Page 131 of Shhh…It’s A Killer Story

A tiny laugh escaped before I could stop it. I reached for another bite.

Crack.

The third bite never reached my mouth.

Another bark. Different. Not playful. Not excited. Short. Sharp.

It wasn't even really a bark. It sounded...

Interrupted. As though whatever had started it had ended before Max could finish.

Silence. Not peaceful silence. The wrong silence. The kind that presses against your ears until you realize something that should be making noise...

Isn't.

The sandwich suddenly tasted like dust. I lowered it onto the plate without taking my eyes off the open window and stood up slowly.

I pushed the screen door open and stepped onto the porch. The weathered timber felt cold beneath my bare feet. Wind moved gently through the trees, turning thousands of leaves silver before letting them settle again. Everything looked exactly as it always did.

The herb beds. The old stone well. The swing beneath the oak. Nothing had changed.

Crack

The sound came further than before. I turned my face towards the sound.

Movement. Far beyond the edge of my property. Someone. Running. Not toward me. Away. The distance and the fog stole every detail. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. Couldn't make out clothing or hair or even height.

Just...

Movement. Fast. Purposeful. Gone.

My stomach tightened. The strange feeling I'd carried all morning wasn't strange anymore.

It was fear.

"Max?"

My voice sounded smaller than I meant it to. No answer. I stepped off the porch. The damp earth immediately soaked through my socks.

"Max?"

Still nothing. Then I saw him. Near the old stone well. Curled strangely in the long grass.

Too still…

"Silly boy..."

The words left my mouth automatically. Maybe he was asleep. Maybe he'd been chasing something until he exhausted himself. Dogs slept in strange positions all the time.

Didn't they?

I walked faster.

"Come on, sweetheart."

Nothing. His ears didn't lift. His tail didn't wag. He didn't even open one eye. My walk became a jog. Then a run. I dropped onto my knees beside him so hard the impact shot pain through both legs.

"Max?"