Chapter 53: On the road down the road.

The group continues their drive to Mexico, making stops along the way for groceries and gas. Surprisingly, Priscilla has been a huge help, pitching in for gas money and buying necessities.

At one stop, the group pulls into a nearby store to pick up more supplies. Everyone steps out, including Priscilla. Luna raises an eyebrow.

"Umm, Priscilla… how can you step into the sun despite, you know…" she asks hesitantly.

Priscilla lets out a laugh. "Oh, sweetheart, it's because my father, my brother, and I have conquered the sun. If you wish to know how, ask my father if you ever meet him—it's quite the tale."

Luna smiles, happy to meet a vampire who isn't pure evil. It gives her hope that other monsters can be like her.

Inside the store, everyone splits up to grab what they need. Luna goes with Sunny, Priscilla pairs up with Tera, and JJ and Jamal stick together.

As they walk, Luna smiles and even skips a little, clearly in a good mood.

Sunny, amused, raises an eyebrow. "So, what's got you so happy?"

Luna's smile brightens. "I don't know, I just feel happy!"

Sunny reaches over and gives her a light head pat. "Well, keep it up then, partner."

Meanwhile, JJ and Jamal head toward the alcohol section, both craving a drink—but nothing too strong. As they browse, a child suddenly comes barreling toward them. Before the kid can crash into him, JJ instinctively catches them.

"Whoa there, champ! Be more careful!" he says with a chuckle.

The child's mother rushes over, apologizing profusely before taking her kid away to scold them for being reckless.

However, while JJ and Jamal are enjoying themselves and Luna and Sunny are in good spirits, Priscilla is struggling to keep Tera under control. The energetic cat girl keeps trying to leap onto the shelves, eager to see what's at the top.

"You must understand, you can't just climb onto everything!" Priscilla shouts, holding onto Tera.

Tera squirms in her grasp. "You must understand, I desire to see what's at the top of the store! Think of the treasure that could exist up there!"

Before Priscilla can respond, Tera suddenly begins to gator roll in her arms, twisting rapidly to free herself. Slipping from Priscilla's grasp, she bolts off, beginning the chase all over again.

Priscilla, determined, pursues her through the store. While she knows she'll never have to take a break, she expects Tera to tire out eventually. But to her surprise, Tera shows no signs of slowing down. Each time Priscilla leaps up to grab her, Tera gator rolls out of her grasp and scampers away.

Finally, one of the store employees tries to intervene, attempting to grab Tera. However, they quickly become frustrated, baffled by how incredibly fast she is. In their irritation, they throw a small object at her. To their shock, the object vanishes completely before it can reach Tera.

Unbeknownst to the employee, Priscilla had used a spell to make the object disappear. She glares at them, silently warning them not to interfere with their game.

Finally, Priscilla catches Tera one last time. Tera looks satisfied, having enjoyed a fun game of cat and mouse. She then requests to return to the RV for a well-deserved cat nap. With that, Priscilla and Tera head back, both content with their fun—much to the dismay of the store employees.

Sunny and Luna, having occasionally seen Tera and Priscilla dash by like it was an episode of Scooby-Doo, chuckle to themselves.

"Tera really seems to be full of energy all the time," Luna says with a smile.

Sunny nods. "Yeah, it's 'cause she's a Cataneese," she whispers to Luna. "Her people are naturally full of energy. Having one travel with us makes sense now."

Sunny then grins. "Yeah, she's a handful, but I'm still happy to have her around. She might be messy and have more energy than all of us combined, but she's also a great hunter."

Luna nods in agreement. "Yeah, I've seen her catch birds midair. She always brings them to me, expecting a reward or praise or something."

Sunny chuckles. "Yeah, she's an amazing hunter, but she's awful when it comes to eating vegetables. She outright refuses, claiming 'the greens will harm her.'"

The two share a laugh as they finish their shopping. Meanwhile, the store manager sighs, cleaning up after the chaos Tera left behind. However, they aren't too angry—Priscilla had paid for everything that was broken, ensuring nothing went to waste. Plus, the employees received some very generous tips, making it a surprisingly good day for them.

As Luna and Sunny check out, JJ and Jamal finally finish their shopping as well. With their errands complete, the group heads back to the RV, ready to continue their journey.

While unloading the groceries and putting them away, Priscilla has already started cooking something. The group relaxes as the day comes to an end, continuing their drive to Mexico.