anyone else.
Reese felt grateful for that. She didn't want to know what would've happened if Beau hadn't gone after Kie when he did. She might've told everyone.
"I owe you guys," Reese insisted, wanting to make up for how she acted earlier. "Really, I do." She wanted to pay it back or forward or whatever. Kie forgiving her for what she did and keeping her secret felt monumental.
Beau smiled. "I wouldn't say no to some new fishing gear," He laughed.
"I don't want anything," Kie insisted, shrugging. "I've got all I need with the pogues."
Reese raised her eyebrow as if asking if that was true. Her head turned when she heard the voices of the other pogues outside. They were finally here. "Maybe your friends do?" Reese offered, gesturing to the loud voices coming from outside.
"Let's find out," Beau said, looking to both Kie and Reese for agreement.
It wasn't long before Kie had left the building to go talk to the other pogues. Beau wasn't far behind her when Reese grabbed hold of his arm to stop him.
"Thank you," She repeated her words from earlier. "I really appreciate what you did," She added on. She knew it wouldn't make up for everything but she hoped sharing her gratitude was enough to help him see she wanted to start putting in more effort.
"Of course, you know I wouldn't leave you hanging," Beau insisted. Then, he smiled, as a joke formed in his mind. "I wouldn't leave you there to flounder."
"Really? A fish pun?" Reese asked, mock anger in her tone.
"Oh, yeah," Beau nodded, a grin on his face. "They aren't going to stop. Think of it as payback."
Reese felt a pang of guilt when he said that. Harsh, but fair. It was better than him being mad at her for all of eternity and if fish puns were her punishment, like she'd suspected, for being a bad friend, she could live with that.
Reese just laughed and pushed Beau out the door of the rental shop. She was glad to see him again. Seeing her best friend was a relief after being locked in her room by the person she loved. It was also nice that Beau seemed to believe her when she said things rather than get mad or say she was making it up.
As she walked, she felt a weight in the pocket of her overalls. She reached her hand into and felt it clasp around something cold and metal. Her eyes widened as she remembered why she'd come into contact with water in the first place.
They key. The once she'd picked up from the ground. She pulled it out, eyes tracing over it again, this time taking in every detail. From the slightly rusted chain on the end to the grooves in the key's tip.
"So, I heard you owe us something." JJ interrupted her thoughts.
Reese's head shot yo and she shoved the key back into her pocket. She didn't know why she felt the need to hide it. Maybe because both Kie and Beau already knew about her being a mermaid she felt like she had control over this.
"Yeah," She smiled, walking up to the rest of the pogues and taking a spot next to Beau. "Anything you want."
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
"JUST FOR THE RECORD, I think this is ridiculous," Reese stated uneasily as she pulled her knees into her chest. She tried to feign confidence, but the situation she found herself really didn't make her feel safe.
She was sat in the middle of the HMS Pogue, knees tucked to her chest and her arms curled around them, trying to stay as far away as possible from the water that surrounded the boat.
"Noted," John B said, carefully steering the boat straight, not even glancing in Reese's direction. She thought after helping them out with this she may have gotten in their good side, but apparently John B didn't have a good side. It's not like he'd ever been rude to her, but he'd been a far cry from nice too.
The pogues had found this key that belonged to a shabby, very damaged from the hurricane motel, and that's where they were headed. Reese had been forced to come along despite her protests because according to JJ, if they got into trouble "kooks never get arrested."
What they would get into legal trouble for Reese didn't know and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. She asked multiple times if they were sure they didn't want anything else. But, since John B didn't want to risk CPS catching wind of him somehow getting tangled up with any sort of law enforcement, this was what they chose.
After much protest, especially with having to be surrounded by water and wanting to find her dad rather than spend time with the pogues even though she offered, she caved and clambered into the boat.
Thankfully, Beau had decided to sit next to her which brought Reese a bit of comfort but not much. One wrong move and she'd be sprouting a tail in front of everyone.
She could hear Pope and JJ whispering to each other about something and Kie was watching the front of the boat like John B as they approached the run down motel.
"Guys," John B called out, getting everyone's attention as the boat drifted toward the shoal of the motel.
"I thought the Chateau looked bad," JJ commented.
"This place is a shit show," John B added on, maneuvering around some debris floating in the water.
Kie made a disgruntled noise before speaking up. "Motel or meth lab?"
"You be the judge," Pope quipped.
"Wait, so why are we here?" Reese asked, standing to get a better view of the place. God, did it look bad, even worse than the Seafarer.
"We're here to do recon," John B stated, docking the boat right off a grassy patch on the side of the motel, out of plain view. "You're here in case we get caught." John B seemed to make a point out of not actually discussing what they were there for.
"I'm a scapegoat?" Reese asked incredulously, giving Beau a quick glance to see what he thought of it. He just shrugged, getting up to his feet as well and hopping onto the grass.
"You said anything," He offered, while John B and JJ followed him. They landed on the ground with a thud. The group of boys looked very similar, which Reese guessed is something that would happen when you spend so much time with people, but Beau looked different than he had a few weeks ago. Like —and this sounded horrible to think, but now that Reese got a better look at him— he didn't look well. She'd have to ask him about it later.
JJ reached down to tie the bow line to some rebar sticking out of the ground. "All right." He dusted off his hands and looked at Beau and John B. "Here goes nothing."
Reese sat back down, once again in the middle and Pope gave her a weird look, but didn't say anything. She felt a bit self conscious now, which had never been a problem before, but it was probably because of the whole mermaid thing.
"Hey," Pope called out to John B right before their group walked away. "Don't let Dumb," He pointed to Beau. "And Dumber," he pointed to JJ. "Do anything stupid."
"Oh, we will," JJ grinned, wrapping his arm around Beau as a gesture of their combined strength when it comes to bad ideas.
"I'm not making any promises," John B said, shaking his head.
Reese watched solemnly as the only anchor she had to the rest of the pogues walked off and over to the ramshackle motel. She guessed that Kie was someone she could someone count on now, but she wasn't Beau. If Reese ever felt uncomfortable or awkward when she was hanging out with Beau and the pogues she knew that her best friend would be there to reassure her. She'd never been around them one in one before and you could sense the awkward shift in the atmosphere.
"We might be here for a while," Kie stated, sprawling onto one of the built in seat on the H.M.S Pogue. "Might as well talk to each other instead of sitting in this," She made a face. "Awkward-ness."
Reese shifted, her grip around her legs that were pulled close to her chest loosening so she could look over at Kie. "Alright, I guess," She offered, opening up the conversation to whatever either Pope or Kie wanted to say.
"Well, first I think we should clear the air," Pope said, facing both of the girls. "It's obviously tense, so by talking about whatever it is that is making you both so anxious would help."
Kie and Reese traded looks before both looking at Pope with a deadpan stare. Almost at the same time, they retorted something along the lines of, "Not happening."
"Okay," Pope put his hands up in defense. "It was just a suggestion."
Kie, ignoring Pope, spoke again. "I have a better one. Twenty questions. It will break the ice or whatever Pope said and make the time go by faster."
Reese nodded and so did Pope which singled Kie to continue her words and imitate the first question. "Okay, biggest pet peeve. I'll go first. Giving one percent to the environment."
"What's wrong with that?" Pope asked. Reese looked over at him, offended he could even ask that when she noticed he'd moved to sit down across from Kie.
"Let me guess, you don't see a problem with throwing away plastic instead of recycling it?" Reese asked, more rudely than she intended. She wasn't major into the 'Earth Stuff', but she did her part, like donate when she could and recycle glass, plastic and cans. She even signed up to help pick up trash on the beach with Sarah and Rafe, which she probably be able to go to now, considering her mermaid issue.
"I think what Reese meant to say," Kie started, rolling her eyes at Pope. "Was that we only have one Earth. We should be giving it 100%, bare minimum."
"Right," Pope said sarcastically and then continued on with what Reese started to call his 'fact voice'. She'd only spoken to him a few times, but she recognized a lecture from Pope when she heard it. "That's not fiscally sound."
Reese looked down and picked at a loose string on her crochet shirt. She wanted to try and make an effort to know the pogues since she was trying to hangout with Beau more, but she couldn't fit herself into the conversation without sounding like a total bitch.
"Neither is destroying the only planet we have to live on," Kie responded, looking off into the distance. There was an unanimous agreement that the group had been designated as the lookout while the others were inside.
As if sensing her uncomfortableness or whatever it is Reese was even feeling, Kie asked another question directly at her as if to try and make conversation. Like they had a new understanding between them after the incident. "Reese, what's your biggest pet peeve?"
Reese felt slightly startled since up until an hour ago her and Kie had never really talked, but it seemed she was taking Pope's advice after all and trying to break the ice. "I guess I've never really thought of it," She answered honestly.
"If you had to choose?" Pope chimed in. Honestly, it felt nice to have both of the pogues that were on the boat with her take an interest. It could be because she was possibly going to save their asses from whatever illegal trouble they may get into, but it could be because they were genuinely interested in being friends.
"Maybe... people who put others down to inflate their own ego. Like, when someone is always pointing out your mistakes but ignore their own."
"Yeah, we all know someone like that," Pope replied as if picturing that particular person in his mind.
"More than one someone," Kie added on, putting a hand in front of her forehead to block out the sun that had come out from behind the clouds. It was slightly cloudy and the wind from the storm hadn't dissipated yet, so Reese's hair had started to flow in her face irritatingly.
Reese didn't have to be a pogue to know that Pope and Kie were most likely talking about kooks. She didn't want to get into anything right now and she had to say that they were right. Most kooks were definitely those kind of people.
"Pope?" Kie asked, posing the question she asked herself and then to Reese and now to him.
What came out of Pope's mouth wasn't the answer to the question, but in fact the opposite of what any of them wanted to hear. "Hey, hey, cops," He whispered, sliding off the seat he was sitting on and crouching low to the ground.
"Shit," Kie cursed, following Pope's actions. "What should we do?"
"Call them," Pope offered, keeping his eyes trained on two officers who'd gotten out of the car.
"You can't call anyone," Reese responded, getting into an upright position like the others so she could get a clear view of the police cruiser. "The towers are down still. We're on the cut."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kie asked, somewhat offended by Reese's words.
"Nothing. Just that—"
"No, Reese's right. We probably won't have power for a while," Pope interrupted, stopping whatever argument was going to form and call attention to their group. "Calling them is out. What else?"
"We brought Reese for a reason, right?" Kie offered, slowly climbing off the boat, still crouched down.
"What?" Reese asked even though she'd heard what Kie said. I only agreed to come because I didn't think I'd actually do anything."
"You said anything," Kie argued back in a singsong voice.
It was true. Reese did say anything and now she was definitely regretting it. She knew, at least she hoped, that even if she backed out of this Kie wouldn't tell anyone about the whole mermaid thing, but she hated going back on her promises.
"Fine," Reese whispered yelled. "Fine, I'm going." She followed Kie off the boat and behind her Pope jumped off too. "But what do I even say?"
"I don't know, make something up," Kie urged, pushing Reese toward the police car. "But, hurry."
"Just don't say anything that involves us," Pope added on hastily. "I don't want to lose my merit scholarship."
"Okay, okay," Reese hissed, side stepping a puddle to her right. "But if this doesn't work you can't blame me."
A teenage girl struggles to maintain her secret and seeks her friends help to find her father after he mysteriously vanishes, only to find out, that her father wasn't the only one
word count—7.5k
(contains multiple povs)
chapter two !
BEAU !
" That's Beau. We met at a surf competition a few years ago. He's got some crazy ideas, but they usually seem to work out pretty well. Probably the best fisherman I know. Just, don't tell JJ I said that. He's got this thing for his friend Reese. She's a kook, so guess who doesn't like her. But, she comes around a lot, so we've all kind of gotten used to it and when he's not hanging with her, he chills with us. He got kicked out, so he's been staying with me. He lived on a farm and takes care of the chickens at the chateau, so it's cool with me."
— John B
"YO, BEAU," John B called out, making his way over to the chicken coop looking as though he'd just woken up from the worst sleep of his life. "Have you seen this shit?"
Beau looked up from the chickens that surrounded his feet, all clamoring to get to the feed he'd just put out. He had a favorite, of course, and her name was Hennifer. If there was one thing about Beau, it was that he loved puns and any chance he got, he would make them.
He turned to face John B. If John be looked bad, Beau looked worse. His eyes had bags under them and his hair was disheveled and a bit greasy. He was going to shower this morning, but there wasn't any running water because of the hurricane.
"Yeah, it's gnarly," Beau exclaimed, gesturing to the uprooted tree on its side. When he woke up to feed the chickens this morning, he took one step out side and knew that hurricane Agatha had done more damage than he thought. The HMS Pogue was completely covered in debris and Beau considered it lucky that the dock on the back of the chateau property held up. "It's going to take forever to clean this up."
"That's my nightmare," John B quipped, walking over to the boat.
The bright side, literally, was that the sun was shining and he was still breathing. Beau lived by a philosophy that any day he was above ground was a good one, especially because he's had his fair share of near death experiences. For example, surfing the swell last night with Pope and John B. He wiped out and completely rag dolled. If there was anytime he thought he was going to die, it was then. Definitely not something he would do again, but he was glad he got to experience it at least once.
"Agatha did some work, huh?" JJ stated, it was phrased like a question, but anyone who could see the state of the chateau knew it wasn't up for debate. He walked out the back porch, beer can in hand and took a swig of it.
"Yup," Beau agreed, looking back down at the chickens and wincing at the pain in his neck. He got whiplash last night during his wipeout and the pain in his neck was still very noticeable. He rubbed the back of it to try and soothe some of the pain. "Aggie's a bitch, man."
Once Beau had made sure all the chickens were fed and back in their coop, he fumbled his way over to where John B and JJ were standing. It was a bit of a struggle because of the knocked down trees and broken tree limbs that had fallen during the storm. His dirty, torn work boots barely had any grip left on the bottom, which made having to climb over hurricane debris that much harder.
He sighed when he looked at the small boat John B had started to clear off. It didn't look damaged which was good, but the leaves and twigs and who knows what else that had gotten stuck in there during the storm were going to be a nightmare trying to clean out.
"What you thinkin'?" JJ asked, letting out a burp. Beau wasn't sure if he was talking to him or John B, but thankfully the latter responded so he didn't have to.
"I'm thinking that the storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh. All the drum are going to chase the crab," John B replied, stepping up into the boat to clear out more debris.
"Sounds like good fishing to me," Beau smiled at the prospect.
"What about the DCS thing?" JJ reminded.
"Oh, shit. That's right." Beau's eyes widened. That DCS visit could be bad for multiple reasons. First, John B getting sent to some foster home on the mainland and probably never to be heard from again, which would not be good. But second, Beau had been staying at the Chateau with John B ever since his parents kicked him out two weeks ago, so if DCS caught up with John B, they might catch up with Beau too and then he'd be royally fucked.
His parents had never really cared about him per se. He was the oldest and often reminded of the fact he was a mistake. He wasn't sure why his father decided to tell him that one night when they were taking care of the goats in the pasture, but when he did, it really changed everything. The family dynamic, how his parents spoke to him and about him and how they treated him. It was like once he knew about being this unwanted thing his parents were stuck with, they felt like they could treat him like such.
First, it was being a built in babysitter for his younger siblings, then, it was being forced to do farm work when he was supposed to be at school and eventually he couldn't take it anymore. He finally decided to ask—yell— at his parents to figure out what was going on and what he did to deserve this shitty treatment. As soon as that question was asked and his parents felt trapped with him, they gave him the boot. Jokes on them though Beau always thought. Now, they would have to pay for the labor he did for free.
"Nah," John B shook his head, staring off into the marsh and simultaneously assuaging whatever worry Beau had cooked up in his mind. "They're not getting on a ferry. Not after that," He gestured to the boat still almost completely filled with broken twigs from the live oak it sat under.
"C'mon," John B turned to face Beau and JJ, holding a small stick with the leaves still attached. "It's god telling us to fish."
"I don't have any of my gear though," Beau remembered. "I've been on an involuntary fishing detox for like two weeks."
Unfortunately, when his parents kicked him out, he really didn't have enough time to grab much of his stuff before he had to leave, so he grabbed the essentials, clothes, toiletries and the stash of weed he'd been hiding. No fishing gear had been thought of when he was actively being thrown out.
"Don't you have the lures and pole you got from what's her face's store," JJ asked, pointing out a fact that has somehow slipped Beau's mind.
Reese. That's who JJ had been talking about and yes, her dad had been kind enough to give him some gear for free when he stopped by a few weeks ago before he got kicked out. It also happened to be the last time he'd hung out with Reese, which was just about a month ago. That thought left a sour taste in Beau's mouth. She was too busy with her kook friends to even think about hanging out with him it seemed like.
Either way, it gave Beau an opportunity to keep some fishing gear at the chateau since that's where he usually was when he wasn't at home.
"Oh, yeah," Beau nodded, trying to remember where he ended up putting the gear. "And, her name is Reese," He added on at the end. He may have been pissed off at her right now, but they were still friends and he'd make sure that his other friends knew her name.
"Her name's Reese, John B," JJ mocked, making faces at John B to impersonate Beau. "Did you know that?"
"Whatever," Beau brushed off, rolling his eyes.
It was then he remembered the phone call he'd had with her yesterday and her promising to come over to hang out only to be half paying attention to their conversation the whole time. Still, he hoped that she'd show. Judging by the angle of the sun, it was probably around noon, maybe a bit earlier. So, if she was going to show, it would be soon.
He believed she'd follow through with what she said and if she didn't, it would be last time he believed a word out of her mouth. She'd spent a month making and breaking plans with him and at first he was understanding, but now it just felt insulting, like he was the backup friend.
