A Haunting Morning
It was just another Friday morning for Luke and his family. There was a cool brisk October breeze in the air. Luke usually wakes up around 5:00 to walk their dog Shadow a German shepherd His wife Ella and their daughter Arina were still sleeping, but they soon will be waking up to get ready for school.
They live in a wooded area with surrounding lakes about 20 minutes from town. It’s a small town where people tend to know each other. The closest major city is about 55 minutes away, which is where Luke drives every day for work.
Ella was slowly stretching her arms trying to wake up as she glanced over to see the clock the time was 5:40 and Luke had not come back yet. Without worrying Arina, she wakes her up and starts to get her ready for school. Even though Arina is pretty independent for an 8- year-old she needs mom to help her out.
Arina was in the bathroom brushing her teeth when she heard a noise coming from the kitchen door downstairs. She assumed it was her dad coming in, but, it wasn’t. Once again the noise appeared louder and louder each time around. It was sort of a light scratching and banging on the door, she got her mom and they cautiously went down the stairs.
Before they stepped off the last step going into the kitchen, they looked around to see if anything was out of place or out of the ordinary there wasn’t, so they proceeded to go downward. They could hear the noise outside the kitchen door, slowly they walked towards the door, but not before Ella decided to pick up one of the carving knives from the counter just to be safe.
Ella looked outside the door from the keyhole but could not see anything, but she sensed something was out there. Arina whispered to her mom “perhaps it was Shadow coming back.” Amy yelled out in a nervous shaking tone “who is out there!” There was no reply, just silence. Ella told her daughter to stand back before she opened the door. Arina told her mom wait, she went to pick up a frying pan to hold in her hand, “just in case”, Arina said.
Ella slowly opened the door much to her surprise there was nothing standing out there. She did see some small footprints near the door, possibly an animal. She stepped outside to look around still clutching the knife with Arina not far behind with the pan.
Ella did not see anything so they were heading back inside, but just before they were about to close the door, this big Alaskan Husky barrels right through the door barking as both Ella and Arina were shaking like leaves on a windy day in their kitchen. They tried to stay still, but it was not easy.
The Alaskan Husky was wet, dirty, and trembling, but at least he was not barking which calmed things down things down for them. Ella slowly walked towards the dog noticing red wet marks and scratches on its face. They gave the dog some food and some water as Ella looked at the clock again now it was 6:00 and no sign of her husband.
The level of anxiety on Ella was increasing with each passing minute that Luke was missing. Arina started to cry realizing that dad was not home, and neither was Shadow while this strange dog with marks on its face and body was there with them instead.
Who was this dog? Where did it come from and why was it there. But more importantly where was Luke? Where was Shadow?
to be continued…