( 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙍𝙏𝙔 𝙁𝙊𝙐𝙍. )
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WHEN JAYLENE ROSEWOOD was a child, she wanted nothing more than to grow up. She remembered being a toddler and being surrounded by all these people who were much older than her, having the time of their lives with no sort of rules holding them back from living their lives to the fullest. Their parents couldn't exactly do much about it because as their children grew older, they were the ones in charge of the decision making. And that was all Jaylene wanted. Which was pretty pathetic considering the fact that she only wanted to grow up so that she could choose to stay out just a bit longer to play with friends and eat junk food as dinner instead of a proper meal. Her reasons for wanting to grow up were quite stupid now that she looked back at it.

Day and night, she would constantly envision the day in which she'd be taller than four feet, able to make her own decisions and receive the freedom that a handful of teenagers appeared to have. Not once did she ever think that her teenage years wouldn't be this picture perfect thing, straight out of a movie.

Her teenage years were meant to be perfect. It's what she'd dreamt of since she was younger. She was supposed to stay out late because she'd lost track of time due to how much fun she was having with friends. Instead, whenever she was out late, it was because of how badly the drugs she'd taken that night had messed her up. It was like she wasn't even in control of her own body those nights. She would become a hallow version of herself, one that was unable to do anything besides stare at the slumped body, instantly regretting the decision she'd made that night. But that still wasn't enough to get her to stop using the self-medicating toxins that would allow her to temporarily forget whatever is was she was dealing with at the time.

The toddler version of herself never would've imagined the catastrophic life that awaited her once she approached those long-awaited teenage years that she had been looking forward to. She never would've imagined that one day, she'd be unconscious in her bedroom, body unresponsive with vomit slowly creeping up her throat. And she definitely wouldn't have thought that she would spend six months of her life away at a rehabilitation center, feeling this burden for what she'd done. The freedom she'd been so excited for had been ripped from her grasp because of the stupid decisions she'd so badly anticipated to make.

Jaylene Rosewood got a taste of freedom, and it was so bitter that it nearly killed her in the process.

Now, she'd do anything to go back to being a kid with a huge imagination. The imagination that didn't include the reality of the sick world she was currently stuck living in.

Had you told Jaylene that her summer would involve: getting to know her grandparents, finding out her father cheated on her mother with the maid, discovering that her mother was actually alive, getting told that her stepmother had tried to kill her mother, watching Sherriff Peterkin get shot to death right in front of her, learning that Ward Cameron did in fact kill John Routledge, plus had some part in Marleen's attempted murder, falling for John Booker Routledge, and fleeing the island with John B...yeah, she definitely would've thought you were insane.

Yet there she was, thirty minutes past three o'clock, running on the wooden dock with her feet ready to give out on her at any second now. It had been too late to meet John B at the dock where The Phantom had departed from, but this was her second chance to go through with the plan that she and John B had constructed. She knew that in order for him to escape, he'd have to go around the marsh and in the direction of Figure Eight. Luckily, she had been right, because she spotted the boat from afar and was now running towards it.

The so-called Phantom was by far one of the most recognizable boats on the land of Outer Banks. The boat belonged to JJ's father, Luke Maybank. It hadn't been out in the ocean for years now, but it was known for its fast speed, making it the perfect watercraft for this particular situation that John B was currently dealing with. If everything went according to plan, the storm could be avoided, but that was a big if that no one was counting on.

The storm was already making its way to the land. Thunder clapping loudly through the atmosphere, warning everyone to get into their homes before the water began pouring from the dark, grey clouds. Lightning bolts were getting closer and closer and the wind was beginning to grow stronger with every step that Jaylene took.

She had seen the destruction that hurricane Agatha had left behind, and some people still hadn't been able to recover from it. This storm would certainly bring greater damage to the island and she did not wanna stick around to watch that. But she was also terrified to take an open boat out into a tropical depression. There was no guarantee that she would make it out alive if she got onto the Phantom, but that was a risk she was willing to take.

"John B!" She shouted, picking up her pace as the soles of her shoes harshly came in contact with the wood below her. The end of the dock was only a few more steps away and if she didn't get his attention now, he wouldn't be able to stop in time.

Unfortunately, he was too distracted to hear Jaylene's voice shouting his name from a distance. That only caused her to let out a frustrated sigh as she waved her arms around, hoping to catch his attention.

"John with the unnecessary B!" She shouted, using all the strength her vocal chords obtained as she came to a stop at the end of the dock.

Luckily, that time he heard her loud and clear, a wave of relief washing over him and a huge smile forming on his lips because that meant that she hadn't actually backed. He managed to steer towards the dock with his sweaty palms, cutting the engine as he motioned for her to climb aboard. "I-I thought you had backed out. You weren't at the dock, so I thought you weren't coming."

"I almost did." She admitted, stepping off of the dock and into the boat, slowly heading towards him to place the palm of her hand on his cheek. "You know, I'm quite offended that you just left me behind like that, but I'm here now and that's all that really matters, right?"

