A Different Tale, d.s[1]

THIRTY SIX

(CHAPTER 36 - THE STABLE BOY)

🦢🗡

At the pier, Elias and Emma were sat on a bench, looking through Henry's storybook when Athena and August walked up to them, hand in hand.

"Whatcha' doing?" Athena asked.

"Grasping at straws," Elias said.

"Still tryin' to find a way to prove your friend's been framed?" August asked.

Emma sighed, "Every time we go down a path we think leads somewhere, it ends up being a dead end. I used to think we had these great instincts...superpowers. Now, I don't know," Emma said.

"Sounds like you've both got a case of writer's block. Only without the whole writing part," August said.

"Possibly," Elias said.

"You know when i get struck by a block? I usually reread what I've done. Rather than plow ahead blindly, sometimes I find there'll be a little nugget of inspiration left behind," August said.

"You mean start over?" Emma asked.

"I mean when I start writing. I usually have one idea. And then, in the middle, I make it another idea, and...things are different," August said.

"Same goes for me with drawing. I might have one idea for an illustration, but then I get a whole new one and it all begins to fall into place," Athena said.

"So, your perspectives change," Elias said.

"Exactly," August said.

"When you two started this investigation, what was it about?" Athena asked.

"A missing person. Then, it became a murder, and then a cover-up," Elias said.

"if you knew that then, maybe you would have approached things differently," Athena said.

Elias and Emma looked at each other then stood up, "Where are you two going?" August asked.

"Scene of the crime," The twins said and started walking away.

"I'll drive," August said as he and Athena followed them.

"No, we're fine," Emma said.

"No, you're not. You haven't slept in days," August said.

"And let's be honest, it was my idea," Athena said.

The twins turned to them, "Four people can't fit on that motorcycle," Elias said.

"We'll take the squad car," the twins looked just looked at them, "Or the bug...whichever one," Athena said.

----------<3----------

Elias, Emma, Athena and August drove in the yellow bug to the Toll Bridge. The four of them walked down the an incline to the spot where Ruby found the heart.

"Ruby found the box to the heart right over here, just by the shore," Elias said.

August grimaced and the twins looked at him as Athena helped steady him, "What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"Nothing," August said.

"Doesn't seem like nothing. Hey, let me look," Emma said.

"No, it's okay. Just shin splints, let me...walk it off," August said.

"You sure?" Athena asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Athena narrowed her eyes at him, "I promise," August said.