The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story

Chapter 0630

Julian, Nicholas, Tiffany, Veronica, and I piled into a pair of inconspicuous looking cars and drove to small town. It took around 45 minutes, during which, Tiffany sat amazed at the many dials and knobs that made up the center console of this older-model sedan.

"No touchscreen," she said for the fourth time. She couldn't seem to believe it.

Nicholas followed Julian into the village and parked on main street, where a few shops and restaurants took up residence in a stretch of older brick buildings. There was a park at the end of the road, with a graveyard off to the side of it behind a tall gate.

After we had parked and reconvened on the sidewalk, Julian said, "We should split up so we don't seem so conspicuous, Nicholas, you and Piper head south. Veronica -*

"I will investigate the cemetery," Veronica said.

Julian considered this, then nodded. "Tiffany and I will go north."

We each were equipped with the most recent photo of the older couple that we could find. Then we parted ways.

Nicholas and I went into the grocery store first. After all, the couple would need their groceries. However, most of the employees there were too young to remember the couple. Disappointed but not deterred, we left that store and tried another.

We went to a barber shop, a pharmacy, a gas station, and finally a local shop with cards and knick-knacks. The woman at the counter at the knick-knack shop was older than most of the other people we had encountered.

Still, even in a small town, there was no certainty everyone would know everyone else.

Yet when I showed her the photo of the couple, her whole body went rigid. "They're long dead now. Whatever they did, you won't get the truth from them."

Hope soared in my heart. "You knew them? All we are looking for is information."

"I don't know what to tell you, sweetie," she said. Her nametag read Mary. "They moved into town suddenly, appearing in a house that had sat empty for years seemingly overnight. But they kept to themselves."

"You didn't speak with them?" I asked.

"Not any more than "hey, how are you.' Well... except for this one time..." Mary tapped her finger to her chin. "What happened?" Nicholas prompted.

trying to deem if we were trustworthy. She must have decided, because she leaned forward at once

two, or buy a newspaper. The husband, I saw him more than the

makes you think that?" Nicholas

into the store once, real late at night. He needed held with an internet search. He didn't know much about how things worked. I was happy to help. He was trying to track down a pair of twins. They were in foster care, he said, but he didn't

relentlessly searching. He had that look, you know? That grief-guilt look.

foster care?" I asked. Not dead, then. This was very important news! If the lost princesses weren't dead, then we had a chance of

of the foster home wasn't great news, but if we followed their trek from the border, we should

some babies.

meant we still had a ton of work to do. But it was better than nothing, and certainly gave some hope to what

me and asked me to keep searching. I did, for a

still have the photo?" Nicholas

sure... I really never get rid of anything." Mary

looking for it?" Nicholas asked.

"Your... search? Just what are you

as him," I said. "We're trying to find

out of foster care by now," Mary

lead we have,"

turned and disappeared into a back room. We could hear her shuffling around in there, searching through stacks

then," Nicholas said,

to the same conclusion. "A picture would help. I hoped. Truthfully, all

She came back out to the front of the store waving a

image was grainy and slightly fuzzy, but in it were a pair of

Nicholas. He looked at it for a long time but didn't say a word.

toward the cemetery, which had been our agreed upon meeting place. Veronica was standing near a plain headstone with

and Tiffany arrived at the

heard," Tiffany said,

but then showed them the photo. "But Mary at the card shop thankfully never gets rid of anything." I conveyed Mary's story and all that