So, there I was, brewing my coffee on a Tuesday morning, and everything changed. Shadow, my loyal pup, was as stiff as a board, standing at the kitchen window.
A low growl rumbled from deep in his chest, and the fur around his neck bristled up like little spikes. This wasn't his playful growl, the one he'd use during our tug-of-war sessions. No, this was different. This felt risky.
"What's up, boy?" I asked, moving closer to the window to see what had him so on edge.
Outside, everything seemed perfectly normal. Mrs. Peterson was out collecting her newspaper, and the mailman had just started his route. But Shadow's growl got louder, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
And then I spotted it.
There was a black sedan parked at the corner with its engine humming. Just looking at it sent a chill down my spine, even though the windows were too dark to see inside. Funny enough, I remembered it being there the day before too.
"Probably just someone waiting for a friend," I said, trying to convince both myself and Shadow. But, honestly? I didn't sound too sure of myself.
I could've sworn Shadow shook his head at me, his amber eyes almost scolding me. It was like he was trying to say, "No way, this isn't right."
As I leaned in closer to the window, the car suddenly pulled away.
That afternoon at the clinic, I couldn't shake this nagging feeling like I was being watched. Every time I looked up from a patient, I half-expected to see someone staring back at me. But nope, nothing—just empty windows.
When I checked the locks for, like, the third time, Maya shot me a look and said, "You're jumpy today. Everything okay?"
"Oh, just tired," I replied, not wanting to sound too suspicious. "Shadow kept me up last night."
Well, that part was true. He had been pacing the house like a guard dog, restless and alert to every little sound.
When I got home that night, Shadow was right there by the door, pushing against my legs as soon as I stepped inside. He was practically steering me away from the windows.
"What's gotten into you?" I asked, but he just whimpered and nudged me toward the back of the house.
I tried to act normal while making dinner, but Shadow's behavior was seriously unsettling. He refused to eat—like usual—and just kept pacing, acting like a bodyguard between me and the front door.
Then, right at nine o'clock, he started growling again.
I turned down the TV and listened. At first, it was just the usual nighttime sounds, but then I heard it: the soft crunch of gravel underfoot.
My driveway had gravel.
Shadow's growl morphed into a snarl. His mouth curled back, showing teeth that looked sharper and bigger than I remembered.
Just outside my living room window, the footsteps stopped.
My heart was racing. I reached for my phone to call 911, but then the footsteps faded away. I heard an engine start somewhere down the street, followed by a car door slamming shut.
After waiting what felt like an eternity, I crept to the window and peeked through the curtains.
And there it was again, that black sedan, parked in the shadows between two streetlights on the opposite side of the street. I could just make out the outline of someone sitting in the driver's seat.
"This is crazy," I muttered, my hands shaking as I double-checked every lock. Shadow was glued to my side, nearly tripping me as he followed me around the house. He ended up right in front of my bedroom door when I finally decided to call it a night.
"You really don't have to guard me," I said, trying to reassure both him and myself. "I think I'm just being paranoid."
But deep down, I knew something wasn't right. I didn't want to think about why Shadow was acting this way, why that weird car was lurking, or why I felt like I was being watched.
I had lived in this quiet neighborhood for three years without a hitch. No crime, nothing. So why did I suddenly feel like I was in danger?
And how come Shadow seemed to sense it before I did?
Lying in bed, phone clutched tightly in my hand, I listened to every little sound. Another car door slammed outside. Then another. How many people were out there?
Shadow's growl echoed from the hallway, low and menacing. I should have felt alarmed, but instead, it gave me a strange sense of comfort.
Whatever was happening, at least I knew I wasn't alone.