"Actually," Beau started, trying to approach the topic simply and without over complicating things. He knew the pogues weren't in Reese's fan club, but they tolerated her, so hopefully they'd understand him inviting her to come to the chateau. "Reese said she might be coming over later," He said calmly. "Maybe we should wait a bit."
JJ and John B both looked at each other and Beau knew the look all too well. It was the same look someone gave their friends when their enemy walked in. "Dude, are you serious?" John B asked.
"Yeah, well," Beau stammered. "What's wrong with her?"
"She's a kook," JJ responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Beau understood the two tribes, one island mindset, but he never subscribed to it. He figured that they're all people and at the end of the day and that's what mattered. He knew his opinion was in the minority when it came to this topic, but it didn't mean it was any less valuable.
The whole kooks versus pogues thing seemed like it was just an excuse to be mean and prejudice to people. Sure, there were cultural differences, like a kook definitely wouldn't have the same life experience as a pogue, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends.
"There's no way she's coming," John B reiterated. Though, it sounded like his words had another meaning. Beau didn't understand. They were friends with Kie and she was basically a kook. And, he wasn't saying that to be mean, which is how some people would take it, he just genuinely thought there didn't need to be this big feud between the two.
"Why," Beau asked. "What's the big deal? Who cares if she's a kook? Kie's one."
"Woah," JJ started, holding his hands up to explain his point. "Kie's a pogue. Through and through."
"Okay," Beau shrugged. "But, that doesn't explain why you guys don't like Reese."
"Do we have to spell it out for you?" JJ laughed, not believing that Beau could be so oblivious and naive at the same time.
Beau just raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. "She's dating Rafe Cameron," He said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The Cameron's are like kooks on steroids and she might as well be one of them."
"Yeah, also, she's not into you, man," John B added on. Beau felt this small ball of rage start to build up inside. He knew his friends didn't like Reese all that much, but saying she was a Cameron was just crossing a line. She may have been dating one, but she didn't treat pogues like scum.
The Cameron's were the only exception to Beau's 'we're all the same' philosophy which may be hypocritical or whatever, but if anyone had special treatment because of their wealth it was them.
Another thing that really pissed Beau off was everyone constantly saying he had a thing for Reese. They were just friends. Sure, he hung out with her the same amount if not more than his other friends, but that's because they grew up together. There was no way, no possible way, he had any romantic feelings for her at all and anyone who said otherwise was mentally unstable.
Just wanting this conversation to be over so he didn't have to deal with accusations of being in love with his best friend or any more of this kooks versus pogues shit, he spoke up, promptly ending the conversation. "I'm waiting."
John B and JJ shared a look. Beau knew what it meant, that he they thought he was being stupid. He was letting his feelings for Reese, his non existent ones, dictate his actions. But, that was just not true. He wanted to wait partially, yes, because he wanted to hangout with her, but also so he could finally get a reason why she'd been blowing him off time after time to hangout with those kooks.
It's not like he couldn't see where his friends were coming from. Usually kooks were fairly rude and inconsiderate, so he understood the distrust from that perspective, but they had met Reese. Maybe it was the Rafe thing that had them so riled up. To be fair, Rafe got everyone annoyed or upset because that's kind of just who he was. An annoying, stuck up, psychotic rich kid with daddy's money.
And another thing, if Reese actually wanted to be here, she would've been here by now. It's not like her to be late, so the fact she wasn't here and it was almost afternoon didn't make matters any better. But, even still, Beau decided he'd wait and he didn't care if his friends did or not.
"Fine," John B gave in. "We'll wait."
"If she ain't here in an hour, we're leaving your ass, though," JJ added on.
"If she isn't here in an hour..." Beau trailed off. He didn't know what to finish his sentence with, but if she essentially stood him up again today, he doubted he'd even speak to her again. A friend can only take so much of being put second before they can't do it anymore.
An hour came and went. It was almost embarrassing having to walk out of the chateau to face his friends who'd been fixing up the Pogue and say that Reese was in fact not coming.
So, Beau didn't say that, he simply said, "We fishing or what?" He didn't want to spend the day upset. He had too much sadness going on in his life and if his so called best friend didn't bother to show up, he wasn't going to waste his time thinking about her.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
THE MARSH WAS surprisingly had very little debris from the hurricane. It was almost like Agatha had skipped right over it and went towards the houses more inland. It had that usually marsh smell to it, sulfury and a bit muddy, but Beau had grown used to and actually quite fond of the smell over time. It was where he had some of his best memories.
The HMS Pogue surged forward now that everyone had climbed safely aboard or at least as safe as they could be for a group of pogues. They'd picked up Pope first and his dad was less than thrilled to see his son running off and skipping out on post hurricane chores for the day.
Then, they'd gotten Kie from her parent's restaurant, The Wreck. It was a pretty nice place, good food and service. Although, Beau could tell her parents didn't like their little friend group very much. They liked Reese pretty good though, so whenever her and Beau would go there for lunch to catch up, Kie's parents were pleasant to him. They had a really good sea food boil and sometimes when Beau hadn't gotten enough to eat the night before, he'd dream about it.
So, there they were. Out on the marsh, not a care in the world. Just hanging out with their friends. Beau had his fishing pole in one of the slots right off the side and had his line pretty slack trawling behind the boat. If fishing was good, like he and John B suspected, he might be able to catch some dinner.
JJ had just decided it would be an amazing idea to stand at the front of the boat and hold out his beer to try and see if he could drink it from the sheer force of the wind blowing in his face. Safe to say it was a bad idea as it resulted in beer getting everywhere.
It was all fun and games until the boat hit something in the water causing it to come to an immediate halt and everyone on board lurched forward. That included JJ taking a front flip from the bow into the marsh and Beau, who'd been standing up messing with his fishing pole, to fly forward and nearly face plant into the floor of the boat.
Thankfully, he caught himself in time as to not fall over. He looked back at his friends, just to make sure they were all okay. From the looks of it, no one was dead or injured, just slightly perturbed.
"Jesus, Pope," Kie exclaimed, her hand resting on one of the built in seats on the HMS Pogue. He noticed the stack of woven bracelets that covered her wrist and looked down at his own. They all had the same bracelet, all of the pogues that is. Last summer, Kie had decided they all needed friendship bracelets, but she forced them to learn how to it with her. So, while all the bracelets had the same pattern and colors, they varied in skill.
It was then Beau noticed his fishing pole had flown out of the holder. He groaned internally and accepted that his only fishing pole could've been damaged. "Pope," He started. "If my line snapped..."
Beau took a few steps over to the back of the boat to pick up his fishing rod and his face contorted with frustration when he realized the line was slack. That was his only line. He didn't have any extra hooks or lures that he could tie on the line.
"Sandbar," Pope offered as an explanation after everyone had called out that they were alright. "The channel changed."
"No shit," JJ retorted as he swam up to the boat. Beau walked over to the stern of the boat and held out his hand for JJ to grab so he could pull him up and out of the water. This wasn't the first time that one of them had gone flying off the front of the HMS Pogue and Beau guessed it wouldn't be the last.
"Hey, I saved the beer though," JJ smiled, holding up the beer in his free hand and taking a swig.
"That's great, JJ. Really. I'm so proud," Beau rolled his eyes and used his legs to hold the brunt of JJ's weight as he lifted the boy out of the water.
"Guys," Pope said, attempting to get the attention of his friends. John B and Kie were talking about something that Beau had drowned out had he was more focused on trying not to drop JJ. "...I think there's a boat down there."
As if losing all the concentration he'd had when he heard what Pope said, Beau let go of JJ and he toppled back into the water.
"Shit, my bad," He called out to JJ, not really paying much attention as his focus shifted to Pope.
"You serious?" He asked as a chorus of unimpressed quips from his friends rang out in response to Pope.
"Yes, dude," He nodded, his eyes not leaving the water in front of the boat. He pointed to murky water a few feet in front of him. "I'm serious, there's a boat down there."
Beau hurriedly took a few steps over to where Pope was standing to look down and there it was. The white roof of a boat sitting at the bottom of the marsh.
"Holy shit," Kie breathed out, astonished. "He's right. Let's go."
It wasn't long before both John B and Kie had jumped into the water and swam out a couple of yards to the wreck.
Beau should've felt excited. They found a boat and if they turned it in, they'd get some sort of finders fee, but instead he felt dread. If there was a boat down there, what happened to the owner? Moreover, if something did happen to the owner, what if it happened to them when they went to explore it?
As if verbalizing Beau's thoughts, Pope asked in a joking manner, "You think there's a dead body down there?"
Beau groaned internally at the thought. "Dude, don't say that," He insisted. "Bad mojo," He waved his hands around as if to make his point clear.
"Get your asses in here," JJ called out to the two of them, as three out of the five were already in the water waiting to go down to see the wreck.
With that, Beau threw off his shirt and hat. He ignored the uneasiness building in his chest and jumped into the water following Pope.
It was cold, a little too cold for the beginning of summer. But, that was probably because the hurricane had messed with the currents on the water, making the warm water circulate down to the bottom.
He came up for air and shook his head, trying to get the wet hair out of his eyes. He swam over to his friends and without warning they all dove down to the bottom of the marsh.
He took a deep breath before following. As he went deeper, he felt his ears pop uncomfortably at the pressure of the water. He grabbed hold of the top of the boat and used it to push himself further into the water. It was difficult to make out what type of boat it was in the dirty water, but he'd spent enough time at the marina with Reese and her father to know what a Grady-White looked like.
He grabbed hold of the metal railing and pulled himself forward a bit more to get a closer look. Beau was confused at first, because this boat looked brand new. As in, recently bought and only used a few times. No person in their right mind would take this boat out during a hurricane, let alone not prep it before the storm.
He, John B, and Pope all surfed the surge last night. They all saw a boat that looked exactly like that one go over the waves. This was too big to be a coincidence.
Then, with that realization, the uneasy feeling was back only this time it felt like someone was sitting on his chest. He felt like he couldn't breathe. It wasn't until he saw his friends push off the boat and swim back up to the surface, that Beau remembered he was underwater and that was most likely the reason he felt that way.
He surfaced quickly after the rest of the pogues and gasped for air. "You guys saw that right," JJ asked almost immediately. He was clearly excited and Beau wasn't about to let his random thoughts about this being a bad sign ruin his friend's excitement. It was probably nothing anyway. "That's a Grady-White. A new one of those is like 500 G's. Easy."
Getting back to the HMS Pogue and being able to breathe for a few minutes allowed their conversation to flow more quickly. "Yeah, that's boat we saw when we surfed the surge," John B recalled, pushing the wet hair out his face. "Maybe it hit the jetty or something."
"You surfed the surge," Kie asked, looking to John B and then over at Beau and Pope.
Beau nodded. "Got the neck injury to prove it," He grimaced. It was meant to be a joke, but the pain he'd been ignoring in his neck all day was very real.
"Pogue style," Pope added on, giving JJ a high five.
"Wait," Pope realized, as if remembering a key fact everyone else was forgetting. "Do we know whose boat that is?"
Beau had a few ideas. Probably some idiot from the other side of the island who didn't know how to properly use their boat. Going out in a storm was an insane risk and only a person with zero boating experience would be crazy enough to do it.
"No," John B began, opening up the storage below the stern to grab the anchor. "But we're about to find out."
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
THERE WAS PROBABLY over two hundred people at the marina. After John B had used the anchor to weigh himself down to get to the wreck faster, he resurfaced with a motel key, much to everyone's disappointment.
So, when Kie suggested they go to the Coast Guard to report the wreck, he was onboard since it seemed like the next logical step. He figured if they weren't in trouble, speaking to government officials who didn't know anything about the pogues wouldn't be such a bad thing and a finders fee meant not having to work his ass off all summer. Not that Mr. Harbour wasn't nice, but working at his best friend's father's shop every single day wasn't his idea of fun.
However, as soon as they got to the marina it felt like a bad idea. It was utter chaos. There were people everywhere inside the municipal building and all over the docks. Beau thought he even saw a few animals walking around. It would be at least a two hour wait to talk anybody who would be able to give them a reward.
They'd pulled the boat over to one of the clear parts of the dock, mostly empty with a few people walking back and forth from their boats with trash and debris. Beau grabbed the bowline and tied it tight around an anchor on the dock.
"So, what's the plan," He asked as everyone else stepped onto the dock. JJ handed Beau the hat he'd taken off before getting into the marsh.
"Good question," John B stated, looking around the scarily busy marina. He groaned and put his hands behind his head.
"Why don't we just split up," Kie offered, though she said it like the most obvious thing in the world.
"That could work," Pope agreed, nodding. "There's a line over there," He pointed to the very, very long line of people in front of a tent with a few tables and people in uniform sitting behind them. "And, probably one inside too. Some of us wait out here, the others wait inside."
"That's going to take forever," JJ groaned. "And, it's hot as balls out here, dude. If we're waiting, I call going inside."
Pope rolled his eyes, "Fine."
"I'll go with him," Beau told the rest of the pogues. He honestly didn't care about the heat, but he'd rather not get a horrible sunburn on his arms from waiting in that line outside.
Plus, if he was remembering right, there was a bait and tackle shop on the bottom floor of the marina building which meant he could get some lures. He didn't have a lot of money, but why waste your money on food when you could waste it on ways to catch your own food?
"Okay," Pope nodded. "Whoever gets done first, meet back at the Pogue," He directed, looking specifically at JJ who was known for being bad at following plans.
"Okay, okay, alright," JJ laughed, putting his hands up in defense. "Meet up at the Pogue. Got it."
Beau and JJ started making their way over to the doors that lead to the municipal building. They'd have to climb up the stairs that lead to the floor where the front desk was and all the offices. If Beau had to guess there was probably an incredibly long line they'd have to stand in and it would take a very long time.
As nice as that finders fee sounded, standing in line for upwards of three hours may not have been worth it. Then again, finders fee equalled no summer work and no having to face Reese. At this point, that sounded amazing to Beau since the thought of seeing Reese or even having to talk to her made him upset.
"How much to you think they'll give us?" JJ asked, already scheming on how he planned to spend his cut the finders fee, if they even got one. "I'm thinkin' since it's a Grady-White, we got a shot at like 15 G's."
Beau almost laughed at that. That seemed like a generous over estimate on how much they'd actually be getting. Realistically, Beau figured it would be a lot lower, but he was done thinking realistically. Ever since he got that twinge of fear after finding the boat, he didn't want to think like that again. It wasn't a feeling he enjoyed, so by following logic, thinking unrealistically, he'd feel better.
Beau whistled to show his reaction to JJ's estimate. "That would be nice. 3,000 for each us."
"I'd quit my job at the Island Club with money like that," JJ insisted. "Find someplace with people who don't look down their nose at me."
"You and me both," Beau laughed. It's true, he did hate being thought of as less than. Even, if he didn't like the 'us versus them' mentality, he wasn't a big fan of when people generally thought they were so much better than him, which happened quite often while working at The Seafarer despite Mr. Harbour's best efforts.
"I'd get new fishing gear," Beau started. "Maybe a cheap dirt bike that I can fix up." He turned to look at JJ as they approached the door leading to the stairs. "Where'd you get yours?"
It was then that he slammed into someone walking out the door as the time he was walking in. He looked down, blinking a few times to recover from the shove and come face to face with Reese Harbour. The very same Reese that was supposed to be hanging out with him today, but stood him up and the Reese who was supposedly his best friend. He furrowed his eyebrows as she took a step back.
What was she doing here athe marina? Shouldn't he be hanging out with her other friends since that's all she ever did anyway?
"Look who it is," Beau said, his voice sounded friendly, but his face told a completely different story. His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth pulled into a frown. He felt upset, almost betrayed. "The girl of the hour."
"What?" Reese asked, looking around. Beau rolled his eyes. Playing dumb was a new low, even for her. As if she forgot about the plans they had.
"Forget about us already?" He asked, gesturing somewhere behind him and next to him. The rest of the pogues were somewhere in that long ass line and JJ stood there next to him, but it didn't feel awkward. It felt like he had one of his best friends witnessing him finally stand up for himself after being put second for months.
Beau was tired of being treated like he didn't matter, especially by the person who he'd grown up with. He didn't want to think about it anymore, but as soon as he pushed this girl out of his mind, she came back even worse than before.
"What?" She asked again, although it didn't feel like a question. It felt more like a sarcastic comment, like she heard him, but what he said was ridiculous. "No, no." She waved her hands in front of her face. "Of course not, Beau."
"So, where were you?" He was upset and he had every right to be. Reese blew him off to probably hang out with her loser boyfriend. Again, he hated people who thought they were better than him and Rafe was king at making him feel like shit about himself.
Another reason to be upset. Reese was lying to him, to his face. She clearly forgot about their plans, but was too high and mighty to admit that's what happened. Beau felt like he didn't matter to her anymore, and that felt like a stab to the gut. After years of friendship an explanation would be nice.
"I'm sorry," Reese apologized. "Last night, I don't even know what happened," She started to explain. "I think my dad is missing and..." She trailed off.
That caused Beau to pause the dialogue in his mind. Her dad? Missing? Beau's face contorted in confusion. That couldn't be true. Mr. Harbour wasn't the type of man to just vanish or go missing. He was a responsible and sensible guy, one that Beau looked up to. While he may not have wanted to work for the man for the whole summer, he was still a good dad and over all guy. Better than his dad, that was for sure.
He watched as Reese lowered her head and started at the ground. He followed her gaze and his eyes landed on her leg, a bandage cover up what looked like a nasty wound. How'd she get that? How'd he notice sooner? Was he so blinded by anger and hurt he couldn't see that his friend was obviously not doing well?
"Wow. You look like shit," JJ commented as if seeing the same thing that Beau had. While it was a good description, it was not necessarily something he guessed Reese wanted or needed to hear right now. "Yo, what happened to your leg?"
