CHAPTER 1 — The Dog Who Refused to Let Me Go Home
I had always believed dogs could sense things humans couldn't.
But I never imagined mine would one day save my life.
It was supposed to be an ordinary evening.
The streets were quiet, the sky was fading into darkness, and after our usual walk, my golden retriever, Max, calmly followed me back to our apartment building.
Nothing felt unusual.
Nothing... until we reached my front door.
The instant I reached into my bag for my keys, Max froze.
Not the playful kind of freeze.
Every muscle in his body locked in place.
His ears shot forward.
His breathing slowed.
His eyes never left the apartment door.
Then came a deep growl.
Low.
Controlled.
Terrifying.
Max almost never growled.
In five years together, I'd heard that sound only once—when a stranger had tried to attack me in a parking garage.
"Relax," I whispered, scratching behind his ears.
He ignored me.
Instead, he shoved his nose under my hand, knocking the keys away before I could unlock the door.
"What are you doing?"
He stepped between me and the lock.
When I tried again, he pushed me backward with his shoulder.
Hard.
I laughed nervously.
"Seriously?"
But he wasn't playing.
He began whining.
His eyes looked almost desperate.
He pawed at my legs, grabbed the sleeve of my jacket with his teeth, and kept dragging me away from the apartment.
Every instinct in his body screamed one message:
Don't go inside.
I grew frustrated.
It had been a long day.
I was exhausted.
Cold.
Hungry.
I pulled him aside and forced the key into the lock.
The moment the deadbolt clicked...
Max exploded into frantic barking unlike anything I'd ever heard.
Not excitement.
Not aggression.
Pure panic.
I pushed the door open.
The apartment was completely dark.
Silent.
Too silent.
I stepped inside.
Then I noticed something strange.
The living room window...
...was open.
I never left windows open.
A cold wind drifted through the apartment.
My heart began pounding.
"Hello?"
No answer.
Max refused to enter.
He remained outside the doorway, barking nonstop.
Then...
I heard it.
A slow...
heavy...
footstep...
coming from my bedroom.
My blood turned to ice.
May you like
Someone was inside.
And they knew I had just come home.
