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obxwhore · 4 years

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The Night It Happened - Chapter One

Summary: It’s been two years since Ariana West, the fifth member of the Pogues vanished out of nowhere. After months of searching, they had no choice but to give up and her disappearance was left a mystery to her family and her best friends. After having the summer of their lives, the four remaining Pogues are met with shock when their missing friend stumbles into John B’s backyard, bloody and bruised. Ariana having no recollection of where she had been, and the group having very little trust with the law enforcement of Outer Banks, they rush to find out what happened to Ariana before it happens again.

Word Count: 1.7K

Warnings: Cursing, violence, mentions of kidnapping, mentions and images of abuse.

A/N: Hello! Thank you guys so much for the positive reception I’ve been getting from the prologue. I was really nervous to put my writing out there, so it really means a lot. This is the first official chapter. I’ve written and rewritten it probably around four or five times and I’m pretty happy with the end result. Let me know what you guys think! I’m still trying to figure out where I want to go with the story, but I’ll try to keep updates as consistent as possible.

Find the prologue here: https://obxwhore.tumblr.com/post/620367150401585152/the-night-it-happened-prologue

Two Years Later; the Winter after the Treasure Hunt.

John B sat in a hammock in front of his house, watching his breath escape his mouth in clouds as it entered the cool air of a North Carolina winter. John B didn’t very much like cold weather, much preferring the feeling of crisp Atlantic waves on a hot summer day. But for some reason, he was content with the icy feeling of this year’s twilight. Perhaps it was because the cold reminded him of emptiness, the feeling that has been stalking him since he and Sarah returned from sea, gold-less. Disappointment flooded his veins every time he looked at a photo of his late father, feeling like a letdown. A failure. Drowning in the idea of what could’ve been. Regardless, the love of his best friends and his girlfriend have kept him afloat. It kept him comfortable.

The voice of his best friend JJ Maybank invaded his ears as he tuned back into the conversation currently being held between the Pogues and Sarah.

“-and when Barry had us all on the side of the road with a gun pointed at us.” JJ said, laughter evading his lips as if the near death experience was the funniest thing to ever happen to him.

“Or when John B literally drove a boat into the middle of a tropical storm.” Pope added.

“I’m just glad we’re all okay and alive.” John B muttered, not quite in the mood for reminiscing.

“We should go on another adventure,” JJ had a devilish smirk on his face, “I haven’t felt a rush like that since school started back up.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for a good reason.” Kiara added.

“Maybe you should just focus on getting good grades. That should be an adventure all on its own.” John B joked.

“Easy for you to say, high school drop out.” JJ threw back. John B hadn’t actually dropped out, he just opted to take all of his classes online. He couldn’t bear the thought of returning to school, life being just as boring as it was before. So he didn’t. Sarah had bought him a fancy new laptop so that he could get all of his work done and for the most part, he did.

“Think about it guys,” JJ continued, “the Pogues and the Kook, back in action!”

“And what do you suggest we do now? What kind of quest do you see for us, oh wise one?” Pope retorted.

“We could run drugs.” JJ suggested bluntly.

“I think not.” Kiara stated, not amused.

“I don’t think I can afford another ‘quote-on-quote’ adventure. Ever since I was emancipated, Sheriff Shoupe has been up my ass making sure I don’t mess up.” John B added. After the murder charges against John B were dropped, he fought with CPS tooth-and-nail to stay on the island. He got a job at a surf shop and makes just enough money to stay afloat.

Rafe Cameron ended up getting charged with the murder of Sheriff Peterkin and Wade Cameron got charged with the murder of John B’s father, attempted murder on John B, and a few other charges surrounding his involvement with the murder of Peterkin. The trials for the father-and-son duo are still in progress. As a result of Wade’s arrest, no one knows if the gold ever actually made it to Nassau and John B is positive that Wade will never tell him.

“Fine,” JJ huffed, “then I guess I’ll just close my eyes and relive last summer over and over again.”

“I wish Ariana was there to enjoy it with us.” Kiara hadn’t meant to say it out loud, it just slipped. A blanket of solemnness fell over the group as they thought about their missing friend. Sarah looked down, feeling awkward at the mention of the girl that used to be a part of the group. She wished she had been able to get to know Ariana. They had met a few times, but they had never gone past surface level conversation because of the Pogues vs Kooks war. With the way the Pogues talk about her, she was sure they would’ve been great friends.

“I miss her.” JJ added, looking down as if to hide his face from his friends. Everyone agreed with him. Life after Ariana was hollow, but at the same time, they always felt her with them. No matter what they’re doing or how long it’s been, she lives in the back of their heads as a distant memory; a beacon of light when the darkness start to take over. When JJ’s dad unleashes his rage onto him, she is there in his head to tell him that everything is going to be okay. When Pope is thrown around by stray kooks during his grocery runs, she is there in his head to help him fight them off. When Kiara needs someone to talk to, Ari is there to hold her hand and listen to her vent. And finally, when John B is feeling utterly alone, Ariana is there to remind his that he’s not. That’s their friend; not present, but always there.

