Soon as they stepped off the ferry, Edward and Johnny smelled the sugary aroma of Manhattan. It was as if they were surrounded by sugarcane and roasted marshmallows.

“What’s this smell?” Johnny asked.

“It’s the magic that’s naturally infused into the air,” Edward explained

The smell was sweet enough to intoxicate everyone that inhaled it. Johnny watched the people that were leaving the ferry mindlessly walk through the empty streets of Manhattan.

“Where are the cars?” Johnny asked

“In the magic city of Manhattan, cars don’t exist, so many people just get around on foot or the magic train,” Edward explained

The Manhattan that he and Edward were in was not the same Manhattan that he once knew, but he didn’t realize when he had stepped out of the normal world and into the magical one. The scenery around him felt similar yet different. The pair walked through the street, passing by stores that sold everything from charms to tourist tokens. Finally, they made their way in front of a huge set of stairs where a dome-like building rested at the top.

“Ah, we’re here,” Edward said in a moment of relief.

Johnny hadn’t felt the presence of the people from the ferry watching him for some time, so he thought to himself that they must have gotten bored and left them alone. However before they began to climb the stairs, Johnny was sent flying through the air and crashed into the stairs. The impact of the fall was great enough to knock the breath out of him, but it wasn’t enough to cause him to lose consciousness.

Edward looked over to Johnny to confirm that he was okay then he kicked off his sandals and dug his feet deep into the ground, but there was no one there.

Edward looked around, confused at what had just happened.

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“Are you okay?” Edward asked Johnny as he pulled him up onto his feet.

“Yeah,” Johnny confirmed.

Johnny didn’t know how to explain what had happened or how he was sent flying nearly 50 feet into the air but didn’t break any bones or lose consciousness. It was as if someone was playing a prank on him just to shock him. Once again putting the matter aside, Johnny followed Edward into the dome-like building.

Inside the building were office desks that were assembled to look like a regular corporate building. Edward and Johnny walked under the fluorescent lights, passing by the office workers that seemed to have never rose their heads above their computer screens. At the end of the hall, there was a huge sign floating above a tiny desk.

“Information Broker” the sign read.

“Have you ever read Snow White as a child before?” Edward asked

“No,” Johnny replied.

“In the story Snow White, there’s a magic mirror that you can ask whatever you want to it, and it will give you an answer,” Edward explained.

“Okay?” Johnny responded not sure that that had to do with anything.

“The information broker works the same way. You ask the clerk working there now whatever you like, and you will get an accurate answer” Edward continued.

“That seems a little bit too simple,” Johnny said wearily.

“Well, in Snow White, the magic mirror would show you an image of whatever you are looking for, but since we’re not in a fairytale we’re only given directions to whatever you’re looking for.” Edward continued.

“Meaning that even once you get there. There’s no guarantee that the person will even be there still since they could be leaving by the time you get the information.” Johnny said.

“Pretty much” Edward confirmed.

And so, Edward asked the information a question.

“Where is my son, where is Clark Kennedy?” Edward asked.

The nameless worker typed away on the computer without saying anything and several minutes later, the printer that was set beside the gray bulky computer printed out the coordinates of where Edward’s son currently is. After having watched the nameless worker search for Edward’s son, Johnny noticed that something had seemed off about the worker.

“Is that a doll?” Johnny asked.

“Yep, all of the workers that work in this building are magical dolls with the engravement of their purpose on the back of their necks,” Edward explained as he took the paper from the printer.

Once the two had left the dome-like building, Johnny immediately felt the gaze of people once again resting on him. At the bottom of the flight stairs were several men dressed in a variety of different colors of dress shirts and slacks.