Picking up the novel that Pipaluk flatly laid on the table, Hector snickered as he flipped through the pages.

Feeling its smooth leather sleeve, caused him to tremble as he became ticklish. The hardback's lavish texture gave an heirloom-quality feel and its moisture-resistant material made Hector skirmish. Due to it's softness, it appeared that the book had magical powers  and had found its target - the stubborn archaeologist who needed to learn a lesson.

Even though a cold shiver shook him, Hector thought nothing of it. Instead, he kept focusing on the work of fiction and its cover, which caused him to figure out how the title of the book might be related to the spherical area they found surrounding Tribeca.

If a copy of that book was located within those premises, it would have survived through the fire or chemical burn since its covering resembles to be of a shield.

With that thought, Hector believed warriors could be involved. Imagining strong men with armored shields attacking each other on the field was a bit far fetched, although it could have happened in the ancient days of Tribeca.

Putting his left hand under his chin, Hector began to understand why his colleague persisted that the ancient civilization was possessed.

Magic must be the primary hidden source that keeps that village alive.

There must be something mysterious about that location, perhaps Tribeca was a burial ground or a site where they did ancient sacrifices. Hmm, maybe I could also figure this out before Westcott does.

Thus, a bright idea clicked in his head!

And I would be the first to be credited with the concept that Tribeca must be a place that should be handled with care!

Dr. Sanchez's day dreams took him away for a bit, until he realized that he was still holding onto the book of Tribeca's secrets.

Hector  became mystified by what he just learned and looked directly into the old man's eyes, as if Pipaluk had hypnotized him.

"Reborn, huh? And you say the place is haunted?" Thus, do you think a spirit there has been reincarnated?"

Pipaluk grinned. He finally convinced Hector to believe in magic! The wizardly dust he placed upon the Reborn novel  worked!

If only Mary could hear this up in heaven! I found another soul for her to entrap!

- - - -

"Sonny, all the answers to those questions are true. Believe it or not, it's a known fact that my people believed in. And I know the spirit of Lady Mary of Elsinore lies within those spheres as I witnessed her burial. Yet I was quite young when that happened, so I don't remember all the details. But it was quite a memorable event because back when Tribeca was still livable, we'd hold a holiday for her. If both of you have time, I'd like to tell you about Mary's story and her daughters."

Out of the blue, a wild outburst came out of Hector's mouth. A vice called jealousy appeared within his soul.

"Call me Dr. Sanchez!" Hector sharply replied as he knew Chad was deeply regarded as the Professor who had more prestige than him. The young archaeologist didn't know why he blurted that out loud, but a sense of distrust became of him. Hector didn't want to be rude to the older gentleman, but did not like the idea for a stranger to call him his son. Hector knew Pipaluk didn't mean anything offensive, but feeling neglected caused him to feel uneasy.

Why does Chad get to be called Dr. Westcott and I don't get a courtesy title. Don't I deserve any respect?

"Dr. Sanchez! Have some common courtesy!" Dr. Westcott snapped as he did not appreciate Hector's abrupt behavior .

Why do you act like my father, Chad? Always trying to look after me like a child. I know we are supposed to act professional on and off the job, but Pipaluk's witty response got me irritated, so I had to tell him how I preferred to be called. There's no harm in that, is there?

Not wanting to start an argument, Hector bit his tongue and placed his head down. Even though he wanted to voice his thoughts out loud, he remained silent and attempted to look away from both men due to shame.

Touching Dr.Westcott's back, Pipaluk smiled. "It's alright, my boy."

With a wrinkled nose and curled up lip, Pipaluk pitied Hector and asked him for forgiveness.

"I'm sorry Dr. Sanchez, but having visitors reminds me of my own younger siblings, who I have not seen in a long time. They are adults now, but they haven't visited Arrowhead Pines for some time, since they no longer want to be associated with the tribe anymore due to embarassment. Thus, I tend to treat my visitors and co-workers like family as I've lost my own"

Trying to keep himself from sobbing, Pipaluk sighed.

Hector realized what he did was wrong and opened his mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted.

"I thought you said you were the last descendant of the Tribeca tribe?" Dr. Westcott asked.

"I am, but Lily and Emile Spock are my adopted sisters ever since my dear mother became their guardian years ago. My mother, Periwinkle, used to take care of the two girls ever since they were babies. Unfortunately, their parents died in a car crash when they were very young. Well, that's what I was told. As a child, people hardly tell you the truth. I figure there's more to that story than meets the eye. Anyway , the girls needed someone to take care of them and that's how my mother, their nanny, stepped in. Their only living relatives weren't able to take care of them since they were too old, so the court gave Periwinkle, the right to adopt them. Thus, Lily and Emile are my adopted sisters and that's how the two girls became part of the Tribeca clan. However, there's one characteristic that sets them apart from my people, since their mother was known to be a witch. The Spocks might be why there are still unexplained sites happening in Tribeca as we speak. The spirits presence aren't there to scare you, but to warn you of an evil entity."

Pipaluk's response was rather lengthy, but at the end of his last sentence, his face started making bizarre movements as if he were fighting with an anomaly.

He started to cough something that resembled a small object, but covered his mouth in time to hide it from view.

"Are you okay, Mr. Pipaluk?" Dr. Westcott.

"Yes, I am. I think I just got a frog in my throat. You know ... CROAK!"

