Mystery Fiction: The Quest of Existence (Journey): Magic is not the only thing to spell bound, there are other mysteries too... (51 page)

Alicia
stepp
e
d
up
to
the
p
a
rking,
took
out
h
e
r
ca
r
a
nd
le
f
t
to find Ed
w
in.

A
f
ter
a
bout
a
d
r
ive
of 20
m
i
nutes she
r
e
a
c
h
e
d
the
p
a
rk
that th
e
y  use
to
vis
i
t
o
f
ten.
Ed
w
in
w
a
s
si
t
t
i
ng
on
a
b
e
n
c
h, sta
r
ing
a
t
the
l
i
t
t
le
pub
li
c
.
He
w
a
s
re
a
l
l
y look
i
ng
insane
in his
s
poi
l
e
d h
a
ir, disp
l
a
ce
d
c
ol
l
a
r
a
nd the
op
e
n
b
ut
t
ons of his shirt.
He
h
a
d
a
p
a
c
k
o
f
c
ig
a
r
e
t
t
e in
his
h
a
nd
a
nd
w
a
s
c
oughing ag
a
in and
a
g
a
i
n.

Alicia
got
b
a
d
l
y
h
u
rt to see
hi
m
, she
r
a
n to
w
a
rds
h
i
m
.

“
Ed
w
in,
Ed
w
in
?
”
she
w
a
s
ca
l
l
ing
him
while
ru
n
ning.
B
u
t

he
w
a
s lo
s
t so
m
e
wh
e
r
e
.

“
H
e
y
!
Ed?
W
h
y
don’t
y
ou
l
i
st
e
n
to
me.”
S
he
s
a
id
a
s
she
a
ppro
a
c
h
e
d hi
m
,
ca
tchi
n
g h
e
r b
r
e
a
th.

Ed
w
in
just
took
a
g
lan
c
e
of
h
e
r,
turn
e
d
his
f
a
c
e
a
nd
took out
t
he
last
c
iga
re
t
t
e
f
r
o
m h
i
s po
c
k
e
t.

“
S
top
i
t!”
she sn
a
tch
e
d t
h
e
c
iga
r
e
t
t
e
a
nd the
p
ac
k
f
rom him.
“
Oh
Go
d
!
I
t
m
ea
ns
th
e
y
w
e
re
tell
i
n
g
the
truth
?
”
she
s
a
id
a
s

s
a
w
the
c
iga
r
e
t
t
e
p
ac
k
f
ull
of
a
sh
a
nd
c
onsum
e
d
c
iga
re
t
t
e

pie
ce
s.

“
W
h
y
a
re
y
ou
doing
th
i
s
Ed
?
”
she
a
sked
h
e
lp
l
e
ss
l
y
put
t
ing

the sn
a
tch
e
d
c
i
g
a
r
e
t
t
e
in
t
he
p
ac
k.

Ed
w
in
did
not
r
e
spond.
S
he
stood
up
a
nd
thr
e
w
the
p
ac
k
in the n
ea
r
b
y
tr
a
sh bin.

“
W
h
y
’ve
y
ou
c
ome
?
”
he
a
sked
in a
f
a
int
tone.
“
B
eca
u
s
e,
I
w
a
s
wo
r
ri
e
d
a
bout
y
ou
.
”
S
he
said polite
l
y
.

“
S
he
a
lw
a
y
s
fo
r
g
e
ts
a
b
out
h
e
r
c
ond
u
c
t
with
m
e
.”
Ed
w
in

nodd
e
d th
i
nking
t
o hi
m
s
e
lf.

“
W
o
r
ri
e
d
a
bout
m
e
?
”
he
c
hu
c
kled in sor
r
o
w.

“
Y
ea
h
”
she
took
a
p
a
u
se
“
I
’m
s
o
r
r
y
Ed
w
in
.
”
S
he
w
a
s

f
e
e
l
i
ng
e
mb
a
r
ra
ssed.

“
S
o
r
r
y
?
”
he
qu
e
st
i
on
e
d
l
y
ing
str
e
ss
“
S
o
r
r
y for
wh
a
t?
F
or th
i
s
?
”
he
poin
t
e
d
is
in
j
u
r
e
d
h
a
nd
a
nd
s
a
id
“
F
or
y
o
ur
s
l
a
p? Or f
o
r
using
me
l
i
ke
a
t
i
s
sue
p
a
p
e
r
?
”
he
b
e
nt
to
l
o
ok
on
h
e
r f
a
c
e
a
nd s
a
id
i
n gri
e
f.

“
F
or
a
ll
of th
e
m.” She
w
a
s ext
re
me
l
y
e
mba
r
r
a
ss
e
d.

“
Ok
a
y
, now l
e
a
ve
me
a
l
o
ne
ple
a
s
e
.
”
He
s
a
id
i
n a
t
i
r
e
d tone.

Th
e
re
w
a
s a silen
c
e
f
or
a
f
e
w moments th
e
n she
b
e
g
a
n.

“
I thought
a
lo
t
,
a
bout
o
ur
last
m
e
e
t
i
ng,
the
last
night
a
nd fin
a
l
l
y
c
on
c
lu
d
e
d
that
I
w
a
s
s
a
f
e
at
y
our
home.”
S
he
s
a
id
i
n
e
mba
r
r
a
ss
m
e
nt.

“
Oh
thanks
to
th
i
nk
e
nough
e
v
e
n
a
ft
e
r
h
e
a
ring
a
ll
that
f
r
om

me.”
He
c
ough
e
d.

“
Ed
w
in
I
’m so
r
r
y
.
”
S
he
t
ri
e
d to co
a
x
.

“
P
le
a
se
Alici
a
,
y
our
s
y
mpat
h
y
will
hurt
me
.
”
He
tried
to

k
ee
p h
e
r
a
w
a
y
f
r
om h
i
m.