2020-01-11 - The Road Trip: Part One

As promised, Jaime texted Kelsey with the information as to when they'd need to leave on their little road trip to Salt Lake City by way of Idaho. The truck itself is a big sixteen wheeler which looks enormous in the muck that is Elm Street. Jaime's already waiting in the cab with his duffle tossed into the back. There's not a lot of room behind the seats, but there is sort of a seat area there where one could feasibly curl up if they wanted to, but it's not much of a bunk. It also lifts up for storage where things could be stowed. There's a cooler with some drinks and snacks. They are road trip ready.

Kelsey was very much looking forward to this trip. To something normal. The chances of anything bad happening were slim! Hopefully. She had dropped Wishbone off with Garrett and headed to the Kelly house. The truck was massive. Kelsey's eyes widened briefly as she approached. She'd never been inside a 16 wheeler before. Pretty cool. Climbing into the passenger side, she would put up her duffel where directed and flashed Jaime a grin. "Road to adventure!" Her hair is pulled back into a ponytail and she's wearing a pair of jeans, ankle boots, and a thick flannel shirt with a t-shirt underneath.

Jaime is similarly dressed, except with work boots on, and he grins as she climbs up inside. He just nods for her to toss her bag on the little bunk in the back, and then he begins the process of pulling out onto Elm and making his way through Gray Harbor toward the highway. "So, there's radio, and you can plug in a digital player there." He shows her all the music controls, the climate controls, even the little cab light if she wants to read. "Make yourself at home. I'm kind of used to listening to whatever -- sometimes music, sometimes audio books, so feel free to put on whatever you like." His guitar case is even tucked up against the back wall, his acoustic guitar inside, obviously not something he can play while driving -- but at stops he could bring it out and write music. "Any stops you need to make before we hit the road?"

Kelsey made note of all the things he showed her and then looked on as they started to navigate through Gray Harbor. It was so interesting, seeing the town from a different perspective. "Nah, no stops from me." She did, however, produce her phone so she could plug it up and stat navigating. "Let's start with music. Maybe an audiobook later." Her musical tastes tended towards older rock. Journey, AC/DC, KISS and the like. And so that is what they would start off with! "Thanks again for letting me tag along. I think this is gonna be pretty neat."

And it is a very different perspective, to be that high up in the cab of the big truck. It is definitely a different set of driving skills to negotiate streets with the cab and trailer, but Jaime's been doing it for almost ten years now, so he's pretty comfortable maneuvering, knowing the dimensions of the vehicle well. He grins over at her and says, "Sure. I like having company, though it's not too many folks who can get away from work or school to just hit the road for a few days to a week at a time. So it doesn't happen all that often."

"Yeah I don't know if I could really do this if I was alone. I'd probably drive myself crazy." Kelsey admitted with a laugh. Her attention still outside for now. "This is awesome though. I'll bet it feels like you can see everything when you're on the highways." Finally, she looked back to him with a grin. "So what got you in to truck driving anyhow?"

Jaime grins over at her and says, "At first it took a bit of getting used to, but honestly, I've found enough ways to keep myself occupied that most of the time it's fine. It's only when there's stuff going on back home that I'd rather be there to deal with that it gets real hard not to get too wound up in my head about it." He watches the road, then, keeping an eye on where he's going and the traffic around him. "I started out working in a warehouse in high school and made friends with some of the drivers. They needed someone to take over local deliveries, so when I was eighteen I started driving smaller delivery vans and moving trucks. Eventually, I heard there was money in long haul driving, so I trained and learned how to drive the big rigs."

"I can see that. Hard to be away when family stuff is happening." Kelsey agreed. "I like my research and writing, and games. Though I could definitely listen to music and books. Audio books are fantastic. Really bring a story to life." She relaxes in her seat, looking out the windshield. "As long as you enjoy it, right? That's what's important." She shifted to dig a notebook and pencil out of her purse. "Just in case I see anything article worthy." Wiggling the book a bit.

"I could write if I wanted to. I'd just have to use speech recognition to take things down, and sometimes I do if I think of lyrics while I'm driving. Then I just need to edit it when I get to stop somewhere," Jaime says as they pull out onto the highway. "Yeah, I didn't think I'd like them at first, since I'm used to reading pretty fast, but I found that it actually worked pretty well to just relax and listen." He grins at the notebook and pencil and says. "Let me know if you want to stop for anything. As long as we get in by eight tonight, we're good. Then we just hang out while they offload, and we're done for the night. So if we get in early, we have more time to poke around the town."

