It turns out that Turnbull Canyon was a lot closer than they thought it would be, especially for the view that the Motel attendant said they would get.

“If it’s not the view he said it would be, we are going back and I am going to kick his ass.” Bryan muttered as they sat in traffic.

Jack stifled a laugh at that, “You’re the one who paid the guy for information it’s his job to give out.”

It was getting harder and harder for him to not to let out a laugh at his brothers expense.

Visibly frustrated, Bryan launched into a defense “It’s LA. I thought that’s how things worked here, I wanted to make sure it was a good spot that he was telling me about.”

Jack couldn’t hold back anymore and started laughing quietly as possible to not riel up his brother too much.

“Twenty bucks though? I think you have seen too many movies Bry” Jack says still trying to rein in his laughter.

That was enough to earn him a quick jab in the arm from Bryan “ow!” Jack exclaimed.

“Serves you right, I told you to never call me that!” Bryan was all but yelling.

Jack was still smiling, but his arm smarted a lot more than he was willing to show Bryan.

They were coming up on their turn, according to their navigation. Jack focused back to peering out the window, soaking up his last night in California. “It’s a hundred feet away on the right.” Jack said.

They had long turned off the voice commands from the navigation that just left the both of them creeped out.

“I see it.” Bryan sighed.

The road curved back and forth like a snake through the hills. From time to time Jack thought he could see a bright forest green glow in the sky just passed the hills.

They were still supposed to be miles away from where they were headed, but cars where becoming more and more common on the side of the road. Soon the cars where so thick that it was just solid bands on both sides of their car. There was just barely a wide enough track going through the center for their eco box to squeeze through, but Bryan was determined and kept driving.

“You know we could walk from here if you wanted.” Jack tried to chime in. “It will probably make it easier to leave as well.” He added.

“Do you see any parking spots? Besides, I want to get us as close as I can. The traffic took too long as it was and now it’s almost ten o’clock. The news said that the meteor will be most visible for the pacific coast between eleven and one am.” Bryan went on.

They had finally found the tail end of the cars moving forward down the street. Slowly all the cars  ahead of thwm put on their breaks and gradually came to a stop with the destination still no were in sight. Bryan was about to start honking when he realized people where just getting out and walking. They were going to have to hike the rest of the way anyway it seems. Bryan and Jack both clambered out of the car and stretched.

The heat of the night surprised jack as he collected his backpack from the car. Being from NY he had expected a higher elevation like this to be colder.

Jack threw his brothers backpack to him over the car and slung on his own. Checking his shoes to make sure they were tied right Jack called to Bryan “Make sure you lock it.”

“Thanks mom I will. Now come on, let’s get going!” Bryan mocked.

Jack pulled out his phone and transferred over the navigation. He felt silly doing it, since there were a good amount of people making their way past the cars ahead of them, but it still made him feel better about not knowing where they were.

Still a mile from their destination, they had a decent hike ahead of them. Jack was still trying to soak in the sites but there just wasn’t much to see. The right side of the road where shear rock faces almost twelve feet high to his left side, and dry grass with dull green bushes and withered looking tree’s he didn’t recognize spotting an almost desert forest like landscape on the other. The darkness of night that had crept up on them didn’t help much either, but the sky was still lit by the orange glow of the city lights.

The brothers both worked their way through the lines of cars, squeezing by as best they could at times. Jack was amazed at how many cars there were, being from a small town, he figured this would have been just about everyone in town back home. The road still twisted back and forth, and became much more of an incline as they pulled themselves along.

Stopping at an overly large lifted truck, Jack had to take a breather. He wasn’t out of shape by a long run but the dirty smog filled air was taking its toll on him. “Hold on a second” Jack almost wheezed out.

Bryan stopped, obviously not nearly as tired as jack, with a face twisted with impatience for his little brother. “Come on, we are almost there. Quit being a wimp and move!”

Jack scowled back at his brother, he sure knew how to press his buttons when he wanted to. “Look it’s not far ahead, we’re not going to miss anything. I promise. I just need to catch my breath a bit, this smog is killing me.” Jack said.