Beau hit the back of JJ's head. Again, he was asking important questions, but Beau could tell Reese was not in any mood to be on the receiving end of JJ's humor right now. It was like all the anger and frustration and sadness left his body when he saw how upset Reese looked. Yes, he was upset, but at the end of the day she was still his friend. Even though he was treated like a second choice, he wouldn't do the same to her.
"Thanks, JJ," She muttered, brushing past the pair and walking away.
"What, dude? All I did was be honest," He shrugged.
Beau just stared at JJ. "You serious right now?" Beau supposed that since JJ only really hung out with the pogues he didn't know where to draw the line at being honest and hurting feelings since that wasn't really a line with their friends. Well, maybe a faint line that was barely imprinted in the sand. A line that didn't apply to people who didn't know the pogues or JJ that well.
"Just," Beau started, looking past JJ and in the direction that Reese had walked off in. He couldn't see her anymore, but he had an idea of where she might be going. "Go tell everyone I went to The Seafarer."
"You're going after her?" JJ asked, disbelief in his voice.
Beau inhaled sharply. "Yeah, guess I am."
"You, my friend," JJ started, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't even start," Beau responded, shrugging off JJ's hand. He knew what he was going to say. That Beau was Reese's bitch or that he was down bad or some other phrase that would suggest be had romantic feelings for Reese when that couldn't be further from the truth. All he wanted to do was make sure his friend was okay, even if sometimes she didn't do the same for him.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
"I DON'T GET IT," Kie announced as the group of pogues walked down the dirt road leading to The Seafarer. "Why are we helping her?"
Beau sighed and stopped walking. His shoes caked in mud. The pogues left a trail of footsteps in the mud behind them since the ground was still wet from the storm. They'd had to walk around mud puddle after mud puddle to get to the rental shop.
This is exactly why he didn't want the other pogues coming alone. It was clear they didn't have any opinion on what happened to Reese, especially from Kie's comment.
"Then, why did you come?" Beau asked, exhausted. He's had to deal with this kooks versus pogues shit for too long. If a pogue and a kook wanted to be friends and saw each other as equals who gave a fuck? "If you don't 'get it', why are you here?"
"Excuse me?" Kie asked, her tone upset. "Why did I come? Because you're my friend and I care about you! Even if you're worried about some kook who treats you like trash!"
Beau opened his mouth to respond, but John B beat him to the punch.
"Hey, hey," John B stepped in, trying to be the pacifist. "Stop. Alright. We're pogues, we stick together. That's why we came," John B gestured to the group. "No pogue left behind."
"Yeah, man," JJ chimed in. "P4L."
"Look," Pope started. "It doesn't matter if we aren't friends with Reese," He directed his gaze at Kie when he said that. "You're friends with her, so we'll go with you to make sure she's okay."
"Doesn't mean we're chill with her, though," JJ added on, probably to clarify, but it felt like a jab at Beau from their conversation earlier this morning.
"Dude," John B reprimanded. "Time and place."
"So," Kie spoke up. "We're helping her because she's friends with Beau and Beau's a pogue and our friends, so we're supposed to help him?"
"Yeah," John B nodded. "Basically."
"Fine. Whatever, let's just make sure she's okay so we can go back and get our finders fee." Kie started walking forward again, the mud shifting on the ground as she walked.
Beau was about to reply when a loud shriek that rivaled even the best horror movies echoed around the buildings that surrounded them. The dirt road that lead to The Seafarer had a boat house just off to the left and few restaurants nuzzled back into the trees that surrounded the marsh not too far from where they stood.
Beau's eyes widened and he turned around to face the direction where it came from. That was the direction of The Seafarer and that voice definitely sounded like Reese. He'd never heard her like that before. Without a second thought, he took off running.
He passed Kie within a few seconds and kept going. He tripped a few times on the slick mud beneath his feet and even fell when his foot hit uneven ground. The muddle puddle he fell in stained his shirt and legs with dirty, brown water, but that didn't stop him.
He was back up on his feet in seconds and rushing toward the rental store. It wasn't long before the building came into view as well as the large downed tree blocking the front entrance.
The front porch of the shop was littered with broken planks of wood and debris from fallen trees. Beau skillfully flung himself over the large tree trunk that blocked the doorway and landed on his feet with a thud. He was wearing the work boots he got from JJ since he didn't have much when he was kicked out, so the debris didn't bother him as he approached the front door.
"Reese," He called out once he was close enough to hear panicked breathing from inside. "Are you okay?"
"Do not come in here," She called back, her tone clearly frightened.
"What happened," He asked again, hoping to get an answer. "You're really scaring me here."
"Just go away," Reese demanded, this time she sounded agitated. Like she was annoyed by even his presence.
He turned to look behind him to see if the other pogues had caught up with him yet, wondering if maybe that was the reason why Reese wanted him to leave. They hadn't, but he heard voices getting closer, so they were nearing.
"I heard you scream, I know you're not okay," Beau told her, placing his ear to the door to try and hear anything that would help him figure out what happened. "If you're worried about the pogues, the aren't here, so—"
"Go away, Beau!" She shrieked. "I mean it, leave me alone. I don't need your help or anyone else's!"
Beau felt a pang in his heart. Reese had done plenty of things to Beau over the past few months, but yelling at him was new. Beau didn't like it. He felt horrible at even the thought of her being upset with him, but now as it was coming to pass, he felt even worse.
Then again, if she was already mad, him opening the door and at least making sure she was okay with his own eyes wouldn't make the situation even worse. Before Beau could even weight the options in his head, he grabbed the door handle and shoved it opened.
He stepped inside, his boots clunking against the floor. "Reese, I—"
As soon as his eyes searched the room and fell on his friend, he froze. Reese's head whipped around at the sound of Beau's voice. "I told you not to come in," She spoke, her voice now soft and wavering.
Beau couldn't believe his eyes. It wasn't possible. There was no way. He remained still, eyes tracing over Reese's form. "You," He started, but stopped, not knowing what to say. He shook his head and took a step closer to her. "You have a tail," He laughed in disbelief. "What the fuck, you have a tail?"
He stared, taking in every last detail, from the dark orange scales at the fin to the flecks of white that highlighted it. He noticed how Reese's clothes had disappeared and in its place, well obviously a tail, and scales that covered her chest and shoulders and back in intricate patterns. How her hair looked damp from water with no source other than the shallow puddles on the ground.
He noticed how Reese seemed petrified, not only about herself, but about him. That he was there, witnessing this moment. He walked closer to Reese, slowly moving forward. He crouched down next to her, holding her gaze.
Beau nodded almost instantly at her request. "Yeah, of course. But," He laughed slightly, not knowing how else to react. "How did this happen, Reese?"
"I... have no idea," Reese breathed out. "Everything from yesterday is a blur. I can't..." It looked like Reese was struggling to get the words out. Like even trying to remember anything was painful.
He may have been upset or angry or everything in between, hurt by Reese's words and worse. But, right now, he had to let all that go because his friend, his best friend needed help and support.
"Hey," Beau soothed. "That's okay, you don't have to know." He put a hand on her shoulder, holding back making a face at the feeling of scales coming into contact with his skin.
"But," Reese tried to argue. "I need to know," She insisted. "My dad, he's missing, and now I have a fucking tail and I don't know what to do—"
"We'll figure it out together," Beau assured, cutting off Reese. "Everything. We'll figure it out. The tail, your dad, anything else."
Reese's eyebrows furrowed as her face grew confused. "Why? I've been so horrible to you, Beau. I've been a shitty friend. Why would you even want to help me?"
Beau only smiled. He'd been wrong to be upset at her earlier. Clearly, she'd been dealing with a lot yesterday, it was no wonder she forgot about their plans. While, no, that doesn't excuse her behavior the past few months, Reese was regretful and upset with her own actions. Maybe after they figured out all this, they could sit down and have a conversation about their friendship and how Beau felt less than as of recently.
"Reese," Beau started. "Us 'pogues' have a saying." He thought back to only minutes earlier when ironically he'd heard the phrase from his friend. "No pogue left behind."
"But—"
"It doesn't matter," Beau shook his head, knowing that Reese would say she wasn't one. "A pogue is someone who stands with their friends, no matter what, and Reese, you've been by my side since junior high. You're a pogue in my eyes."
"Even if you think the kook/pogue rivalry is overrated?"
Beau laughed, this time it was a real laugh, not one of uncomfortableness. "Yeah." He nodded. "Now," He said, looking around for a something to dry Reese off with. "Let's see if we can't figure out how to get you back to normal."
Before he stood up, Reese grabbed his arm. She stared at him, her eyes searching his. "Thank you."
Beau could tell that was a loaded statement, but he didn't have time to unpack everything Reese meant when she said that. All he knew is that he was happy he could help his friend and that he felt this warmth inside him every time he got Reese to look at him.
"What the actual fuck," A voice called from the doorway.
Beau's head shot around and he saw Kie standing in the doorway, her mouth agape.
A teenage girl struggles to maintain her secret and seeks her friends help to find her father after he mysteriously vanishes, only to find out, that her father wasn't the only one.
chapter one !
word count—10.6k
published november 9, 2025
The poncho she wore didn't do her much good as she fumbled her way through the parking lot of the marina. If the keys to the sailboat were taken from her house, it means whoever did it, whether that was her dad or not, was headed to the arena, so logically, that was where she ended up. She didn't bother locking her car as she made her way to the small building in front of the dock for cover. If someone wanted to steal her car during a torrential downpour, they deserved it at that point.
The building was some office building where people could rent boats out, pay for their docking expenses and whatever else one might need to do at a marina. Thankfully, the walkway up was covered, so Reese could step out of the rain for a little bit while she figured out what to do next. The only issue was, getting there.
All the street lamps were out and she didn't have a flashlight or any way to see anything in front of her. The only light she had was the very quickly diminishing daylight, but it was nearly dark, so even that wouldn't be enough soon, especially with the already lowered visibility due to the storm.
She didn't realize it until she made it more than halfway across the parking lot, but there was another car in the spot closest to the small building. She squinted, still not being able to make out much of it. It wasn't until she got closer to the vehicle that she froze.
It was a range rover, which in a normal context wouldn't be unsettling, but this one was the same make and model of her fathers. Once she got close enough, she could make out the bumper sticker on the back and it was the very same one she'd gotten him for Christmas last year. It has some ridiculous fishing pun on it and it was the only bumper sticker he'd ever put on his car.
So, it was her dad and not some mystery assailant. But, what was he doing at the marina building during a hurricane? Reese hoped it was just because he wanted to make sure the boats would be okay, but she knew somewhere deep down that wasn't the reason why. And, the fact he was here, at least his car, still didn't explain the ransacked room, or the wet footprints.
Reese continued forward, finally making it under the cover of the walkway up to the building. While it may have been an office building, it still had that outer banks charm to it, with beautiful landscaping out front and a beach-y interior that screamed vacation getaway. Reese would've loved to be able to see it right now because it might calm her nerves, but the sun had finally set and the sky had turned an inky black.
She inched forward, unable to see in front of her and held out her hands. When they brushed against the metal handle of the door she quickly yanked on it, hoping by some miracle that it would open. Usually, they locked the building after officer hours, but who knows if her father was here maybe they hadn't.
To her surprise, the door slowly opened, the door jamb mounted on the top of the door making it rather difficult to pull. Once she made it inside, she stopped.
What was she doing? Trying to find her dad who was most definitely okay and just staying at the marina to keep an eye on the boats? All because he didn't answer her call because, no shit, there was a hurricane and phone lines were down.
All this for an overreaction. She mentally slapped herself. She drove in a hurricane to find someone who was perfectly safe. Why did she freak out over every little thing? Sarah was right, her dad was fine and she did all this because that little voice in the back of her mind told her to freak out.
So, there Reese was, standing in the entryway of the building, dripping water all over the floor, completely soaked for nothing. Looking back on it, she should've just stayed at the Cameron's. It would've been so much safer there and if she had, Rafe could've talked her out of leaving in the first place. She felt horrible for the way she treated him. Yes, she was upset, but if she had just stayed there, they could've talked everything out and she wouldn't feel like crying every time she thought about how mean she was to him.
She felt sad, just standing there, her shoes and socks full of water that squished uncomfortably with every step she'd taken. Her hair was a tangled, wet mess, like someone had taken a wet mop and put a baseball cap on it. Her clothes were soaked, even with the poncho and she just felt gross. But, with the ever worsening storm raging outside, she didn't know if it was safer to get back in her car and head back home or to stay in the marina building.
Maybe she would just never make a decision again because whenever she did it always seemed like the wrong one. Getting into a fight with Rafe and probably hurting his feelings, bad idea. Leaving to find her dad, bad idea. Driving to the marina because the spare keys weren't on the hook, bad idea. It felt like that's all she had. Bad ideas. The keys could've been misplaced or maybe her dad just forgot to put them away.
With a dejected sigh, Reese walked further into the building's lobby and took a seat on the floor next to some very coastal looking furniture. It seemed like it was linen and Reese was not going to be the asshole that sat on cream colored linen furniture while soaked to the bone.
It was while Reese was sitting with her thoughts when she could've sworn she heard muffled talking from one of the offices down the hall. Her eyebrows furrowed as she strained her ears to try and hear something, if there was talking at all. Then, a loud yell erupted from the area she heard the voices coming from originally and a door near the end of the hall slammed open.
"I told you I didn't want any part in this," She heard one voice say. It was deep and masculine and almost familiar. "And, I told you to keep Reese out of it," The voice boomed. It was only then she recognized the voice as her father's.
Before she had time to process what she'd heard, she could hear the pounding footsteps of her father exiting the room and walking toward the main entrance. Without thinking, Reese scrambled to get out of sight. While it may be dark, she didn't trust it enough to not be seen by anyone and even though she knew her father wouldn't do anything to hurt her, she had this gut feeling it would be best if no one knew she was listening to this conversation.
"You have to understand," The other voice called behind her dad. It was so familiar but Reese just couldn't place where she'd heard it before. "I'm doing this to protect my family, just like you."
Reese's face visibly contorted in confusion. What had she just stumbled into? What was going on? Was this why her dad was in such an evident hurry to leave the house? Or maybe he wasn't the one who did the damage in the first place.
"Maybe so," Reese's father started. The voices had gotten louder, signifying they had made their way from the hall to the lobby. "But, that doesn't mean you can just kill someone to do that."
Reese clasped a hand over her own mouth to muffle the gasp she just let out. What was going on? Her mind started to race with all sorts of different questions. She wanted to stand up from the chair she was currently hiding behind and ask what was going on but every bone in her body screamed at her to stay exactly where she was.
"You, shut up," The other voice seethed, the person it belonged to took a few steps, most likely closing some distance between him and her father. "I did what I had to do. You would've done the same."
"No. I wouldn't."
There was a brief silence and Reese felt like they had seen her. Somehow in the darkness they'd seen some light glint off her poncho. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure they would hear it.
"Look, Ford," The other voice started, addressing Reese's father by his first name. "I just need you to—"
Ford cut off the other voice with a stern, angry tone. "I know what you need me to do, but I told you to leave me out of it. Do it yourself."
"Ford, would you just listen to me," The voice demanded. Reese thought maybe her father had turned to leave and that's why this person was so adamant about getting his attention.
But, then she heard it. The click of a gun, the click you hear when it's safety is turned off. Reese's eyes widened and it took everything in her not to scream. A gun? Was this man about to shoot her father? She couldn't let that happen. She tried to stand up, but it was like her legs were glued in place.
"Woah," Ford exclaimed, raising his hands in their as if to show he didn't want to fight. "Just put the gun down."
"I don't want to do this," The voice insisted. "I do not want to do this. It would be very unfortunate for Reese if she had to live without her father."
There was silence for another moment, before Reese's dad finally spoke up. "Fine, fine. I'll do it. Just, god, put the gun down."
The sound of the clicking once more filled the lobby and echoed around. It felt so loud compared to the quiet that the building had just settled into. "Alright," The unknown voice said after what felt like forever. Then, the jingling of keys came from the unknown man and Reese could just see his shape outlined in the darkness. She squinted and watched as the dark figure of the man handed the keys off to her father.
"Get it done," The man said. "You know where to find me." And with that, the man walked out of the lobby, into the darkness of the storm without so much as a second thought.
Her dad remained, still and unmoving as he looked down at the keys placed in his hand. Reese wondered what he was thinking. And what that conversation just meant. How could her dad be wrapped up in something like this? She felt like she knew him better than anyone, but with a secret like this, she doubted that now.
Reese stayed unmoving as well. She wanted to get up and ask what was going on and yell at him for keeping this a secret, whatever it was. How could he lie to his own daughter? Now, more than ever she regretted venturing out into the storm to find her dad. What was she supposed to do with this? Pretend it never happened and then after the storm act completely normal as if she didn't overhear her father talking to someone who'd killed somebody.
The sound of her father sighing snapped her out of her thoughts. "Shit," He muttered. He stared at the keys for a moment more before walking away from the lobby and further into the building.
He was leaving? Reese stood up from behind the chair finally, the clear plastic of poncho crinkling as she did. Realizing she wasn't going to be able to sneak around wearing it, she threw it off, dumping it on the floor of the lobby.
She followed her dad as he moved through the building and down the stairs to the lower level that led directly to the dock. As the realization dawned on Reese that her father had planned to go out in the storm, on a boat no less, she paused. What was so important that he had to do this? She couldn't think of one possible reason he'd need to get on a boat during the middle of a tropical storm. Then, it hit her. He was disposing of evidence. That's what the man wanted from him, for her father to do his dirty work. Well, not if she has anything to say about it.
