Elgin's Enigma ✔

Part 16

INT. "CURIO SHOP" RUN DOWN STORE–DAY

The shop is unusually quiet and the SHOP KEEPER is polishing the statue of the man. DARCY, RANDI and GINA walk into the shop tentatively.

GINA: Um, Vanessa and Jordania...

RANDI: Have other things to do. Anyways, I bet the old guy won't be happy to see me.

DARCY: Um, what am I supposed to do again?

RANDI: You help Gina ask about the letter and I'll be over here, keeping a look out.

GINA: Is a look out really necessary?

RANDI: You might never know with this place.

Randi walks over to the couch and lies down. Randi's eyes shut close and Darcy looks over quizzically.

DARCY: I thought you were doing look out.

RANDI: I am.

DARCY: Dude.

RANDI: What, child?

DARCY: Whatever, let's just ask the questions and go. C'mon, Gina.

Darcy and Gina walk up to the shop keep and Darcy places a hand on the counter.

DARCY: There was a page from a journal here the other day and we wanted to know if you knew anything.

SHOP KEEPER: What did the page look like?

DARCY: It was white and paper... and it exploded in thin air... and I wasn't there for it.

SHOP KEEPER: Ah, yes. That incident.

GINA: Do you know anything of that book before it was destroyed?

SHOP KEEPER: It was part of some old book someone brought to me here once. What a funny story. They called it a "journal of doubt". Tried to sell it to me. As if I would not recognize an obvious forgery. I haven't seen them since dismissing them. Probably out there peddling their misinformation on the streets. I feel bad for those who would get caught in such a ruse.

GINA: Did it say anything?

SHOP KEEPER: Bah. Of course not. Nothing but forgeries.

GINA: You called it the journal of doubt right? Is that the name of the journal?

SHOP KEEPER: There is no such thing as a journal of doubt. Someone else wants to be a part of the course of the universe, wants to play their own game. So they invent these things and take on the appearance of another. And then to try and sell it to me? The nerve. I can't imagine where they went off to afterwards or who else they tried to swindle.

GINA: Who was the person who tried to sell it to you then? Do you know what they look like or their name?

SHOP KEEPER: I would not, unfortunately. Too many that come and go in this shop They were only here a minute before they left as well.

DARCY (to Gina): I feel like we're going nowhere with this.

GINA (pauses): Well, who's to say this establishment isn't false as well?

SHOP KEEPER: Pardon?

GINA: The trinkets, the marks, the mystery of it all. What if it was all misleading us?

DARCY: Yo, I don't think this is a good idea.

SHOP KEEPER: To think I would be pointed at with such accusations. I would have to ask you to leave if you plan to proceed in such a fashion.