[IC] The Battle of Sea Salt Bay

[Rhythmloid]

"Alright!" Corrine happily hops on the back of his motorcycle. The reving of his engine feels nostalgic. She remembers those long rides home from school when one of the older brothers would take her home.

Back at the old house, when Antonio was first learning to drive and Lenny wasn't always in charge of the little rascals, her father had put her in grade school. Because their mansion was so far from the school district, they didn't want her walking home. Someone could have snatched her up and that would be the last of Corrine. Antonio had offered to take her home since he had nothing to do but hang out with The Dragons. He made a makeshift booster seat since she was so small. Those were simpler times.

"Rolo, where are we going?" She tries to shout over the motor.

[TwelveOf8]

Charles sat in a black Cadillac limo that sat across the road from the clubhouse. Indeed Charles sat there the entire time the party raged inside. He wasn't alone though, for he had a little party going on as well. A group of girls kept him company, and these girls, suffice it to say, aimed to please. But little time passed when Charles decided that he grew tired of their company, both physically and mentally.

It was after Charles dismissed the party girls that he made the anonymous call. The particular model of limo he rode in had a built in car phone, cutting edge technology. It made him feel like quite the powerful businessman.

A little while after Charles made his call, the gang of Slicks showed up at the club house. It seemed that his little experiment yielded a less than ideal result however, since most of the Slicks were too afraid to show up. It seemed that their gang was less united, less loyal, than the Turbos. So it came to pass that Charles confirmed that he indeed backed the right horse. That the Salt Bay Turbos were his best bet when it came to fulfilling his narcissistic little ambition.

It was during his third glass of scotch that he spied Rolo and Corinne peeling off down the road on one of those cheap looking bikes. Indeed Charles' curiosity was piqued. The party didn't seem to be going anywhere anyway. And who knows? Perhaps that fat tub of lard was heading somewhere secret? He did have a girl with him after all. Things were starting to get interesting.

"Driver, follow that motorcycle." ordered Charles.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine couldn't help but smile. She couldn't help but be reminded if her old home. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic as wind rushes through her hair and the awful yet addicting smell of gasoline blows through her nostrils.

Oh, how she misses home. The large house that she grew up in. The sunny skies and warm water beaches. She misses her old friends. They were such an inseparable gang.

Until she had to move. She sometimes wished she had never left that perfect place. She had wished that her brothers would get along like they used to. But she never would have met Rolo. She wouldn't be having as much fun as she was.

She hugs Rolo tightly and smiles.

[TwelveOf8]

The midnight ride through the streets of Sea Salt Bay was a short ride, to be sure, though it was no less fun despite that. The charming little town had many a colourful storefront and restaurant display. A holiday destination for the rich from the city primarily, the aesthetics of the streets downtown bespoke both luxury and class. At the same time, the town gave off a charming, homegrown air. From the perspective of an outsider, Sea Salt Bay seemed like the perfect place to settle down with a family. To live a quaint and traditional lifestyle. Little did they know the ugliness the beauty hid beneath. It was true beauty though, by anyones estimation. And so, for just a little while at least, Rolo and Corinne were able to forget the ugliness of the town and instead, enjoy it's beauty, on their midnight ride.

The motor of the Harley issued a distinct rumbling sound that could be heard from far away. It wasn't difficult for Charles, in his limo, to follow the love struck duo at a safe distance. Far enough away so as not to be noticed easily. Charles quickly surmised the direction in which they rode. He knew that they were going towards the mountain road. Towards the direction where the Lancaster villa was located. Such a thought intrigued Charles further.

Lo and behold, there it was. After several minutes the motorcycle headed out of town, up the paved mountain road. What in blazes was their business up there!? The only places of interest, as far as Charles knew, were his villa and an observatory. The observatory was closed to visitors after nine at night though. And Charles himself has never known a greaser to have an interest in astronomy anyway. Thus the mystery deepened.

And so it was that Rolo and Corinne left the downtown area of Sea Salt Bay and rode up the seldom traversed mountain road. Charles, the ambitious sneak that he was, followed from behind.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine had never actually took the time to see what Sea Salt Bay actually looked like. She had always spent her time at the beach or at the diner. It almost looked like a fairytale town. Everything looked so cute in her eyes. It looked much better than her old home. Then again, she stayed in the house most of the time. Maybe moving here wasn't such a bad idea.

As they ride up the mountain road, Corrine began to feel nervous. They were going quite far from the town. She had no idea any of this was there either. It was a nice drive with an even nicer view, but she had no idea where they were going. She felt worried that they might have been going too far. What was Rolo planning?