As the others slowly fluttered back into normal conversation, John B became a victim of his thoughts once again. His mind raced with sporadic images of his lost friend. Flashes of long brown hair, white painted nails, a breathtaking smile. The smell of strawberry shampoo raiding his nostrils as soft arms envelope him in a warm hug. Moments shared between them that he cherished more than anything in the world. His best friend.

A hand creeping onto his own shook him from his thoughts. But as he smiled reassuringly as Sarah, his girlfriend, all he could think about was the smell of strawberries.

•

Hours have gone by and the group is getting ready to say their goodbyes. The smell of burning wood is starting to give them headaches and it was getting pretty late, the moon shining bright in the sky now. JJ was staying the night at the Chateau, as he usually did. His dad sat like a stick of dynamite back at the Maybank house with JJ being the match needed to light it. Some nights, the blonde boy just couldn’t handle dealing with that. Pope wanted to stay over as well but ever since the event of summer, his dad had tightened the leash considerably. Kiara had to work early the next morning and Sarah felt like John B needed space.

Pope shot up off the hammock with a stretch, a yawn quickly following his movements. Kiara moved towards the radio softly playing music, reaching to turn it off and retire it back to the porch for the night. Unknown to the group, a girl was sluggishly making her way down John B’s street towards to Chateau. The color of crimson caked her face and body like paint on a canvas, fresh blood mixing with old. Dark bruises were polka dots on her body, shades of purple and brown swirling together to create an explosion of circles and handprints. There was dry dirt covering every inch of her body as if she had rolled in it all day.

When she made it to the front yard, she hugged her arms to her chest as the cold of the air began to really take its toll. A deep exhaustion settled on her leaving her ready to collapse, but she was determined to make it back to her friends. She had made it this far so she couldn’t stop now. She finally stumbled into the groups line of vision.

Kiara was the first one to notice. She let out a sharp, loud gasp as her hand flew to cover her mouth in shock. This brought the attention of everyone else. JJ followed her line of vision and has he reached the end, he paled to the color of paper as if he’d just seen a ghost. One-by-one, Pope, Sarah, and John B turned their heads and were greeted with the sight of their missing friend.

Tangled waist length brown hair cascaded down her shoulders, leaves and twigs stuck throughout. She was wearing a white tank top and baggy black pants, no shoes adorning her bare feet. The blood, dirt, and bruises were a plague to her body. She looked like she had literally crawled out of a cheap grave.

“Holy shit” John B took a step forward. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He and the rest of the Pogues had accepted a long time ago that Ariana was most likely dead. It had never seemed probable that she would ever come back, yet here she is.

“Holy shit!” John B repeated, louder this time, as he started to make his way towards the girl. Tears flowed freely down his face as emotions slammed through him. He thought he had lost his best friend forever, but here she was. He shrugged off his jacket, the frigid air giving him goosebumps, but he could not care less.

Once he reached her, he helped her get the jacket on. She started to become overwhelmed now, tears prickling her eyes as she felt warmth for the first time in two years. Everyone had the same feeling pooling through them at the sight of their friend: dread. The state of her being sent shivers down Kiara’s spine and JJ had to literally cover his mouth to keep down the bile that threatened to make itself known.

“What the fuck, Ari?” John B said, sobs racking his body now as he gently grabbed her hand.

“I’m sorry.” Ariana whispered, breaking her silence.

“You’re sorry?” John B questioned in disbelief. He couldn’t believe that she was apologizing for her own abduction, as if it were her fault.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Kiara added, bringing Ariana’s attention to everyone else once again.

As Ariana looked up at the rest of the group, the vivid emptiness swirling through her eyes hit them like a punch to the face. The once bright emerald eyes that gleamed with excitement were now dulled and clouded. The once strong, independent, free-spirited girl was now just a hollow shell of who she used to be. And as all of this dawned upon them, John B, Pope, Kiara, Sarah, and JJ all had one thought in their minds. They were going to find and kill whoever did this to their friend.

Taglist: @thelovelydreamer17 @sunshine-27-grape-juice @starswin @minnie-mitzel

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obxwhore · 4 years

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The Night It Happened - Prologue

Summary: Its been two years since Ariana West, the fifth member of the Pogues vanished out of nowhere. After months of searching, they had no choice but to give up and her disappearance was left a mystery to her family and her best friends. After having the summer of their lives, the four remaining Pogues are met with shock when their missing friend stumbles into John B’s backyard, bloody and bruised. Ariana having no recollection of where she had been, and the group having very little trust with the law enforcement of Outer Banks, the group rushes to find out what happened to Ariana before it happens again.

