CHAPTER 4 — The Knock That Came Back
Life slowly returned to normal.
Or at least, that's what I wanted to believe.
Max's wounds healed.
The nightmares became less frequent.
The apartment windows stayed locked.
Every lock had been replaced.
Security cameras watched every hallway.
Friends told me it was over.
"The police caught him."
"You're safe now."
I repeated those words to myself every night.
Safe.
Safe.
Safe.
Until three weeks later.
At exactly 2:17 a.m...
Someone knocked on my apartment door.
Three slow knocks.
...Knock.
...Knock.
...Knock.
Max was asleep beside my bed.
The moment the first knock echoed through the apartment, his head shot up.
Not barking.
Not growling.
Just listening.
Completely still.
I checked the security camera on my phone.
The hallway was empty.
No one.
The motion detector hadn't triggered.
I waited several minutes before convincing myself it had been a prank.
Then my phone buzzed.
An unknown number.
The message contained only six words.
"The dog can't protect you forever."
My hands began shaking so violently I nearly dropped the phone.
Police traced the number.
It was a disposable prepaid phone purchased with cash.
Impossible to identify.
That same morning, officers searched the apartment building again.
Nothing.
No fingerprints.
No footprints.
No witnesses.
Just before they left, one detective quietly pulled me aside.
"Sometimes people like him don't stop after one failure."
"He becomes obsessed."
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For the first time since the attack...
I realized my nightmare might not be over.