[TwelveOf8]

The darkness of the overhanging trees blocked the light of the full moon almost completely. Slivers of it could still be seen here and there. But mostly the road was illuminated by the motorcycles headlight alone. Such a road would've looked both ominous and spooky if traversed for the first time. To Rolo, the mountain road still possessed some of that original spookiness. It almost felt like being a vampire hunter and journeying to Draculas castle in the dead of the night. Which wasn't such an inaccurate description though, for lord fancy pants' mansion was on the way. But luckily for them, they weren't going that far.

The first hairpin turn was coming up. Like any mountain road, this one had many hairpin turns. A sane person would slow down to crawl when making such a turn, but not Rolo. Not a high ranking member of the Salt Bay Turbos. Instead, the maniac sped up a little.

"Hold on tight Corinne baby!" Rolo roared over the engine.

As the hairpin turn approached, Rolo slammed on his breaks. He motorcycle began to skid sideways. The tires made a loud screeching noise as the rubber burned. During this manoeuvre, Rolo alternated between breaking and accelerating. And thus the bike continued to skid sideways until it made the hairpin turn. A perfect drift by the master himself.

"That was awesome!" roared Rolo.

"You doing alright back there babe?" asked Rolo.

He never attempted a drift with a passenger before. But Rolo figured that Corinne was petite enough to not throw off the weight of the rider too much. Rolo decided to keep that little factoid to himself though. He didn't want Corinne to,know that he risked her life in order to impress her.

[Rhythmloid]

"I-I'm ok!" She shakily answered.

It was easy to tell she got scared. She didn't want Rolo to think she wasn't tough or he might take her home. She's not used to riding so fast and making turns like that. Her brother just cruises around on his bike, enjoying the view and driving along a nice landscape to clear his mind.

Her heart was still pounding, about to burst out of her chest. They could have easily fallen to their doom. She tried shrugging it off. Rolo must know what he's doing, she thought to herself.

"Are we there yet?" she asked. They had to be close.

[TwelveOf8]

Rolo knew not whether Corinne enjoyed his stunt or whether she was freaked out of her mind. As far as he was concerned, Corinne was doing fine. But she didn't sound like she was really into it though. This was his first time doing a drift with a girl after all. Rolo recalled that if a girl he dated liked whatever he did, she complimented him. That wasn't the case this time it seemed. The last thing Rolo wanted was to do something that Corinne didn't like. He wanted her to have as much fun with him as possible, as often as they could. And so with that in mind, Rolo decided to be on his very best behaviour.

"Should I go slower around the turns babe!?" Rolo yelled over the engine.

[Rhythmloid]

"Y-yes please!"

She yells as loud as she can. Her soft voice and the loud motor don't make a very good match. She holds onto Rolo as tight as she can. As much as she loves riding with someone, going somewhere so dangerously isn't her style. Not to mention the steep drops. If Rolo messes up, it's the end for them. She just had to trust him.

[TwelveOf8]

"Alright babe!" Rolo answered.

The rest of their ascent up the mountain road was both slow and careful. Rolo made doubly sure to make the hairpin turns as slowly and as smoothly as possible. There were stretches of the road that were almost in complete darkness yes, but the stretches that were clear though, yielded quite a sight. The view of the town of Sea Salt Bay looked gorgeous from up there. The lights of the town sparkled like the stars themselves.

After the fourth hairpin turn Rolo began to slow down. It was directly into the fifth hairpin turn into which Rolo rode. What looked like a patch of nondescript woodland actually contained a dirt path. Too narrow to ride his Harley down, that much was for sure. Rolo parked his bike at the entrance of the path.

Rolo and Corinne dismounted from the Harley. He then promptly took out both a picnic blanket and a torch from the leather bag he attached to the left side of the bike, near his rear wheel.

"This way, I've got something special to show ya." Rolo gestured towards the dirt path.

Rolo shone the light down the path and proceeded forth.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine was confused. What was he taking with him? What was in that basket? And where exactly where they going? Corrine's head buzzed with questions. She'll have to find out once they get to the end of the trail.

Corrine slipped her arm in his. She clung to him like a teddy bear as they walked down the path. Even with the light, it was terrifying. Everything around them was dark. Shadows casted on trees and bushes created fake monsters in the dark. She heard strange noises coming from all sides.

"L-let's walk faster, o-ok?"

[TwelveOf8]

"Trust me, you'll love it." Rolo reassured.

