CHAPTER 1 — THE DOG WHO REFUSED TO SLEEP
When Emma and Ryan brought their newborn daughter Lily home from the hospital, they expected sleepless nights, endless diaper changes, and the usual chaos that comes with becoming first-time parents.
What they didn't expect was Lora.
Lora had been part of their family for nearly seven years. The golden retriever was gentle, affectionate, and loved everyone she met. Friends often joked that she was too friendly to be a watchdog.
The moment Lily entered the house, however, something changed.
Lora became obsessed with the baby.
At first, it seemed adorable.
She followed the crib whenever it was moved.
She sat beside the stroller during walks.
If Lily cried, Lora would appear before either parent could reach the nursery.
"Looks like she thinks she's Lily's second mom," Ryan laughed.
But after the first week, Emma started noticing something strange.
Every night, after the lights went out, Lora would quietly walk into the nursery.
She would sit directly beside Lily's crib.
And she wouldn't move.
Not for an hour.
Not for two hours.
For the entire night.
The next morning she would act completely normal.
She played fetch.
She ate breakfast.
She wagged her tail.
Yet every evening the ritual repeated itself.
Sit.
Watch.
Wait.
Sometimes Emma would wake up in the middle of the night and peek into the nursery.
Lora would be staring at Lily.
Not sleeping.
Not resting.
Watching.
One night Emma whispered nervously,
"Ryan... what if she senses something wrong with Lily?"
Ryan tried to reassure her.
"She's just protective."
But Emma wasn't convinced.
The dog occasionally let out soft whines.
Not loud barks.
Not growls.
Tiny sounds filled with concern.
Almost as if she was trying to warn someone.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Lora began refusing to leave the nursery at all after sunset.
The strange behavior slowly transformed from cute to unsettling.
Emma finally said what both of them were thinking.
"We need to know what's happening in that room."
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The next day they bought a night-vision camera.
Neither parent could imagine that the footage would change their lives forever.
