She could hear his sighs and sniffs. Ryan stayed silent and Alice's voice rose an octave, "Ray, I am asking you for the final time, are you coming in my car?"
He replied to her softly, "No, I have to be someplace else, I will meet you at school if I can"
"But Ray, you were so excited to go to school...to meet Z-...all of our friends."
She bit her lip at the time she was nearly going to utter Zara's name and saw his expressions change.
"A few days ago, do you recall I had been out very late…?"
Alice was surprised at his question. She tried to recall and then replied, "Yes, you were but then I thought you were hunting for demons as usual. Then Rebecca, had all of us called to see how she 'nearly caught' some khors."
Alice's antiques would have ruffled Ryan but now he only looked at her solemnly. "It was Thursday when I was gone. It's Thursday again. Almost a week has passed…"
