The whispers sent shivers down
Emma’s spine. Frozen in place, she
struggled to steady her breath. Slowly, she turned her head toward
the dark corner of the room where
the sound had come from.
The shadows seemed thicker there,
almost alive, swirling faintly as though something unseen was stirring within. For a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a faint outline-a shape too vague to describe but undeniably there. And then, just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.
Max’s low growl brought her back to
reality. He stood rigid, his gaze locked on the corner, his fur bristling. The air in the room grew heavy, pressing down on her chest.
“Is someone there?” Emma
whispered, her voice trembling.
The silence was deafening, broken
only by the faint rustle of the wind
outside. But deep within the
stillness, Emma swore she heard it
again-a soft, barely audible murmur,
like a voice calling from a great
distance: “Protect him..”
Her heart raced. She wanted to
believe it was just her imagination,
but Max’s unrelenting focus on the
corner told her otherwise. Something had been there, something watching her.
And then, just like that, the room
warmed, and the oppressive feeling
lifted. Max let out a low whine and
nudged her hand, as if to reassure
her. She stayed up the rest of the
night, too shaken to sleep, the words
echoing in her mind.
Emma couldn’t shake the whisper
she’d heard the previous night, but
Max seemed more relaxed the next
morning. He stayed by her side, his
presence oddly comforting despite
the eerie events surrounding him,
Within days, Max became Emma’s
shadow. He followed her everywhere his golden eyes never leaving her. When she worked, he lay at her feet. On her walks, he stayed a step ahead, almost as if guarding her.
One afternoon, Emma was cleaning
out her attic when she came across
an old photo album. As she flipped
through the pages, memories of her
late dog, Buddy, came flooding back.
Tears welled in her eyes as she
paused on a picture of him wearing
his favorite collar.
“I miss you, Buddy,” she whispered.
Max nudged her hand gently, as if
sensing her pain. When she looked
down, she noticed Max staring at the
photo. His gaze was fixed on Buddy’s
collar, which bore a strikingly similar emblem to his own.
Her heart skipped a beat. “That’s.
impossible,” she muttered.
Compelled by curiosity, Emma
searched through a dusty box of
Buddy’s belongings. When she found
Buddy’s old collar, she placed it
beside Max’s. The emblems were
nearly identical, except for one
difference: Max’s emblem glowed
faintly under the light.
“What are you hiding, Max?” Emma
asked, half to herself.
Before she could think further, Max
barked sharply. He bolted
downstairs, barking at the front door. Emma followed, her pulse
quickening. When she opened the
door, no one was there.
But on the doorstep lay a damp
envelope.
With trembling hands, Emma opened it. Inside was a single piece of paper. Written in hurried, shaky handwriting were the words: “The protector has returned. Do not let them take him.”
Emma’s heart pounded as she reread
the message. “Protector?” she
whispered. “Who’s them?”
Max stood at her side, his ears perked, his body tense. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The hairs on the back of her neck
stood up.
Something-or someone–was
coming.