"Having confirmed her to be the owner, I courteously welcomed her in. After I have prepared two cups of warm herbal tea for us both, the old lady commenced the topic of conversation on the necklace, requesting to see it in order to verify its identity. Until then, I hadn’t noticed that all this time, I was gripping the necklace firmly in my hand, as if protecting something precious. Gradually, I drew it out as the old lady extended her hand. To my distress and amazement, my hand swiftly retreated and a feeling of extreme reluctance to return it empowered me, until my senses snapped back and I maladroitly dropped the necklace on the table. Then, everything returned to normal.
「確認了她就是項鍊之主後，我趕緊請她進來。我準備了兩杯花茶後，老太太便提到了項鍊，說希望確認是不是她的那一條。直到這時，我才注意到這些時間，我的手一直緊握著項鍊，似乎在保護什麼珍貴的東西一般。緩緩地，我將項鍊拿向老太太伸出的手。令我驚訝的事，我的手迅速地又縮了回去，並突然非常不願意將項鍊歸還。很快地，我回過神來，但是笨手笨腳地讓項鍊掉在了桌上。頓時，一切又恢復了正常。
"Excruciatingly, the old lady began weeping the moment she set her eyes upon the necklace. Like a keen knife eager for blood, the noise pierced through the moonless night. Just when I was racing through my mind in search of the words to comfort her and inquire after the cause of her sudden misery, she responded, in between her pitiful sobs, that the necklace belonged to her only daughter, whose life was taken by a car crash several years ago.
「老太太一見到項鍊後便突然間開始大聲地哭泣。彷彿一把嗜血的刀，哭聲劃過了天空。正當我不知所措時，她解釋道原來項鍊是她在前幾年的一場車禍裡不幸喪命的女兒的項鍊。
"On watching her crooked, crouching figure huddling herself, trembling, I naively began to sob as well in sympathy for her. Tears blinded my sight as well as my caution.
「看著她彎曲的身體，我也留下了同情的眼淚。眼淚不僅蒙蔽了我的視線，也帶走了我的防備心。」
"Instantaneously, the old lady recovered and smiled at me queerly. 'Since my daughter won’t need the necklace anymore, and it would just bring up mournful memories every time I see it, I will give it to you!' The shadow fell on me again, and a powerful voice from deep within commanded me to snatch the necklace away from that loathsome creature.
「頓時，老太太對我露出了詭異的微笑，『既然我女兒再也不會需要它了，而且它只會帶回慘痛的回憶，我就把它送給你吧！」陰影又再度出現，一個強大的聲音命令著我將項鍊從那個討厭的人身上搶走。
"As if reading my thought, she gradually opened the lid of the case and purred with a silky tone, “Look! The necklace wants you to be its owner. Do you consent?”
「彷彿會讀心術一般，老太太緩緩地掀開盒子的蓋子，並用著絲綢般的聲音說：『你看！項鍊希望妳做他的主人。你願意嗎？』
"Hypnotised, I imprudently blurted out, “Yes, I do!” After which she swiftly slipped it on my neck as I fervently leaned forward.
「被迷惑了的我答道：『是的，我願意！』她趕緊將項鍊放到我伸出的脖子上。
"Immediately, the room began to swirl around me until I lost all consciousness. It was impossible to tell how long afterwards, when I woke up on the street with a sore back, I glanced around for the old lady, who was nowhere to be found. I painfully stood up and as I glanced through a puddle, which originated from the melted snow of the previous evening, I saw with horror that the wrinkled, old lady's face was staring back at me from the reflection."
