The two of you load up the car with all the cases of Mt. Dew and coffee you can find in the store. Though you have no money, you feel bad about stealing so openly, especially in front of Morgan, so you leave a hastily scribbled IOU with your name and number on it.
"Let's get you home," you say once the two of you are back in the car.
"But I already called and my mom-"
"I know, but it will still be safer for you at your house. Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you alone."
This seems to reassure her, at least a little bit. She tells you her address and you recognize the street name, so finding her house isn't much of a problem. During the drive, you again sense the gray shadowy shapes just out of the corners of your eyes that you saw earlier tonight. Uneasily, you drive on..
As you pull into her neighborhood, you see nobody about. Whether that's the result of some kind of mass abduction or the fact that it's about 3:00 AM you can't be sure. "Here it is, on the end," Morgan says, pointing out a small ranch with white siding.
Morgan hits the light switch as the two of you enter. The living room is modest, but tasteful, done in forest green and maroon. On a nearby end table, you see a framed picture of Morgan, probably taken at school since she appears to be wearing a uniform.
The cheerfulness of the picture clashes noticeably with this night's recent grim events. The house itself is silent. "Mom, are you here?" calls Morgan. There is no response.
"Morgan, why don't you wait here for a sec and I'll take a look around, Ok?" She nods. Morgan has already described for you the layout of the house and assured you that she has no guard dogs or pets of any kind. "Mom's allergic to furry things," she explained. Still, you can't shake a disquieted feeling as you move through the unfamiliar house.
Going from room to room, you find nothing. The last room left unexplored is her mom's bedroom. The door is cracked and you can feel a breeze coming from that direction. "Mrs. Williams?" you tentatively call at the door. There is no response. Pushing the door open the rest of the way, you see why.
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