Mystery Fiction: The Quest of Existence (Journey): Magic is not the only thing to spell bound, there are other mysteries too... (58 page)

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I
t
w
a
s
the  mon
t
h
of
D
ece
m
b
e
r 
a
nd
t
h
e  te
m
p
e
r
a
tu
r
e 
a
t Al
a
ska f
e
ll
down
to
-
6
°C.
The morning
w
a
s
r
a
ther
ple
a
sing for Ed
w
in,
a
s
he
l
i
k
e
d
s
l
ight
snow
f
a
ll
but
Alicia
w
a
s
a bit
a
l
l
e
rgic to
these th
i
ngs.
And
the
f
e
w
p
a
st
d
a
y
s
h
a
pp
e
nings h
a
d
a
dd
e
d
more
to
h
e
r
ir
r
i
t
a
t
i
on
but
she
w
a
s
c
onst
a
nt
l
y t
r
y
ing
to
p
re
tend
norm
a
l
a
s
she
w
a
s
a
void
i
ng dis
t
u
r
bing Ed
w
in ag
a
in.

“H
e
y
!
Alici
a
!
W
h
a
t
a
re
y
ou
doing
h
e
re gir
l
?
Co
m
e
with
us, we 
a
re  making
plan
f
or
skating
tod
a
y
.”
Rihana 
c
a
me running to invi
t
e
Alicia
f
or
skating.

“
Hi, thanks R
i
h
a
n
a
! But
y
o
u know,
I
h
a
rd
l
y
b
ea
r
w
a
lk
i
ng in such
a
w
e
a
ther
a
nd
y
ou
a
re
a
sking
me
f
o
r
sta
k
in
g
?
”
she f
a
k
e
d a
sm
i
le.

“
Oh,
c
o
m
e
on girl!
You
a
re a
bo
r
n of
Al
a
ska,
a
nd
sometime
y
o
u
m
a
ke me
doubtful
s
a
y
ing
such th
i
ng
s
.
Com
e
,
th
i
s
t
i
me for
me pl
ea
s
e
!”
Riha
n
a
ins
i
sted.

“
I
a
m
sor
r
y
Rihan
a
,
th
i
s
is
n
ea
r
l
y
i
m
poss
i
ble
for
me.
I
h
a
ve n
e
v
e
r
gone
for
skating
b
e
fo
re
;
e
v
e
n
I do
n
’t
know
how
to b
a
lan
c
e
m
y
s
e
lf
on
the
m
.” Alicia tried
h
e
r
b
e
st
to
r
e
fuse Rihan
a
.

“
W
h
a
t
?
A
r
e
y
ou
kidd
i
n
g
me?
I
don’t  b
e
l
i
e
v
e
i
t
.
Ok
a
y
, suppose
y
ou
h
a
d
n
e
v
e
r
b
ee
n
to
th
i
s
e
xp
e
ri
e
n
ce
,
th
i
s
mak
e
s it
e
v
e
n
e
x
c
i
t
e
d.
I
’ll
t
e
a
c
h
y
ou
how to
do
a
ll
tha
t
.”
Rihana k
e
pt on pe
r
suading.

“
F
irst
t
e
ll
me
w
h
e
re
is
E
dwi
n
?
”
she
a
sked
Rihan
a
.

“
I
s
a
w him si
t
t
i
ng in
t
he
l
i
b
ra
r
y
a
nd
I
a
sked
to
c
o
m
e
with us but
he r
e
fu
s
e
d
s
a
y
ing
t
h
a
t
he is
f
e
e
l
i
ng
down t
o
d
a
y
.
”
S
he to
l
d h
e
r.

“
Oh,
th
i
s
is
w
h
y
h
e
is
hid
i
ng
hi
m
s
e
lf.
I
t
won
’
t
be
good
if
I go
without
hi
m
,
let’s
go
a
nd
t
r
y to
p
e
rsu
a
de
hi
m
.
”
Alicia sugg
e
sted R
i
h
a
n
a
.

“
S
o,
y
ou
me
a
n
that
y
ou
will
go
if
he
jo
i
n
s
u
s
?
”
Rihana

b
eca
me
a
bit
e
x
c
i
t
e
d.

“
Of
c
ours
e
,  I
wil
l
.”
S
h
e
sm
i
led
a
nd
th
e
y
w
a
l
k
e
d
to
the

c
ol
l
e
ge
l
i
b
ra
r
y
.

Ed
w
in
w
a
s
si
t
t
i
n
g
in a
c
o
r
n
e
r
tabl
e
,
with
a
n
op
e
n
book
i
n f
r
ont
of  hi
m
.
But
Al
i
c
ia
c
ould
s
e
nse  that
h
e  is
just p
re
tending
to
be
invo
l
v
e
d
in
stu
d
y
ing
the book
a
s
the signs of
a
nxie
t
y w
e
re
c
le
a
r
on
his
f
a
ce
.
T
h
e
y both
r
eac
h
e
d
Ed
w
in but
he
c
ould
not
e
n
c
ou
n
ter their
p
r
e
s
e
n
ce
.
Riha
n
a
nodd
e
d Alicia
f
or talking
to h
i
m first.

“
Ah
a
hum”
Alic
i
a
c
l
e
a
r
e
d
h
e
r
t
h
ro
a
t
a
s
to
make
him

a
t
t
e
nt
i
v
e
.

“
Oh,
hi”
Ed
w
in
a
l
m
ost
whisp
e
r
e
d
c
om
i
ng
to
know
a
bout

h
e
r p
re
s
e
n
ce
, hid
i
ng his
s
tate
of b
e
ing
l
ost.

“
Hi, is
e
v
e
r
y
th
i
ng ok
a
y
?
”
Alicia
qu
e
st
i
on
e
d.

“Y
ea
h,
it
is.
How
a
bout
y
o
u
p
e
ople
?
”
He tried
to
make t
h
e si
t
u
a
t
i
on no
r
mal.