「整個房間瞬間開始旋轉，我很快地就失去了意識。不知多久後，我在馬路上腰酸背痛地醒了過來，我趕緊四處張望，可是就是沒看見老太太的身影。我緩緩地站了起來。當我從前一天晚上融化的雪所變成的積水後，我赫然發現那個老太太皺巴巴的臉正從倒影看著我。」
The old lady finished her story, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, whilst Shaun and Jeffrey was made speechless by her extraordinary tale. "And this is why I came here to ask for your advice and assistance, I have heard that you were famous for solving many strange cases, such as the Phantom of the Restaurant, the Witch's Wraith and the Hospital Scandal." the old lady said, "I cannot possibly live with this body, it's aching all over. Oh, what have I done wrong to receive this dilapidated body? Is God trying to punish my sins? Oh, poor me, poor poor me!" the old lady soon got winded up into another violent fit of sobbing.
老太太說完了後，用手帕擦著眼睛。孝恩和傑佛瑞都被她懸疑的故事弄得啞口無言。「這就是我為何來請求你們協助的原因。我聽過你們破解了許多懸案，像是『餐廳魅影』、『巫女的怨靈』、以及『醫院醜聞』。」老太太說。「我不能繼續待在這個身體裏了！我全身痠痛。難道，是老天爺要懲罰我嗎？噢，我真的好可憐呀！我到底是做錯了什麼？」老太太說畢便又開始痛哭流涕了起來。
Just when Shaun and Jeffrey had quite lost the words to comfort her, the doorbell rang. When Shaun stood up to open the door, he discovered that his sister- Claire was already inside, looking at him like he's some sort of an idiot.
正當孝恩和傑佛瑞不知所措時，門鈴響了。孝恩正要起身應門時，他看見他的妹妹～Claire 已經進來了。
"Shaun, are you serious? I know it's Christmas, but that doesn't mean that you can leave your door unlocked like that. Did you know that delinquency rates actually increases at Christmas?" Claire snapped, but when she perceived the visitor in their living room, she paused and said, "Oh, um I'm sorry. Who is this? Am I disturbing you? Please, continue.....I'll, um, I'll make myself comfortable, don't worry about me!"
「你真的太扯了！就算是聖誕節也不應該不鎖門吧？難道你不知道聖誕節的犯罪率是一年當中最高的嗎？」Claire 說完便看見老太太坐在客廳裡。「噢，嗯，抱歉。這是誰呀？我有打擾到你嗎？請繼續吧！你們....你們不用管我！」
"It's ok, Claire, she's our client!" Shaun replied, and to the old lady, he said, "Um....Mrs....?"
「Claire, 沒關係的，她是我們的客人！」孝恩說。「請問貴姓？」
"Ms Foster, well I mean, Foster was my name before, but I don't know what this old witch is called." the old lady responded.
「福斯特！嗯，我是說，在那個老巫婆搶走我的身體前我是叫福斯特啦！」老太太答道。
"Ms Foster, she's my sister." Shaun finished his sentence.
「福斯特小姐，他是我妹妹！」孝恩說。
"I know!" she replied, but after perceiving the shocked expression on Shaun's face, she said, "Oh um, you look alike!"
「我知道啊！」她回答道，但是看到孝恩臉上驚訝的表情後解釋道：「噢，嗯，你們長得很像啊！」
"So, how can we possibly help you?" Jeffrey inquired.
「我們能怎麼幫你？」傑佛瑞問道。
"I think the only thing to do now is to go and find the witch that had stolen my body and ask her to return it." Ms Foster replied.
「我想，現在唯一的辦法就是找到偷走我身體的老巫婆，讓後叫她換回來！」福斯特小姐說。
"But where will we be able to find her?" Jeffrey asked.
「我們該去哪兒找她呢？」傑佛瑞問道。
"This was my old address," Ms Foster said as she scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Jeffrey, "I advice that you both go. She is a cunning old witch, and she'll probably deny everything. But, hopefully, after seeing that both of you knew the secret, she'll probably agree to come here with you."