John B smiled, closing the small gap between them to plant a small kiss on top of her lips before pulling away. "Right."

Nostalgia instantly hit her in that moment. The memory of their first kiss that they shared at Midsummers caused a huge smile to grow on her face as she stared at the boy whose heart she'd stolen without even trying. She remembered the euphoric feeling that overtook her body that night. She had waited for what felt like forever for him to finally kiss her, and when it happened, she was the happiest she'd ever been in a long time. And that moment itself reassured her that she was one-hundred percent content with this decision she was going to go through with.

"This storm is gonna hit within the hour. If we're really doing this, we better get the hell out of here while we still can." She whispered, resting her forehead on top of his. "The sooner we get out, the better."

"Are you sure that you wanna do this? I mean—"

"John B, start the goddamn boat." She interrupted him before he could get her to change her mind about this. She was already on the getaway boat and she did not plan on getting off unless her body was forcibly removed from it.

And so he obeyed, walking towards the controls before guiding the boat through the ocean. While he took charge of navigating them through the water, Jaylene gripped onto the metal railings of the boat, her eyes narrowed as she kept them focused on the large mansions lined up on the land. She could even spot her own home from where she stood, and she almost...almost shed a tear as she watched the large mansion grow smaller and smaller as they strayed further away from the side of the island where she had grown up.

     About an hour had passed since the two teenagers had begun sailing through the deep, blue sea. Since then, the day had turned into night. The moon was hardly even visible through the thick, grey clouds that were scattered through the night sky. The wind had picked up drastically as well, which only seemed to make this getaway even more complicated than originally anticipated. Not to mention the waves that viscously slammed against one another, making this a life-threatening situation that neither of the two could escape now.

All they had to do at this point was get past the authorities that were impatiently sat inside of the tents lined up on the shore. It was the most nerve-wracking part of all because if they were to be spotted, everything would be over. The storm couldn't completely be avoided now, but there was a small possibility that greater risks could be avoided if they remained going in the route that involved getting past the lighthouse. If that didn't happen, they would be screwed.

"Shit. I didn't think that it would be this bad." Jaylene looked towards the flashing lights in the distance. It was enough for a knot to grow in her stomach because of how bad this situation really was. "We're doing this, huh? God, we really are stupid."

John B chuckled quietly to himself, giving her hand a light squeeze to try and calm her down. "Look, I'm sorry about this." He began to speak, knowing that this was definitely not the right time to be apologizing. "I wanted the rest of this summer to be filled with you and me making these great memories that we'd remember for the rest of our lives. Memories that we would think about in the future and smile at. Instead, you're fleeing the country with me."

"I don't regret any of this." Jaylene shook her head, realizing that this is where he was going with his small speech. "You have brought out the best in me and I will always be so grateful for that. We are going to make it out of this, alright? We are going to make memories that we will live to tell in the future. Because I see that with you, John B. I see a future with you."

A foolish grin formed on his lips as he looked down at her, tilting his head. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded, a small smile planted onto her lips.

Before their small talk could be continued, John B turned his attention back towards the monitor, making a decision that would hopefully help them out. "We'll go dark and let the tide pull us out."

Jaylene agreed, raising her arms towards the roof of the boat to flip a couple switches before allowing the darkness to consume them. "We're gonna make it." A hint of hopefulness washed over her words as the boat harshly shook due to the violent waves that were tugging at it.

"Yeah, I think we are." He whispered from beside her, draping his arm around her shoulder to pull Jaylene closer to him.

They waited for just a few more minutes, anxiously staring at the tents from afar until Jaylene finally spoke up again. "I don't think they can see us."

"We're clear." He let out a huge sigh of relief, glancing towards the lighthouse. "Now we just got to go North through the swamp and we're out of here."

Jaylene began to smile, but that smile quickly fell when the darkness that had consumed The Cut for weeks now, disappeared in an instant as lights began to flicker all throughout. The realization hit her quickly, causing her eyes to grow wide and her breath to get caught in her throat.

"Oh, fuck!" She gasped in shock, unable to believe that this was happening. "The lights."

A terrified look formed on John B's face as he rapidly shook his head. This couldn't be happening. 

Blood pumped through Jaylene's veins, sending it directly to her rapidly-beating heart as she held in her breath, watching in horror as the lighthouse regained power. Instantly, the bright beam of light pointed right at the two, giving them away instantly. "No, no, no." She shook her head in denial as the light blinded her.

She could hear the loud shouts from afar which only confirmed that they'd been spotted.

"It's not turning over." The fear in John B's voice was evident as he twisted the key into the ignition of the boat, the engine sputtering in the process which meant that something had to be wrong.

"Here, move over." Jaylene took over, determination set in her eyes as her pupils grew dark. She briefly scanned the monitor that allowed her to see just how close the incoming storm was. "Check the engine!"

