" Dear Diary.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. I saw that today on a bumper sticker as we were travelling down the highway, MIchael and I. I love it because that is exactly the way that I feel when I am with Michael. He just makes everything seem so fresh and new, and wipes away all the horrible stuff with his smiles and hugs. He is not only my love, but my best friend, and I am so grateful for the chance for us to be together here now, away from memories that hurt me.

We have such a cool bus. It is all painted up with designs that Michael did himself, including a big eye up front. Michael says that's the all knowing. all seeing eye, that means that there are no secrets from one another. Just total honesty and trust between us.

This afternoon something very strange happened. We picked up four strangers that were bumming a ride. They said they had gas money, so we let them on, but I am really wondering about them.

There were three men and a woman, and they obviously excaped from some military place, because they were all dressed the same with uniforms in kind of a khaki green. There's a tall man who is the leader, it seems like, another man with a very strange sort of symbol on his forehead, a serious blond woman, and another man, younger, but with the most beautiful eyes and smile. They didn't give me their names, and when Michael had the man with the forehead thing sit by him, he said 'He was not at liberty to diviluge his identify. " How very weird. And he said that thing on his head was a symbol of " slavery to false gods" and not to talk further about it. Wow. Just too far-out.

The younger man I felt really drawn to for some strange reason. When he sat down beside me and said hello, I just felt warm and happy, like here was a really kindred spirit. The other man sort of got this funny look on his face and rolled his eyes. I wonder what that was all about.

The woman seems friendly, but very reserved. I said that I loved her hair, which was cut very short like Twiggy's but a bit longer, and she seemed startled. Maybe people don't tell her that much. The leader man doesn't say much but his eyes take everything in all the time. I guess he has to protect the others. They seem sort of like a couple, but don't touch or anything. Just look at each other all the time and talk and smile.

When they got on, they said they were going as far as New York and really needed some cheap clothes. I guess to hide that they are military. Michael and I are going to the concert, so no problem, and when we said that the tall man sort of gave a weird smile like he knew about the concert too or something, but didn't say. When he said they've got a " little problem with the Establishment", I said I can so relate. I am sort of running away too, I guess. If they only knew!

I miss certain people every day, but I know that it's not going to be forever. Wait till Michael and I are settled in Canada, diary, then things will be groovy.

Late that night.

There is something strange about these people. I feel not just because they're military, but somehow I feel kind of weird. Like they know more than they're letting on. Like maybe they're secret spies or something. Michael laughed at me and said I watched too much television, that I am imagining things. I don't know, diary. They don't know what's going on now, like they've all been living in a cave or something. I talked about my favorite movie stars to Sam and she looked confused, like she didn't know who they were.. And that Tilk didn't even know about the war! How can you not know about the war?

I heard them talking when they didn't know I was listening, and got their names. Plus I asked the woman hers, I thought I can't just keep saying hey you, can I?

The woman is called Sam Carter, the sweet nice one is Daniel, the leader is Jack, and the strange quiet one is Tilk or something . Weird name. But I met someone last week at a flea market called Moonbeam Summer. Can't get weirder than that, can it?

Sam is so nice to me, but you can tell there's a barrier there. She weighs her words a lot in her mind before she says anything, When I look at her I can just see the wheels turning round in her head. Jack, there's something dangerous about him, but not in a bad way. Since he's the obvious leader, they all turn to him for stuff without even realizing. Sam calls him ' Sir " . I can see it in his eyes that he is a man that has fought a lot of battles in his life to get to where he is, and is like a coiled up spring. If anything happened to one of the others, he would leap into action.

The one called Daniel is just the nicest person. He seems very interested in all our stuff and everything. I think he would like old houses and stuff because when we drove by some, he looked out the window like he wanted to go explore. I seem to be drawn to him the most and talk to him, and Jack seems to grin a lot at that for some reason. I don't like him like a boyfriend or anything, but there's something about him that I am comfortable with, like an old snuggly blanket I had as a child. Or my Raggety - Ann doll I keep on my bed. As a reminder that not everyone is bad, that there is lovely people with the child still in them. Like Michael. And Daniel.

We stopped in a diner tonight for some food. Jack paid for all of them. Sam got very excited when she saw the dessert menu. " Look, sir, Jello!" and they all ate some like it was the best thing ever. I like the pie, myself. Weird.

Tormorrow we'll stop and get them some clothes and drive on.

Going to sleep now diary, Yawn.

I wonder what will happen tomorrow."