All she wanted was the answer, but she had no idea how much she would hate it. Body cold, she stood before the window looking out through a lustrous fog that had played itself across the glass. There was snow falling, but within she knew it wouldn’t stick, it never did these days. The wind pushed and pulled against it in a drowsy manner, the world outside was silent.

In the back of the house there was movement. It was calm, but its pattern drew on her nerves straining th...