Kay, guys, here's the deal. Aside from the detour to Bodega Bay, the rest
of the story is going to generally follow the route I took on my road trip.
Sorry this chapter was so long in the making.
************************************
Gally's diary August 22
Well, we've officially left the San Francisco area. Now we're moving down through farm country towards Arizona. We just passed this HUGE pasture filled with cows. It made my mouth water, but it made everyone else a bit nauseous. I guess you just can't please everyone.
Now that my little surprise has been sprung, the planned part of the road trip is taking over. First we're heading down to Prescott Valley in Arizona, and then the next day we're gonna go see the Montezuma cliff dwellings. So today is mostly just driving. Even with the enhanced engine in this RV, it should still be about a twelve hour drive.
Somehow Zim, Dib, and Phoenix got to playing all of those little travel games for money this morning. I'm not sure what exactly their betting system is, but it seems that Zim is a Grand Master Supreme at Travel Rummykub. I guess he's got a good mind for math or something. I think Dib owes him about eight dollars now, and Phoenix owes maybe twenty. She's not the best for gambling. I think the game is not quite interesting enough for her to devote her full attention to it. Dib's been edgy all morning too, and keeps throwing weird looks around, as if someone was going to attack him from behind. Maybe I'll ask about it later.
Zim's log 08.22.02
What a desirable change of landscape from that horrible ocean. Dirt, as far as the eye can see. And I can see plenty far. Just desert now, and sage and yucca. Phoenix taught me the names of the plants after the third time I called them stinkweed shrubs.
Mwaha! I, Zim, am the Lord Of Human Rummykub! AND cribbage, AND one-handed solitaire. The Dib owes me many monies, on account of us playing these games for currency. Phoenix owes many more than Dib, even, so I shall emerge from this trip a millionaire among peasants.
I do not like the way Dib has been acting. Far too humble, frankly, and not nearly enough rot about 'I'll get you yet' and 'just wait till you're on the autopsy table.' In fact, he has paid very little attention to me at all since we left the ocean. Which is desirable in itself, but it makes me strongly suspicious that he's got something else up his skinny little sleeve. More on this thought later.
Phoenix-chan's Book of Souls 22nd
Something's bothering me. Usually I can figure it all out before it gets this demanding, but I'm so disoriented I've lost over twenty dollars to Zim playing those cheap little travel games. Something's wrong in this RV, something is tormenting someone's mind. I just can't figure out who's mind it is, or what they're fretting about. If I were to ask, and I have, I'd get the same answers all around. Fine.
On the other hand, the flying is just great out here. Thermals so powerful rise off the pavement, and I can just soar for the longest time without flapping for altitude. Hot winds sweep off the baked sand, so once I'm airborne I can go straight up into the sky, out of sight to whoever might care. After I lost my twenty third dollar to Zim, I left the RV and just flew along over it for about an hour.
We've managed to rig up a chair on top of the RV, so that one of our non- flying party can sit up there and pretend they ARE flying. Dib came up on top soon after I went flying, and he's actually still up there now. Maybe the wind blew him off. Ha. I laugh.
Dear Die-ary:
I think I should stop calling you die-ary. Not much has died since that hobo on day one, and not much before that anyway.
Gally has been driving for the past couple of hours, except when she took an hour or so off to eat and write in her journal. I told her to let me take over some of the driving, but she just snorted and said Of course not, you look like the living dead. Go take a nap. So here I am, sulking in my cabin, and ignoring her orders. Other than that, all goes well. I picked up this tabloid in a gas station just outside of Barstow, and I actually found a picture taken by Dib. Haven't shown him yet though. It's not a bad shot of a Faerie, but if he gets any praise I think it might swell up his head even more than normal. 'Sides, he's on top of the RV.
Dib's Journal August 22
I don't THINK anything is wrong, but it seems like there's a missing key to this trip so far. I mean, those pictures are as good as gone. No one's going to find them now; water damage alone would have ruined the film, and I highly doubt any one could have possibly found them. The water around Bodega Head is pretty rough; you'd have to be supernatural to get them back.
