𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.

forty one.

   "You're telling me, Denmark Tanny decided to hide the cross in here?" JJ looks around the old rotting church in disbelief.

   I slap his arm, "it didn't always used to look like this."

   Kie nods, "everybody spread out."

   John B begins talking to himself, "If I was a cross and I was hidden in an old church, where would I hide?"

   I take a seat on one of the pillars, slouching. I'm officially done helping for the day, sorry Pope. There may be no gators here but who knows what could go wrong.

   "Are you sure that Denmark hid the cross here, Pope? Like are we at the right church?"

   "It's gotta be here somewhere guys."

   "What if we have to push a secret button," JJ speculates, "or like play a certain chord, and then all the sudden the ground beneath us reveals like the catacombs or something on which we stand."

   "How about we try to find obvious clues."

   "It's not an escape room."

   "I can't see where they would hide a giant cross in here."

   "There's- There's no way! He would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead us to a church that has nothing in it!" Pope paces.

   "Yes, okay, I get it," John B shrugs, "I don't know what to tell you man."

   "The clues led us here, the cross is in this church," Pope plops down on the seat beside me. I set a hand on his back as I sigh. This day has been one big disappointment.

   "Pope it'll be alright. We've had set backs in the past, we're gonna find it."

   "He's right."

   "Look we've just gotta think about this logically."

   I watch as Pope extends the spyglass, pointing it up and towards the ceiling. His eyes widen as he lowers the spyglass.

   I follow his line of the sight up to the structure bars. Which also happens to be in the shape of a cross.

   "Oh my god."

   Pope walks over to the wall, sticking his foot into one of the wedges between the rotting wood. Okay this a very very bad idea.

   "Pope."

   "Hey Pope!"

   John B shakes his head, "now Pope's climbing the wall."

   I stand, "Pope this wood is rotten this is really not smart."

   "Hey! Pope!"

   "This church is like 200 years old!"

   "Pope let's be real, you're not the most coordinated person on earth."

   I smack JJ on the head, "that was uncalled for."

   He bangs on the beam, "alright, this ones solid wood, I'm gonna try the other beam."

   I watch nervously as he climbs over to another beam.

   "I hate to break it to you bro but that's wood!" JJ remarks, being unhelpful yet again.

   Pope shakes his head, "it's here."

   He continues to climb.

   "Just watch out for that giant wasps nest above your head!"

   "Just move slow!"

   "Nice and easy alright."

   Pope goes to place his foot, the wood chipping away and falling. JJ swiftly dodges it, looking up at Pope in annoyance, "really man?"