Witch of the Wild Woods

Chapter 2 - Company in my Back

Their two-day journey began before the sun peered up over the Santiago Mountain Range. At five in the morning, Lane and Luna left their apartment nestled beside UCI Campus and headed north toward Washington. The first leg of their journey would end up taking just under thirteen hours with a break in downtown San Jose. They enjoyed a light lunch at a little Poke Bowl place Luna wouldn't shut up about. It was absolutely worth it. Mostly a straight shot up Highway Five from then on. Or, it should have been. In addition to swinging through San Jose, they planned their first night's rest at a beachside campground near Red Wood National Park. For those hours in between, their 2011 Jeep Compass Limited that Luna coveted since high school ran smoothly across the long stretches of open farmland that blanketed Central and Northern California.

Lane wasn't a car guy. He knew how to drive. He knew how to fly. And with exception of one crashed boat, he could pilot a handful of seafaring vessels competently. Luna loved cars. Their middle sister, Katarina, was a gear head and responsible for most of the maintenance and upgrades on the Compass. But, Luna? That girl was a completely different animal behind the wheel of a car. There was something about the rush from the driver's seat, gripping the wheel, foot anchored on the accelerator that gave Luna a spiritual experience.

Suffice to say no amount of sex satisfied Luna compared to the thrill of driving. (With the noted exception of having sex while driving.)

"We could save two hours if we kept going into Oregon. Are you sure you won't change your mind?" Lane asked for the last time as their exit came into view.

Lane was the navigator.

Luna was the pilot.

That was their typical rhythm. However, this mission to capture a missing piece of their childhood, or whatever, was Luna's conception. Lane had agreed to make an attempt at being flexible. This wasn't a real mission. This was a vacation: the journey was supposedly greater than the destination. Even so, Lane found it difficult to push past his tendency to enjoy an efficient journey on their vacation.

"Two hours out of our way is more than worth the price of camping at this spot, I guarantee it," Luna said emphatically tapping her bare feet on the dashboard. An open copy of 'Things Fall Apart' reseted face down on her chest. She'd surprisingly kept her clothes on for the whole journey too pairing light blue denim cutoffs with a loose kiwi spaghetti strap top.

A few hours later and the burnt umber Jeep Compass pulled onto the beachhead of Redwood State Park. Looking over the pure blue waters of the West Coast, the afternoon sun irradiated their surroundings in a beautiful golden glow. Salt air, fresh pine, and gentle waves lapping up the shore were enough to erase anyone's deepest anxiety. Pulling into their reserved spot, Lane opened the door and stepped out onto the sand with a satisfied smile. He breathed in a lung full of ocean air and sighed, "Ursa Minor, you were a hundred percent correct. I promise not to question you for another twenty-four hours."

"That's a dangerous promise," Luna admitted with a grin.

---

They had their fill of barbecue. The fire pit had been snuffed out safely and the sun had set over Golden Bluff. With the last light fading into the ocean, the twins had pitched their six person tent with time to spare. It was the same tent the six of them had grown up with. Before their parents disappeared, before Katrina went into the air-force, before Robyn went to New York University, they camped as a family. An odd family, but one that met every adventure and danger head on. Sure, like the tent, their family could be cumbersome and difficult to handle. But, whatever insurmountable obstacle veered into their path, they always overcame the challenge, great or small.

For years, they'd been a team of six unique warriors.

Now, only The Twins remained.

"Your move," Luna spoke calmly without giving herself away.