The path itself was as dark and as ominous as the road itself. Shadows formed by the torch danced as the duo made their way deeper into the thicket. Tall trees and shrubs bordered the path thickly, almost like a hedge maze. A raven in a nearby tree was awoken by their passing. It crowed loudly then took wing. The close proximity of the birds sounds startled both Rolo and Corinne.

Rolo perfectly understood why Corinne would be nervous. The same reason why most people would feel nervous in such a setting. Precisely why Rolo chose this place to go. Somewhere out of the way and seemingly spooky.

"Just a little further." Rolo placated.

It opened up almost like a pearl. So unexpected and so very breathtaking. The woods broke into a massive clearing. Bathed in the light of the full moon. A huge rock formation stood in the center of it. This massive rock formation jutted out from the slope of the mountain. A strange and almost out-of-place natural monument. It is said that upon this rock formation an amazing view of the town could be enjoyed.

"Come on!" Rolo gestured after him.

He once again lead the way, this time towards this mysterious natural wonder.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine gasped. She put her hands over her mouth and stared in awe. She gently placed her hand over the rock. She could only dream of this breathtaking view. Everything was perfect. It's as almost as if nature itself knew that they were coming and had created this wonderful display.

"Rolo, this is... spectacular! I don't know what to say..."

She gazed up at the stars and sighed. If only she could save this wonderful view. But she didn't have a camera. She shouldn't be taking pictures anyway. This place was a secret. She was going to have to keep it. She layed down in the grass and smiled widely. That trip was well worth it to see something like this.

[TwelveOf8]

Rolo laboriously clambered up onto the rock formation. He then extended a hand down to Corinne.

"Could you pass me the basket please?" he asked.

After he grabbed the basket he then took a hold of Corinnes hand. He pulled her up onto the rock formation with relative ease. The rock itself was cool to the touch. It glowed white under the light of the full moon.

Rolo then approached the lip of the formation. He opened his basket and took out a picnic blanket. He layed it down near the edge. Rolo then took a seat on said blanket. He patted the blanket right next to him.

"Come, sit." he encouraged enthusiastically.

The view from the rock formation was like nothing else. A sea of stars both above and below. The full moon loomed in the sky like a powerful yet gentle presence. The town of Sea Salt Bay lay spread beneath them, in all its glory. The lighthouse's lonely vigil upon the rocky promontory completed the scene as a symbol of the town itself. A beacon of light that guides travellers on their way. A truly magical place to be sure.

"This place was once called Lovers Haven. The natives of this land though, they call it Ghost Rock. Legends both ancient and modern are tied to this place." Rolo explained.

Rolo rifled through his basket and took out a full bottle of bourbon.

"I know you don't drink Corinne but it's all I got. A couple of swigs won't hurt ya won't it?" he asked.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine continues to stare at the sky. Rolo was right about this place. It was quite romantic. But why was it called ghost rock? This place didnt seem to give off a creepy or haunting vibe. Maybe a ghost might pop out. She chuckled to herself at the silly thought. Ghosts weren't real.

"Hm? Oh yeah... I'll try some..." She's never really tried alcohol before. This was certainly new experience she was about to try. She wasn't allowed to drink it, but now that her brothers are gone, she didn't really care.

[TwelveOf8]

Rolo took a swig of bourbon before handing it to Corinne. The bitter and burning taste followed by that heady hit. Such a rough yet powerful drink. Not for the faint of heart. But the occasional swig here and there was enough to get a little buzz going. As a drinker himself, even Rolo couldn't get himself to skol an entire bottle in one sitting. He has seen it done before though, but the guy who did it didn't look like he was going to live for very much longer anyway.

"Let me tell you a tale baby girl, about two star cross lovers. Joined together by fate and sealed together by love. A tale that spans the ages." said Rolo.

Ghost stories were Rolos favourites. Fond memories of sitting around the campfire with Chet and few other friends, as young boys. Eating marshmallows and talking about girls. But it was the ghost stories that Rolo liked the most. Back when the world seemed so much bigger than it turned out to be. So much more beautiful and adventurous. Telling such tales, for Rolo, brought back those old familiar feelings. At least, for a little while.

"It all began, many centuries ago. Back when the Esselen people ruled this land. Long before the days of Sea Salt Bay." Rolo began.

---

Charles spied Rolos bike on the side of the road. Right on the fifth hairpin turn, half-way between the town and Lancaster Manor. Such an odd place to stop it seemed. But Charles himself knew all to well why someone would choose to disembark on that particular spot. What surprised him though was that there were people who were still bold enough to do so. Nobody had been to Lovers Haven for years, not since the incident. And those rumours the incident spawned. Perchance that fat tub of lard was too stupid to be weary of areas that were at the heart of such disturbing urban legends. Though Charles was willing to bet that something else was going on at that location. Something the Salt Bay Turbos wanted to remain clandestine.

