"Are you sure you're okay, Chantel?" A tall, tanned, well bodied brown-skinned young man named Jesse Vega asked.

Jesse was wearing a black ripped jeans, a white shirt paired a black vest, and white sneakers. His height towered over the petite young fair-skinned woman wearing a large t-shirt, jean shorts, slip-on shoes. Walking with her friend, Chantel and Jesse left their condominium community heading to Crystal Park for the Music Festival. Chantel didn't wait for their other friend, Darren.

"I'm fine!" Chantel's lips puckered, protesting. Chantel saw Jesse's hand reached out to her, but she swatted his hand away from her. She complained to him, "You and Darren treat me like I'm some porcelain doll! I can take care of myself, ya know?"

Jesse scratched his head, messing up his long wavy dirty blonde dread locked hair with a ponytail. His dread locked hair reached down to his shoulders. "Sorry! I didn't mean it that way! I'm worried about you sometimes you know since last night you almost fain-." Jesse tried to backtrack what he said to her.

"Let's get movin' before Linda get on our asses if we're late." Chantel interrupted Jesse's unfinished sentence as she sped up her walking pace. She hated talking about the subject on her health.

As the two friends walked, they heard the jingling sound of a bike chain close behind them. Chantel and Jesse turned their heads to see their friend, Darren riding on his bike. Darren pedaled his bike fast up next to them as Chantel and Jesse stopped in their tracks for a second.

"I thought... you guys ... were going to... wait for me?" Darren panted between his words. Darren took deep breaths when he stopped his bike next to them.

"Nah, we got a head start, and it's not our fault you live farther back than us. It gives you motivation to pedal faster." Chantel remarked as she stuck out her tongue to tease him.

After a bit of laughter roared among the friends, the group continued on to walk to the festival. Chantel didn't notice that Jesse stopped behind them. She looked back, then back up to see as Jesse gazed into a neighborhood full of abandoned houses. Chantel also noticed that Darren rode over to the two of them. The group stared at the run-down neighborhood with a large metal fence around the area. Most of the run-down houses had a charcoal color that showed which resulted from a fire. Overgrown grass took over what once used to be yards of these former homes. Chantel looked up an enormous sign worded, "Future for the new luxury town homes development."

"So, they finally going to do something for the old Bay Side Square neighborhood." Jesse spoke out until Chantel huffed in response.

"Of course, they finally did something. I still can't believe they never found the person or group who committed the arson to this neighborhood. This used to be such a nice neighborhood back in the day." Chantel commented. She put her fingers on the metal fence and continue to glance at the broken down neighborhood.

"Remember when we were eleven-year-olds, we all tried to walk through this neighborhood when we were kids to get to the woods? We wanted to prove to the kids at summer camp that a 'Ghost Town' beyond Golden Oak Woods was real." Jessie said.

When Chantel's head turned to the boy and replied to Jesse, "Yeah, we were stupid young eleven-year-olds. I guess that so-called town didn't exist." Chantel noticed that her friend who Darren stayed quiet throughout the conversation. He had his hands in his black jean pockets as he gazed up into the sky. She headed over to touch his shoulder to grab his attention. Darren looked at Chantel, turning away from the sky, away from his distraction.

"Huh?" Darren blinked when Chantel brought him out from staring into space.

"Are you okay?" Chantel questioned. Her eyebrow raised in concern.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. You know, let's get moving you guys." Darren pulled up his bike to ride back on it.

The group started moved away from the abandoned neighborhood.  All traffic was all heading to the park for the festival. The loud noises from the engines of cars and buses filled Chantel’s ears. One silver car sped by the group, spewing out smoke from its exhaust. Chantel covered her mouth to keep herself from breathing the harsh fumes. The group passed by a bus stop where a bus stopped there to drop off a bunch of people.

Chantel glanced at a particular group of five people who looked "different" from the bus crowd. She saw a beautiful fair-skinned young woman with wavy brunette hair. She walked close to a handsome young man who was also fair-skinned with brown hair. One part of his hair styled to one side of his head. Both of them were wearing Goth-like clothing. The girl was wearing a brighter top light gray short-sleeved blouse and skirt. Her outfit matched black corset. The male donned in a black short sleeved leather jacket with a white t-shirt and black jeans. Chantel didn't see the other people with the two since she was in a hurry.

 She walked closer to Jesse, not wanting to dally around. It isn't too long until Chantel heard someone yelling, "Excuse me!"

Darren, Jesse, and Chantel turned around to see the girl that Chantel observed. The girl had a map in hand as she waved her other hand to get people's attention. Despite the girl having a friendly, bright smile on her face, people ignored her pleads for help. People brushed her aside every time the girl went to them. After watching this scene, Jesse headed over to the girl himself. Chantel knew that Jesse always hated watching people who need help get ignored.

Huffing in frustration at Jesse, she felt annoyed that he stopped to make conversation with the lost girl. Chantel tapped her foot to the ground impatiently. She took a glance at Darren, was fidgeting with his fingers on his bike handles while waiting for Jesse.

After waiting for about five minutes, Chantel saw the girl calling her group over. She watched a group of four people and the lost girl ended up following Jesse. Jesse and the group headed back to Darren and her.  Letting out a loud sigh, Chantel watched Jesse smiled then introduced the girl and her group.

"Hey, guys! This is Amelia and this is her band, The Hexes. They got lost around here so I told them to follow us since we're going to the same place too!" Jesse explained to his friends."

"Oh, I see. Um, Hi?" Chantel waved at the girl and her band.

"Well, The Hexes.... That's um...." Darren stopped at his sentence for a second then said, "an interesting band name..."

"Thanks!" Amelia piped up and said to Jesse," Sorry to hold you up. I guess we should get going!"

Not wasting anymore time, the group left to head over to Crystal Park trying to beat the rest of the huge crowd. After meeting The Hexes, Chantel couldn't help to shake off the feelings that there was something odd about this group. However, she pushed those thoughts aside as the group finally arrived at the festival grounds.

It was time to rock.