Post by Fiona McFly on Nov 20, 2017 16:25:31 GMT
CHAPTER 12
"In Which The Journey Begins"
~Part I + The Ride~
15 November 2017 + 1130 GMT
The ride down to the old Kimble Ranch surely was entertaining to say the least.
We find Fiona McFly behind the wheel of the 2018 Kia Niro hybrid crossover she purchased from Dawkins Motors along with her husband, Jack Gaither, who was silently reading a book in the front passenger seat. Sarah Dawkins, their protege, sat comfortably in the back seat with her eyes closed, meditating on what was to come once they arrived. For a subcompact crossover, the Niro was packed with several suitcases and plenty of other necessities to keep the trio warm and cosy...
...even if the journey they've taken was to get away from all the distractions.
Sarah opened her eyes and outstretched her arms, admiring the scenery as the vehicle sped down I-35 and towards Highway 87 as she watched Jack close his book and place it into the glove compartment.
JACK GAITHER:
Fi, did ya have our mail forwarded to the ranch?
Fiona nodded her head, her hands glued to the steering wheel and eyes focused on the road.
FIONA MCFLY:
Aye...I did. I also locked all the doors...anything else?
JACK:
Yeah...you're doin' 82 in a 70.
Fiona perked up her right brow and snorted out a forced laugh. Yet on this sunny and warm afternoon, Jack could only shake his head...for although his wife had a dry sense of humour, a kindhearted, whimsical vibe around her, she was a lousy driver.
That was plainly obvious when she started quickly changing lanes, passing cars like she was racing go-karts as a preteen in 1994.
JACK:
AHHH!! Fi, ya ain't supposed to be weavin' in and out of traffic like that!
Fiona giggled, both hands like vice grips on the wheel as cars and trucks bit her dust.
JACK:
Slow down, hun! You're gonna run over Bambi, Thumper, and Flower if ya keep drivin' like Dale Earnhardt!
Fiona snapped back at her husband, making Sarah cringe in her seat.
FIONA:
Oh, stop passenger seat driving love!
The teenager eked out a sheepish grin whilst holding onto a handle above her door; Jack turned his head around and noticed the young student's action.
JACK:
Yeahhh...I'm holdin' onto the "uh-oh" handle myself.
SARAH DAWKINS:
Is she really this bad behind the wheel Mr. Gaither?
JACK:
She can be worse...
Jack turns his head around just in time to see a slow-moving Cadillac Escalade up ahead...
JACK:
Holy SHIT!!!!
...and thankfully, so did Fiona. She slammed on her brakes and planted her right hand firmly on the horn....
~HHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOONNNNNNNKKKKKK!!!!!!!!~
...tires squealed on the pavement as the Kia came to a sudden slowdown, narrowly avoiding a rear-end collision. But Fiona wanted to have the last word, and so she rolled down her window and screamed at the driver ahead of her in her Northern Irish dialect.
FIONA:
Roghnaigh lána cheana féin, tá tú cunt dúr!
Sarah gasped, but Jack could only muster a sigh of relief.
SARAH:
Like, was that...did she just speak Klingon?!
JACK:
It's Gaelic...and you don't wanna know what she said. All ya should know is that if she keeps this drivin' up, one of two things are gonna happen. She's either gonna lose her driver's license and I'll simply laugh at her, OR...
SARAH:
Or what?
Jack didn't say anything else after that, for he'd probably would have been Fiona's next target for a Gaelic dressing-down about not lecturing her about her driving habits--even, as it was so graphically illustrated, if her driving skills sucked.
He mused for a moment before changing the subject, lightening the moment.
JACK:
Ummm...how 'bout a l'il music. Let's see what Pandora Radio has to offer.
FIONA:
Aye. Much better subject than me first-class driving, dears.
Jack reached over to the touchscreen console and pulled up the Pandora Radio app that came standard with the new Niro. The first song that blared from the speakers was the 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus debut single, "Achy Breaky Heart."
"But don't tell my heart
my achy breaky heart
I just don't think he'd understand
And if you tell my heart
my achy breaky heart
He might blow up and kill this man..."
Jack got a kick out of the song, and so did Fiona. After all, they were ten years old when the song in question debuted. But Sarah shook her head--she felt it was too complex for her to fully comprehend the meaning of its lyrics.
SARAH:
Hrmmm...sounds too derivative.
Jack smirked a little before pressing the skip button, and the next song began to play. It was Alan Jackson's 1993 country tune "Chattahoochee." The couple in the front couldn't help but smile at each other, assuming that the radio app was going to give them a country-western music theme.
"Yeah way down yonder on the Chattahoochee
Never know how much that muddy water meant to me,
But I learned how to swim
And I learned who I was
A lot about livin'
And a little 'bout love..."
Yet Fiona wagged her finger; she thought the song to be a little on the stereotypical side.
FIONA:
Hrmmmm...too cliche.
