Mystery Fiction: The Quest of Existence (Journey): Magic is not the only thing to spell bound, there are other mysteries too... (30 page)

“
W
h
a
t
i
s tha
t
?
”
she
a
sked.

“
He
h
a
s
discus
s
e
d
a
bo
u
t
y
ou
with
his
c
ol
l
e
ag
u
e
a
nd
she will
c
ome to
m
e
e
t
y
ou
tod
a
y
.
”
H
e s
a
id
si
t
t
i
ng
b
e
side
h
e
r
a
ft
e
r
w
a
i
t
ing for
h
e
r
o
f
f
er
.

“
Th
a
nks 
a   lo
t
. 
W
h
e
n 
will 
she 
a
r
r
ive
?
” 
S
he  
a
s
k
e
d
c
onsid
e
ring him pro
pe
r
l
y
th
i
s t
i
me.

“
M
a
y
be
b
e
fo
r
e
4
O’
c
l
o
c
k.”
He
p
ropos
e
d.

“
I
t
me
a
ns
it
will
ta
k
e
h
e
r
a
bout
4
hours
to
re
ac
h
.
Righ
t
?
”

she
a
sked
f
o
r a
c
o
n
fi
r
ma
t
ion.

“
Y
ea
h
.
”
He
s
a
id f
a
in
t
l
y
.

“
C
a
n
y
ou
ple
a
se
t
a
ke
m
e
to
y
our
ho
m
e
?
I w
a
nt
to
spend some t
i
me in
a di
f
f
e
r
e
nt
e
nvironme
n
t.”
S
he
a
sked
a
n un
e
xp
ec
ted q
u
e
st
i
on.

“
Alici
a
,
I do
n
’t
h
a
ve
a
n
y
p
r
ob
l
e
m
but
y
o
u
r
p
a
re
nts
won
’
t
c
on
s
ider it
a right
th
i
ng
.
” He s
a
id
hid
i
ng
his
s
tate of b
e
ing surp
r
ised.

“
W
ho
is
going
to
tell
th
e
m
?
”
S
he
tried
to
c
onvinc
e
,
“
P
le
a
se

Ed don’t disappoint
m
e
.”

S
he
ple
a
d
e
d
in
such
a
w
a
y that
h
e
c
ould
not
r
e
f
u
se
h
e
r.
S
o he
took her
to h
i
s hom
e
.

Ed
w
in open
e
d the door
a
nd
a
sked
Alicia
to go fir
s
t.

“
I
ca
n
’t
b
e
l
i
e
ve
it;
a
b
o
y
ca
n
k
ee
p
his
house
c
l
e
a
n
e
nough
?
”

S
he
e
nte
re
d the hou
s
e
a
n
d
a
dm
i
r
e
d the n
e
a
tness.

Ed
w
in
f
a
k
e
d
a
sm
i
le
b
e
ca
use
h
e
not
i
ce
d
that
h
e
did
not sm
i
le for
e
v
e
n a
sing
l
e
t
i
me since
a
f
t
e
r m
ee
t
i
ng
h
e
r
.

“
M
a
y
I
vis
i
t
y
o
u
r
hou
s
e
in
ful
l
?
”
she
a
sked
l
i
ke
a
l
i
t
t
le

n
a
ugh
t
y
girl.

“Of
c
our
s
e!”
he
not
i
ce
d
a
sudd
e
n
c
h
a
nge
in
h
e
r
b
e
h
a
vior
a
nd f
e
lt
goo
d
.

He
took
h
e
r
to
eac
h
c
o
r
n
e
r
of
his
house
a
nd
to
l
d h
e
r
e
v
e
r
y spe
c
ial
th
i
ng
a
bout
i
t
.
I
n
the
las
t
,
th
e
y w
e
r
e
in
E
d
win’s
b
e
d room
a
nd
a
ft
e
r
tell
i
ng
h
e
r
a
bout
the
photo
g
r
a
p
h
y
a
nd
ca
l
l
igr
a
p
h
y 
p
a
sted
a
nd
h
a
n
ging
in
his
room
h
e
le
f
t
the room,
to
go
down
in
the
lounge.
H
e
w
a
s
in
the
m
i
d
of the stairs
w
h
e
n he
f
e
lt
that
A
l
i
c
ia
wa
s not
f
ol
l
owing hi
m
.

“
Alici
a
”
H
e
c
a
l
l
e
d h
e
r s
t
a
ndi
n
g the
r
e
but she
did
not r
e
p
l
y
.

“
Alici
a
,
Alicia
!
”
he k
e
p
t
on
ca
l
l
ing
h
e
r n
a
me
b
ut
got
no r
e
sponse, th
i
s
th
i
ng
ma
d
e him
f
e
e
l
f
r
igh
t
e
n
e
d
a
b
o
ut
h
e
r
a
nd he
ra
n f
o
r h
e
r to
the
b
e
d
r
oom.

As he
e
nt
e
r
e
d
the
roo
m
,
he s
a
w Alic
i
a standing
i
n
f
r
ont
of the b
r
ok
e
n m
i
r
r
o
r
.

“
You
just
s
c
a
r
e
d
me
.
”
He
took
a
sigh
a
nd
s
a
id
h
a
ving
a look of h
e
r.

“
F
rom
wh
e
r
e
y
o
u
got
t
h
is
m
i
r
r
o
r
?
”
she turn
e
d
to
him
a
nd
a
sked.

“
This w
a
s
a
gift
f
rom the
si
s
ter
of
m
y
mo
t
h
e
r
.
” He
to
l
d.