Alphabet Steps

Young Blood

Warning this one features, a real life monster in the vein of Charlie Manson, reference drug use (slight). I've always been interested in true-crime and love 60's and 70's music so this is kind of a hybrid of these. 

'..but then I know it's growing strong, met in the spring and then spring became the summer. Who'd have believed you'd come along. Hands touching hand, reaching out touching me, touching you....'

"Sweet Caroline!" Ian sang along loudly peeping the horn as their VW Camper trudged along the dusty roads towards San Francisco. Lisa was idly bobbing her head along in time to the music trying to change the freqency in the vain hope that the station would loose some of the static noise. "We might have to pull up soon for the night." Ian said as he looked at the fading sun. "What?" "Well I'm pretty wiped if I'm honest." Ian said as he spotted a small settlement of tents and 2 campers, an almost commune. "He's right it is getting late. Plus they do say we shouldn't pull up on our own. Some people take advantage of isolated campers." Claire said from the back seat as she flicked through a magazine, her charm bracelet jingling softly as she turned the pages. "Okay, but well don't blame me if we end up with an extra passenger, there looks like some good looking guys over there." Lisa commented as she peered out of the windscreen, the figures stood and sat round the starting of a campfire.

A tanned blonde approached the camper urged on by the gaggle of people behind her, a guitar strung over her minidress. "Go on knock." A man with brown curly hair said with a wink as she smiled back at him. True free love might be the message they were going for but she and Lee were meant to be together. He had picked her up along with her friend Emily as they hitch-hiked from Missoula, Montana. His 1964 Notchback had however had engine trouble 70 or so miles back and Emily had hitch-hiked alone stating she hated 3rd wheeling. Lee and Faye had been picked up by a pair of guys in a Mustang and had met the current group when they stopped along the route. Faye's blonde curls blew in the evening air as she waited for someone to answer. "Hi, we saw you folks park up. You want to come over, it gets pretty chilly round here in the night, we have a fire and well we'll sing and stuff." She said as a small brunette mused over the offer. "Why not, sounds fun." She said her bell bottoms brushing the step of the VW Camper.

"Who's in that tent?" Ian asked as the night sky grew darker. "Oh th..that's Mr Manson, Charlie. I...I don't know th...that I like him that much." Faye confessed her blue eyes a little nervy almost as she spoke. Lee tugged her onto his lap knowing she was somewhat weary. "Wh...why are you scared?" Claire asked. "He...he's an enigma, people listen to his every word." Lee explained in a low whisper as the fire crackled around them. There was enough noise for them not to be over heard by the others. "He has almost followers." Faye added as she toyed with a golden curl of hair. "He wanted her. He likes pretty girls, needs their admiration I guess, It must give him an ego boost." Lee said softly placing a kiss on Faye's bare shoulder. "I wouldn't let him take her in that van though." He said as he cast an eye to the large camper.

"Does he not come out much?" Ian asked as Lee shrugged. "Only later on, around 10ish. I personally feel it's in part because he can say what he wants by then, everyone's drugged or drunk." Lee said as the slight sweet scent on cannabis wafted over. Lisa giggled at something her new male friend was saying. "We tend to try and retire to our tent before he arrives in the circle.""How long have you been here?" Claire asked as she fiddled with a loose strand of cotton on her peasant blouse. "Erm about 5 nights. We were hoping th...that well we might be able to hitchhike with the rest of them bu...but it almost seems as if they aren't that bothered at getting to San Francisco anymore. We're kind of stuck." Faye said as she sighed slightly. "Well look if you want to go, we're happy to take you. If you don't mind things been a little cramped." Ian said as Faye turned to look at Lee. "What do you think?""I think it sounds like a plan, some of these guys are alright but something feels off with Charlie an...and his followers." Lee mused as Faye nodded with a small smile.

"Faye sing for us!" One of the slightly spaced out girls asked in a whiny voice as Faye smiled and tuned her guitar. "Okay, erm let me think...""..but you can learn how to be you in time. All you need is love, all you need is love, all you need is love, love. Love is all you need." She sang softly, the other's slowly starting to join in with the chorus. Claire's voice piercing the air as she hit high notes. Lee nodded approvingly as Faye smiled softly. The idyllic scene however lasted only moments as a man with wild eyes stepped out of the large van, flanked by almost vapid cult-like members. "I thought I said no pop music." He snapped as Faye slowly ceased her playing. "Sorry Charlie. I...I...""Stupid girl." He shot as Ian felt anger bubble up at the man's dismissive nature however something held him back from speaking out. Perhaps it was the idea that Lee who seemed somewhat ripped and built for a hippie was weary of the man.

"I thi...think I want to go to bed." Claire ventured as she held her hand as the joint passed to her. She might like most elements of the hippie culture but drugs wasn't one of them. Ian had no such qualms and took a puff though grew slightly green as he did so and spluttered with a cough. Lisa rolled her eyes and took a puff of the joint giggling as she leaned against the arm of a man Faye knew to be called Johnny. "Bed darlin' why the parties just starting." Charlie said in a menacing tone as he beckoned to one of his minions. "Why not get the special punch we made to welcome our new guests.""Oh I'm good." Claire said in a small voice. "Oh please just humour me, share a cup of punch with us then retire." Charlie said as he had one of the men bring out a bowl of punch. "We'll toast to our new friends and perhaps little miss sunshine over there could sing something more apt." He said as Lee wrapped his arms protectively around Faye.

"Here take this one." A man said handing Claire a cup of punch. She smiled softly and took the cup. "Thanks." "So you hanging around here for a little while?" Charlie asked as Ian shook his head. "No we'll just crash for the night and then head off again. We don't want to miss out. I heard on the radio Janis Joplin's playing." Lisa said as she sipped her own punch, the taste a little acidic almost. "Well sounds fascinating. That punch will help you sleep." Charlie said with an unnerving smile as he looked to Lee and Faye. "I hear you two are planning on leaving our little commune. Were we not hospitable enough?" "Oh you were, you are." Faye stammered as she sipped her punch. "We just want to go to San Francisco, is that so bad Charlie?""Oh no, no of course not."

Lee yawned as he drained the final dregs of his cup. "Come on Fifi." He smiled as he tugged her hand. She smiled tiredly and stood up. "Wake us when you're ready to go." She smiled as she headed to the tent she and Lee had put up. "We will." Lisa shouted as she headed to the camper, her dark hair now crowned with a wreath of flowers deftly crafted by the man named Johnny who seemed forlorn at the idea of her departure. The camper door closed and the tent light went out. Johnny turned to Charles with a despairing look on his face. "Must we kill them?" He asked as Charlie's eyes glowed a menacing blood red and the moonlight shone on the set of vampire fangs he now displayed having turned into game face. "Johnny we need to eat. You want a fledgling vampire go for it, but the others, they are for feeding." Charlie said as he turned to the rest of the group, all in vampire face, craving fresh and young blood.

The idea of drug laced punch is actually what happened to the Jonestown members. They were forced to drink laced kool-aid in a mass suicide.  I love the thoughts of the girls in peasant blouses and minidresses, I think they'd look amazing in the style of the 60's. Beehives and long boots. The Summer of Love took place in 1967 in San Francisco, in 1969 the Manson followers would be involved in a number of shootings most well-known of which was the pregnant Sharon Tate who was a actress and wife of a director.