text: ShadowKnight22 Travels 
   
   
   Chapter 1  
   
  Chapter 1 
  "Finally!" Ashton laughed as she clocked out for the last time for three months. Her work, private investigator, was mostly sitting in her cubicle, looking through endless piles of evidence and witness reports. Latley, she has been working on solving murders and her boss had hinted on becoming head of the division. Ashton shook her head to clear the thoughts of work and imagined depositing them in her office, leaving them behind. She finally got the time off to travel to Ireland, the place she had been dreaming of since she was a child.  
    Ashton got in her baby blue convertible and headed to a nearby clothes department. She figured if she was going to Ireland, even in the summer, she needed a new raincoat and few chick hats. Ashton jumped, startled, as her phone vibrated. 
  "Hey Stacy! What's going on..Really?...Awesome!...Okay, I'm at the one by the donut shack..yeah..See you soon!" Ashton stuffed her phone in her pocket and parked her car. She stood outside, waiting for Stacy. Ashton turned as she noticed a white sports car pull next to her.  
   "Hey Stacy."  
   "Hey girl! Ready to go shopping?" Stacy asked, hugging Ash. 
   "Duh! I have some free time..wait, I have three free months on my hands!" Ash smiled, returning the hug. The girls walked into the store, laughing. they tried on various raincoats, jeans, and hats. Ashton went and paid, standing beside Stacy. 
   "I'm so glad you could come with me! It'll be better with a friend." Ashton said as they dropped their bags in their cars. 
   "Yeah. Wanna grab some coffee?" Stavy asked. "There's a place by the mall." 
    "Alright. See ya there." Ashton said as she hopped in her car. She followed Stacy, thinking of her trip. Ashton was 20 years old, a pretty brunette with light blue eyes and soft pink lips. She was 5'3, and mostly legs. Now Stacy, on the other hand, was a red-head with red lips, freckles everywhere, and she was a solid five feet. They both had bubbly personalities, but Ash was more subdued.  
   They pulled into the parking lot and walked into the coffee shop, the little bell ringing.  Ashton paid for thier drinks and sat down at an outside table. Stacy waited for the drinks to be prepared.  
   Ash sat back, thinking about her trip..and of course, her work. It seemed to her that she couldn't forget about it, even on her vacation. Stacy walked out with the drinks and shook her head at Ashton. 
   "I know you to well, Ash. Here you are, on vacation, and thinking about work. Go on, tell me about the drama. Is should help you forget about it for three months." Stacy took a sip of her coffee. 
   "Well, Jen broke up with Chad, and Andy started dating Lisa. I, as you know, am free and happy. Now, I just solved a case involving a murder that had 20 different suspects, and at least 40 different witnesses." Ashton paused to take a breath and a sip of coffee. "Me and Jen worked on the case. She narrowed it down and said she had to leave, probably the last date she had with Chad. Anyway, I solved the case and, well, here I am!"  
   "Dang, sounds like high school all over again! Without the crime solving part. Now, didn't that make you feel better?"  
    Ashton laughed. "Yes, yes it did. So, you ready for the plan ride tomorrow? About 10 hours, maybe more, maybe less." 
   "Fun! I am so excited!" Stacy said, her voice dripping with playful sarcasm. She rolled her eyes and checked her watch.  
    "I have to meet a client. See you tomorrow at the airport!" Stacy waved and Ashton wastched her drive away.  
      She got back on her car and drove home, giddy with excitement, just like a school girl. Oh, how wrong she was about not working on vacation! 
                                                                                                     *-*-*-* 
  Ashton went to bed late. She was reading a book about a princess being captured, and the web of lies was getting thicker and thicker. Her suitcase lay on the floor next to her bed, and she whispered goodnight to the silent house.          
   
   
   
   Chapter 2  
   
  Chapter 2 
  Ashton shut off her alarm clock and looked at the time. 4:30am. She smiled and sprang out of bed, walking to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and hopped in, the warm water waking her up. Ash dried herself off and dressed in a cute T-shirt and cargo shirts. Her tennis shoes squeaked as she ran down the polished tile hallway to the kitchen. Her breakfast didn't consist of much, just an orange, a glass of water, and a muffin. Ashton finished and washed herd dishes, checking the clock. 5:00. Her plane left at 6:00, meaning it would be 2:00pm in Ireland. Ashton picked up her phone and called Stacy as Ashton locked her house and put her suitcase and travel gear in her car trunk. 
  "Hey Stacy!! I'm on my way to pick you up!...Yeah? lucky!...Okay...bye." Ash jammed her phone into her pocket and closed the car door. She left the driveway, and rumbled down the quiet streets. Not many people were driving at 5:30 in the morning. After Ash picked up Stacy, they rushed to customs and got thier passports, then they were on the plane 
   
   
   Publication Date: April 28th 2012 https://www.bookrix.com/-shadowknight22