Reese hurriedly followed suit again, but by the time she caught up with her father, he'd already made it outside and onto the dock. She could only tell because of the light emanating from the flashlight he carried. As soon as Reese stepped outside, the wind almost toppled her over. She regained her balance and after steadying herself she broke into a run, trying to catch up with her dad before he got on the boat.
As she sprinted along the dock, the waves crashing against it battered her. She'd managed to keep her balance so far, but with the way the storm continued, she wasn't sure if she'd make it to the end of the dock where their boat was stationed.
"Dad," She called over the wind and rain, but to no avail. Trying to get his attention seemed futile. "Dad, stop," She tried again, hoping he might hear her.
She was about to try again, when her foot collided with an uneven board on the dock she couldn't see and she fell. Hard. She didn't have time to brace for impact and nearly face planted onto the dock. Reese winced in pain and tried to get to her feet when a wave came crashing down on her, bringing her back down. With the combination of the rain and the constant battering of waves, she felt like she could barely breathe.
Struggling to get back up, Reese made it to her hands and knees and let out a loud cough. She wiped her mouth, not that it did much good because all of her was drenched with sea water by now. She ran a hand through her hair as her hat had fallen off when she fell, probably swept into the water by the waves. With a bit of time, she managed to get back up. She looked down at her throbbing leg and winced when she saw two large gashes, one on her shin and the other on her knee.
As if suddenly remembering her mission, Reese's head shot up, her wet hair flicking water into her eyes. She searched in the darkness, for the shape of another person, for the light of the flashlight, but there was nothing. No large figure of the sailboat wading in the violent waves. Her dad was gone, already on his way to who knows where with evidence of a murder he was getting rid of for someone else.
It was dark, too dark and Reese couldn't see anything. She felt hopeless. Going out into the ocean when a hurricane that was right over the Outer Banks was practically a death sentence for her father. She had to follow him, but had no way of doing so. Nothing she couldn't think of would allow her to survive catching up to him. She couldn't swim because she'd drown, she couldn't surf because she'd drown.
Another wave smacked against the dock, causing one of the boats nearby to slam into it, creating a horrible metal sound. Wait, Reese turned to look in the direction of the boat. That's right. The Seafarer. Named after the store her father owned. It was the boat her mother had won in the divorce settlement and hadn't come to get it yet. It was a skybridge, so it was plenty big enough to weather the storm while she tried to find her dad. It hadn't been prepped for the storm either, since no one was around to do it and technically her father didn't own it anymore.
Carefully, Reese felt her way around the dock, grabbing hold of the bowline that tied The Seafarer to the dock. Taking one step and then another, ignoring the burning pain in her leg, she stepped very timidly onto the boat. Only, it wasn't the boat, it was the water beneath the boat. She gasped, pulling her foot back, forever thankful she didn't put her weight on it.
She tried again, only this time, she felt the solid ground of the deck of the boat. She grinned and took another step, firmly planting her feet on the boat. It took her a moment to get used to the dips and sways, but after a few minutes of standing still, she managed to get the hang of it.
The first thing in her mind that she needed to find was a flashlight so she could actually see what she was doing. Last time she was on The Seafarer was a while ago, but she remembered the 'in case of emergencies kit' her mother put together that had a flashlight in it was in the cabin under one of the leather seats. Only problem was, the doors to the cabin were most definitely locked.
The only thing Reese could think of was breaking the window. If worse came to worse, she could blame the storm. Seeing as it was the only idea she could come up with, Reese looked around for anything she could use to cover her hand with so she wouldn't get cut by the broken glass. In the dark, she struggled, but eventually found a tarp sitting on one of the deck chairs. Quickly, she wrapped it around her hand. She reeled her arm back and then punched one of the windows as hard as she could.
After a few unsuccessful attempts, the window finally shattered on the fourth try. She reached past the broken glass carefully and fumbled her hand around until she found the door handle. She turned it and the door unlatched. She walked into the cabin and made a b-line for the seats.
Digging around in the bottom of a seat compartment on a boat during a hurricane wasn't how Reese thought she'd be spending her night, but she couldn't stop now. Not when she was this close to getting her father and finding out what was going on.
Once her hands clasped around the metal base of the flashlight, she twisted the bottom and the light flicked on. "Yes," Reese exclaimed with excitement. She could finally see everything around her which was a major win in her book.
She got up off the floor, ignoring the stinging in her leg as she stood up. She groaned at the thought of having to go back out in the storm, but the bridge was on the top level of the boat and it didn't have windows, so Reese would be expose to the elements.
With a bit of hesitation, Reese made her way out of the cabin and up the latter on the boat that led to the second and third deck. The bridge was on the top, so she still had a ways to go. She stuck the flashlight in her mouth to hold it as she climbed rung by rung up the latter.
Her feet slipped off the rungs a few times, but eventually she made her way to the top and to the bridge. There was a small windshield blocking the rain coming down at the front of the controls, which helped greatly as it would be difficult to go anywhere with rain consistently pelting her face.
It took her a while to remember how to start the engine, but after fifteen minutes of staring at the buttons and throttle with the flashlight flickering every few seconds, she finally got the boat to start.
The lights built into the roof of the bridge turned on, the bright yellow light uncovering everything that had been swallowed by the darkness. The engine purred to life and Reese smiled at the sound. This was it, she could follow her father and figure out where he was going and what he was doing.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
REESE'S EYES SHOT OPEN to the dim sound of the doorbell ringing multiple times and rapid knocks at the door. She groggily wiped the sleep from her eyes, turning to look at the alarm clock on her nightstand which flashed 12:00. At least the power was back on, but now she'd have to fix every clock in the house.
The pounding on the door continued and a muffled yell filled the house, which was quite a feat since it was a rather large home. Still feeling like her eyes would close from sleep at any minute she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
She rolled out of bed and groaned. Her head pounded like a bad hangover. Light spilled through the bay window of her room, the curtains a brighter green than they usually were signifying it was later in the morning or the early afternoon.
She trudged down the stairs her birkenstock clogs thudding on the hardwood. She held one hand to the side of her head as the banging and persistent ringing of the doorbell got louder.
"Reese," Rafe's voice called from outside the door. Reese stopped for a moment when she heard his voice wondering what he was doing here. "Answer the door."
Reese closed her eyes as she approached the door, trying her best not to start crying from the pain in her head. She needed ibuprofen or something to keep the pain to a minimum.
She passed the ransacked office, not giving it a second glance because all she could think about right now was how much her head hurt. The door creaked open as she twisted the handle. As soon as it was halfway open, Rafe pushed his way through.
"Reese," He started, but stopped when he saw the state of her. He only had to look at her face to know something was wrong.
"Hey, hey," He said, cupping his hands around Reese's face and tilting her head to look up at him. She blinked slowly, still forcing the sleep from her eyes and made eye contact with him.
Reese had no idea what she looked like. Probably a mess. She remembered how the rain battered against her and how her hair was most definitely tangled beyond recognition, but that was it.
The expression on her face was blank as she was still trying to process what was going on around her. Outside, the sun was out. It looked like a beautiful day which she found ironic because of how bad the weather was last night.
"Reese, look at me," Rafe demanded, but his tone wasn't harsh, it was laced with worry. She took her eyes off of the still open door Rafe hadn't yet closed and stared into his blue eyes. "Are you okay? I called you."
Reese's face wrinkled in confusion and she shrugged. "I didn't get a call," She responded slowly, her words slurring slightly.
"Like hell you didn't." Rafe let go of her face only for his eyes to linger on her face. They were filled with concern and a bit of frustration. "Baby," He whispered, momentarily forgetting the anger that had bubbled up at Reese's words. "You don't look good."
Reese closed her eyes once more, she could feel her body swaying back and forth. She decided it was better to keep her eyes closed, her head hurt less that way. "I don't feel good," She mumbled.
"What happened last night?" He asked worriedly.
"Last night," Reese repeated, trying to recall. "Last night I..." She opened her eyes at the realization she couldn't remember. She remembered seeing the state of the office and going to the marina, but after that it was a complete blank. She had no idea what happened after, how she got home from the marina, any of it. "I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" This time it was Rafe's turn to repeat. "You look like you got your shit rocked, Reese. How do you not remember that?"
"I don't know, Rafe," Reese spoke weakly, not in the mood to have her every move scrutinized right now. "I don't know. I've just got this fucking horrible headache and it won't go away."
Rafe took a step back. Reese rarely cursed, at least out loud, so hearing that come of her mouth must've been a shock to him.
"Look, baby," Rafe started, rubbing a hand over his chin. "I'm not trying to start anything. I'm just worried, okay? I'm worried about you. I called you and you didn't answer."
"I know, Rafe," Reese groaned. "I know," She said, this time more quietly. "And," She paused, thinking for a second if what she was about to say was true and as far as she could tell it was. Their argument from yesterday was momentarily forgotten. "I'm glad you're here."
Reese took a step forward and leaned into Rafe's chest, seeking comfort. She wanted this. Needed this. Last time they spoke, they fought, well argued at least and this, him coming over to check on her was a sign he wasn't upset. At least she hoped so. She needed to be with him right now, it gave her solace and comfort.
"Yeah," Rafe hummed, wrapped his arms around Reese tightly. He rested his head on hers and placed a kiss into her tangled hair. "Me too."
After a moment of just standing there in comfortable silence, a far cry from the awkward tension yesterday, Rafe released her from his embrace and closed the front door. Reese had forgotten that it was even open.
"Why don't you go sit down and, uh, I'll get you something for that headache," Rafe insisted, moving his way through Reese's house like he'd been there a million times.
Reese just nodded slowly and followed him to the back of the house, but instead of taking a right to the kitchen, she turned left and planted herself face first into the comfort of her couch. Sunlight poured through the wall of windows that lined the back of her house. It felt warm on her skin and helped calm her from the pain of her head.
"Okay, baby," Rafe said, announcing his presence since Reese was face down on the couch. "Here, sit up." He pulled one of her arms up and the rest of her body followed, slowly Reese made it into a slumped sitting position on the couch.
"What time is it?" Reese groggily looked toward the oven clock only to realize it also needed to be reset.
"It doesn't matter," Rafe brushed off, handing her the cap of the medicine bottle with two small pills inside of it.
Reese nodded, "It does matter." She thought for a moment racking her brain on why she thought the time mattered when she had this splitting headache. "There's... there's something I have to do. I think," She muttered, going to stand, only to have Rafe's hand push her back down to the couch.
"You're not going anywhere. Not until I find out what happened last night," He insisted. "Take these." Rafe held out the medicine bottle cap once more for Reese to grab.
She wasn't sure why he was so insistent on trying to find out where she was last night. She couldn't even remember. Maybe he was just concerned, but it felt like there was more to it that than. Ignoring the small itch at the back of her mind telling her something was wrong, she grabbed the pills from Rafe.
Once the medicine had been downed and Reese had finally gotten rid of the some of the brain fog and was coherent again, Rafe sat down on the coffee table in front of her.
Reese reached up to itch her neck absentmindedly as Rafe started to ask her questions about last night. "You don't remember anything," He asked calmly.
"Not really," Reese answered truthfully. "Just that I went to the marina... for something."
For the life of her, she couldn't remember why she was there or what possessed her to go out in a storm like that. "So, you don't remember why you didn't answer my calls?"
"No," She shook her head. In fact, she wasn't even sure where her phone was. "I don't remember getting any calls. Honest."
"When you left yesterday, all worked up," Rafe gritted his teeth as if he was reliving what happened all over again. "You didn't say where you were going, so how am I supposed to help you figure this out when you won't give me anything to go on?"
"Rafe, I can't remember. What part of that do you not understand?" Reese raised her voice. What could he not get through his head about her not remembering anything from last night. It's like he didn't believe her.
"I just find it interesting that you leave yesterday after being a total bitch to me and now you can't remember anything from last night," Rafe spat, getting up from his spot on the coffee table and pacing around the room.
"What did you just call me?" Reese asked, not believing what he'd just said. How dare he? Did he think she was lying to him? He must have, why else would he call her that or say these things to her.
"Sorry," Rafe apologized hastily, his hands waving around. "I'm sorry. I just, I don't understand why you won't tell me." He pinched the bridge of his nose frustration evident. "I didn't mean it."
Reese got up, the medicine kicking in pretty fast, although she still felt like shit, at least she could get up without her skull throbbing. "Tell you what, Rafe? What is it that you want me to say?"
"That you were with that fucking pogue last night," He screamed, his hands gesturing to Reese.
So, that's what this was about. He thought she was with Beau. She knew it. He was just worried, insecure about her friendship with him. He needed reassurance is what Reese told herself, hoping that it was true. Even if it wasn't, it's what she believed.
"What?" Reese asked, astonished. "You think," She laughed in disbelief, still ignoring the ache in between her eyes. "You think I decided that I wanted to hangout with Beau last night while there was a hurricane?"
"Why else wouldn't you tell me," Rafe hissed. "You got defensive yesterday when I said I didn't want you hanging around him, what am I supposed to think?"
"You're supposed to think I wouldn't do that to you," She spoke calmly, trying to keep the tears welling up in her eyes from falling. God, Reese hated fighting with Rafe. It was clear from his words he was just insecure and that's why he was saying all this, but it didn't make it right. It didn't make name calling or insulting right and it didn't make it right to yell at her after she had clearly gone through something last night. She shouldn't have to stand here and fight with the person she loved.
Loved? That's the first time she thought that way about Rafe. During a fight no less. Did she really feel that way? Or was it just the heightened emotions from the pain in her head and the uncertainty of last night?
"How am I supposed to think that when all you do is talk about how much you love the pogues?"
Reese closed the distance. She knew this outburst was coming from some small part of Rafe's mind telling him that fighting was the best defense mechanism. "Rafe," She started, taking a step closer. "You need to trust me, okay? I would never do that to you. I talk about the pogues because they are my friends. Nothing more. We don't need to fight about it, you're the one I want, not Beau, not anyone else."
Rafe looked at her and she could see the tears that had started to fall from his eyes. She knew he was just a crier, seeing as how anytime they would fight or he'd get worked up she'd see tears. "You really don't remember what happened?" He asked, his voice cracking.
"No. I don't and I need you to trust me when I say that," Reese assured, grabbing his hand. She hesitated, her breath hitching before she decided it was the right thing to say. She didn't know why it felt right, but she knew it was true and it was definitely something he needed to hear right now. "I love you, Rafe. Outbursts and all."
She did love him, even if he was a bit unstable at times. He was always there for her, even if it was more for him than for her. They just needed to clear up whatever miscommunication this was and they'd be back to normal.
Rafe stood there for a moment, still processing what Reese had said. For a moment, she felt scared, as though he wouldn't say it back. That fear was quickly assuaged when Rafe enveloped her in his arm and whispered, "I love you too."
"I'm sorry," He whispered into her hair. "I didn't come to fight. I just wanted to talk. I'm just, I..."
"I know, Rafe," Reese soothed, wrapping her arms around him, headache slowly fading away. She did know, it seemed to happen a lot recently. The stress he'd had on his shoulders made his outburst more frequent. This one about the pogues from yesterday was a new one, but she figured it probably the stress and worry he'd had about losing her. "Stress does crazy things."
"What I called you," He muttered into Reese's hair. "I know it was wrong."
"It's okay," Reese nodded, knowing she couldn't stay angry at him for long, even if that was the first time he's ever said anything like that. She was glad they'd finally gotten over this little bump, but didn't like how it happened. She hated fighting, her parents did it all the time before eventually they got divorced and it seems to happen more and more often with Rafe.
"How's your head," Rafe asked after a long moment of silence. Reese could tell it must've been at least five minutes because the sun had already shifted angles, more light filtering in through the trees that lined her back deck.
"Better," Reese replied, shoving her face into the crook of Rafe's neck. She pushed the bad thoughts out, the ones about constant fighting and miscommunication, and instead focused on breathing, calming herself down.
"Any memories coming back to you?"
Reese shook her head. It was all still to unclear to understand what happened. She felt like she was waking into fog with a flashlight and it didn't do anything but bounce the light around the water droplets. Anytime she tried to remember it was like she had this white, hot pain seer through her head. That's probably what caused the headache in the first place. "No."
She could tell Rafe was still slightly frustrated by her answer at the way he tensed up. She wanted to reassure him, to make him feel at ease, so she added, "But, hopefully soon."
"Yeah, uh," Rafe started, pulling away from
the embrace. "Look, I got some things I have to go do." He backed up and Reese felt the warmth disappear and in its place, cold air. "For my dad," He added on, probably for the same reason Reese felt like she had to reassure him. "I
just needed to know what was going on," He told her as if explaining his actions from the past hour. "I was worried."
Reese figured that there was a double meaning hidden in his words. He was worried about her, but also what she had done last night. She was glad she could help him get over that feeling and both of the meanings that came with his words.
"Okay," Reese nodded, her headache finally dull enough to where she felt like she actually function like a normal person. It was only then that she felt Rafe's eyes give her a once over and lingered on her legs. She followed his gaze and her mouth nearly dropped at the sight of the giant gash on her shin.
"Oh my god," She whispered, reaching down to gingerly touch the cut that covered about half of her leg. She had no idea how she didn't notice it earlier. The blue pinstriped shorts she was wearing obviously didn't cover it, so how did she not see a giant wound covering half of her shin?
"Baby, you have to remember how you got that," Rafe says, though instead of a question he said it like definitive fact. Reese shook her head, wincing as she felt the wound.
It was an angry red cut, darker in the middle where the blood had clotted to stop the bleeding on its own and more light red around the outside. It looked like a scrape, because there was no skin around it to suggest it had been gashed open by something.
"Don't touch it," Rafe snapped, but Reese knew it wasn't the angry kind of snap, he was concerned and like how most things do with Rafe, it manifested as anger.