"Hmm" Charles said to himself.

"Driver, let's just head on home. We're aren't very far away and I could really use a bath." said Charles.

The limousine passed the fifth hairpin turn, passed Rolos parked Harley. Charles himself resolved to investigate the area the following day. He was sure that he'd find something interesting. His loyal bloodhound would see to that.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine sat like a four-year-old, listening intently to Rolo's story. Story time was her favorite. No matter how sappy or horrifying it was; a story was a story. Every story was unique in its own way. This one was quite interesting. Love stories weren't her favorite, but they were nice to listen to.

She looked at the bottle of bourbon next to Rolo. Corrine greedily snatched it up and took a sip. Now she'll finally see what the buzz was about and why her family wouldn't let her have any. She took one sip and immediately realized why: it was gross! It was so bitter! Even with such a tiny sip she felt sick. She wrapped her arm around her mouth and began to cough. It burned in her throats as it slid down into her stomach.

[TwelveOf8]

"Hehehe you'll get used to it little darlin. Burns so good don't it." remarked Rolo.

A persons first taste of bourbon is never a graceful affair. Many a spitting and sputtering to be had. The bitter burning taste hid a very slight hint of sweetness. Though perhaps, to Rolo, said sweetness was imagined. To him, the buzz was what was important. But it seemed that Corinne didn't share that philosophy when it came to drinking. Rolo resolved to bring some fruit flavoured vodka mix drinks for Corinne on their next camping trip. A cute girly drink for a cute girly girl.

"Anyways, as I was sayin. It all began centuries ago. Back when the Esselen people roamed these lands both wild and free. When the men were warriors, and the women were queens. Back when your legacy was the lessons and morals instilled in your child. No fancy jewels, cars or nothin." Rolo explained.

He gently took the bottle of bourbon out of Corinnes hands. Being careful not to spill its contents. It wasn't a cheap bottle, not by anyone's estimation. But Rolo did like to spoil himself at times.

"Thanks Corinne baby." said Rolo.

Yet another swig was taken from the one man drunken army. No buzz yet though, but the night was still young. And a delightful story still needed to be told.

"The Esselen had this belief ya see, that rocks could hold both memory and spiritual power. The Esselen around the area of Sea Salt Bay in particular, believed in a pretty powerful memory holdin rock." said Rolo.

"Take a wild guess where this spiritual rock is at." challenged Rolo.

[Rhythmloid]

Corrine wipes her mouth from the alcoholic beverage left on her lips. That awful taste remained in her breath. She really needed to brush her teeth to get it out. Drinking more would make her feel sick. She handed over the bottle happily.

"Rock? Oh! Right there!" she happily points to the rock jetting out from the side of the mountain. It was so much fun learning about legends and myths. The stories that told history in a fictional way or the tales people had woven from the past that had survived fascinated her.

"Why does it hold memories? Aren't they supposed to stay in your head?"

[TwelveOf8]

"Yes Corinne baby, this one right here." Rolo responds. He pats the smooth stone of the natural formation left uncovered by the blanket.

"And yeah, I dunno. It's magical and stuff." Rolo says in response to Corinnes question regarding the Esselen memory stone.

"The local Esselen people who lived in the area of Sea Salt Bay in particular came to this place. They gathered around this massive stone that we're sitting on right now."explained Rolo. He made a wide sweeping gesture at the surrounding area around them.

"Every night of the full moon they gathered. They gathered here to touch this stone, to fill it with their hopes and dreams. They placed their palms on it like this." explained Rolo further. He then placed his palm flat on the stone surface.

"And then they closed their eyes, and thought and prayed with all they had. They left nothin unsaid." said Rolo.

He then closed his eyes for a couple of moments. A comically strained expression was displayed on his features as he did this. When those couple of moments passed he then opened his eyes, and took his hand off of the stone.

"They also gave the stone their problems, hoping that the great coyote in the sky would hear them. Maybe help them out a little." Rolo explained further.

Almost on cue the call of a coyote was issued, followed shortly by the responding call of a different coyote. The coyotes in the area of Sea Salt Bay were the apex predators of the woods. Though they weren't above digging through people's garbage. The coyotes, thankfully, were far too shy to bother human beings. If a pack were to encounter an injured human that couldn't defend themselves however, that would be a different story. Such instances were admittedly very rare though.