Susan had been waiting by the phone all day.  The police were here this morning, but they had discovered nothing more they they already knew.

Something had stolen their son.

The nice part was that the young officer taking her statement looked like he believed her.

Andrew had gone out to put up flyers.  Susan didn't think they would help.  She could feel that her son was no longer on earth.  She didn't think he was dead. Just somewhere else.  Maybe he was where nightmares came from.

The dog was hit badly.

Midge was some sort of husky⁄shepherd cross. Susan had adopted her from the local SPCA.  She looked exactly like the Littelest Hobo from the old TV show.  Many of the people who past them on the street would start singing the theme song:

" Maybe tomorrow, I'll want settle down,

Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on."

Susan was glad Midge had decided to stay.

Last night Midge had howled, then cried, then whimpered. Now she just layed on the mat in front of Nicholas' room. Her eyes looking mornfully at the last place she saw him.

Even Tru, the cat, could tell that Midge was sad.  Usually she would attack Midge's tail and have a good game of romps.  But not today.  Today Tru sat in the kitchen window.  Susan thought that she could see a large orange cat streching itself up to the window, but it was gone by the time she got there.

Tru gave Susan a soft churrup as she jumped off the windowsill. She trotted purposefully into the living room and right up to Midge.  Susan followed, wondering what the cat was up to.

"Tru, don't pester Midge."

Tru went up to Midge and gave her a loving head butt. Midge would usually respond by pretending to bite Tru's head off.  Today she didn't.  Today she looked steadily at Tru for a moment, then got to her feet.

Midge went straight for the back door and started stratching at it.

"Do you really need to go out?"

Midge started whining.

"I guess so."

Susan waited for Midge to sit in her spot in front of the fridge.  Midge made an attempt at sitting, but was obviously too excited. Susan turned and opened the door. As soon as the door was a sliver open, Midge lept forward and pushed it completely open with her nose.  She raced out into the yard where she was met by the orange cat.  They touched noses for a second, then were off down the road.  They made a strange pair.

Susan had the strangest impression that they were going to look for Nicholas. But she could hear the song:

"Every stop I make, I make a new friend,

Can't stay for long, just turn around and I'm gone again"