"True. Speech to text is another pretty amazing thing." Kelsey agreed and chuckled. "If I see anything that looks run down and haunted we are totally stopping." She peeked out the window, looking a bit in the distance. "We're heading into Salt Lake tonight right? Or is that tomorrow?" Trying to remember what he had said about the itinerary. "What're we hauling anyway?"

"Fan of haunted houses, then?" Jaime asks. "Trying to think if I know of anything along the way that might even qualify." He looks thoughtful for a bit as he considers that. "No, Salt Lake is the short run tomorrow. We're going to Boise today which is going to take us around eight hours. We'll stay overnight in Boise, then drive the five hours to Salt Lake, make the delivery, then we can either stay the night in Salt Lake and drive back to Boise the next day, or we can just do that whole ten hour turn around in one go, and stay in Boise tomorrow night, and be back a day earlier. Either way." He grins, "Right now we've got half a load of office supplies that are going to Boise, then we're taking the other half load of office furniture to Salt Lake, where we're picking up a full load of books to take back to Seattle, then home."

"I used to be." Kelsey nodded about the haunted houses. "Well. I still am, kind of, I guess. I like studying spooky things. Potentially supernatural stuff. Also, abandoned places in the middle of nowhere are good inspiration for scary stories." She chuckled. "Right right. Boise. Then Salt Lake. Probably stay over in Salt Lake." She mused. "Never been to Boise either. I'll have to make sure to take some pictures. Are they at least gonna be interesting books?"

"No idea. And they're all going to be sealed in boxes, so we're likely not even going to know what they're about," Jaime chuckles. "But coming out of Salt Lake? Could be a million copies of the Book of Mormon for all I know." He doesn't much care. He just makes sure they get from there to where they are going, safely. He says, "Never was much into haunted houses. Guess it's different when you don't live in one." He grins at her a little sidelong. "You live with a ghost long enough and you don't really want to hang out with other people's all that much."

Kelsey eyes him a moment. "Your house is for real haunted?" She asked. Not sounding skeptical though. Anything was possible with all the shit she'd seen over the last two or three years. "What's your house ghost like?" Maybe she'll make a couple notes on that and use it as inspiration too.

"Yeah, my mother's still there," Jaime says when she eyes him, though he doesn't look up from the road. "She's been there since she died, when Joey and I were younger. What's she like? I mean, she's like our mom, except sometimes she gets angry and moves the furniture around. I guess,... yeah, so.. she's like our mom." He grins at her a little sidelong, then. "You just kinda get used to her turning up from time to time to give unsolicited advice, or to tell Jess the same bedtime stories over and over."

Kelsey listened curiously and did make a note or two. "So like your version of Casper the friendly ghost? That's...sweet? In a weird way. Also better than a poltergeist. I would not be so lucky as to get a relative or a friendly spirit if my place was haunted. Most assuredly with my luck I'd have some malevolent thing." She mused with a laugh. "I'll definitely have to swing by now. Can anyone see her? Ifshe lets them?

"Sortof," Jaime says with a chuckle. "It's a little weird, and she's not always in a great mood, but then, most folks that linger around aren't. Figure she's got some things she wants to see settled before she moves on. Or maybe she won't. Maybe she'll just be there meddling with Kellys forever." He doesn't seem to mind, either way. It's the way things have been for a good portion of his life at this point. "Yeah, some people can see her sometimes if she feels like letting them see her. Mostly I just feel her, not really see her."

"Maybe. Not a ghost expert but if Supernatural has taught me anything..." she giggled. "Either way. Pretty neat to me. I've not actually seen a ghost before or been around one. " another note made before she closes up the book. "My real interests lie more towards cryptids and like esoteric creatures."

"Well, you ever want to come by and hang around, I can tell her you'd like to meet her. You spend enough time around the house and you'll experience her eventually," Jaime says with a grin. "The heck is a cryptid? Is that like some sort of a giant graveyard insect?" Because that's totally what it sounds like.

"Sounds like a good plan." Kelsey nodded and then laughed at his description of a cryptid. "Nah, well. Maybe? Basically they are creatures that are thought to exist but haven't been found yet. Lik. Loch Ness Monster or Big Foot. Or creatures from other dimensions. That kind of thing." She pushed back a few loose strands of hair. "It's pretty fascinating stuff. Lots of possibilities."