Trying to make a joke out of it, the old man mumbled the words in a hoarse voice and laughed.

As a sign of respect, both men chuckled, even though there was nothing to laugh about. They knew that if they didn't do anything, the old man could have been disappointed. But they didn't expect Pipaluk to make a joke about his comment. They were actually worried if he was going to have a heart attack!

Pausing to take a breath, Pipaluk offered the men refreshments as he was about to enter the kitchen.

Clearing his throat, he spoke up.

"Ahem, sorry about that. Before I continue on with our conversation gentlemen, I need to get a glass of water. Would both of you like to drink something as well?

Pipaluk's voice kept getting worse by the minute , as if someone or something was causing him to lose his vocalization to dissapate.

Confused on what was going on, both men kept their mouths shut. They nodded their heads and Pipaluk took it as a signal for wanting a soda.

As soon as their host left, the men both plopped down on a sofa and talked about the crazy incident that happened before their eyes.

- - - -

"Did you notice what happened to Pipaluk, Chad? I thought he nearly died!" Dr, Sanchez's tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.

"Hush, Hector. You know we are not alone in this room." Dr. Westcott whispered as he noticed two employees walk freely into the hallway and into another room.

"I saw it too, if you ask me, we should just keep it to ourselves. I don't want to believe it, but it appears that Pipaluk must have awakened a spirit, who didn't want him to continue telling us about this woman named Mary."

Hector nodded as he couldn't think of anything else to say. Instead, he leaned forward and twiddled his thumbs as he waited anxiously for their refreshments. Turning to face Dr. Westcott, Hector continued to talk in hush tones hoping that no one could hear their conversation.

"So, what shall we do next Chad? I don't want to be rude, but shall we ask Pipaluk what's up?And sorry for my bitter reaction earlier".

Dr. Westcott looked at his companion scornfully and nodded his head.

"The answer to your first question is No. We'll let Pipaluk reveal his secret on his own, that is if he has any. Second, apology accepted. But what has gotten into you lately? I now feel that you just accompanied me on this journey to spy on me, is that true?"

Dr. Sanchez stopped twiddling his fingers and inched closer to the end of the sofa. He winced, and felt guilty inside his stomach.

You couldn't be even more correct, Chad.

Noticing his body language, Dr. Westcott knew he struck a nerve.

"I think it's that "Reborn" book, Chad. When I touched it, I felt like I was no longer myself as if something took over my body.

Excuses, excuses.

"So, you're putting the blame on a book? That's rather preposterous!"

Dr. Westcott couldn't believe what he was hearing. Although it was true that being in Arrowhead Pines felt creepy, Chad refused to believe that it actually was. He was the person who always looked for a logical answer.

Hector, why are you like this? I should have come here alone.

Facepalming himself, he decided to stop this nonsense.

"We'll talk about this later once we leave. For now, let us listen to what Mr. Pipaluk has to say about Tribeca. We came here for a story and we'll soon get one!"

Hector nodded in agreement even though he was frustrated that Chad didn't believe him.

Dr. Westcott was adamant on what he wanted out of this trip, and didn't want it ruined.

_ _ _ _

"At the age of seven, Lily wanted to become a witch like her mother, but after living at Arrowhead Pines for the rest of her childhood, she decided that magic wasn't her forte."

After Pipaluk returned from the kitchen, he explained to the men that the two girls Periwinkle took in had inherited magical powers. The youngest, Lily Spock, didn't know how to use her gifts properly and ended up destroying  the old town. From accidentaly killing livestock with her spells or causing accidents to occur such as a combustion reaction using fuel, oxygen, and heat which started a fire. Thus, that was the main reason why Tribeca had to be evacuated.

"After that widely known embarassment, Lily decided to give up on witchcraft and left it all to her sister. The last I heard was that she works as a secretary for Moonstocks Association and Co."

 Both men turned toward each other, as they knew that franchise was affiliated with the airplane company they flew with.

Hector beamed with delight and turned his head toward his companion.

"Doesn't that ring a bell Dr. Westcott? Don't mean to interrupt our conversation Mr. Pipaluk, but I know that company as it's affiliated with the Brown Owl airlines. It's a business a few doors down that facility. So, maybe we could contact her. Wouldn't that be a delight if you could talk to her again, Sir ?"

Pipalock grimaced at that.

"Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself". Pipaluk muttered to himself.

_ _ _ _

Lily's Past

Lily waved goodbye as her older sister, Emile, headed off to the Crimson Phoenix Academy, a witching school their parents graduated from.

With her brooms packed and a grimoire that Mrs. Spock wrote, Emile was excited to be on her way to follow her mother's footsteps.

As they walked out the door, Lily and her nanny waved goodbye!

"Please, take good care of Lily while we're away, Mrs. Periwinkle!" Mrs. Spock announced before she entered her husband's vehicle.

"Of course, Mary. And I wish you, Micah and Emile all the luck with your journey to the Eternal Shores! And Emile ..."

The curly haired girl turned to face Periwinkle as she heard her name being called.

"Yes?"

"Do well on your first day of school!" Periwinkle meant to say "Break a leg", but believed witches wouldn't understand that idiom also means "Good Luck".

One day I'm gonna be just like Emile! Lily smiled.

Little did Lily know that it would be the last day she would ever see her parents again. Whatever happened to them after leaving Emile at her dorm, remained a mystery.

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