The Hex Series Part Five.
Los Angeles international airport also known as LAX was MASSIVE. Quinn was in awe, this had to be the biggest airport Quinn had ever seen.
"Do you have everything? Your mp3? Your boarding pass? Passport?" Thorn asked him as she rummaged through her purse looking for her passport. Quinn gave her the affirmative, he padded his jeans pocket checking to make sure that it all was still there. Thorn swiped her debit card for the checked luggage and received a luggage claim.
"Isn't this exciting?" Luna babbled. Her orange hair absolutely shone in the florescent lights
"If you say so." Dusk said shrugging her shoulders. After putting their luggage on the correct plane, the quartet headed for airport security.
"Id's and passports please." The tsa agent said, his tone gruff and serious when Thorn approached. Thorn handed over the required documentation, the agent looked over the passport and handed it back, he handed it back to Thorn and she went through the full body scanner with no issues.
"Next!" the agent called.
"Where you headed?" the agent asked Dusk.
"Sydney, Australia." She replied.
Dusk went through and she beeped immediately. A tsa agent told her to go back through and she beeped again, an agent waned her and it beeped at her midriff, "whoops, I totally forgot about my piercing." Dusk said.
"Take it out, and step through again." The tsa agent told her.
Dusk did as she was told and she went through with no further problems.
"Next!" the agent called.
Luna squeezed Quinn's shoulder before she approached. Luna approached and handed over her papers. The agent merely glanced at her papers before she was allowed through.
"Next" Quinn handed his paper work to the agent. He looked Quinn up and down and scrutinized his papers, before he pointed with his thumb and allowed him through, the full body scanner allowed him to pass with no issues.
"Here, it'll be a long flight." Luna said as she handed Quinn a book. It said history of punk rock.
"Thank you!" Quinn said as he hugged her.
Since they were first class passengers they were allowed to board first, Quinn and Dusk got to sit next to each other, Thorn and Luna got to sit across from them. Quinn sat down and it had to be the most comfortable seat, Quinn had the pleasure of sitting on.
When they had gotten situated, and the plane had gotten full the stewardess went over the safety instructions, how the seats could be used as a floatation device. And how oxygen masks in the event of an emergency would pop down from the ceiling. After the plane took off and reached a cruising altitude a stewardess went around with a drink and food cart.
"Champagne? Water or Coke." The stewardess asked the quartet.
"Water." Luna answered.
"Water, as well." Thorn replied.
"Can I have both?" Dusk asked.
"Sure." The stewardess replied and handed her both a coke and a water.
"And for you sir?" the stewardess asked Quinn.
"Coke." Quinn replied.
The stewardess handed over his Coke and moved on to other passengers.
"Ma'am?" Luna asked as she raised her hand. "When will dinner be served?"
"Around eight." The stewardess replied.
Luna and Thorn pulled out a book and Dusk put her earbuds in. Quinn could hear the beginning lyrics of the Cure's Burn.
After eating the inflight meal. And having the cabin lights dimmed and blankets provided Dusk and Thorn fell asleep, their chests slowly rising and falling but not Quinn. Luna scribbled furiously in a notebook, working on a new song.
"Aren't, you going to sleep? We have a long journey ahead of us" Luna asked Quinn.
"No, I don't want to sleep." Quinn replied.
Luna stopped what she was doing and looked at Quinn. "Why?"
"Lately, I've been having nightmares about The Phantom." Quinn replied his voice low so as not to disturb the others.
"You want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps." Luna asked him
"It starts out the same, The Phantom gets caught and he breaks out of jail and murders you guys in front of me." Quinn replied.
"Have you told Thorn this?" Luna said.
"No." Quinn replied. "Sometimes she's hard to talk to. So focused, tunnel vision. Ya'know?"
"If Thorn's not available, you can always talk to me or Dusk." Luna offered.
"Really?" Quinn asked.
Luna nodded. "I think I can help you sleep too."
"How?" Quinn asked, skepticism in his voice.
"I can put a sleep spell on you." Luna said.
"You can?" Quinn asked. "I thought Thorn was the only one with powers."
"I'm a Hex Girl, I can do some strange things as well." Luna replied.
Luna spoke softly "somnus."