Jack pressed the skip button once more, but instead of a country song...they heard the opening chorus from Fifth Harmony's 2015 single "Worth It."
"Give it to me I'm worth it
Baby I'm worth it
Uh-huh I'm worth it
Gimme-gimme, I'm worth it.."
Neither of the three liked the tune at all, and they weren't shy about expressing their displeasure about it.
SARAH:
Pfffft, UGH!
FIONA:
Oh goodness heavens! Change that bloody tune!
JACK:
Yeah...too slutty--even by Crystal Hilton standards.
Jack laughed out loud before pressing the "dislike" button, which automatically skipped to the next song. The vibes were a little tense as the opening strains began to play...yet things got a LOT more cheerful when the familiar voice and vocal harmonic resonance that was Freddie Mercury and Queen came on.
And boy, was Fiona McFly ever turned on by the angelic voice emanating from the stereo speakers.
"Oh Oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning
The seer he said
Beware the storm that gathers here
Listen to the wise man."
Jack understood his wife very well. He knew that when a Queen song was played, especially from the band's 1975 breakout album A Night at the Opera, one could be rest assured that she would unveil her hidden talent.
JACK:
(imitating Yoda)
A sing-along, I sense.
Sarah raised a brow, albeit with a slight chuckle.
SARAH:
A sing-along?
JACK:
Yep. Fi is, what you'd call, a Queen mega-nerd. Ya can't stop her now when one of their tunes plays--especially "The Prophet's Song." Or "Bohemian Rhapsody," or anything for that matter...
Indeed, the Northern Irishwoman launched into the song's first verse as they sped towards the ranch.
FIONA:
(singing)
"I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair
Spreading his hands on the multitude there
A man who cried for a love gone stale
And ice cold hearts of charity bare.
I watched as fear took the old man's gaze
Hopes of the young in troubled graves.
I see no day, I heard him say
So grey is the face of every mortal..."
Fiona's singing made Jack love her even more, and he turned around to see the young Sarah aghast at what she was hearing...
JACK:
See Sarah? Fi might be a lousy driver but she's got one helluva sultry singin' voice.
...and indeed, the Arlington High freshman realised one thing. Her co-mentor was right on the money. She closed her eyes again and listened to Fiona's soulful crooning, which reminded her of Adele in many aspects.
Three hours into their voyage, Sarah Dawkins knew that the journey was only just beginning.
SARAH:
Wow, she's got pipes...
~TO BE CONTINUED~
"In Which The Journey Begins"
~Part I + The Ride~
15 November 2017 + 1130 GMT
The ride down to the old Kimble Ranch surely was entertaining to say the least.
We find Fiona McFly behind the wheel of the 2018 Kia Niro hybrid crossover she purchased from Dawkins Motors along with her husband, Jack Gaither, who was silently reading a book in the front passenger seat. Sarah Dawkins, their protege, sat comfortably in the back seat with her eyes closed, meditating on what was to come once they arrived. For a subcompact crossover, the Niro was packed with several suitcases and plenty of other necessities to keep the trio warm and cosy...
...even if the journey they've taken was to get away from all the distractions.
Sarah opened her eyes and outstretched her arms, admiring the scenery as the vehicle sped down I-35 and towards Highway 87 as she watched Jack close his book and place it into the glove compartment.
JACK GAITHER:
Fi, did ya have our mail forwarded to the ranch?
Fiona nodded her head, her hands glued to the steering wheel and eyes focused on the road.
FIONA MCFLY:
Aye...I did. I also locked all the doors...anything else?
JACK:
Yeah...you're doin' 82 in a 70.
Fiona perked up her right brow and snorted out a forced laugh. Yet on this sunny and warm afternoon, Jack could only shake his head...for although his wife had a dry sense of humour, a kindhearted, whimsical vibe around her, she was a lousy driver.
That was plainly obvious when she started quickly changing lanes, passing cars like she was racing go-karts as a preteen in 1994.
JACK:
AHHH!! Fi, ya ain't supposed to be weavin' in and out of traffic like that!
Fiona giggled, both hands like vice grips on the wheel as cars and trucks bit her dust.
JACK:
Slow down, hun! You're gonna run over Bambi, Thumper, and Flower if ya keep drivin' like Dale Earnhardt!
Fiona snapped back at her husband, making Sarah cringe in her seat.
FIONA:
Oh, stop passenger seat driving love!
The teenager eked out a sheepish grin whilst holding onto a handle above her door; Jack turned his head around and noticed the young student's action.
JACK:
Yeahhh...I'm holdin' onto the "uh-oh" handle myself.
SARAH DAWKINS:
Is she really this bad behind the wheel Mr. Gaither?
JACK:
She can be worse...
Jack turns his head around just in time to see a slow-moving Cadillac Escalade up ahead...
JACK:
Holy SHIT!!!!
