39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqsWQZKD3fChapter 6
Don't open the door 🚪
He kept pulling.
Not barking. Not growling. Just… drawn.
Like something was calling him. I followed his gaze, squinting into the darkness. I saw nothing. And I didn’t want to. A cold unease crawled up my spine. “Enough,” I snapped, tugging him back. “Inside.” He hesitated for a second… then finally gave in. The moment we stepped inside, he went straight to his bed.
Didn’t eat. Didn’t look at me. Just lay there, staring toward the front of the house. That should’ve been my first sign. I tried to ignore it. I went through my routine cleaning, dishes, and making dinner. The usual sounds filled the house, but they felt… hollow. Like the house wasn’t as empty as it should be.
Later, as I pulled the curtains shut in the living room Tap. I froze. The sound was soft. Precise. Right against the window. My breath caught in my throat. Slowly, I reached forward and pulled the curtain back just enough to peek outside. Nothing. No branches near the window. No animals. No movement. Just darkness pressing against the glass. I let out a shaky laugh, trying to calm myself. “Just the wind,” I muttered under my breath. It had to be.
I turned and took a step toward my bedroom.
Tap. Louder this time. Sharper. I stopped mid step. My heart slammed against my ribs as I turned back slowly. The window stood still.
Empty. Watching. I stood there for what felt like forever… before forcing myself to move. “Stop it,” I whispered. “You’re just being paranoid.” I went to bed. Jerry jumped up beside me almost immediately, pressing against my side. I didn’t push him away. For the first time that night, I felt… a little safer. I closed my eyes. I tried to sleep. Tap. My eyes snapped open. Tap. My entire body went cold. Tap. Three times. Right outside my bedroom window. My bedroom was on the opposite side of the house. There was no way I slid out of bed silently, my bare feet hitting the cold floor.
Slowly, I crouched beside the bed, barely breathing. The wind howled outside, rattling the walls, making the windows groan under the pressure. Jerry sat upright on the bed.
Staring directly at the window. Ears alert.
Body tense. He didn’t bark. Didn’t move. Just watched. I didn’t look. I couldn’t. Because deep down I knew. There was something there. Seconds stretched into a full minute.
Maybe more. Time didn’t feel real anymore.
Then BANG. BANG. BANG.
Three loud knocks slammed against the front door. I flinched so hard my shoulder hit the bed frame. My heart shot into my throat. Someone was at the door. No. Something was. My mind screamed at me: Don’t open it. Out here, everyone knows that rule. If you hear knocking And no one is there
You do not answer. My hands shook as I reached for the gun on my bedside table.
I dropped to the floor and army-crawled toward the front of the house, every inch of my body tense. The glass on the upper half of the door was covered by blinds. From the floor, I could see through the gaps. I held my breath… And looked. Nothing. No silhouette. No movement. No one. Panic hit me all at once. Hot. Suffocating. I couldn’t stay here.
I scrambled to my feet, grabbed my keys, shoved my feet into my shoes, and rushed through the garage door.39Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvVGNpxdGgU
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