"Mix it up here in my little bowl, say a few words and you'll lose control." Luna sang softly.
Quinn's eyes began to get heavy.
"You'll feel the fog as I cloud your mind." Luna continued.
Before Luna knew it, Quinn was sound asleep and laying against Dusk's shoulder. Luna smiled at the sight before her, pulling her blanket up and reclining the seat back, she fell asleep as soon as she shut her eyes.
"Little brother, wake up!" Dusk said as she shook Quinn awake.
"Huh?" Quinn said his voice still groggy.
Luna smiled. "We thought you might want some breakfast before Thorn shoves all of it down her throat."
"As if." Thorn said, mid-bite.
The airline provided a breakfast of jam and rolls with coffee and orange juice. Quinn grabbed a roll before Thorn could eat another one and a cup of orange juice. The little monitor hanging from the ceiling told them they would be arriving in Sydney in about an hour.
The airplane started its descent and the seat belt sign turned on, and before they knew it they were on the ground being taxied to the runway.
When they landed the quartet grabbed what little they had and departed the airplane. If Quinn had thought the airport at lax was huge the one in Sydney was even bigger.
The quartet once they were off the airplane, stood in line to pass customs.
"Id's and passports please." The agent behind the desk said.
Thorn went up first, putting her purse on the desk and taking out her id and passport. "Do you have anything I should know about on your person or luggage?" the agent asked.
"No." Thorn replied.
"How long do you plan on staying in Australia?"
"A couple of weeks." Thorn answered.
"Okay, welcome to Australia." The agent replied.
"Next!" the agent called.
Dusk went up to the counter next. "Id and passport." The agent said.
Dusk, pulled out the required documentation for the agent.
"Why are you here in Australia?" the agent asked.
"We're opening up for a music festival out at Vampire Rock." Dusk replied.
"Neat. Do you have drugs or weapons?" the agent asked Dusk.
"No." Dusk replied.
"Okay, welcome to Australia." The agent said.
"Next!" the agent said. Luna went next.
"Passport." The agent said.
Luna took out her papers and handed them to the agent. "OK, wait. Don't I know you?" the agent asked her.
Luna shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Yeah, you're Luna from the Hex Girls! Omg I can't believe this is happening."
"Yeah, I am." Luna said confirming it.
"Well, welcome to Australia." The agent said stamping her passport.
"Next." The agent said. Quinn, gave the agent his passport.
"Do, you have any contraband or other illicit materials?" the agent asked.
"I'm a kid, where am I supposed to get those?" Quinn asked.
"It's a yes or no question." The agent said tone serious.
"No." Quinn said.
"Welcome to Australia." The agent said stamping his passport.
"Thorn, when we getting something to eat?" Quinn asked.
Thorn crossed her arms. "Well, when we meet the promoter and head to Vampire Rock and after that we'll probably get something to eat."
"Who is it anyway?" Luna asked.
Dusk, pulled out her phone. "His name is Russel Davis."
"Look, guys!" Quinn said pointing out a blonde haired man. He held up a sign that said Hex Girls.
"Must be him." Thorn said as she went further and met the man.
"Hello, I'm Russel Davis." Russel said, as he held out his hand in greeting.
"I'm Thorn." Thorn said as she shook his hand.
"Dusk." As she shook his hand as well. Luna waved in greeting.
Quinn shook his hand. "Why do you sound funny?"
"Quinn!" Thorn yelled at him. Quinn, shrugged his shoulders.
Russel laughed. "I sound funny to you because I speak the Queen's English. You Americans speak what we like to call slang English."
"How long will drive be to Vampire Rock?" Dusk asked Russel.
"A couple of hours." Answered Russel.
"Man." Quinn mumbled.
"Let's go girls." Thorn said, as she picked up her bag.
With the girls and Quinn in tow they followed Russel outside to a waiting van. Dusk got in the front seat, while Quinn Thorn and Luna piled in the back. Russel, started the van and pulled out onto the road and onto the highway.
"So, tell me about Oakhaven?" Russel asked.
"It's a small suburb of Salem." Dusk began.
"Not a whole lot goes on there, there's a big witch graveyard though." Luna said.
"A small town, mom and pop stores. Two mechanics. A K through 12th school." Thorn added.