...and thankfully, so did Fiona. She slammed on her brakes and planted her right hand firmly on the horn....
~HHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOONNNNNNNKKKKKK!!!!!!!!~
...tires squealed on the pavement as the Kia came to a sudden slowdown, narrowly avoiding a rear-end collision. But Fiona wanted to have the last word, and so she rolled down her window and screamed at the driver ahead of her in her Northern Irish dialect.
FIONA:
Roghnaigh lána cheana féin, tá tú cunt dúr!
Sarah gasped, but Jack could only muster a sigh of relief.
SARAH:
Like, was that...did she just speak Klingon?!
JACK:
It's Gaelic...and you don't wanna know what she said. All ya should know is that if she keeps this drivin' up, one of two things are gonna happen. She's either gonna lose her driver's license and I'll simply laugh at her, OR...
SARAH:
Or what?
Jack didn't say anything else after that, for he'd probably would have been Fiona's next target for a Gaelic dressing-down about not lecturing her about her driving habits--even, as it was so graphically illustrated, if her driving skills sucked.
He mused for a moment before changing the subject, lightening the moment.
JACK:
Ummm...how 'bout a l'il music. Let's see what Pandora Radio has to offer.
FIONA:
Aye. Much better subject than me first-class driving, dears.
Jack reached over to the touchscreen console and pulled up the Pandora Radio app that came standard with the new Niro. The first song that blared from the speakers was the 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus debut single, "Achy Breaky Heart."
"But don't tell my heart
my achy breaky heart
I just don't think he'd understand
And if you tell my heart
my achy breaky heart
He might blow up and kill this man..."
Jack got a kick out of the song, and so did Fiona. After all, they were ten years old when the song in question debuted. But Sarah shook her head--she felt it was too complex for her to fully comprehend the meaning of its lyrics.
SARAH:
Hrmmm...sounds too derivative.
Jack smirked a little before pressing the skip button, and the next song began to play. It was Alan Jackson's 1993 country tune "Chattahoochee." The couple in the front couldn't help but smile at each other, assuming that the radio app was going to give them a country-western music theme.
"Yeah way down yonder on the Chattahoochee
Never know how much that muddy water meant to me,
But I learned how to swim
And I learned who I was
A lot about livin'
And a little 'bout love..."
Yet Fiona wagged her finger; she thought the song to be a little on the stereotypical side.
FIONA:
Hrmmmm...too cliche.
Jack pressed the skip button once more, but instead of a country song...they heard the opening chorus from Fifth Harmony's 2015 single "Worth It."
"Give it to me I'm worth it
Baby I'm worth it
Uh-huh I'm worth it
Gimme-gimme, I'm worth it.."
Neither of the three liked the tune at all, and they weren't shy about expressing their displeasure about it.
SARAH:
Pfffft, UGH!
FIONA:
Oh goodness heavens! Change that bloody tune!
JACK:
Yeah...too slutty--even by Crystal Hilton standards.
Jack laughed out loud before pressing the "dislike" button, which automatically skipped to the next song. The vibes were a little tense as the opening strains began to play...yet things got a LOT more cheerful when the familiar voice and vocal harmonic resonance that was Freddie Mercury and Queen came on.
And boy, was Fiona McFly ever turned on by the angelic voice emanating from the stereo speakers.
"Oh Oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning
The seer he said
Beware the storm that gathers here
Listen to the wise man."
Jack understood his wife very well. He knew that when a Queen song was played, especially from the band's 1975 breakout album A Night at the Opera, one could be rest assured that she would unveil her hidden talent.
JACK:
(imitating Yoda)
A sing-along, I sense.
Sarah raised a brow, albeit with a slight chuckle.
SARAH:
A sing-along?
JACK:
Yep. Fi is, what you'd call, a Queen mega-nerd. Ya can't stop her now when one of their tunes plays--especially "The Prophet's Song." Or "Bohemian Rhapsody," or anything for that matter...
Indeed, the Northern Irishwoman launched into the song's first verse as they sped towards the ranch.
FIONA:
(singing)
"I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair
Spreading his hands on the multitude there
A man who cried for a love gone stale
And ice cold hearts of charity bare.
I watched as fear took the old man's gaze
Hopes of the young in troubled graves.
I see no day, I heard him say
So grey is the face of every mortal..."
Fiona's singing made Jack love her even more, and he turned around to see the young Sarah aghast at what she was hearing...
JACK:
See Sarah? Fi might be a lousy driver but she's got one helluva sultry singin' voice.
...and indeed, the Arlington High freshman realised one thing. Her co-mentor was right on the money. She closed her eyes again and listened to Fiona's soulful crooning, which reminded her of Adele in many aspects.
Three hours into their voyage, Sarah Dawkins knew that the journey was only just beginning.
SARAH:
Wow, she's got pipes...
~TO BE CONTINUED~
Well howdy there pardner.