Reese sat down on the coffee table to get a closer look at the scrape. It didn't look too deep, but still something that would definitely scar. There was a smaller, less atrocious cut on her knee and it had already started to scab over.
Rafe crouched down in front of her. "I'll be back, later tonight, okay?" Rafe ran a hand through his hair. "I'll grab some, like, gauze or something while I'm out. We can talk to your dad, see if he knows anything when I get back. But, I have to go."
That's when it hit Reese, like a she stepped into the middle of a busy highway and a truck slammed into her. She felt like her breath had been taken as her head began to throb. She put a hand to her temple and winced as the same pain she experienced when she tried to remember what happened coursed through her head. Then, it was flashes of white, each time more and more painful. She saw the ocean, the sailboat, the waves and then a beach and a cave. It was all foggy. She saw the lobby at the marina and then her dad on the dock. It was coming back in bits and pieces.
"Reese, baby," Rafe called. Her eyes were closed as she tried to fight off the pain. "Talk to me, what's going on?"
Just as soon as it came on, the pain stopped. It was like someone had flipped a switch in her brain and she opened her eyes slowly. She didn't remember everything, just snippets of what happened. She still had no idea how she made it home from the marina. But, she knew one thing, her dad was missing.
She looked at Rafe, staring into his blue eyes, seeing the concern and fear in them. "It's my dad," She said urgently, her voice low and soft. "He's missing."
Rafe held her gaze with his own. "Ford? Is missing? Reese," He said, wanting to believe her, but finding the whole thing a bit far fetched.
"I remember... some stuff," Reese stammered. "I remembered being at the marina last night and, and my dad was there, he was talking to someone and," Reese paused, realizing what she had remembered.
"And what, baby?" Rafe coaxed, trying to get an answer out of her.
"I think whoever he was talking to killed someone," She whispered, her tone somber. It sounded insane to say out loud. Her dad tangled up in some insane murder plot and having to get rid of the evidence, but she couldn't ignore what she saw and heard.
Reese waited for Rafe's reply, her eyes never leaving his. She was dead serious and she hoped he could tell. Instead of a verbal response, Rafe dragged his finger down her cheek, pulling her eye lid down slightly.
"What are you doing?" She asked, pulling her face away.
"You're eyes are bloodshot, you have these random headaches and you're acting insane," Rafe explained, though he didn't hold any malice or anger in his tone, it was like he was just stating the facts. "You have a concussion, Reese."
"What?" She asked, understanding he didn't believe a word she said. "What no, no," She insisted, trying and pleading with him to hear her out. "I'm not making this up or misremembering. I know what I saw."
"Reese, baby," Rafe soothed, still in front of her. "Just five minutes ago, you couldn't remember shit. You told me that, so unless you were lying to me, you're not doing okay," He said. "I think you just need to lay down and get some rest."
"No." Reese responded defiantly, standing up to ignore what he said. Rafe followed her and blocked her from walking away.
"I said, you need to rest." He nodded, his eyes making it clear this wasn't up for discussion.
"I need to find my dad," Reese said vehemently, refusing to give into what Rafe wanted. How could she forget what happened? Her father was missing and she couldn't even remember a majority of what happened.
Rafe put a hand on her chest, forcibly stopping her from talking another step. He looked as though he was deep in thought even those he was still looking directly at her. "Fine," Rafe relented, moving his hand. "But, you should change first."
Reese, confused by his sudden change in attitude, let her eyes linger on him. She agreed, she wasn't going anywhere looking like the total mess she probably did. But, why was Rafe so quick to switch up on her leaving?
"Yeah," Reese replied. "Good idea."
It wasn't long before the pair had made their upstairs and down the hall to Reese's bedroom. On the way there, they passed the master suite and the door was still partially open. While walking, Reese peaked into the room, her curiosity getting the better of her. If the sheets were messed up, it meant her father had been fine and she was crazy. If they weren't... well Reese didn't want to think about what that meant.
She felt her heart drop when she saw the room remained in pristine condition, no sheets disrupted, no lights on, nothing. She sighed and looked down. She didn't know why she got her hopes up that everything was okay. Maybe in some way Rafe's words had gotten to her and made her think for a moment that her dad was okay.
"Don't take too long," Rafe said as they approached her open door. "I got errands to run."
"Don't worry," Reese smiled reassuringly, although she felt like she needed the reassurance more than him right now. She wouldn't get it, since she knew he didn't believe she what she'd said, but she was still happy he agreed she needed to look for her dad. "I won't."
Reese took a few steps into her room, wondering absentmindedly where she'd but her bandaids to help cover up the cut on her leg when the door closed behind her. She whirled around, expecting to see Rafe standing in front of it, but he was no where to be seen.
Reese paced back to the door. "Rafe," She called out, rolling her eyes. "You're not funny."
She heard the small click of the lock on her door and the small she smile she wore faded as she understood what was happening. "Rafe," She called again, her hand reaching for the doorknob and twisting it, only for it to remain unloving. "Rafe, this isn't funny. Let me out," She pleaded.
"I'm sorry, baby," He called through the hard oak of the door. "I can't do that."
Reese banged on the door, letting out a frustrated groan. He must've found the keys on the credenza they keep at the end of the hall. It was for decoration mainly, but the cabinets inside held a few essential items, like spare keys to the doors, extra light bulbs and items like that. "Rafe, please," She begged, trying the doorknob again.
"You need to rest," Rafe replied as if what he had done was no big deal. "I told you that."
"No, I don't. I need to go," Reese argued, but stopped her efforts trying to open the door. She rested her head against the wood.
"Baby, this is for your own good. You hear me? I'll be back tonight with some medicine and we can talk this all out then."
"No," She tried desperately to get him to listen. "I know you're trying to help—"
Reese was cut off by Rafe. "Then, you understand. That's good. I'll see you tonight."
She heard retreating footsteps and Reese felt the last bit of hope she had that the door would open leave her. She turned around and moved down to the ground in a heap against the door. She could understand where Rafe was coming from, he just went about it the extremely wrong way and she would be sure to tell him that whenever she saw him again. But, she did know one thing, she wouldn't be stuck sitting in her room when her dad was out there missing somewhere.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
AFTER CLEANING HERSELF UP, taking a shower, brushing her hair which was an extraordinary feat considering just how tangled it was, brushing her teeth and changing her clothes from the pajamas she was wearing to a crochet top with a pair of short overalls over top, she finally felt like herself again.
Bandaging up the open wound on her leg proved to be a challenge. She didn't really have any bandaids big enough to get the job done, so she took some cotton balls she had on the shelf next to her sink, unraveled them and placed them on the scrape, wincing as she did. She then grabbed the ace bandage she'd found in the back of closet and rolled it at least three times over the cut. It wasn't the prettiest nor was it the best, but it got the job done.
With that, she turned to face the large window in her room. It faced the back of the house, as it was right above the kitchen and thankfully for her, the roof of the deck was less than six feet under it. So, in order to get out, all she had to do was manage to get out the window and off the roof of the deck without breaking anything. Seemed simple enough.
Reese thought about grabbing a bag before she left only to realize she didn't have anything to bring with her. No phone, no wallet, no nothing. It felt weird to venture out into the world without one, it kind of felt like being naked to her, but she would just have to deal.
She wanted to count her frustration at Rafe as something, but it wasn't tangible and she'd decided to push it out of her mind until she saw him again or else she would never get anything done.
Lacing up her converse, Reese walked toward the window, grabbing the white wood of the sill and unlatching the lock. With a deep breath and after a small pep talk, she shoved the window upward. It was difficult since she rarely opened her window and it made a horrible squeaking noise whenever it moved up and down.
Cringing at the awful noise, she peered down the edge of the window and gulped. It may have been six feet down but it was still six feet and for someone who'd never jumped out a window before, it was quite scary.
Not wanting to second guess herself, Reese went for it, not leaving time to think things through. She hoisted one leg over the edge and then the other until she was sitting squarely on the sill. She twisted her body until her weight was being supported by her upper body and her arms. Slowly, she lowered herself down, her feet reaching out below to find the solid ground of the decks roof.
Her arms shaking with the weight, she started to panic when her feet didn't reach the shingles of the roof. She took in a deep breath as she continued to lower herself down. Once her head dipped past the sill, her arms grew tired and she felt like she would fall at any second. Her fingers started to slip off the window sill. "Shit, shit, shit," She cursed and then, just a moment later, she fell.
Reese let out a shrill scream only to have her feet land squarely on the rooftop not a second later. Still taking in deep breaths, Reese let out a small giggle at herself. That was a bit of an overreaction. She couldn't help but laugh, how was she supposed to know how far down it was, it wasn't like she'd ever had to sneak out a window before.
Well, that was the scary part done. Now, that she was on top of the roof, she should just be able to jump down. Her house backed up the marsh, so if she didn't jump onto the deck, but the grass instead, she should be fine. She didn't know if marsh grass was any softer than regular grass, but it made sense in her head. Plus, today was her day of not thinking about things before she did them or else she'd overthink everything.
So, without another thought, she turned to her right and jumped. She landed on the ground with a thud and toppled over after failing to reach her balance. She paused for a moment, lying down in the grass that she decided was definitely softer than regular grass. She took a deep breath and wiggled her legs around a to make sure nothing was broken. While the fall did hurt, it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.
Getting to her feet, she dusted the dirt off her hands and took in a deep breath. She was headed to the marina, since that's where she last saw her dad. At least, that's what she remembered. Only problem was, she had no idea how she got home from said marina. She couldn't imagine she'd left her car there, but maybe she had. If that was the case she had no idea what she was going to do.
She made her way over the exterior door of the garage, opening the flap to the lock and punching in the familiar combination. The garage screamed to life, its mechanical gears shrieking as it rolled upward. She groaned annoyed at the sight of an empty room. No car. That means she'd have to walk to the marina and that was by no means a short trip.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
BY THE TIME she got to the marina she was sweating. The outer banks summer heat was especially bad when there was direct sunlight overhead. Before Reese had given up on finding a mode of transportation, she found her old bike at the back of the garage. It's tires were a bit low on air, but she figured they'd do the trick. And they did, for the first 15 minutes of the trip, but after the air had made its way out the tires, rolling a bike with two flat tires to the marina in the middle of summer wasn't for the weak.
She made it to the parking lot after 30 minutes, sweating and nearly out of breath. She smiled happily when she saw her car parked near the back of the lot. It didn't look too damaged either. Just a whole lot of leaves and another debris covering it, nothing a car wash wouldn't fix.
For once, Reese was grateful to have a bike rack on the back of her bronco. For the longest time she'd asked her dad to take it off, since she never used it and his reply was the same each time, he'd get to it. But, right now, Reese was glad he didn't.
She lifted the bike up with a bit of a struggled and placed it on the rack. Admiring her handy work, Reese blocked the sun out with a hand over her forehead. The headache was completely gone now, the only pain she was in was the dull throb of her shin, but that was to be expected.
She turned to face the building just off the dock of the marina. She was determined to see if anyone knew anything or had seen her father recently.
The building was insanely busy, people everywhere and the person at the front desk looking extremely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people arguing over what had happened. Reese sighed internally, knowing that waiting in this was going to take a very long time.
Deciding to come back once the chaos had died down a bit, she took the stairs down to the lower level of the building that lead to the dock. She figured maybe one of her father's friends would be out there. Maybe they could tell her a bit about what had gone down after she'd left yesterday.
She looked down at her leg, to check on the scrape, hoping it hadn't bled through her bandage when she smacked into someone as she walked out the door.
Her head shot up only to come face to face with Beau Sacher. The very same Beau she was on the phone with yesterday and the same Beau who was supposedly her best friend. Her eyes widened as she took a step back.
What was he doing here? At the marina? Shouldn't he be at his house? Reese could've sworn that's where he always was during storms.
"Look who it is," Beau says, his voice sounded friendly, but his face told a completely different story. He looked upset, almost betrayed. "The girl of the hour."
"What?" Reese asked, looking around. He was clearly talking about her, but she couldn't figure out why. Did they have plans to meet up or something?
"Forget about us already?" He asked, gesturing somewhere behind him. Reese followed where his hand pointed with her eyes, squinted to keep the sun out of them and saw John B and Pope arguing with some sort of coast guard employee.
That's when it came back to Reese that, yes, they did have plans and she'd completely forgotten. She wanted to say it was her fault, but considering she couldn't remember what happened last night, she felt she wasn't entirely at fault for forgetting.
"What?" She asked again, this time she had understood what he was upset about, so it wasn't really a question. "No, no." She waved her hands in front of her face. "Of course not, Beau."
"So, where were you?" He was upset and he had every right to be. To him it seemed like Reese practically blew him off for who knows what. If only she could explain what happened without sounding insane. If only the people in her life weren't so worried about her and focused on themselves more, she wouldn't have to deal with any of this.
She felt overwhelmed, first but the interaction she had with Rafe earlier. It was nice up until he locked in her room, which she still couldn't figure out why he thought was a good idea. Second, by the memory that he dad was quite literally missing and now, by what felt like, but was definitely not, an ambush with Beau. It couldn't have been because he had no way to know she was here and it looked like the pogues had business to take care of.
Still, she felt bad. "I'm sorry," She apologized. "Last night, I don't even know what happened," She started to explain. "I think my dad is missing and..." She trailed off knowing how crazy this all sounded. If Rafe didn't believe her and he was the person she loved, how was her friend supposed to believe her?
She looked at the ground, not wanting to see Beau's expression. She heard his breath hitch like he was about to speak, but she heard JJ's voice instead.
"Wow. You look like shit," He commented, a smile plastered on his face. "Yo, what happened to your leg?" Reese liked JJ, he was cool and always said what he thought. It was actually very refreshing to meet someone like him, someone who didn't hold back their opinions, at least that's how it seemed when he was around her. Which, to be fair, wasn't very often.
However, now was not the time she needed to hear the honest truth. What she needed was people to believe her when she said her dad was missing, she needed people to help her find him. But it was clear no one was going to do that. "Thanks, JJ," She muttered, brushing past the pair and walking away.
She no longer wanted to be anywhere near the marina. Her friend thought she was lying and most definitely hated her and now more than ever she needed some idea of where her dad was. So, the logical next step was to go to the rental store he owned, The Seafarer. It wasn't too far from the marina, since he rented boats out of it fairly often. She figured if she could get to the store she should be able to find some clue about what was going on last night.
It wasn't a long walk by any means, as the store sat just outside of the marina, nestled between a few oak trees and backed up to the edge of the marsh. Her father rented out kayaks and paddle boats, surfboards and paddle boards, you name it, he had it.
As soon as she made her way down the dirt road to the store, she gasped. A tree limb had fallen just short of the store, blocking the entrance. The dirt was soggy and puddles of mud littered her path to the door. Stepping over the puddles, she made her way to the store entrance. She carefully climbed her way over the broken tree limb and landed on the other side, her shoes caked in mud. She knelt down to the shell the spare keys were kept under and grabbed them. She felt the cool metal in hands and fumbled with the lock on the door for a moment before walking in.
The inside didn't look much better. Like her house, there was a lot of natural light from the windows that covered the store and the window paned doors at the back. Unfortunately, the windows had been damaged in the storm and the back doors had been flung open causing the rain to be able to seep in. The water damage covered almost the entire store. There were puddles of standing water on the ground and she doubted the computers they did transactions on worked anymore.
She continued to look around the room, noticing every thing that looked slightly off or damaged. The surfboards mounted on one of the walls had fallen, resulting in broken shelves and more damage. She turned her gaze to the floor, noting the wood had curved due the amount of water it had soaked up during the storm. She could only think about how much this would cost to fix.
It was then that a glint of light caught her eye. She walked over to it, careful to avoid any of the uneven wood so as to not fall and get yet another injury. She crouched down to examine the item further. She recognized it as a key, a solid brass key with a chain around one of the loops at the end. Her eyebrows pinched together in confusion.
Was this one of the keys the man gave her father last night, the ones he took to dump the evidence of whatever crime was committed? And if it was, what was it doing at The Seafarer? She reached down to grab it, her fingers dipping into the cold rain water and clasping onto the hard brass.
She held it closer to her eyes, looking at the weathered imperfections on the metal. What did this key belong to? What did it unlock?
She was drawn out of her thoughts when she felt a sudden tingling sensation in her legs. It was like pins and needles, similar to when your foot falls asleep. She chalked it up to the scrape on her leg and once more turned her attention back to the key. Not for long, however, as her heart began to race. It started to be so fast she felt like it would be out of her chest. She dropped the key and it landed back into the puddle, the water splashing up and landing on her.
She fell backwards into yet another puddle after losing her balance. The tingling sensation only became worse until her legs felt completely numb and then it was as though her vision turned white for a moment. It was the same as when she got the flashbacks from last night, only this time there was no headache and her vision turned completely white.
She heard a voices from outside, muffled, but still audible. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but the voices sounded like Beau and the pogues. What were they doing here and what was going on?
Reese blinked a few times to clear her vision. Once she regained her sight, she took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Rafe was right, maybe she did have a concussion. She probably needed to go to the doctor. Reese made a move to stand up, but realized soon enough she still couldn't feel her legs. Instead, it felt like there was a heavy mass dragging her body down.
She turned her eyes toward her legs and when she saw what was weighing her down, she let out a terrified scream, one that rivaled the best horror movies. In place of her legs was an orange tail, at least six feet long, covered in a variety of orange, yellow and white scales.
IN WHICH Harvard law student EDEN ORITZ finds it difficult to focus on anything except the visions she's been having and the fact that people keep dying around her.
published nov. 2025
—﹒ 𖤐 ﹒ —
"Wake up," A voice snapped and Eden's eyes shot wide open. Sweat beaded across her forehead and her hair was damp, still wet from the shower she'd taken a few hours ago. Dark bags circled her eyes and her breathing was ragged and uneven.
