The Gryphon and the Greeting Card Writer

An obscure ad in the newspaper catches his attention: Wanted. Dad left. Mother is dying, and needs a good family for a good ten-year-old-girl and her dog. Care, feeding, and housing required. Lifelong commitment. Only serious enquiries, please. The vibration in his soul caused by the ad brings a new and strange sense of meaning into Conrad's life. The agonizing message reverberates in his very core again and again, grabbing hold of his senses and refusing to let go. Some strange power has seized control of his emotions and the attraction to respond to the ad is becoming more irresistible day by day, minute by minute, until Conrad - completely without his volition - finds himself at the front door of a unfamiliar house in a strange location. The door opens slowly. Dare he enter? Is there still enough time for him to turn and run?