CHAPTER 2 — The Stranger Waiting in the Darkness
Every survival instinct told me to run.
Instead...
I stood frozen.
Another footstep.
Closer this time.
The bedroom door creaked open by itself.
The hallway remained dark, but I could hear breathing.
Not mine.
Someone else's.
Max suddenly lunged into the apartment, standing directly in front of me.
His body became a shield.
His growl echoed through the hallway.
Then a man's voice quietly whispered,
"So... the dog figured it out."
I couldn't breathe.
A tall figure slowly stepped into the faint moonlight.
He wore black gloves.
A dark hoodie.
His face hidden beneath a cap.
In his hand...
A heavy crowbar.
Everything happened at once.
Max charged.
The intruder swung the crowbar wildly.
The impact slammed into a chair instead of my dog.
Furniture crashed across the floor.
I screamed.
The man stumbled backward as Max clamped onto his arm with incredible force.
The crowbar hit the ground.
The stranger cursed loudly before kicking Max and sprinting toward the balcony.
He climbed over the railing.
Jumped onto the neighboring fire escape.
And disappeared into the darkness.
The apartment fell silent.
Max limped back toward me.
His shoulder was bleeding.
He looked at me as if asking,
"Are you safe?"
I collapsed beside him, crying uncontrollably.
The police arrived within minutes.
They found clear signs of forced entry.
Drawers had been opened.
Cabinets searched.
But strangely...
Nothing had been stolen.
One detective frowned.
"He wasn't here to rob you."
"What do you mean?"
The detective looked directly into my eyes.
"He was waiting."
May you like
Waiting...
For me.