She sat up quickly and brushed a strand of hair that had been stuck to her forehead away. Her hands gripped the comforter that pooled in her lap tightly. She glanced around the room, her eyes quickly darting from one thing to another. The bedroom was dark, so dark she almost couldn't make out the person beside her. He lay unmoving aside from the shallow rise and fall of his chest. The only light that entered the room was the pale blue light of the moon seeping in through the window.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to rid her mind of the disturbing imagery of her dream The screams, the blood, all of it. She wanted to forget it ever happened, but she never forgot her dreams. Not once. The muscles in her back tensed when a hand placed its self on the small over her back.
"Hey," Cole soothed from his spot next to Eden on the bed. His touch was gentle. When Eden turned her head to look at him, he too was now sitting up in their shared bed. His hair was unkempt and stuck up in multiple different directions. He looked barley awake. His eyes were half lidded and his voice was gravelly from sleep when he spoke. "It was just a nightmare."
"Sorry," Eden whispered, turning back to look at her hands. Her knuckles had started to turn white form her death grip on the comforter.
She desperately wanted these dreams— nightmares to stop, but it seemed whatever she did, they were constant. They were so real, so powerful and it felt like she was there, watching the scene unfold like a first person account. Every night for the past week she'd been waking up in a cold sweat to someone screaming at her to open her eyes. And every night she had the same nightmare. Someone in her building, her apartment complex, the place she called home, being brutally attacked by an unknown force. She couldn't never make out the face of the victim, only the vague surroundings of her apartment complex.
"Don't apologize," Cole murmured comfortingly, rubbing circles around Eden's back in hopes of putting her mind at ease. "It's not your fault."
Eden let out a dry chuckle, devoid of any humor. "Yeah," she nodded with closed eyes, trying to focus on anything other than the pounding in her skull. She placed her head on Cole's shoulder, leaning into him and letting go of the comforter in her hands.
Cole rested his head on top of Eden's and let out a brief yawn. His other hand went to cover his mouth as he did and he blinked a few times to rid the sleep from his eyes. "You wanna talk about it?"
Eden swallowed deeply and her breath hitched as if she was about to say something. Then, she felt a warm, wet substance trickle down her face from her nose. It smelled metallic and Eden furrowed her brows as she reached a hand up to touch the blood.
She pulled her hand away and gazed at her finger tip, which had been covered in the crimson liquid. She gasped softly and used the back of her hand to wipe her nose completely, hoping to get rid of any lingering blood. But, when she pulled her hand away to look at it once more, she felt more blood drip from her nose and run down her chin.
She felt it run over her lips and she once again tried to wipe away the blood, but to no avail. No matter how many times she wiped her nose, it didn't stop.
There was a faint click beside her and the room flooded with yellow light from the lamp they kept on the nightstand on Cole's side of the bed. It didn't illuminate the entire room, leaving some of the corners bathed in darkness, but the lamp offered enough light to see most of the room.
"Here, let me see," Coke insisted, removing his hand from Eden's side and gingerly grabbing her chin. He turned her head to look at him and tilted her head upwards slightly.
"Is it bad?" She asked hesitantly, her eyes angled upward, wondering what his response would be. Eden had headaches after he nightmares almost constantly, but a nose bleed was something different. The last time she'd had a nose bleed was in high school, when a soccer ball hit her square in the face and broke her nose.
Cole sucked in a sharp breath and tilted Eden's head to the side. "Just pinch this part," He used his free hand to lightly tap the part of her nose he was referring to and then continued. "And tilt your head back. That should stop the bleeding."
Eden did as instructed and pinched her nose closed. She watched as Cole retreated to the bathroom connected to the bedroom and return only moments later with a handful of tissues and a glass of water.
"Here." Handed the short glass of water to Eden and grabbed with some difficulty as she couldn't tilt her head down to see where it was. After almost spilling the water on the bed she managed to safely grasp it in her hands.
A blaring alarm from Cole's phone caused Eden to jump. The sound was abrupt and unsettling as the sky outside their apartment window was still an inky black.
Eden turned her head to the side in confusion and her eyes followed Cole as he reached over to turn off the alarm. "I thought your last day was yesterday?"
Eden sniffled, the sound coming from her nose a gross, snotty sound. The taste of blood made her involuntarily shiver.
Cole's eyes widened slightly and he let out a sharp breath. He suddenly shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I, uh, told Randy I'd take his shift," Cole shrugged, padding back into the bathroom, only for Eden to follow him.
"Babe," She urged as if it was the most causal thing in the world. As if saying that nickname didn't send butterflies through her stomach. She loved that she had someone she could call hers. She knew there was more to the story than what Cole was letting on. After two years together, Eden felt as though she knew him quite well.
Cole sighed and ran a hand down his face as he stood in front of the mirror. He had a small amount of stubble on his face as a result of not shaving for a few days. "Figured it's the least I could do. I'm going to be gone for a month, anyway. What's one more shift?"
Eden held the tissue away from her nose to see of full of blood and sniffled again. She dropped the used tissue into the open wastebasket text to the toilet and grabbed another from her side of the sink.
"Why can't Randy go in?" Her tone wasn't accusatory like some might assume in this situation, it was genuine curiosity that filled her voice and maybe a little bit of annoyance at the fact that Cole would have to go into work again after he'd already gotten his annual leave approved.
Cole sighed loudly, grabbing his toothbrush out of the cup on the side next to the hot water handle of the faucet. "I don't know. He didn't say."
Eden hummed softly in reply, retreating back into the bedroom to grab the glass Cole had filled for her. She took a long sip and then swished the water around her mouth, trying to get the horrid flavor of blood out.
She padded back into the bathroom and spit out the water in the sink. She stood close to Cole. It felt relaxing to be so close to him, especially because she knew that he felt the same.
"When will you be home?" She asked casually, throwing the tissue from her nose away now that the blood at finally stopped. Cole didn't usually take morning shifts, so Eden didn't know what to expect.
"Not until around noon," He replied, his focus on the razor he'd picked up. He carefully guided it across the bottom half of his face, trying to shave off the morning stubble.
"Damn, I have a class then," Eden cursed as if Cole didn't already know her class schedule. His attention was pulled from his task when she cursed, his eyes landing on hers and he gave her a curious look. "I was hoping we could get breakfast together," She answered.
Cole smiled slightly at that, still conscious of the razor on his face. "We can get lunch after your class," He insisted, putting down the razor and turning on the water to rinse his face of the shaving cream. "It ends at 1:30, right?"
"Yeah." Eden nodded, just staring at their reflections in the mirror.
"Okay." Cole's eyes looked up as he thought. "We can go to The Fire-pit," He offered.
The Fire-pit was a grill style restaurant a few blocks from campus, which was open lunch through dinner and was, coincidentally, Eden's favorite restaurant. It didn't have the best food, but the atmosphere of the place reminded her of her hometown, which she appreciated.
"M'kay," Eden smiled, wrapping her arms around Cole's waist and holding him tightly.
"Alright, babe. I need to get going," He said, placing a soft kiss on Eden's hair and used his hands to remove Eden's arms. He then rushed over the closet, grabbing a few articles of clothing that were semi formal.
He started to quickly change in the middle of the room. Eden walked over to her side of the bed and grabbed her phone off the nightstand. It was still connected to the charger but only said 76% which meant it hadn't been charging for very long. Just another sign of how early in the morning it really was.
After another few minutes of Cole rushing around the apartment to grab the things he needed, he left with an 'I love you' and a promise to be back later. Eden, on the other hand, got back in bed and tried to get some rest before her 8am class. Even if it was full of nightmares, restless sleep was better than no sleep.
—﹒ 𖤐 ﹒ —
"Wake up," A voice snapped and Eden's eyes shot wide open. Once again, Eden shot up in bed, a cold sweat dripping down her forehead. She glanced at the clock, its bright red numbers sitting at 7:00. She let out a deep breath and used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Another of the same nightmare. Only this time, it felt more real. As if she had experienced it before and wasn't just being told a story about. At this point, with the amount of horrific dreams she'd been having she started to consider seeking professional help.
She rolled out of bed and slipped on the brown and red embroidered slippers she kept at the foot of the bed and walked toward the bathroom. Eden was a firm believer in getting ready before her classes, even if it was as early as 8am. She always had to get up early when she was at home and get ready for the day and this would be no different, even if she was having the worst nightmares she'd ever had.
Eden stopped in front of the mirror and sighed. Her hair fell in tangled around her face and dried blood cling to her nose and the back of her hand. Her lips were cracked and the dark circles that hung around her eyes did nothing to help her disheveled appearance.
Ever since these nightmares started, she could feel herself breaking down and soon she wouldn't even have the strength to clean herself up in the morning. One of the main things keeping her going was Cole and the friends she'd made on campus. That and her career goals. The idea that if she didn't have any of those things she might snap under the pressure was a truly terrifying realization.
Hopefully, the nightmares would stop on their own because Eden had no idea what she'd do if they didn't.
After brushing her teeth and washing her face in the sink, she took a quick shower while humming along to a song she'd heard earlier in the week. She wasn't sure what it was called, but she was sure she liked it.
Drying her hair felt especially challenging today. First, she couldn't find the hair dryer she'd bought for relatively cheap. When you're a college student you have to save where you can and if that meant buying the cheapest hair dryer available, then she'd do it.
Then, when she found the hair dryer, in the closet of all places, she walked back into the bathroom only to find that the electrical outlet wasn't working. She furrowed her eyebrows and trudged into the kitchen where the only other available outlet was. However, as soon as she plugged it in, the hair dryer started smoking.
Immediately, Eden unplugged it, letting out a loud groan of exasperation at the whole situation. As much as she didn't want to go to class with wet hair, she was running out of time to get ready.
She grabbed a towel from the rack on the back of the door and started to hand dry her hair. By the time it was even remotely dry, it was already almost 8 o'clock. She hurriedly put the towel down and changed into a casual black shirt and jeans. She slipped on the shoes she planned to wear for the day and grabbed the fur lined denim jacket she wore when it was cold outside off the back of a chair.
Barely managing to make it out of her apartment on time, Eden rushed to the elevator, impatiently tapping the down button rapidly.
As soon as she heard the familiar ding of the elevator arriving on the fourth floor, she stepped in. It smelled like sweat and was incredibly warm, but that was usual. The elevator was run down and if she hadn't lived in the building for over a year she might've been scared to get on.
"Hold the door," A voice called out, and just before the doors closed Eden shot out her arm to keep the metal doors open for the person frantically running to the elevator.
The doors opened again, very slowly and loudly and when they did Randy stood on the doorway. Randy, Cole's coworker and their down the hall neighbor, looked disheveled and as if he just rolled out of bed. Eden smiled at him, not only because it was a polite thing to do, but because she'd known Randy for a while now.
He'd come over a few times to talk to Cole about work or just to hangout when Eden and Cole hosted parties for the hall. They haven't done it recently, because they've been getting ready for the upcoming break, but usually every month or so they host a small gathering for the neighbors on their floor. It's how Eden made most of her friends.
She was social enough, but in her classes no one wanted to talk. They would much rather run out of the room as fast as possible as soon as class was over. The only reason she even had friends from college right now was because of a project she had done her freshman year.
The last time she'd seen him was when she bumped into him at a coffee shop on campus and they got talking. He was a year older than her and they didn't have much in common, but it was nice to bump into someone she knew and talk for a bit.
"Thanks," Randy breathed out heavily, like he was in as much of a rush as Eden was.
"No problem," She smiled back, moving over to the right side to give Randy room to stand. It wasn't a big elevator, but it could fit more than two people comfortably.
Trying to make small talk, because elevator rides are awkward enough as is, Eden said, "How's it going?"
Randy shrugged and bit the corner of his mouth, "Not great."
Eden inwardly groaned. That was not really the answer she was hoping for. She was just trying to make polite small talk, not have a whole conversation in the elevator before her 8am class and she definitely didn't want to have a conversation with the very little she'd gotten weighing down on her. It's not that she didn't like Randy, he was great, it's just that she was not in the frame of mind to help with problems that weren't her own at the moment.
"Oh," She replied lamely, not sure what to say. "Sorry to hear it."
"Yeah," He sighed and then paused as if waiting for her to ask what was wrong.
Eden gave in and decided to try her best at giving advice for whatever his problem was. "What's going on? Cole said he had to cover your shift today."
Randy let out a small sigh and looked down, like he was fighting off tears. Eden gave him a confused look and also looked at the ground. Was what she said that upsetting? All she asked was what was going on. Then again, he'd already been upset or at the very least melancholic when he got in the elevator.
With a hesitant tone, Randy spoke. "Yeah," He nodded. "I couldn't find Meatball this morning, so I went out to look for him."
Oh. Eden's heart sank a bit at that. Meatball was Randy's cat. The whole floor knew him because he would walk around on the fire escapes outside of the apartments. Whether that was the safest thing for him was up for debate and whether Randy was the best pet owner was up for debate as well. But, that being said, Meatball was one of the sweetest cats Eden had ever met.
Cole, of course, was allergic, so he never liked when Meatball meowed outside their window or whenever Eden would open it to pet him.
"Oh, I'm sorry," She offered. She felt like kind of an asshole for almost brushing off Randy's issue. She awkwardly patted Randy's shoulder as if to comfort him. She knew that hugs were a good way to comfort people, but even if she did feel bad about Randy's situation, she wasn't going to hug him.
She had owned many pets in her day, but when someone was upset or crying Eden never really knew what to say. Cole was definitely the one in the relationship that knew how to comfort people, she would offer support in the form of saying that she was sorry for whatever happened. "Have you found him yet?"
Randy shook his head, still looking at the ground. "No, and I spent all morning looking, but I'm strapped for cash right now, so I need to go into work. I was debating it, but I'll just call Cole and tell him not worry about my shift."
"He's already there, so I'm not sure if calling is going to do much," Eden replied. That wasn't something Randy probably wanted to hear since he just admitted to being broke, but Eden would hate for him to have to drive all the way over there just to find out he couldn't actually work the shift he was scheduled for.
Randy's face shifted from sorrowful to mildly confused. He bit his lip as if he was hesitant to talk about whatever he was thinking. After another minute of silence and the hum of the mechanical gears of the elevator moving, he spoke. "Uh, my shift wasn't supposed to start for another hour," he muttered.
That tripped Eden up. She almost choked on her breath as her eyes shifted to Randy. "What?" She asked, his words not making much sense to her. "I," she paused, shaking her head in disbelief. "I thought you said you asked him to cover for you?"
"I did," Randy admitted. "Just incase I was still looking for Meatball when my shift started."
"Your shift didn't start a couple of hours ago?"
Randy shook his head, "No."
"Then why..." Eden started but quickly shut down her train of thought. Even if she was assuming the worst at the moment, she didn't want anyone else to. There was no reason for Cole to lie about where he was and she definitely didn't need Randy thinking that she and Cole had problems because that would open a can of worms she didn't want to deal with.
Randy was always in everyone's business. Not in a nosy way, in a he was just a good guy who cared about his neighbors way. However, he didn't know how to keep his mouth shut, and if he even thought that Eden and Cole were having problems he'd tell the neighbors and then it would become a whole ordeal.
"Why what," He asked, his head tilting to the side to further convey his confusion.
"Nothing." Eden waved her hand in dismissal. "I forgot that Cole said he wanted extra hours to cover his extended leave," She lied. It was the best she could come up with on the spot.
"Oh," Randy nodded.
The elevator fell back into silence. God, this was the longest elevator ride of her life. The elevator was slow on a good day, but the fact that she was stuck in an awkward conversation made it that much worse.
Eden racked her brain, trying to figure out something to say. Just as Eden was going to reply, probably with something that wouldn't do much to comfort Randy, the elevator dinged to signal they had reached the bottom floor. Randy walked out first, his demeanor still very sad. Eden hadn't meant to upset him, but it seemed like she had. Before he vanished completely, she called out, "I hope you find him."
She stepped out of the elevator a few seconds after Randy vanished down the hall. She let out a dry laugh. She could've definitely handled that situation better. She felt for Randy with Meatball missing, but there wasn't much she could do. Maybe Eden could print out some missing pet fliers on campus and hang them around the apartment building.
She took all of two steps down the hallway when her phone rang. The personalized ringtone she'd set for her friend bladed through the empty hall, echoing around the paint chipped walls.
But since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on, yeah, yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get wha—
The song cut off as Eden flipped open the screen of her phone after scrambling to find it. Her green phone charm dangled from the bottom corner as she held up the phone to her ear.
"Noah?" She called into the phone, waiting for a response.
"Eden?" Noah asked, her voice crackling over the line.
"What's up? Why'd you call me? You know I'll see you in class in like 10 minutes, right," Eden asked, glancing down at the watch on her wrist that read 8:00. Great, she was late.
"Class was canceled," Noah told her, her voice wavering slightly.
"What? Why? Not that I'm complaining, it's just weird."
"Uh," Noah stuttered, her voice almost trembling.
"What, Noah? What is it?"
"Vince is dead," She blurted out, her voice sounded choked up, as if she was holding back tears.
Eden rolled her eyes. A prank? Seriously? Not a very good one either, joking about someone dying was hardly funny. "Ha ha," She deadpanned. "Very funny, Noah," Eden remarked sarcastically.
"What?" Noah asked over the line, her voice indicating she was clearly shocked at the reaction she received.
"I know you want to use that theatre class you took last semester for something, but this is ridiculous. Oh, you got me! Now, seriously, is class canceled or not?"
