Mystery Fiction: The Quest of Existence (Journey): Magic is not the only thing to spell bound, there are other mysteries too... (55 page)

“
Y
ea
h
”
he
said.

“
How old w
e
re
y
ou the
n
?
”
she
a
sked.

“
Did
I
re
a
l
l
y
not
sha
r
e
it
b
e
fo
re
?
”
he
a
sk
e
d
g
e
t
t
ing

surp
r
ised.

“No,
y
ou
n
e
v
e
r
talk
e
d
a
bout
them
a
nd
I
thought
th
e
y
a
r
e

not alive.”
S
he
said.

“
But
it
s
ee
ms
I
’
ve
s
h
a
r
e
d
a
ll
t
h
a
t
with
y
ou
s
ometi
m
e
, some
w
h
e
r
e
.
”
He
w
a
s s
t
i
l
l n
o
t able
b
e
l
i
e
v
e
.

“
W
e
l
l
,
I
w
a
s in
5
t
h
g
ra
de
a
t
t
h
a
t
t
i
m
e
.”
He
to
l
d h
e
r.
“
W
h
y
did
t
h
e
y
le
a
v
e
y
o
u
?
”
she
a
ske
d
..

“
I
a
lso
don’t
know
but
I
r
e
memb
e
r
I
w
a
s
qui
t
e
h
a
p
p
y
with them.
M
y mo
t
h
e
r
loved
me
a
lot
a
nd
m
y f
a
t
h
e
r
w
a
s
a
lso lov
i
ng
a
nd
ca
ring.”  He
s
a
i
d
,
r
e
memb
e
ring
those
golden d
a
y
s.

“
A
r
e 
y
ou 
su
r
e 
th
e
y 
r
e
a
l
l
y 
le
f
t 
y
ou
?
” 
s
he 
w
a
nted

c
onfi
r
mation.

“
W
h
a
t do
y
ou m
e
a
n
?
”
he
qu
e
st
i
on
e
d.

“
Do
y
ou
h
a
ve
a
n
y
other
r
e
lative
e
x
c
e
pt
Un
c
le
F
r
e
d
r
ick
?
”

she
a
sked.

“
Y
ea
h
I
’ve
but
I
n
e
v
e
r m
e
t
t
h
e
m a
f
ter
m
y
p
a
r
e
nts
.
”
He
said.
“
Did
y
our
p
a
r
e
nts
h
a
ve
c
onfli
c
ts
with
someon
e
?
O
f
fi
c
ial
l
y

or
p
e
rson
a
l
l
y
?
”
she
a
s
k
e
d.

“
No,
th
e
y
w
e
re
f
r
e
e
f
rom
a
ll
such
is
s
u
e
s.
This
is
t
he
r
e
a
son

that
I
bla
m
e
m
y
s
e
lf ins
te
a
d of th
e
m.” he
s
a
id.

S
omeone
kno
c
k
e
d
a
t
t
he
door
a
nd op
e
n
e
d i
t
.

“
Ed
w
in,
make su
r
e she
finis
h
e
s
i
t
.”
I
t
w
a
s
Mrs.
W
ick
e
ts h
a
ving
a glass
o
f m
i
lk
f
or Alici
a
.
S
he p
l
ace
d
that
on
h
e
r b
e
dside t
a
ble
a
nd l
e
ft.

“
S
u
r
e Aunt.”
H
e
sm
i
led.

“
W
h
a
t
w
e
re
th
e
y
doin
g
?
”
Mr.
W
ick
e
ts
a
sked
wh
e
n
Mrs.

W
ick
e
ts ente
re
d h
e
r
r
o
o
m.

“
Roman
ce
.”
S
he
t
ea
s
e
d.

“
W
h
a
t
?
I
w
a
s
a
l
r
ea
d
y
t
e
l
l
ing
y
ou
not
to
trust
e
n
o
ugh.”
Mr.

W
ick
e
ts
s
a
id
i
n
a
ng
e
r.

“
Come
on,
th
e
y
w
e
r
e
h
a
ving
a
g
e
n
e
r
a
l
discuss
i
on.”
S
he

s
a
id.

“
How
w
e
re
th
e
y
si
t
t
i
ng
?
”
he
a
sked
hu
r
ri
e
d
l
y
.
“
Oh
m
y
God”
Mrs.
W
ic
k
e
ts got
te
a
s
e
d.

“
Alicia
w
a
s
si
t
t
i
ng
on
h
e
r
b
e
d
a
nd
Ed
w
in
w
a
s
on
the
s
o
fa
.”
S
he
str
e
ssed on
“
si
t
t
i
ng”
a
nd
“
sof
a
”
.

“
Did
y
ou kn
o
c
k the door
b
e
fo
r
e
e
nte
r
ing
?
”
he
a
sk
e
d.
“
Obvious
l
y
!
Oth
e
r
w
ise
Ed
w
in
would
th
i
nk
that
we
don’t

h
a
ve
mann
e
rs.”
S
he
w
a
s
g
e
t
t
ing
t
ir
e
d of
h
is
i
nquir
y
.