He stood up strait and arched his back, trying to breath as deep as he could.

“Want some water?” he asked.

“Nope just want to get moving.” Bryan smartly retorted.

Sighing and shaking his head at his brothers lack of patience, Jack bent down to one knee and opened his backpack. With a small amount of searching he found himself a bottle of water. He wondered how his brother was not being nearly as effected as him by the smog. He guessed that while Bryan was in school in Kansas he had gotten a bit more used to it.

Jack took a quick swig of water and bent back over to replace the bottle when he heard loud yelling, that sounded like it was coming from ahead of them.

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“Hey!” yelled a strange, slurred voice. “What the hell do you think you are doing to my truck?”

“What?” Jack admonished. Looking up, he saw what looked like a giant coming toward him. Standing up, he appraised the coming giant. He was well over six feet tall probably close to seven, with shoulders that where wide enough to fill a doorway. As he approached closer, Jack noticed his t-shirt had three Greek letters on it, which to him explained the strangers’ almost drunken stagger as he walked with urgency toward them.

“You heard me kid, what are you doing?” He threatened.

Jack still had his hand in his bag, close to the knife, with the other wrapped around the bag holding it to his chest. “I wasn’t doing anything, I was just catching my breath.” Jack sheepishly replied.

“Oh yea? I’ll see about that.” The mongoloid proclaimed, as he started inspecting his truck. He stumbled a bit, trying to inspect the paint.

Jack wasn’t quite sure he could see strait to begin with. When he went to inspect the tire he lost his balance and teetered like a falling tree, barely catching himself on the tread of the tire with his finger tips.

Just then another stranger appeared among the cars ahead of them. “Hey Jimmy! What’s taking so long?” he seemed soberer than Jimmy that’s for sure.

“You fall down again?” He stopped cold when he saw Jack standing behind his friend Jimmy crouched at the oversized tire. “Oi, what’s going on here?”

Jimmy shot up, and looked at his frat brother with annoyance. “I was just checking my baby quick to make sure these idiots didn’t mess with it. Their lucky, looks like it’s untouched. You didn’t have to come looking for me Aaron.” He managed to blurt out.

Aaron turned to Jack just as Bryan had finished moving around the truck from behind to help back up his brother if need be. Aaron just sighed “I apologize for Jimmy boys. He’s a bit... Attached to his truck.”

Aaron could see Jacks uncomfortable defensive positioning “You can take your hand off whatever you’re protecting in that bag of yours, he won’t mug you.”

Jack hadn’t realized his hand had unconsciously slipped around the handle of the knife in his bag and let go in shock. What was he thinking?

He wasn’t going to pull it out on anyone! He almost chuckled to himself in amusement at his own foolishness. Releasing the dagger, he closed and shouldered his bag, laughing at the image in his head of him pulling the dagger out to defend against the giant.

Aaron stood perplexed as Jack just stood there with a goofy look on his face lost in his own thought. “Is he alright?” he addressed Bryan, motioning to Jack's apparent daze.

Bryan gets a good laugh at that and shrugs “Depends on what your definition of alright” Laughing as he spoke. “He’s alright, just a little strange some times. Okay maybe more than sometimes.”

Jack snapped out of it at that. Shooting his brother a scowl to let him know the comment did not go unnoticed, he pulled his phone back out for the navigation and looked to Bryan. “Let’s just get going, we’re almost there.” He mumbled a bit dejectedly.

Bryan pushed past him in a hurried step “Good idea.”

With a nod toward Aaron that was returned with a smile, they marched off to the destination given to them by the motel attendant.

The sun had completely disappeared from the sky by now, leaving them in what would have been a stark pitch black if not for the orange glow of the city lights on the edge of the horizon around them. Passing the cars was becoming easier as they went, but the hill got steeper.

Bryan was excited at the prospect of so many people heading the same place they were, if those frat guys they ran into where any indication there might be one heck of a party waiting for them. At least one good thing will come of this trip, he thought to himself. He was lost in thought at the excitement of it all when Jack snapped him back to reality.