Still, I feel uneasy. And to top it off, I owe that damned Zim eight dollars.
************************************
Gally's diary August 22
Well, we've officially left the San Francisco area. Now we're moving down through farm country towards Arizona. We just passed this HUGE pasture filled with cows. It made my mouth water, but it made everyone else a bit nauseous. I guess you just can't please everyone.
Now that my little surprise has been sprung, the planned part of the road trip is taking over. First we're heading down to Prescott Valley in Arizona, and then the next day we're gonna go see the Montezuma cliff dwellings. So today is mostly just driving. Even with the enhanced engine in this RV, it should still be about a twelve hour drive.
Somehow Zim, Dib, and Phoenix got to playing all of those little travel games for money this morning. I'm not sure what exactly their betting system is, but it seems that Zim is a Grand Master Supreme at Travel Rummykub. I guess he's got a good mind for math or something. I think Dib owes him about eight dollars now, and Phoenix owes maybe twenty. She's not the best for gambling. I think the game is not quite interesting enough for her to devote her full attention to it. Dib's been edgy all morning too, and keeps throwing weird looks around, as if someone was going to attack him from behind. Maybe I'll ask about it later.
Zim's log 08.22.02
What a desirable change of landscape from that horrible ocean. Dirt, as far as the eye can see. And I can see plenty far. Just desert now, and sage and yucca. Phoenix taught me the names of the plants after the third time I called them stinkweed shrubs.
Mwaha! I, Zim, am the Lord Of Human Rummykub! AND cribbage, AND one-handed solitaire. The Dib owes me many monies, on account of us playing these games for currency. Phoenix owes many more than Dib, even, so I shall emerge from this trip a millionaire among peasants.
I do not like the way Dib has been acting. Far too humble, frankly, and not nearly enough rot about 'I'll get you yet' and 'just wait till you're on the autopsy table.' In fact, he has paid very little attention to me at all since we left the ocean. Which is desirable in itself, but it makes me strongly suspicious that he's got something else up his skinny little sleeve. More on this thought later.
Phoenix-chan's Book of Souls 22nd
Something's bothering me. Usually I can figure it all out before it gets this demanding, but I'm so disoriented I've lost over twenty dollars to Zim playing those cheap little travel games. Something's wrong in this RV, something is tormenting someone's mind. I just can't figure out who's mind it is, or what they're fretting about. If I were to ask, and I have, I'd get the same answers all around. Fine.
On the other hand, the flying is just great out here. Thermals so powerful rise off the pavement, and I can just soar for the longest time without flapping for altitude. Hot winds sweep off the baked sand, so once I'm airborne I can go straight up into the sky, out of sight to whoever might care. After I lost my twenty third dollar to Zim, I left the RV and just flew along over it for about an hour.
We've managed to rig up a chair on top of the RV, so that one of our non- flying party can sit up there and pretend they ARE flying. Dib came up on top soon after I went flying, and he's actually still up there now. Maybe the wind blew him off. Ha. I laugh.
Dear Die-ary:
I think I should stop calling you die-ary. Not much has died since that hobo on day one, and not much before that anyway.
Gally has been driving for the past couple of hours, except when she took an hour or so off to eat and write in her journal. I told her to let me take over some of the driving, but she just snorted and said Of course not, you look like the living dead. Go take a nap. So here I am, sulking in my cabin, and ignoring her orders. Other than that, all goes well. I picked up this tabloid in a gas station just outside of Barstow, and I actually found a picture taken by Dib. Haven't shown him yet though. It's not a bad shot of a Faerie, but if he gets any praise I think it might swell up his head even more than normal. 'Sides, he's on top of the RV.
Dib's Journal August 22
I don't THINK anything is wrong, but it seems like there's a missing key to this trip so far. I mean, those pictures are as good as gone. No one's going to find them now; water damage alone would have ruined the film, and I highly doubt any one could have possibly found them. The water around Bodega Head is pretty rough; you'd have to be supernatural to get them back.
Still, I feel uneasy. And to top it off, I owe that damned Zim eight dollars.