"Huh," Jaime says when she tells him what a cryptid actually is, because he really was thinking some sort of giant bug like the crypt walkers in World of Warcraft or something. "So you think there's critters out there running around that have somehow managed to evade being seen, photographed, video taped? I guess I could see that. I mean, I don't rule much out. There's a lot of weird in Gray Harbor, after all."

"Basically." Kelsey nodded. "I've seen...a lot of weird shit but in the moment I never seem to remember to take a picture or video or anything." She mused. "It's just so...shell shocking? I kind of forget the technology exists. Gray Harbor is like...the king of weird things and happenings. It's part of the reason I can't bring myself to leave."

"Why would you want to leave? I mean, half of the appeal of the place is that it's weird. The rest of the world has its own weird, but Gray Harbor is home," Jaime says. He grew up there, after all, and probably wouldn't ever truly leave even if he spends a lot of his time driving from place to place. He always comes home.

"Well, sometimes I think about going back to where the rest of my family is. In North Carolina. Or just getting away from the weird because it's terrible for my health." She glances towards her three-fingered hand, though he might miss that because - driving. "But on the other hand...I know I won't get experiences like these anywhere else either. And I've met some cool people that I wouldn't just wanna up and leave."

"Yeah, but you could get hit by a bus in North Carolina, or be in a house fire, or anything else there, too," Jaime says. "I don't think that being in one place or another is inherently safer." Sure, you might not get your foot eaten by a rabid toaster, but you might get shot. To him, it's all the same, relatively. "I don't know, I'd rather face whatever's going to come at me than spend my life trying to avoid it."

"I'm pretty sure that Gray Harbor is one of the least safe places in this country - but I get what you mean." Kelsey agreed, turning her attention back to the window. "For all the bad, there's a fair amount of good too. And it's never boring. There always seems to be something happening." A thoughtful little noise escaping. "That's a good philosophy over all. Face it, don't run from it. Easier said than done in some cases but, probably the more effective route."

"Yeah, maybe," Jaime says. There is an unnaturally high murder rate there and it would probably be a better idea for him to be a little concerned about it, but he isn't. "It's definitely never boring," he agrees with a laugh. Shrugging his shoulders, he says, "It works for me. Your mileage may vary. I mean, everyone's gotta walk their own path, right?" He shifts from one lane into the next and eases back in his seat, prepared to just cruise in that lane, not needing to exit for a while.

Once they're cruising, Kelsey slides off her boots and shifts a bit so she can stretch out some, putting her feet on the dash. "Also true. We're all different, life's going to go different." A beat of pause before adding, "I'm not really running. For what it's worth. I'm trying to find proof of something and. Well I haven't had much luck so far. But I feel like it's just around the corner really."

"Hey, you've got a goal that you're going for and are working towards it," Jaime says, as though that's enough validation for him. "That you haven't reached it yet doesn't mean it's not possible or not out there. That you're actually doing something about it is more than most people do." He grins over at her then and says, "So what are you going to do if you actually find a cryptid? Write a book? Make a documentary? Have it named after you?" It's a little teasing, but a little curious, too.

"Well." Kelsey tilted her head to look at Jamie. "I've got a collection started in my living room." Completely serious. "But, if I found like...live ones..on...this side of things...I'd totally write a book. And also sell the pictures to national enquirer. There's something amusing to me about finding proof a cryptid exists and then making everyone continue believing it's a hoax." She grinned. Also maybe testing some waters with her mentions of 'this side' . "What about you? What'd you do if you found a cryptid?"

"Oh yeah? Like an ant farm for graveyard bugs?" Jaime asks when she mentions having a collection in her living room before she clarifies that whatever she has isn't alive. He doesn't even bat an eyelash at the mention of ''this side'' as opposed to any other side. Either he doesn't think anything of it, or just ignores it. One way or the other, he seems to consider the question for a moment or two before saying, "Probably call you." He chuckles, then, "Hey, buddy, nice to meet you. Would you mind hanging out for a bit? I got this friend, Kelsey, she's a huge fan and would kill me if I didn't ask you for a selfie.."

Kelsey seems fine with this, at least he's not acting like she's crazy. "When you come over to play, you can see it." She offers as to the collection. Then grins again at his answer. "Good answer. I'd be there in a heart beat. Hopefully it doesn't eat you before I get there." She laughed. "That would be unfortunate. Though I'd try to get it named after you. So long as you don't haunt me."