"I'm not joking," Noah insisted, raising her voice. "Vince didn't come to study group last night." She paused, as if trying to collect herself. Her voice sounded breathy and nasally, clear evidence she'd been crying.
"I didn't think it was that weird since you and Cole didn't show up either, like maybe you were all hanging out or something, " Noah's voice trembled as she continued. "But then when I was walking to class there was all this caution tape around the quad and I saw this tarp. Oh my god, and this horrible smell—"
"Wait, you're serious?" Eden cut her off, not wanting to believe, it must be a cruel joke.
"Yes!" Noah yelled back, pent up emotion and definitely some frustration rising to the surface.
Eden suddenly felt sick. Dead? How could he be dead? She literally saw Vince earlier yesterday. They had class together, they ate lunch together, they walked back to their cars together. Oh, and poor Noah. She couldn't imagine how hard it must've been for her to see that.
"Eden?" Noah's voice trembled, the line crackling.
Racking her brain to try and figure out how nobody saw what was going on, how nobody called for help or anything, Eden stuttered out, "Well, somebody had to of seen something, it doesn't make any sense." She found very little comfort in what she said, knowing in her gut that it wasn't true.
"The police are questioning people right now, friends, family..." Noah paused, she gulped and then continued. "Witnesses. If there are any."
Still shocked, unable to believe what was happening, Eden remained silent. It was like when someone dies in her favorite tv show, it didn't feel real. Her chest felt tight and her stomach was swirling with anxiety.
"You should probably get here," Noah said quietly, her voice barely audible. "They'll probably want to talk to you, too."
Too. As in, they had already spoken to her about it. Poor Noah, she had to go through this by herself. Her and Vance had been together for years now, and he was gone. Eden couldn't imagine what she would do if anything happened to Cole.
"Yeah, I will," Eden responded. She stammered for a second, not sure what to say, but knew she should say something. "I'm so sorry," She settled on. "I'm here for you, always. No matter what, no matter what you need," Eden reassured, hoping it would help Noah even a little bit.
"Yeah, thanks," Noah whispered. "I'll see you soon." Then, the line clicked signaling the call had been ended.
Eden could tell her reassurance and apologies hadn't gone a very long way, with good reason. She stood there, frozen with shock, just staring at her phone. Never in a million years did she think that she would get a phone call like that.
She moved off to the side of the hallway to try and regain her composure. She felt tears start to well up in her eyes as the reality of the phone call she'd just gotten set in. Eden was no stranger to death, as her job saw many people who didn't follow the rules getting injured or lost in the woods, but when it was someone she knew it was completely different.
With a deep breath and a quick wipe of her eyes, Eden pushed down the anxiety swirling in her stomach and tried to calm down her heart rate. Noah needed her help, her support and most of all a friend to get her through this. It wasn't about her, even if she felt horrible about the death of a close friend. This was about Noah and being there for her, which is exactly what she planned to do.
—﹒ 𖤐 ﹒ —
"I think I've got something," Sam announced, carelessly tossing his satchel onto the booth his brother sat at. He sat down and flipped his computer around to face Dean to show him exaclty what news article he had found. It was an exceedingly long article and he hoped Dean wouldn't just ignore it.
They were somewhere in Vermont after facing off with a nest of vampires. It wasn't easy, but Sam had finally managed to get the jump on the fangs after three days of tedious research and field work.
They had found themselves right in the middle of the nest after accidentally wondering across it a few days ago. One of the bloodsuckers attacked Dean, while two had gone after Sam. Eventually, after much struggle and almost being bitten multiple times, Dean fought off the one attacking him and worked together with Sam to finish off the other two. The job wasn't easy, but at least they was saving people.
"So, what, this guy winds up dead in the middle of a college campus? Doesn't seem like our type of gig," Dean brushed off after reading the headline of the article, stuffing his mouth full of bacon.
"Just read," Sam gestured to the lower half of the article, while also taking a bite of the eggs he'd ordered. They'd gone cold, but wasting food wasn't an option, especially when their line of work didn't pay that well and credit card scams could only get them so far.
They'd ended up in some small diner off the highway. It was old, probably from the 60's and very, very run down. The lights flickered every few seconds and the floor was covered in grease. Sam had almost slipped and fell on the way in and Dean was all too happy to point and laugh at him.
As Dean scanned the article, he mouthed the words he read, eventually stopping at the word impossible. According to this article, the victim of this supposed murder died in an almost impossible way. His heart exploded, like physically exploded. Which, of course, left the rest of his upper half to explode as well leaving an exposed, gross lower half behind.
"I don't know, maybe the guy just had a heart attack or something?" Dean suggested.
"He was 23. Guys my age don't just drop dead of heart attacks, Dean," Sam insisted, becoming a bit agitated. "Also, exploding heart. That's not what a heart attack is."
"Fine, fine," Dean conceded, throwing his hands up in defense at his brother's upset tone. "We'll check it out."
"Thank you," Sam sighed, exasperated.
"So, how'd find this article anyway? The dude just died," Dean asked, scraping what was left of his breakfast from his plate and into his mouth. The waitress had been nice and given him extra bacon and coffee without having to pay for it. If he didn't know, better he'd think she was sweet on him, but she was ancient and definitely not Dean's type.
"I don't know," Sam admitted, shrugging. "I just had this feeling, I can't explain it."
"What, like your freaky visions?"
"No, no," Sam denied, shaking his head. "It's just a gut feeling like something was going on."
"Sounds like your freaky visions to me."
"But it's not," Sam assured. "At least, I don't think it is. It feels different. Like," He sighed, clearly trying to find the right words to describe what he was feeling. "Anxiety," He finished lamely.
"Anxiety?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. "We're going on hunt because you have anxiety?"
"Well, when you say it like that it sounds stupid. But, you just, you gotta trust me, Dean. Something bad is happening at Harvard and more people are going to die if we don't leave now," Sam insisted.
"Yeah, alright," Dean finally caved. He stood up from the rickety booth and stretched, his back cracking. He reached into his pocket, grabbed his wallet and then proceeded to throw a couple of large bills onto the table. "Let's go."
A teenage girl struggles to maintain her secret and seeks her friends help to find her father after he mysteriously vanishes, only to find out, that her father wasn't the only one.
word count—6.5k
published september 11, 2025
REESE !
"DAD?" Reese stepped onto the floating dock of the marina and stumbled a bit. She wasn't used to the way it moved up and down with the water. With the hurricane closing in on the Banks, the water level kept rising and dropping, which made the dock uneven.
Recently, her father asked her if she wanted to start helping with the family business and as much as Reese loved her dad, she wanted anything but that. Helping with the family business meant working and working meant less time to hangout with her friends and go surfing. But, with Hurricane Agatha on the way, she figured that he needed all the help he could get prepping the boat and store.
She took a minute to steady herself on the dock and then looked around the marina. It was the busiest she'd ever seen it. Many boat owners had the same idea and started to prep their own boats, so the dock was full of people anxiously chattering about how bad they thought the storm would to be.
Reese didn't think it was that big of a deal Tropical storms hit coastal areas all the time and they managed to stay relatively unharmed, so why was this time any different. Her dad on the other hand wanted to take extra precautions. He said that the storm could be the biggest one they'd seen in years and that they're better off safe than sorry.
Reese rolled her eyes at that, but reluctantly decided that it was too much work for her father to do alone, especially when the deckhands he'd hired had gotten the day off to prepare for the storm by themselves.
"Dad," She called again, her eyes searching every face on the dock. Where was he? She had just finished her last prep work on the ship and needed help removing the huge sails. She had no idea why this was left last since the winds had already started to pick up quite a bit.
She turned her head at the sound of the cabin door swinging open and watched as her dad stepped up and out of the cabin in the ships hull. The squeaking hinges was just one more thing her dad would have to fix, but fixing a boat cost less than buying a new one.
"Yeah," He answered, dusting his hands off. A familiar rust red covered his hands and his shirt had blue paint stains splattered onto it. "What's up?"
"I thought you fixed the leak?" Reese asked, clearly referring to rust on his hands. Last month, the boat sprung a leak after a certain renter decided to break the safety guidelines they have in place when they take the boat out for tours. They managed to scrape up the boat after crashing it into the dock and it resulted in a small leak forming in the cabin below the deck.
"I thought so too, but when I was painting the railings I noticed the rust forming again," Her dad sighed. He looked down at his hands and wiped them on the cargo shorts he was wearing. "Just another thing that I need to fix." How did Reese know he was going to say those exact words.
Reese bit the inside of her cheek. She knew money was tight right now. With the storm brewing and lack of a solid costumer base, they were spending more money trying to fix things and buy more stuff for the business than they could earn back. That and the divorce settlement her father had to pay less than a year ago really screwed him over financially. And while he tried to keep Reese out of his financial struggles, she still had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
"Didja need something?"
"Oh, yeah," Reese said, blinking herself out of her thoughts. "The sails," She pointed up at the large sails of the boat, flapping in the gusts of wind. They looked start in contrast to the dark gray clouds rolling in overhead. "They're too heavy for me to get down."
"Don't worry about, kiddo," Her dad replied, looking up as well. He squinted his eyes and used one hand to block the light from the sky. It wasn't sunny, but it was still very bright outside. "I'll have one of the guys help me out." He gestured to a few of the people also preparing their boats. Reese recognized them as friends of her father.
Reese blinked in confusion and just stood there. "What?" Didn't he need more help?
"You don't have to pretend to like spending time with your dad. I know you'd rather go help the Cameron's or something," Her dad insisted, making his way over to the mast that held the largest sail.
"Are you sure? Because I don't mind helping," Reese asked, not really wanting to leave without finishing the prep for the boat. The boats prep was almost complete the only thing left was to get the sails down and secure them. The store where her dad owned however, that hadn't even been touched yet.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Just call tonight before we lose power so I know you're still alive." There was humor in his voice, but she could tell he was only half joking.
Reese's dad had always been pretty lenient when it came to her coming and going which is probably why he didn't win the custody battle between him and her mom. However, Reese was given the opportunity to choose where she'd spend her summers and she couldn't just leave her dad or her friends behind.
She knew he cared about her safety, but growing up she had always been relatively mature for her age and she knew when and where to do things. If her dad trusted her enough to let her leave with a hurricane rolling into town, she would do everything she could to make sure that trust wasn't misplaced.
"Okay, Dad." Reese shrugged off the hint of sadness in her father's tone and grabbed her bag off the leather seat of the boat. "Just let me know if you need any help with anything." She slung the white tote bag she'd brought with her from the house over her shoulder and waved goodbye.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
IT WASN'T LONG before Reese had made her way over to the Cameron's house. Well, more like a hotel. She was sure that they could afford to have one if they wanted and even though she wasn't hurting for money, it was still slightly shocking every time her bronco rolled up the Cameron's driveway.
The storm clouds had grown closer and darker overhead, brewing what could be a pretty bad storm. Even though she had her doubt about how strong it would be, Reese had started to get slightly worried at the strengthening winds.
"So, did you get everything prepped?" She asked over the phone. Her call had been connected to the speaker in her car and Beau's voice came through the other end.
"Almost, I've just got to get my fishing gear from the dock, then I'm good to go."
"That's good. I'm getting worried," Reese admitted. Not even two hours ago she didn't think this storm would be such a big deal, but she had a bad feeling.
"For what? We get storms all the time. If you want you can come to the chateaux, John B doesn't care," Beau offered, sensing his friend's uneasiness.
"No offense," Reese started. "But, I don't trust that place to hold up during a hurricane. Also, I'm pretty sure John B would definitely care."
"That place has kept me and the pogues safe during all the storms I've experienced," Beau said with mock offense.
"And how many has that been?" Reese asked coyly.
Reese knew Beau was always, always at home during any major weather event in the outer banks. His parents weren't necessarily worried about him, but his siblings. They wanted to make sure he was there to watch over incase anything happened to them. It was strange, considering any other time Beau was allowed to do whatever he wanted.
"Right." Reese said after the line had been silent for a second.
"Maybe I just wanted to get you over here so we could hangout," Beau admitted. "We haven't in a while."
Reese felt a pang of guilt at his tone. It's true, ever since she started dating Rafe a few months ago, she hasn't had much time for Beau. That and Rafe was very against her being friends with Beau, but she figured that was because he was jealous and reassured him many times that Beau was just a friend.
Her and Beau had been friends for as long as she could remember. They learned how to ride bikes together, learned how to surf together and even more, survived the first 3 years of high school together. But, he wasn't the only friend she had in her life right now, so she had to delegate her time equally. Though not as equally as she'd like too.
But, it's not like she was the only friend he had. He had JJ and John B and the rest of the pogues. So, even though they hadn't hung out in a while, she knew he wasn't lonely.
"I know, I'm sorry," Reese apologized. "But, I can't right now." She did feel bad. But, Beau would always call to hangout at the worst times or whenever she'd already made plans with other people. And, whenever she decided to stop by his house to see what he was up to, his parents never knew where he was. So, it wasn't entirely on her.
"Let me guess." She could hear Beau's eye roll through the phone. "Helping Rafe?" The way he said helping made it seem as though he meant something else.
Reese hesitated before replying. "No, not just him. Sarah, too. I just wanted to see if they needed help."
There was an uncomfortable silence in the car. The line crackled a bit when the a door on Beau's side opened and closed. In the background Reese could hear what sounded like JJ greeting Beau. She could hear a muffled conversation as if Beau was explaining he was on the phone and then raucous laughter erupted.
As her car passed over the long driveway to the Cameron residence, she gazed at the trees whipping in the wind. She sighed and rolled the car to a stop in front of the white mansion. People littered the front yard, cutting down tree limbs and moving lawn decorations inside. If Reese had to guess, she would bet there were even more people inside helping prep everything.
She put the car into park and then ran her hands over her face. "Look," She started, taking a deep breath. The whole situation was over complicated for no reason and she didn't want one of her best friends to be mad at her over this, so she decided to nip it in the bud while she still could. "Tomorrow, once everything has chilled out, I'll come over and we can do whatever you want. Surfing, fishing, and we can even take out one of the boats if the canals are clear."
There was another moment of silence before Beau spoke up. "Well, fishing should be pretty good in the marsh..."
The sound of Beau's voice was drowned out when Reese's attention was pulled away from the phone call and to Rafe, who was walking out the front door, phone in hand. His hair was in its usual slick back and his sunglasses propped on his nose.
"Reese?" Beau's voice rang out, a bit static-y, just another sign the storm surge would be on its way very soon.
"Yeah, I'm listening," She replied, a smile plastered on her face as she waved to Rafe.
She needed this. Well, not needed. But, spending time with Rafe and subsequently Sarah as well was always nice, especially after a long day of work. Rafe made her feel better, usually. Sometimes, he'd be having a tough day too, but Reese would always try to help out anyway she could. From what he'd say, he had a lot on his shoulders and he liked it that way, the responsibility of it all. But sometimes it was a lot. Whether he was telling the whole truth, she didn't know. She liked to think he was.
"So, what did I just say?"
"The fishing should be good," Reese replied quickly, hoping that was all Beau had said. She didn't mean to lose focus on their conversation, but she couldn't help it.
"Right," Said Beau, disappointment in his tone. "I gotta go, me and the boys are going surfing. See ya, tomorrow."
"Surfing? But, there's—" Reese was cut off the call being disconnected and the usual tone that comes with it. She was shocked. Beau had actually hung up on her. To be fair, she wasn't really paying attention to their conversation near the end, but it was still rude. Not to mention he said surfing. Surfing? There was a hurricane about to hit and he was going to surf the surge? Does he know how unsafe that was? Plus, didn't his parents want him home? Well, Reese wouldn't know, she'd forgotten to ask.
In fact, Reese didn't know much of anything. The last time she'd talked to Beau before this was last week. And before that, who knows. She's been so distracted by Rafe and helping her dad out with rentals and running the store, she'd hadn't seen Beau in over a month. No wonder he was so upset. Wow, she was a bad friend. She shook her head in disbelief. Now she really had to make sure she showed up tomorrow or else she didn't know if her and Beau would talk again.
"You okay?" Rafe's voice asked. Reese nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard it. She turned to look at him, the driver's side door to her car opened and he was standing right next to her, just outside the car.
Rafe gave her a strange look, like judgement mixed with confusion. She could just make out the look through the dark lenses of his sunglasses. Reese smiled sheepishly, brushing some hair out of her face. She winced a bit as her fingers brushed over a sunburn she'd gotten a few days ago that hadn't healed yet.
"Yeah," She nodded, turning off the car and unbuckling her seat belt. She grabbed the keys from the cup holder as her bronco was a push to start instead of having to jam the keys into the ignition. "Yeah," She said, this time more convincingly.
She wasn't really. She just got hung up by someone who was supposed to be her best friend and also discovered that she herself was a bad friend. So, that really stirred up a flurry of emotions. But, she wasn't about to tell that to Rafe, especially considering he didn't like pogues to begin with and because this was supposed to be relaxing, even if she was planning to help prep for the storm.
"You sure?" He asked, only this time more genuinely. He looked slightly upset, and Reese could just make out his eyes behind his sunglasses searching hers.
"Yeah, Rafe," Reese answered, getting out of the car, but not before reaching over the center console to grab her keys and tote bag. "Just had a not-so-great phone call, nothing to worry about," She reassured.
She shut the door of the blue car and pressed the keys twice, waiting to hear the beep that signaled it was locked. She moved to go inside the house, but Rafe didn't budge. He stayed still next to the car.
"We're not going anywhere 'til you tell me what happened," He said, his tone more forceful than when he'd previously spoken.
Reese turned around to face him and closed the distance between them she'd just created. She sighed and looked up at him. "It's fine, Rafe. It's not a big deal."
Rafe's jaw set in place and he narrowed his eyes, waiting for an explanation on what happened.
