On my way out of town I stopped to fill up and buy snacks at the Dollar General next to the gas station. I was going to need as much caffeine as I could get to make it to California.
Then I was off, the golden plains of Nebraska a blur in my rearview mirror as I left the state behind and turned in a Westward direction.
“California, here I come,” I whispered to myself, all of the fear and anxiety evaporating from my body with each mile that I drove away from Mike.
Three
“Oh, Peep, don’t do this to mama,” I told my car as I added water to the engine in hopes it would cool it off enough to take me the last four hour stretch to San Francisco.
My crooning was all in vain, though, as the car didn’t even turn over when I tried it the next time. I was completely stranded in the beach parking lot that I’d pulled it into.
It had taken me four days to drive from Omaha instead of two. The printed directions that Wendy had given me weren’t the easiest to follow, making me miss my maps app on my smartphone.
After getting lost and having to call Wendy twice, I finally made it through Utah to a little town called Port Haven. It was on the northern coast of California. The goal had been to stay the night here and take the coast all the way down to San Francisco tomorrow.
But as soon as I passed the sign that said‘Port Haven - Where harmony lives,’poor Peep started to sputter and jerk. I just barely managed to get the car into this parking lot before Peep finally gave up the ghost.
The sound of waves crashing against the rocky shore met my ears as I puzzled over what to do about my car.
Gas had been stupidly expensive and had only gotten worse the closer I got to the coast. I started my journey with a little over two thousand dollars and now I only had a hundred.
Not enough to even get a hotel room, let alone pay a mechanic to fix Peep.
I was half-tempted to see if there was a bus station that could take me the rest of the way to San Francisco, but I’d quickly grown attached to the old bug.
With a sigh I shut the hood and leaned against it, staring at my surroundings.
The meaning behind the town motto became abundantly clear as soon as I pulled onto the main street. Restaurants and other fancy shops lined the road, looking like the epitome of an expensive beach town and more supernatural creatures than I’d ever seen in one place roamed the streets, shopping with families or by themselves.
In front of me, lying in the sand, was a little beast kin, a humanoid creature that took the features of an animal. The child looked like a tiny tiger cub as he poured a castle of sand over his head before crying because he got sand in his eyes.
A tiger woman and wolf man immediately scooped the child up and comforted him with soft words and purrs.
On the sidewalk in front of me was a giant man with a thick jaw, a troll I realized as he stomped by.
It was like all of the supernatural compendium books I’d read in high school were coming to life before my very eyes.
As I people-watched, I felt a little bit of apprehension. It was hard to pick out humans amongst the masses of monsters, and being so out of my element after the last week of my life was making me feel anxious.
But then my eyes found a human man with a woman who was quite literally glowing with happiness as they walked past me hand in hand.
He seemed completely at ease with the town, his eyes on the woman’s adoring face as he told her something about work.
From her back hung a pair of dainty gossamer wings that reflected in the light.
Fae, my brain provided.
The United States had added a fourth branch of government after the Accords, a supernatural branch. They were called The Council and the fae race made up most of its one-hundred members.
Supernatural creatures could run for the other branches, but the last time I checked they still remained persistently human. We’d never even had a supernatural for president, something that was a topic for debate during every election cycle.
Mike had always raged during those times, his anger over supernaturals being given an equal voice making him surly and hard to live with.
As if feeling my eyes, the woman turned to look at me from over her shoulder.
‘Nice hair,’an unfamiliar voice echoed in my mind, making me jerk away from the hood of the car.
Tinkling laughter floated from the woman as I pressed a hand to my head. Fae were notoriously pushy with their abilities, and it seemed like the passing fae had been able to pick up on my thoughts as she passed by.