John B wasted no time, quickly leaving her side and heading towards the back of the boat where the engine was located. Due to how minimal light there was, he struggled to find the choke, but one he located it, he began to try and restart the motor, hoping that that was the problem. Meanwhile, Jaylene anxiously watched. Her foot tapping against the ground, hands trembling in fear up until she saw John B get up from the ground.

She took that as her cue to try to start the boat again. With her hand firmly gripping the key, she twisted it, cranking the small lever at the same time which allowed The Phantom to roar back to life. The sound gave her a sense of joy as she moved to the side, allowing John B to take charge once again.

And just in time because as they began moving again, sirens loudly sounded close behind them. Four boats chased after the two teenagers, surrounding them immediately which didn't give them any other option besides going straight into the storm if they planned to escape.

"We've gotta go south!" John B shouted over the whirling sirens in the background, scared out of his mind since there was no guarantee that they'd be able to survive the tropical-depression lying straight ahead. "There's no other choice!"

"Into the storm? That's suicide, John B!" She swallowed the thick lump that had formed in her throat as the rain began to fall from the sky, thunder clapping in the background with lightening rays illuminating the Atlantic Ocean.

"I will turn this boat around right now if you ask me to, Jaylene! I am not risking your life to save my own ass!" John B looked towards the terrified girl, deeply concerned and scared of the outcome of this. "Do you want me to go back? Because I will!"

"No! Of course not!" She shook her head, brushing the wet hair from her face as she gripped onto his upper arm, trying to maintain her balance as the boat was viciously swayed back and forth with the violent waves. "I'm just crossing my fingers right now and praying that you're my soulmate! Cause if I die, I'd like to die knowing that I found the person I was destined to be with!"

He wrapped his arms around her, their wet clothing clinging onto one another as he placed a kiss on her temple.

Jaylene felt like she might just start sobbing as she took in the horrifying view ahead of them. They were in an open boat heading straight towards a storm. If a massive ship couldn't survive something like this, there was no way in hell that they were making it out of this alive.  This wasn't even the worse part of the storm that they'd encounter and they were already drenched in water. Not to mention that the boat could barely even hold up at this point.

"John B? Jaylene? Are you there?" A familiar voice came from the radio. It was difficult to hear, but Jaylene recognized it after a couple seconds.

Henderson Rosewood's voice sounded staticky as he spoke.

"I don't know if you can hear me, John B, but if you care even the slightest bit about my daughter, you'll turn the boat around and bring her home. Your father was a good man and I believe that you obtain the same amount of compassion that he did. Please, bring my daughter home. I can't lose her. Not again."

Jaylene fought back her tears, not because of the small heart-felt speech her father had given, but because she had left home again without saying goodbye to her brother.

So she picked up the radio, pressing down on the small button as she spoke. "I'm sorry, dad. I'm sorry, but I need to get the hell out of here." She could feel the hot tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "I lived in the same home as the woman who tried to kill my mother, and if we're being honest, she probably tried to kill me too. And the man who you call your friend, Ward Cameron, was supposed to be arrested for the attempted murder of Marleen Harrington, but sheriff Peterkin was shot to death just as it was about to happen. So do whatever the hell you want with that information, but I can't be somewhere that doesn't feel like home anymore. I'm sorry."

When those words left her mouth, silence immediately filled the air. She didn't know what was going on back on the mainland, but it couldn't have been anything good.

After a few seconds, a new voice spoke through the radio. Ward Cameron himself.

He sounded like he was in pain as he spoke, so Jaylene assumed that a punch definitely had to have been thrown by her father after the truth had been unveiled.

"John B, I know you are there, son. Turn that boat around and bring her home. That is someone's daughter that you are placing into great danger. This storm....you will not survive it if you go into it. We can sort this out, alright? I will make this right. I promise."

Jaylene wrapped her arm around his bicep, using her other hand to interlock their fingers as she scanned the broken expression plastered on John B's face at the sound of Ward Cameron's voice coming from the radio. She could tell that he was on the verge of crying as well as he picked up the radio that she'd just placed down.

"You killed my father, and you framed me for a murder I didn't commit!" His voice broke as brought the small radio closer to his lips. "You took everything from me! But I'm still here. And I swear to god, Ward! I will come back one day and take what's mine. So, you listen to me, alright? I'm coming for you. I'm coming for you."

Allowing those to be his last words to Ward on the small radio, John B threw the small device to the side.

"I shouldn't have dragged you into this." He looked down at Jaylene, wiping the water and tears from her face as more water got thrown onto the boat.

She forced a smile onto her trembling lips, trying to remain positive despite the fact that this right here, it just might be how her life ends. She thought she could be okay with it ending like this, but she simply couldn't. She was terrified that this would be the last time her eyes would be open.

"Grab onto something." Was the last thing Jaylene heard before she looked up, catching sight of a large wave coming straight at them.

And so she wasted no time, taking in a deep breath, preparing her airway as her body tried its hardest to prevent itself from going into a state of shock. And within seconds, she was no longer above the surface. Instead, her body submerged under water as the boat tipped over, the pressure holding her down as a wave of panic engulfed her. One minute she could breath, and the next,