Reese stammered before finally relenting. "I was talking with Beau on the drive over here and then he hung up on me," She explained, and then hastily tried to add that it was technically her fault he was upset in the first place.
"Beau?" Rafe questioned. He sneered. "You're saying that pogue disrespected you?"
Reese's eyes widened. "No, no, nothing like that. Just a disagreement between friends. No disrespect. Like, zero," She insisted.
Rafe was a great boyfriend. For the most part. He was pretty possessive, but when you are anxious that the person you're dating hates you, being possessive kind of, sort of reassures you that they didn't, which was a positive in Reese's book. Not that she thought Rafe hated her, it was clear he didn't. Just generally and in past relationships she had anxiety about that stuff.
"Are you kidding me?" Rafe scoffed. "You're really letting a pogue make you feel bad? You're better than that, baby." There was malice in his voice, but not directed at Reese.
Reese shrugged, one of the straps of the tote bag sliding off her shoulder. She didn't feel better than that. She was a bad friend and should've seen it sooner. "Well, it's my fault," She offered up. Not as an excuse, but probably seemed that way to Rafe. "I haven't been a great friend recently."
Rafe grabbed Reese's chin and forced her to look at him. He lowered his sunglasses to make eye contact with her. "Don't ever let them make you feel like you're less than them. Because you aren't," He said, though it was more like a demand and it would've been sweet if it wasn't putting down an entire side of the island.
Reese could only nod because of the shock she felt. She knew Rafe didn't like pogues and she knew he didn't want to associate with them, but she'd never seen him speak of them like that. It was the first time in four months she'd ever heard him say something like that, aside from telling her to stop hanging out with Beau. But, she thought maybe it was just because he didn't like him.
"Hey, Reese," Sarah exclaimed excitedly, walking past the two. "What are you doing here?" She carried some rope with her and seemed to be heading in the direction of the dock. But, sensing the tense situation the Rafe and Reese were locked into, she stopped mid stride. "What's going on?" Sarah's voice asked as she walked toward them.
"Nothing," Rafe replied quickly, dropping his hold on Reese and turning to face his sister. "Reese just came over to help." Sarah looked toward Reese questionly, but let the matter drop.
"Oh, I didn't know you were coming over. We need all the help we can get," Sarah said, swinging the looped rope around. "You can help with the Druthers," She paused, only then realizing that maybe Reese had come to help Rafe specifically. "Unless..." She trailed off, not really sure how to finish the sentence.
Reese looked at Rafe who seemed slightly perturbed by his sister's presence and then back at Sarah who was still looking for an answer. "Uh, yeah. No problem."
Still sensing the heavy awkwardness that she did when the conversation first started, Sarah started walking away, assuming that Reese would follow.
"I'll come get you later," Rafe said after Reese turned back to him to finish their conversation.
"Okay," She nodded, still somewhat dazed from that very strange conversation they'd just had. She stared in disbelief and then blinked to snap herself out of it. She started to walk away, readjusting her tote bag on her shoulder since it kept slipping off. Then, Rafe grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Don't forget what I said."
"I know, Rafe. I shouldn't feel bad."
"No. Don't be friends with those people."
Reese physically took a step back. She was stunned. This was a whole new side of him that she'd never seen. "What, pogues?"
"Yeah. They're all the same, and that," Rafe paused, gritted his teeth and his face turning into a scowl. "And Beau especially. They aren't like us."
Reese opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it. No way he just said that. Where was this coming from? She knew it couldn't just be from that conversation they had, so why was he saying all of this now and not when they first started dating.
She wrenched her arm out of Rafe's grip and took another step back. "Yeah. Whatever, Rafe," She said, still in denial about what he just said. "I'll see you later."
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
"WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?" Sarah asked as two girls walked along the pristine wood dock to get to the yacht that the Cameron's owned. The dock was just freshly redone, just stained a few weeks ago, though Reese couldn't help but think about the poor timing since the hurricane may ruin all that hard work. It was a long dock too, so it would take them a while to reach the Druthers.
"What was what about?" Reese questioned back, trying feign confusion, but she knew exactly what Sarah was talking about. But, she didn't want to talk about it. Her boyfriend had just shown a new side of himself. Aside from the odd insult here and mean comment there about Beau, he had never done anything like this. Well, maybe he had and just not around her or maybe she just never noticed.
"The whole awkward staring thing between you and Rafe?" She offered, not putting it lightly.
"Oh, that," Reese sighed, adjusting the baseball cap she wore on her head. She was starting to sweat since the dock was uncovered and while it may have been overcast with a storm coming it, it was still majorly humid outside.
"Yeah, that."
"I don't know," Reese answered honestly, looking at Sarah. The swimsuit top Sarah wore looked strangely similar to Reese's and then she remembered they'd gotten them from the same store, on the same day when they went to the mainland to go shopping together. "He was just acting, like, crazy."
"And that's strange because...?" Sarah asked sarcastically.
"He was just saying all this horrible stuff about the pogues. Like, this is the first time he's said some of these things," Reese offered, not really sure on how to get her feelings on the subject across. "It was kind of... unsettling, I guess."
"He definitely has his moments," Sarah agreed, knowing full well how unsettling Rafe could be at times. "But, if you want my opinion, Rafe is..." She trailed off, trying to find the right word. "Arrogant, sure. But, he seems to really like you."
The sound of thunder crackling in the sky made the girls both jump and then their pace quickened as they walked the final stretch of the dock to the Druthers. "So, I can't believe I'm saying this," Sarah shook her head. "Tell him you didn't like what he said. Maybe, just maybe, he'll listen."
"You think so?" Reese asked hopefully.
"Honestly? No, but since he likes you, maybe. He's never liked the pogues though, so I don't know how far you'll get with him on that," Sarah deadpanned as they stepped up onto the boat and climbed into the cabin.
Another thunderclap sent both the girls' hands over their ears. The storm was moving in and fast. If they were going to get any prep work done on the boat, they would need to do it now. While they had walked to the boat, the sky above had turned from mostly cloudy with sun rays peeking through, to dark grey and almost dark.
"Oh, Scooter Grubbs is helping out, too. Ward offered him some money if he helped prep the Drothers," Sarah mentioned, setting the rope down on the couch.
Reese followed suit, setting down her tote bag. For now, she would push the whole 'Rafe Incident' out of her mind and focus on the prep she agreed to do. "Works for me." She put her hand on her hips and looked around at the ship. A lot of the prep work had already been done, and seeing how this boat didn't have any sails, they wouldn't need to worry about getting them down like her dad did. "Alright, what do you need help with?"
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
SMALL DROPLETS OF RAIN pattered against the side of the Druthers. The sky had now turned such a dark gray it was almost black. The Druthers dipped and swayed unevenly as the waves caused by the storm hit the side of it.
Reese sat on the couch, now wearing a loose fitting t-shirt over her swimsuit top, angrily staring at her phone. She pressed the phone button next to her Dad's contact information and it rang for a moment before going to voicemail. She pressed the 'end call' button and sighed. She looked at the service bars at the top of the screen only to see it had gone from 1 bar to SOS only. She let out a frustrated sigh and threw her phone on the table in front of her.
"Woah, what's wrong?" Sarah asked, taking a seat next to her.
"I can't reach my dad. I think it's because I don't have service," Reese told her friend, laying back on the couch and closing her eyes, listening to rain on the windows.
"I'm sure he's okay," Sarah reassured, smiling at her friend. "He's probably just finishing up prepping."
"Yeah," Reese agreed half-heartedly, not believing Sarah's words. She sat up, grabbing her phone and pressing the call button. "I'm trying again."
Reese was genuinely worried. Her father never let the phone ring that long. He maybe didn't get the call because the phone lines were down already, but even when she had service the call went to voicemail. He told her to call before the storm hit and she'd already tried at least seven times within the past 45 minutes.
Sarah stared at her friend for a moment. Finally, she spoke up. "Why don't we go see where he is? We'll go to your house and if he's not there, then you can start worrying."
"What?" Reese asked, watching her phone get sent to voicemail again. She was too frustrated to think straight, let alone listen to Sarah.
"Let's go find your dad," She repeated, this time getting Reese's attention.
"No. You are not going out in that," Reese gestured to the window behind her and the light rain that has started to get more and more intense as the time passed. "Not for me. I'll go, but you shouldn't leave."
"Are you sure? Because I know you would do the same for me," Sarah insisted, standing up. Her eyebrows were furrowed and Reese could tell she was genuinely worried for her.
"Yeah. I was getting ready to leave anyway." Reese followed Sarah and stood up as well. She grabbed her things off the couch and walked toward the door of the boat. Thankfully, her phone was water resistant, so the walk to the car wouldn't be too bad, other than getting absolutely soaked.
"Okay," Sarah said. "I would say text me later, but," She gestured to the storm, just as Reese had done. "Thanks for all the help. Tomorrow, if you or your dad need any help with clean up, just come get me," She offered, making a point to mention Reese's father to hopefully offset her nerves about the whole situation.
"I will," Reese smiled. "See you later."
Right as she was about to open the door, Rafe entered the cabin of the Druthers, soaked from head to toe. He stood face to face with Reese and another awkward tension filled the air.
Ever since their conversation earlier, Reese hadn't wanted to speak to Rafe. Not until she decided if she would talk to him about what he said and not until she calmed down because she wouldn't want to say anything to hurt him.
"I'm going to go see if there's anything left to prep," Sarah said, making up some random excuse to leave the room. She made her way down into the hull and then it was silent. Just Rafe and Reese. Scooter had left a bit ago, saying goodbye and leaving in a bit of a rush. But who wouldn't rush home when there was a hurricane outside.
"What are you doing?" Reese asked finally, making eye contact with her boyfriend.
"Coming to get you," Rafe answered simply, his hand snaking around Reese's wrist.
He could not be serious. Maybe he was, but after their conversation earlier, Reese wanted to just have some time away from him to think. She was sure he didn't feel the same and probably thought the conversation went well. But, insinuating one of her best friends and subsequently his friends were below them was insanely rude.
"You're joking," Reese scoffed. She couldn't keep herself from speaking to him angrily, even though she was trying very hard to.
She could see his face contort as he figured out she was upset. "What are you upset about now?" He asked, his tone going from calm to annoyed.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact you can't respect my friend," Reese spat, unable to control her anger.
"What?" He asked in disbelief. "You mean that pogue?" Disdain laced his voice.
Reese really did not want to have this conversation right now. She has bigger fish to fry and every second she stood her talking— arguing with Rafe was another second her dad was potentially missing out there in the storm.
"Look, Rafe," Reese said, putting her hands out in front of her as a way to calm down. "I don't have time for this."
She shoved past him and walked out into the rain, immediately her hair seemed to get drenched. It was like walking into a pool.
Rafe stood behind her for a moment, trying to process what happened. After a second, he followed her out and into the rain, catching up to her rather quickly.
"Where are you going," He demanded, keeping pace with Reese. Thunder roared over their heads and the rain became even harder. It was now down pouring and the sound of the rain slapping against the dock drowned out any other sound.
When Reese didn't reply, he stopped in front of her, forcing her to stop and answer him. She stood, staring up at Rafe, squinting as to not get water in her eyes. "I'm going home," She called over the rain, hoping to get the point across that she wanted— needed to leave.
"Why, because you don't want to have a conversation with me?" Rafe asked indignantly.
"Leave me alone, Rafe," Reese yelled. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, but I need to leave. Now."
Once again, she brushed past Rafe. This time, he didn't follow and she internally sighed a breath of relief. She didn't know what was going on with him today, but hoped it would be over by tomorrow. He got somewhat upset whenever she mentioned Beau, but she'd never seen him act this way. Maybe she'd take Sarah's advice. Sure talking to him didn't always work, but maybe if she reassured him that, despite their arguments, she only wanted him, they'd be okay.
Not that she had any time to worry about that now, she was internally and at this point externally panicking. She had called her dad a total of 8 times in less than an hour and he didn't pick up any of the calls. Sure, there was a hurricane, but he told her to call and she assumed that meant he'd pick up the call.
Once Reese made it back to her car after the long trek from the dock up to the house, she fished around for her keys in her now soaked tote bag. She grasped hold of them and prayed they'd still work. To her surprise, they did and as soon as she heard the locks click, she hastily pulled the door open and slid into the driver's seat, not caring about the water that would end up all over her car.
﹒✿﹐♬ ﹒⤹
THE DRIVE TO HER HOUSE was dangerous at best, life threatening at worst. She could barely see anything that wasn't directly in front of her windshield, not to mention the water pooling on the road was at least 6 inches deep by now. Even with her windshield wipers on the highest setting and going 10 below the speed limit, she still barely made it home.
As soon as her car was parked in the circular driveway leading to her house, she was out of it and racing to the front door. Her tote bag was left abandoned in her car, along with her phone and other belongings. The only thing she'd remembered to grab when she jumped out of her car was the keys.
The standing water on the sidewalk leading up to her house made her socks slosh inside her shoes every step she took and at this point she was drenched to the point of looking like she'd taken a jump off of the Cameron's dock before she left.
She clambered up the steps of her porch, almost slipping on one of the steps and falling down. When she reached the door, she stopped for a second to catch her breath. Thankfully, the wraparound porch was covered, which gave her somewhat of a breather as she fumbled with the keys in her hand to unlock the door. However, when she shoved the key into the lock and twisted, the door didn't click, signifying it was already unlocked.
She took a step back and stared at the house. The porch lights flickered on and off and so did the light in the front room window. Hoping that meant her father was just in his study and that she was completely over reacting, she rushed inside, turning the corner to face the room only to find an empty office.
The lights flickered again, only this time, they didn't come back on. Reese cursed aloud, knowing that wasn't a good sign and neither was the empty room.
Now that she got a better look at it, the study appeared to be in a state of disorder. The french doors had been flung open hastily and the drawers of the desk opened in a manner that seemed like they were nearly torn out with sheer force. Books scattered the room, on the desk, on the chair and pages were ripped out of them and littered the floor.
What happened? Everything was fine before she left. The scene in front of her only made her fear more for her father's safety. If he wasn't here, where was he? And why does it look like someone ransacked their house?
She slowly walked into the study, carefully surveying her surroundings as if someone would pop out at any moment. "Dad," She called out hesitantly.
She crept further into the room, taking in all of the damage that had been done. Water droplets sat on the desk and stained the papers around it. Maybe her dad was home. He'd stopped in here after coming in from the storm and then went upstairs? She shook her head. That wouldn't explain the state of the room.
She grabbed a book from off the desk, flipping through it and then setting it back down. "Dad?" She looked around and paused, hoping she'd hear an answer but nothing.
Her eyes traced the room, going from book to book, lamp to door and then paused on the shelf that held their keys. It was just outside of the study, on the wall next to the door. She froze, one set was missing. The keys to their sailboat, the ones that unlocked the cabin. The one that they had prepped earlier in the day. Only, that set was the spare. No one would take those, unless it was an emergency or unless... Reese shuddered at the thought. Unless it was someone who wasn't her dad.
Now, all sorts of thoughts raced through her head. Who would do this? Why? Was her dad on the boat? Each question she came up with concerned her more than the last and seemed to be even worse too.
If her dad was out there, she needed to find him. This was a matter of life or death, especially because there could be some other party involved that made it even more dangerous. Reese hurried out of the room and down the hall to the garage.
If she was going out in this she'd need some sort of protection from the rain... and possibly other people. Just as she rounded the corner, she slipped and fell, hitting her elbow on the hardwood floor. She winced and sat up, holding her arm. She looked down and saw a trail of footprints caused by dripping water leading to the garage. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned to look the way she just came and saw two trials. Her's and whoever made the previous ones.
She stood up, rubbed her elbow and took a second to look at it. She winced when she saw it. It was bleeding, and bad. The skin had broken when it hit the floor. Her arm throbbed and Reese wiggled it around just to be sure it wasn't broken. Since she had decided it wasn't, she then took stock of her situation.
One set of footprints was hers. Obviously. The other could belong to two people. One being her dad, of course. The other being the hypothetical attacker she was sure broke in and hurt her dad. She stopped to think for a second, why would someone attack a person when there's a hurricane outside? But, another part of her mind reasoned that a hurricane was the perfect time to do so and that she wasn't insane and that is what actually happened.
Either way, she was determined to find her dad. With that, she opened the door to the garage to grab a poncho that hung from the coat rack just beyond the door. Only then did she realize her dad's car wasn't in its usual spot. The four car garage, five if you count the spot they kept the boat during storms like this one, usually held two cars, and her father's was always in the spot closest to the door. But, it wasn't.
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Reese didn't know, but it wouldn't stop her from going to find her dad. What she did know was that she wanted to find her dad and fast, before the storm got any worse.
i will only write what i feel comfortable writing, this means don’t ask me to write something if i’ve already said i don’t want to!
not explicit or smut will be written!
i only write for specific characters/ships and they will be listed in this post!
you can request a one shot or an actual fic, but keep in mind the fic will take longer to write/finish!
how to request!
- tell me the character(s) you would like me to write about and whether or not it’s a ship fic or a reader insert
- tell me what plot you have in mind! it can be just a vague idea like a trope or genre, but it can be specific too say if you have a specific idea you want me to write about.
- tell me if you want it to be short or long and whether or not it’s a fic or one shot.
a place where i post fics im not longer working on/one shots i never posted/take request, to practice my writing and i will post regular fics with actual characters here too.
i’m powcoa and i’ve been writing for a looooong time. i’m twenty, a college student and i love supernatural, criminal minds, tvd etc.
i have a wattpad account where i actually post fics and i have a secret account on here but you’ll never find it.
if you have any questions just ask! i’m an open book tbh.
jbbartram-illu
yousharknotpass
areudirty
pixelskylines
vaporwave