It was meant to be the perfect gift. Sarah had no husband, no children, and lived alone in her apartment. She was often lonely, but always masked it with a smile, telling everyone she was fine. For her birthday, her younger brother, Jack, decided to surprise her with something special. A dog. A golden retriever, full of energy and life. He thought it would bring joy to her quiet, solitary world.
At first, Sarah was hesitant. She wasn’t sure if she could handle the responsibility. But Jack reassured her, promising to help with anything she needed. He told her, “You’ll love him, Sarah. Trust me.” And so, she reluctantly agreed.
The first few days were blissful. The dog, named Max, quickly became her companion. He was playful, loyal, and affectionate—everything Sarah had needed without even knowing it. She began to smile more, her loneliness easing with each wag of his tail. For the first time in years, she felt something close to happiness.
But then, things began to change.
Max started acting strangely. He would bark at the empty corners of the room, his ears twitching as if listening to something Sarah couldn’t hear. At night, he would whimper, his eyes wide and alert, staring at the door as if expecting someone to walk through. Sarah dismissed it as the dog adjusting to a new home, but the unease lingered.
One evening, Sarah returned from work to find Max gone. The front door was wide open, and the apartment was eerily silent. She called for him, her heart pounding, but he didn’t answer. Panic set in as she searched the apartment, but it was clear—Max was nowhere to be found.
Frantic, Sarah called Jack. “Max is gone! Someone must have taken him, or he ran away!” She heard Jack’s voice on the other end, cold and distant, unlike his usual reassuring tone.
“Sarah,” he said slowly, “I think I know where he went.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, trembling.
There was a long pause before he answered. “I was going to tell you, but I didn’t know how. Max… isn’t just a dog.”
“What are you talking about?” Her mind raced, but she couldn’t make sense of it.
“He’s part of something bigger,” Jack continued, his voice shaking now. “Something I didn’t realize until recently. Someone—some group—has been watching us. Watching you.”
Sarah froze. Her brother’s words echoed in her mind. “What do you mean, watching? Who would—”
Before she could finish, there was a knock at the door. It was sharp, insistent. Sarah’s breath caught in her throat. She looked through the peephole, but saw nothing.
A sudden realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. Max had been trying to warn her. She opened the door slowly, heart pounding, only to find a small note left on the floor.
“You shouldn’t have taken him. It’s too late now.”
As she read the chilling words, the sound of distant barking echoed from somewhere outside her apartment. It was Max, calling to her. But Sarah knew—he wasn’t alone.
She turned back to the phone, about to call Jack again, but the line was dead. The apartment felt colder now, the air thick with something unseen.
Max had been more than just a dog. And whatever he had been trying to protect her from… it was closer than she ever imagined.