"Sweet," he says, regarding seeing her collection of cryptids, a broad grin on his features. Weird shit is fun. Jaime laughs then and says, "Yeah well, if it eats me before you get there, then maybe it will be full and won't eat you. And I will definitely haunt you if I get eaten by a cryptid, but just along enough to make sure that you tell a good story about it." He flashes her a broad grin then.

"That's my hope! Though, I dunno" Kelsey reached out and gave a very light pinch to his forearm. "You're pretty skinny. It might not be enough." She teased. "I'll tell a great story about it. Don't you worry about that." Giggling a bit again. "So I saw you brought your guitar. You gonna serenade me with some original music on this trip?"

Jaime glances down at his arm when she pinches it, raising a brow. He's actually fairly well-defined with a healthy musculature, though not as much so as Joey; it is one of the ways one can tell them apart, after all. But he's got that boxing training going for him, that keeps him in fighting shape. "Hmph. As long as you tell a good story, it'll be worth it." Then he nods when she notices that he brought the guitar along. "I always bring it. And sure, if you want."

"I'll let you haunt me just long enough to confirm it's good." Kelsey relented and then nodded. "Yeah, I'd like to hear some. It'll give me a little preview for when I listen to the band." She relaxed back in her seat. "How long have you been playing for anyhow?"

"Well, my own music and the band's music are kind of different, though I guess I could try out something that I've been writing for the band," Jaime considers. "When we get to the hotel if it isn't too late. If not, then maybe tomorrow." When she asks how long he's been playing he says, "Since I was a kid. I picked it up when I was pretty young. Had several relatives who played various instruments, and guitar was the first one that I picked up."

"Well we've got time, yeah? You can play be a bit of both. Whatever you feel like tonight or tomorrow and then the other at some other point in the trip." Kelsey mused. "Pretty neat. I never really got into playing anything. But I love listening, singing along and such. My creative hobby is cooking. Mostly tends to end up being Asian fare but I like trying anything once."

"Yeah? I'm not much of a cook. I mean, I can make the sort of stuff a five year old will eat without complaint, but that's about the fanciness level you'll get out of me. I make a great mac'n'cheese," Jaime muses as he begins to ease over, to take the next exit. "And sure, I can play a bit of whatever. We've got a couple of days. Pretty sure I could play the whole repetoire minus the covers before we got back," he laughs. "You'll have to cook something for me sometime."

"You make the mac and cheese and I'll take care of the rest." Kelsey promised as far as cooking for him went. "I love a good mac and cheese. Now, don't going playing everything," Kelsey transitioned over back to the talk of music. "Need to save something for the live show." She chuckled. She tapped away at something on her phone and made an 'ooo' sounds. "Apparently there are some haunted type places in Boise. Depending on when we get in, we'll have to peek perhaps."

"Oh, don't worry about it. We'll definitely be playing different stuff by the time we figure out what we're going to be playing live," Jaime says with a shake of his head. He's quiet for a while as she pokes through her phone, mostly just watching the traffic on the road around them idly. "Oh yeah? Anyplace with a tour? Or that we can just wander into?" He seems mildly intrigued.

"Fair." She chuckled. "Well there's an Egyptian Theater. An old State Pen. The former I believe is open to the public. Not sure on the latter...but we could always be rebels and try to break in." Kelsey mused, only half joking. "Also looks like there's a hotel that's haunted too. Seems like we have two safe options and a reckless one."

"As someone who's managed to avoid going to jail, but has had a brother who /hasn't/, I'm going to pass on the Penitentiary. Let's go for the theatre," Jaime says with a bit of a smirk. "If I weren't on a job, I'd go for the reckless option -- but I do have a job I have to do on time, and that doesn't involve getting busted for trespassing. Maybe on a vacation, sure."

"Done deal." Kelsey grinned. "Next time you have an extended amount of time off, we're coming back to play Ghostbusters." Too late to back out of it now Jaime! "Theater sounds like it'll be cool though. I've never heard of an Egyptian Theater before." She made a couple more taps on her phone and then slipped it away again. "At the very least there will be some neat pictures taken, I'm sure."

"Alright," Jaime grins, not backpedaling now. "Yeah, is it like the Chinese theatre with the walk of fame and all of that? Just a theatre that's all done up Egyptian style? Maybe it's in a big pyramid? That'd be kinda cool, and weird in the middle of Boise." He nods in agreement and says, "Hey, and even if there's nothing, we can say that we went to an Egyptian theatre in Boise, Idaho." Which seems to be sufficient reason enough for /him/ to go there.