"What about you little man? Got any friends?" Russel asked him.
"Yeah, you try having friends when your sisters are the famous Hex Girls. It was fine when they were a local band, but ever since they blew up the way did. The people there just wanted to meet them or wanted tickets." Luna squeezed his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." Thorn said.
"Its whatever." Quinn replied.
They rode the rest of the way in silence and about an hour and a half later they came across a mountain shaped into a vampire. The twin peaks shaped into ears, its mouth full of razor sharp teeth and black soulless eyes. Russel drove into an area marked employees parking only. The girls and Quinn got out the van.
"I know you, said you and your sisters were capable of roughing it when we spoke on the phone." Russel said talking to Thorn.
"So." Russel said trailing off when he reached a clearing. There was a green tent with musical notes on the side.
Quinn stopped cold. "Thorn you didn't say anything about sleeping in a tent? Why can't we sleep in the bus? At least it has A/C and a proper bed."
"You got this Dusk?" Thorn asked her as she went to check out the tent.
"Sure, were trying to limit our carbon footprint, little brother so from time to time we'll be doing this." Dusk explained.
"It'll be fine." Luna said as she made her way to the tent as well.
Time skip one week later.
"Thanks again for solving case of that smuggler ring." The captain said as he shook the hand of each member of mystery Inc.
"Our pleasure." Fred said as he shook his hand.
"Well, gang we finally made it to Australia." Fred said as the gang and he made it to the boardwalk.
"Well I'm certainly ready for our vacation to start!" Velma exclaimed.
"Like, there won't be any creeping creepers here will there?" Shaggy asked as he and Scooby made it to the mystery machine.
"Shouldn't be." Daphne answered as she took shotgun.
Fred started up the Mystery Machine as Shaggy Scooby and Velma got in the back. Once everyone was settled, they began their vacation.
After a fun day at the beach, where mystery Inc. had their fill of fun and burgers and sun the mystery gang returned to their hotel.
"Hey, gang look at this." Velma pointed out a poster.
"Vampire Rock music festival." Daphne read aloud.
"Sounds groovy." Fred said.
"Like it sounds scary." Shaggy said with a tremor in his voice.
"I think we should go." Velma said.
"Agreed." Fred said.
"What could possibly go wrong?" Daphne asked.
The next day.
"All set, gang?" Fred asked the gang.
"Like I guess." Shaggy answered from the back.
"Groovy." Fred said starting the Mystery Machine and heading onto the highway.
"Steel horse I ride, I'm wanted dead or alive." the radio sang as Fred switched between radio stations.
When the sun had gone down for the night and darkness reigned supreme the Mystery Machine reached Vampire Rock. Fred parked and they all got out onto the desert floor, there were rows and rows of black tents and restaurants. Since they arrived late at night everything was closed.
Guitar chords could be heard in the distance and the gang went to investigate, as the gang went closer they could see a giant stage in the middle of the desert floor and on that stage three familiar looking people. "Mix it up here in my little bowl, say a few words and you'll lose control-"the singer sang.
The concert lighting went wild with multiple colored lighting as the singer sang. The instruments went dead, as the gang was recognized.
Thorn went up to greet them, as she set her instrument down, the other girls followed suit when they saw who it was.
"What are you guys doing here?" Thorn asked them, as she shook their hands.
"We're on vacation." Fred answered.
"And we saw the poster and it looked groovy." Daphne said.
"So, we decided to check it out." Velma explained.
"Thorn?" Quinn called out "can you make me some more of that elderberry tea?"
Quinn had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, his skin looked clammy and he was coughing something fierce.
"Sure." Thorn answered. "Enjoy the festival." Thorn said over her shoulder as she hopped off the stage and walked towards Quinn.
The gang watched them go until they disappeared in the darkness and couldn't be seen anymore.
"What's up with him?" Daphne asked.
"Quinn caught whatever Dusk had last week." Luna explained.
Dusk, shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "Close quarters, are killer."
When they got back their tent, Thorn made him the tea as promised. "You need to rest Quinn." Thorn said as he drank her tea. Quinn did as he was told and laid down on the sleeping bag, Thorn pulled the covers up to his shoulders and his breathing calmed and he fell asleep.
To be continued.