「這是我以前的地址，」福斯特小姐在一張紙上寫了地址後便遞給傑佛瑞。「我建議你們兩個人一起去。因為她是個狡猾的老巫婆，一定會不承認的。然而，希望她知道你們兩個人都知道這個秘密後，她會答應跟你們來這裡。」
~To be Continued~
～待續～
The old lady finished her story, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief, whilst Shaun and Jeffrey was made speechless by her extraordinary tale. "And this is why I came here to ask for your advice and assistance, I have heard that you were famous for solving many strange cases, such as the Phantom of the Restaurant, the Witch's Wraith and the Hospital Scandal." the old lady said, "I cannot possibly live with this body, it's aching all over. Oh, what have I done wrong to receive this dilapidated body? Is God trying to punish my sins? Oh, poor me, poor poor me!" the old lady soon got winded up into another violent fit of sobbing.
老太太說完了後，用手帕擦著眼睛。孝恩和傑佛瑞都被她懸疑的故事弄得啞口無言。「這就是我為何來請求你們協助的原因。我聽過你們破解了許多懸案，像是『餐廳魅影』、『巫女的怨靈』、以及『醫院醜聞』。」老太太說。「我不能繼續待在這個身體裏了！我全身痠痛。難道，是老天爺要懲罰我嗎？噢，我真的好可憐呀！我到底是做錯了什麼？」老太太說畢便又開始痛哭流涕了起來。
Just when Shaun and Jeffrey had quite lost the words to comfort her, the doorbell rang. When Shaun stood up to open the door, he discovered that his sister- Claire was already inside, looking at him like he's some sort of an idiot.
正當孝恩和傑佛瑞不知所措時，門鈴響了。孝恩正要起身應門時，他看見他的妹妹～Claire 已經進來了。
"Shaun, are you serious? I know it's Christmas, but that doesn't mean that you can leave your door unlocked like that. Did you know that delinquency rates actually increases at Christmas?" Claire snapped, but when she perceived the visitor in their living room, she paused and said, "Oh, um I'm sorry. Who is this? Am I disturbing you? Please, continue.....I'll, um, I'll make myself comfortable, don't worry about me!"
「你真的太扯了！就算是聖誕節也不應該不鎖門吧？難道你不知道聖誕節的犯罪率是一年當中最高的嗎？」Claire 說完便看見老太太坐在客廳裡。「噢，嗯，抱歉。這是誰呀？我有打擾到你嗎？請繼續吧！你們....你們不用管我！」
"It's ok, Claire, she's our client!" Shaun replied, and to the old lady, he said, "Um....Mrs....?"
「Claire, 沒關係的，她是我們的客人！」孝恩說。「請問貴姓？」
"Ms Foster, well I mean, Foster was my name before, but I don't know what this old witch is called." the old lady responded.
「福斯特！嗯，我是說，在那個老巫婆搶走我的身體前我是叫福斯特啦！」老太太答道。
"Ms Foster, she's my sister." Shaun finished his sentence.
「福斯特小姐，他是我妹妹！」孝恩說。
"I know!" she replied, but after perceiving the shocked expression on Shaun's face, she said, "Oh um, you look alike!"
「我知道啊！」她回答道，但是看到孝恩臉上驚訝的表情後解釋道：「噢，嗯，你們長得很像啊！」
"So, how can we possibly help you?" Jeffrey inquired.
「我們能怎麼幫你？」傑佛瑞問道。
"I think the only thing to do now is to go and find the witch that had stolen my body and ask her to return it." Ms Foster replied.
「我想，現在唯一的辦法就是找到偷走我身體的老巫婆，讓後叫她換回來！」福斯特小姐說。
"But where will we be able to find her?" Jeffrey asked.
「我們該去哪兒找她呢？」傑佛瑞問道。
"This was my old address," Ms Foster said as she scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Jeffrey, "I advice that you both go. She is a cunning old witch, and she'll probably deny everything. But, hopefully, after seeing that both of you knew the secret, she'll probably agree to come here with you."
「這是我以前的地址，」福斯特小姐在一張紙上寫了地址後便遞給傑佛瑞。「我建議你們兩個人一起去。因為她是個狡猾的老巫婆，一定會不承認的。然而，希望她知道你們兩個人都知道這個秘密後，她會答應跟你們來這裡。」
~To be Continued~
～待續～
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