I was driving up the coastline of California with my two wolf dogs, Sirius and Regulus when I saw the sign, "Santa Cruz 15". Only fifteen more miles before I could stop for the night. My wolves and I were ready to stretch our legs. Being stuck in a Chevy Blazer packed with what was left of my old life and two wolves with no ac in the summer can agitate oneself.

My name is Jenn. I'm 5'1", 120, big, Honey brown eyes, heart-shaped face, clear complexion, curves in all the right places (34DDD, bubble butt) with long, brunette hair with a hidden rainbow dyed on the underside, and I'm covered in tattoos. My tattoos were mostly spontaneous but thought out at the same time. Anubis stood tall on my left thigh, Horus on my right thigh, both in great detail. Who am I kidding? All my tattoos were done in great detail. The Cheshire Cat from Alice Madness Returns with the quote, "If you're not on edge, you're taking up too much space." The symbol for the 'Troubled' on my right calf from one of my favorite tv shows that is no longer running, "Haven." Left arm has a portrait of the Grim Reaper holding an hourglass going from my shoulder to my elbow. A female Viking warrior on my right arm, starting from my shoulder to my forearm. The rest of my right forearm is blacked out, and on my right hand is the bottom half of a skull with elongated canines looking like vampire fangs. That tattoo pays homage to my favorite movie, The Lost Boys. A pair of folded, damaged wings covered my back. My newest tattoo spanned the left side of my torso. It was a quote that meant a lot to me. "A Hero would sacrifice you to save the world. A Villain would burn the world for you." This new tattoo in blood-red ink had finally stopped itching and peeling.

I had got out of the military and wanted to start a new life. My military career came to an abrupt halt when I was deemed mentally unstable after half my unit was killed in action. My unit was ambushed during a foot patrol in Afghanistan. Several of the men from my unit were gunned down before the dust cleared. Once the survivors returned to base and were treated for injuries we were evaluated by a mental health specialist. Myself and two others were honorably discharged for mental health reasons. Afterwards, I went back to school for my degree in Computer Sciences then Information Technology or IT specializing in cyber security. I had received a job offer before I even finished my studies.

So, here I am. Driving from San Diego to Seattle. I had a job offer in the IT field at a tech company. The position was for internet security, as well as teaching new employees how to protect their devices. My Blazer was packed with my clothes, my favorite blankets, a desktop computer with two 26" monitors, my server cabinet, two laptops, and my iPad, gaming systems, and my 60" flat screen tv, as well as my iPhone 12. I also have my vapes with plenty of juices, and a wax pen with enough cannabis to last me three months. I don't smoke often, but it helps me sleep or calm down when I'm on the verge of a panic attack. Sirius and Regulus had their stuff too. Their overpriced stuffed beds, treats, food dishes, toys, spare collars, and leashes, and their training harnesses for pulling.

'Santa Cruz 5mi'

I give Sirius side-eye as he lets out another cloud of green gas, "Ew, Sirius! That's gross. We're almost there, then you can go." He whines a little before trying to get comfortable again. As I look ahead on this seemingly deserted highway, I watch as a fog rolls in making it difficult for me to see. The lights on my dashboard flicker, and my music somehow skips even though it was through an aux cord. Outside my rolled-down window was eerily quiet. I slow down being cautious about what may be inside this fog when it suddenly lets up. "That was weird. What do you think?" I asked my wolves. They both nod their heads in agreement. I bring my eyes back to the road as the town's welcome sign comes into view, 'WELCOME TO….

SANTA CARLA'

I don't know how to react. Is this some kind of joke? Is Santa Cruz celebrating the location of one of the best vampire movies ever made? I close my eyes for a second thinking that they are playing tricks on me, but I open my eyes and the sign doesn't change. As I pass it, I glance in my rearview mirror to read the back hoping it just has your standard graffiti. Nope. Right there in big, red letters with a black outline. 'Murder Capital of the World!'

"Shit!" I am slack-jawed. The only sound is the music playing from my iPhone connected to my radio with an aux cord. The current song made me want to laugh at the whole situation. 'Haunted Highway' by Jessta James.

"This ol' highway

Aww, she's haunted

and she's paved with

shattered dreams

You pay a high price

for fame and fortune

but once you make it, baby

you can never leave"

"This is definitely not Santa Cruz," I say more to myself. I pull over into a gas station to fill up the tank and let my wolves out. I've had Sirius and Regulus since they were pups. A good friend of mine ran a sanctuary for wolves and wolf-dog hybrids. My pups were the survivors of an accidental litter between a wolf female and a wolf-dog male. His wolf percentage was only 45 percent, but the female was all wolf. She had rejected the litter the moment they were born. My friend had to go into her den and grab the remaining pups. Of those four pups, only Sirius and Regulus made it.

They are still pups, being only four years old. Their fur is black as night and soft to the touch, and both have hypnotic blue eyes. When standing on all fours, their shoulders come up to my hips. When they stand on their hind legs, they could rest their front paws on my shoulders. I have trained them to answer simple yes or no questions. It makes their basic needs easier to tend to. Regulus is my rule follower, while Sirius listens when he has to. It's a work in progress, but we'll get there. Both having black fur and being wolves is how I came up with their names, representing the Black brothers from Harry Potter. And, ironically, their personalities are not that different from their counterparts.

I clip their leashes on before getting out. They had their leashes in their mouths waiting for me to open the passenger door. "Alright, you two. Behave," I look around for somewhere to walk them real quick. It was dark, the gas station looked shady but they needed to go and I needed gas. I see a row of bushes near some dumpsters. I led them over to the bushes but as I got closer I could see some homeless kids. I get an idea, "Hey, kid?" Two kids get up, come out from behind the bushes and look at me. "What lady?" The older-looking one asked rudely. Probably thinking I'm going to yell at them for camping near the gas station. I brush his tone off my shoulders, "How would you like to make some money?" They looked at each other then back at me, "We're not into that kind of thing." I snort, "No, nothing like that. I was going to pay you twenty bucks to walk my pups while I pump my gas."

The younger girl perked up, "Sure. What are their names?" "This is Regulus," Handing her Regulus' leash. "And this is Sirius." The boy took the leash. I pulled the cash out of my pocket, thankful that whatever brought me to Santa Carla had changed my cash to what it was that year and not 2021. I hand it over to the girl, "I'll be by my Blazer. Thank you for this." The boy is surprised I am trusting them, "You're not worried we'll take off with them?" I shake my head, "No. They would just run back to me. Plus they're very picky about what they eat, it can get quite expensive." The kids nod their heads in understanding and walk a little way into the bushes.

Entering the gas station, I scan the place, always on alert. Can take the girl out of the military but can't take the military out of the girl. There was no one inside except for the clerk. The clerk looked so bored, she was popping her gum while reading People magazine. I approach the counter, "Excuse me?" She looks up at me, "Can I help you?" Clearly, she is annoyed I disturbed her reading. "Yes, $20 on pump four, please." I handed her the money. She rolls her eyes as she enters it into the register and starts up the pump. I thank her as I walk out. The kids are waiting by my Blazer with my wolves. I pump my gas, surprised that 20 bucks practically filled the tank. I forget that everything is expensive in my time/future, whatever.

Opening my door, my wolves jump inside, feeling much better. I turn to the kids, "Are you guys going to be alright?" They shrug their shoulders. The boy answered, "We'll be okay. Been on the streets for a while now." I put my hands into my back pockets, "Okay. If I don't see you again, good luck. It's always darkest before dawn." We parted ways. I got into my Blazer and drove a little further down the road, and I spot it. The bright lights, the rides, the food stands in all their greasy glory… The Boardwalk.