Warnings: Mentions of kidnapping, violence, images of abuse, angst.

A/N: Hello! This is the first time I’ve ever wrote anything for a fandom and the first time I’ve ever shared my writing. I got this idea in a dream and I couldn’t help but write it. It’s kind of like a crossover between Outer Banks and Pretty Little Liars, but with the plot and characters being strictly based on Outer Banks. The story takes place AFTER the events of season one. The Pogues had searched for the gold and gotten into the same trouble as the show, but in this story, they never actually found it. Please let me know what you think!

Prologue

The night it happened had felt like any other night. The stars illuminated the night as five friends gathered around a bonfire to commemorate the end of a chapter, and the beginning of one. Middle school had flown by, the group getting into mischief everywhere they went and having the time of their lives. John B. Rutledge and Ariana West had been friends the longest, their parents having grown up together. Then came JJ Maybank, the blue-eyed blonde-haired boy who had a permanent smirk plastered onto his face. Pope Hayward, the insanely smart one, and Kiara Carrara, the hippie island girl, had joined the group not too long after that.

“-and when JJ tried asking out that girl in the middle of the cafeteria, and he accidentally spilled his orange juice all over her” Ariana could barely get the words out, her laughter filling the space around them. They had spent the whole night doing this – reminiscing.

“Needless to say, she said no” JJ added, “I’m actually still pretty upset about it.”

“Awe JJ, I’m sure someday you’ll find a girl who doesn’t mind getting OJ thrown into her face.” Kiara joined in, giggling at the blonde boy’s expense.

“God, I can’t believe it’s actually over. I wonder if we’re gonna stay friends in high school.” John B wondered aloud.

“Of course we are, don’t be stupid Johnny,” Ariana said, not believing the words that were just said, “we’re gonna be friends forever.”

“Yeah, we’re all we have. We have to stick together.” Pope added this time, breaking his silence.

“Let’s make a pact,” Ariana started, reeling in the attention of her friends, “no matter how busy we are with school, or how tough life gets, we’ll always stay together.”

Murmurs of agreement riddle the group, a veil of emotion falling atop the five friends as they bring each other in for a group hug.

“Friends forever, no matter what.” Ariana whispered, mostly to herself but not caring who else heard her. The night came to a close quickly after that, the group saying their goodbyes. Ariana and John B were the last ones there, getting ready to part ways.

“I didn’t want to say this in front of everyone else, but I’m scared.” Ariana said quietly, John B leaning closer to hear better.

“Why are you scared?” He questioned, worry evident in his voice.

“I’m-“ she paused, rethinking her words, “just nervous is all.” She brushed it off quickly, wanting to change the subject.

“I get it, I’m nervous too. But I hear that high school is fun! Imagine all the trouble we’re gonna get into together.” He smiled at the thought, not being able to imagine a life without his best friend.

“Yeah-“ Ariana started, sounded less excited, “just promise me that no matter what, you’re gonna be okay.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just promise me.” A tear threatened to fall, but she held it back.

“I promise.” John B said. “You’re starting to scare me Ari. It’s sounds an awful lot like you’re saying goodbye.”

“I’m not,” she reassured, “I have a promise to live up to - friends forever.” She said, tears fulling falling now.

“Friends forever.” He responded, grabbing her for one last hug before making his way back to the Chateau.

She was scared, butt not for the reason she told John B. As he shuffled away, she pulled a small piece of paper from her pocket that she had found taped onto her window earlier that day. It had just one word written on it, but it was enough to make Ariana quiver with fear.

Tonight.

She looked back up at John B for a few moments, watching him enter the Chateau before collecting herself and slowly walking into the night.

•

John B woke up to the sound of pounding on the front door. Shooting up from his sleep, he ran out of his room to find his father opening the door. Mrs. West, Allison’s mother, stood on the front step with a look of worry and desperation plastered onto her face.

“Please tell me she’s here!” She said, her voice quivering.

“What do you mean, Rebecca?” Big John asked his lifelong friend.

“Ariana. Please tell me she’s here. She never came home last night.” She repeated, her voice more frantic.

“No she’s not here Becky” Big John said, beginning to worry for the girl he considered a member of the family. Mrs. West slowly sank to the ground, Big John rushing to catch her. All the while, John B stood there with his eyes wide and a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, one he’d never felt before but would soon grow accustomed to.

They searched for months - six to be exact. They searched day and night, through the rest of summer and into the winter. They searched by themselves, with the police. They searched all they could until it finally dawned upon them all. Ariana was gone and no one would ever know what happened to her.

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