This story rises, as William says, "from the mist of the past like a shadow" (143). Edward has worked hard and been lucky enough to become wealthy. The Blooms move to a large house on a nicer street. Sandra stays at home, raising William, and Edward continues to spend most of his time away from the home, working. When he comes home, exhausted, he has "little to say other than he missed" (143) his wife and son. William recalls that no one in the family seems happy, to the point that his parents consider divorce. They decide, though, to stick it out.

Edward begins to spend his money on peculiar things, prompted by a feeling that there is "something missing in his life" (143-144). One day, he finds himself stuck in a town called Specter in either Alabama, Mississippi, or Georgia. He walks around the town as he waits for his car to be repaired. As he makes his way around the small town, he notices the quaint white houses, trees, and, most of all, the "mix of dirt, gravel, and asphalt roads" (144). This excites Edward, who loves nothing more than to get in a car and drive slowly down a road, taking in the scenery.