Prologue
"You're insane, like certifiable little-round-room coo-coo for the cocoa puffs crazy." Destiny's voice carried down the dock in response to my new boat. "Can you even steer that thing?"
"Duh," I answered giving my younger sister a side look, "I wouldn't have bought it if I couldn't."
"Seriously, I mean what're you going to do live on it?" Nikki chimed in and felt their incredulous and increasing fear over what I was about to embark on.
"As a matter of fact, that's kind of my plan." I answered, climbing aboard in order to help them over the side and onto the deck with me.
"Certifiable, but brilliant." Nikki's assertion of her twin's assessment of my well-being confirmed her agreement, "Raina, what did this cost you?!"
"It was a couple of months out of Council allotment for expenses converted to American dollars," I shrugged slightly in response to her stunned expression, "Living with you two and your families for the last few years let me save up and this is my present to me. To you I give the gift of true freedom to explore who you are." I answered looking around the respectably sized cabin with a sense of pleasure I hadn't felt in a long time.
"You're like dead serious about this, living on the boat thing." Nikki's astonishment was clear, as was her evident and increasing concern.
"As serious as I have ever been." I agreed as they began exploring my boat. Deep down I knew the gamble, no matter what planet you were on the ocean was not the most predictable and as dangerous as a witch with her cycle.
Destiny whistled lowly, "Wow talk about a home away from home. So did you at least manage to figure out how you're going to eat? To keep in touch?"
"I have my phone," I pointed out reasonably, "the radio, and my laptop. The boat has the juice to support itself even in rainy seasons."
Nikki shook her head, a smile on her lips, "I just hope you don't decide to play Noah's ark and sail on this thing across the ocean, Sis."
"Is there something wrong with wanting to see the world the way humans did centuries ago, even if on a smaller scale?"
Destiny smiled at me, "The only thing wrong with doing that is that if you get out of range with any of your equipment."
"Well I'm not planning on going anywhere hazardous during their storm seasons and since I don't like freezing my ass off I am not going way north or way south."
The twins nodded in unison but Nikki answered as we headed topside to take in the breeze, "Well At least, if nothing else, you will not feel so cramped up anymore."
"That was the idea," I agreed watching them carefully, I could feel their trepidation, their fear, and both were understandable. As their sister and surrogate parent they felt as fretful as I did about leaving them even for a short set of trips. However, if I did not push them to, they would never let go and I would continue to feel growing resentment, "It's not forever and I will keep up with everyone."
"Yeah, that's what Mom said too."
I heard the hurt in Nikki's voice and reached over to flick her golden ponytail. "Nothing is forever, little sister it is making the most of the time you have that matters."