“Hold up” Jack yelled to his impatient brother.

Bryan turned with anger cleanly stated on his face from his brother’s constant delays. Now slowly moving towards Jack he raises his hands in a frustrated flourish, “What now? Genius needs another break?”

Jack winced a bit at the name but confidently retorted “No dill weed, it says we are here.” Jack watched his brother’s embarrassment at this with smug smile only growing on his face.

Looking around the scenery hasn’t changed at all, the green/grey bushes are a bit fewer he noticed but all in all still seems like he’s on the edge of a desert from some TV reality show.

Looking around it was hard to make out much around the cars on the side of the road, but there are no longer any people walking ahead of them. Bryan walked back to Jack still feeling foolish from his outburst, but he wasn’t going to let Jack know it.

“So this is supposed to be it? I’m going to beat the heck out of that guy when we get back!” Bryans cheeks started to turn red in frustration.

“Relax, if you weren’t being such an idiot, you would notice the trail” Jack said as he pointed up the hill to his left with a clear path leading windingly to what has to be the lookout they were told about.

“Besides, Listen” he tells Bryan.

Begrudgingly Bryan listens to his brother and closes his eyes and tries to listen as hard as he can. How could he have missed it before, listening closely he can hear the shouting and music of the party at the lookout. His eyes pop open, and in his excitement he does something he rarely does, “Your right little brother, let’s go!”

Jack was taken aback by his brother actually admitting he was right, but didn’t have time to think about it because Bryan was almost running up the trail now. Jack kept up as best he could, the noise got louder as they went. The blasting music from a radio, the smell of alcohol mixed with the undeniable smoke of a bonfire, was all wafting down the hill, along with the giggle of girls.

Jacks stomach dropped. He never had ever had much luck with girls growing up. Just thinking about it made his palms sweaty, and that was with girls he had known for years growing up, these would be strangers! His stomach churned more the more he thought about the possibility of his brother wanting him to be a wing man for him and help talking to random girls. So caught up in his thoughts Jack hadn’t noticed they already had almost made it to the top. As he looked up from his feet he was in awe.

The entire hilltop was draped in a green iridescent glow, hundreds of people where jumping and dancing around the fire to the music, basking in a soft green light. Looking for the light source, Jack almost fell back down the hill when he saw it. The meteor was shining bright in the sky, almost the size of the moon but with an unnatural dark yet almost neon, green light flaring from its entirety. Unlike the moon, with a silver surface, the meteors surface if you could see past the light was blacker then night itself.

Standing there for what felt like ten minutes he realized his mouth was open so he promptly shut it glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. He stole a look toward Bryan and he saw that the meteor had the same effect on him.

Bryan was shocked in wonder gazing upon the meteor. Jack could see the light reflecting from his wide open dark brown eyes. He too had let his jaw sag at the site.

“This was the best idea you’ve ever had!” Jack exclaimed.

Bryan snapped out of his almost reverent state. Closing his mouth and blinking his eyes for what felt like the first time in minutes he turned to jack with a gigantic smile and said “Of course it was!” Now glancing at all the people, trying to take it all it, he could see a sampling of the cultures of LA.

There where people of every nationality, all wearing different styles from fancy dress’s and tuxes that wouldn’t be out of place in a ballroom to essentially dancing around in what looked like pretty skimpy underwear. On the right there was a group huddled together, playing their own music that clashed hard against hip-hop that was blasting over the crowd. Appraising them they didn’t look like they were to be messed with which is probably why no one had said anything about the music.

Bryan remembered Jack talking about the gangs in LA, explaining why they hadn’t stayed somewhere closer to the convention and decided to avert his eyes post haste.

A swift breeze coming from the right of the hill brought the smell of smoke that wasn’t from cigarettes or the fire, turned his head to a group closer to the trail on his right. He laughed to himself, hippies he thought.

Welcome to California right?

Now scanning to the left, over near the edge of the gathering was a group of frat guys standing around a bunch of kegs. Bryan was willing to bet that they were brothers of the two they met earlier. Next to them was a group that got Bryans blood pumping..... Sorority girls!!