It's only attacks at night

Chapter 4: Signs in the Dark

The darkness outside seemed more oppressive than usual as Zack sat at his desk, his fingers running over the edge of a coffee cup. His mind, still reeling from the events on the boat, couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, that the creature was not just confined to the ship.

He glanced over at the small TV mounted on the wall. The local news was playing, the anchor's voice steady as she delivered the latest update on the missing party-goers. It wasn't just the ship anymore. The disappearances were happening all over the city, at night, when everyone thought they were safe.

"And in other news," the anchor said, "local residents have reported strange behavior from their pets. Dogs across the city have been barking uncontrollably, especially at night. Reports from several neighborhoods suggest that the animals are terrified, hiding from something unseen. Animal experts believe it may be related to the strange phenomena we've been seeing recently."

Zack's brow furrowed as he stared at the screen. He hadn't thought much about it before, but now that the news had brought it up, something about the situation seemed off. He had always known that animals, especially dogs, had an uncanny sense for detecting things humans couldn't. But what was it they were sensing? Was it the creature?

Zack pushed his chair back and stood up, pacing the room. Ethan had been right to question the things they couldn't see. Whatever was happening—whatever this force was—it was spreading, and they had to figure out what it wanted.

The screech of tires outside interrupted his thoughts. Zack peered through the blinds, noticing a patrol car pulling into the driveway across the street. The officer stepped out, looking around nervously, before disappearing inside.

"Maybe it's time to talk to someone who might know more about this," Zack muttered to himself.

He grabbed his jacket, left the office, and walked outside. As he stepped onto the porch, the neighborhood felt different. It wasn't just the shadows that seemed heavier, darker than usual. The air smelled wrong—tinged with something metallic, like blood. His boots made a soft crunch against the gravel as he walked down the steps.

From a distance, he could hear it. The barking.

It wasn't just one dog. It was every dog in the neighborhood. All barking at the same time, as if something had set them off. But there was an undercurrent of fear in their growls, something primal and uneasy. Zack slowed his pace as he walked toward the source of the noise.

The barking was loudest near the park at the end of the street, a long, narrow stretch of green that was mostly empty at night, save for the occasional jogger or dog walker. Tonight, however, it was filled with anxious, frantic sounds. As Zack approached, he noticed that several of the neighborhood dogs were gathered in the middle of the park, their tails tucked between their legs, their eyes wide and frantic.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?" Zack called out softly, trying to calm the animals down.

But the dogs didn't respond. They were too caught up in whatever had them spooked. Some were even hiding under benches, their bodies shaking, ears pressed flat against their heads. Zack took a cautious step closer, his eyes scanning the area.

He had been a cop long enough to recognize when something was off. And right now, everything was wrong. The dogs weren't just barking—they were terrified.

The air felt dense, like a storm was brewing, though the sky was clear. He looked around the park, the trees casting long shadows under the dim light of the street lamps. Nothing seemed out of place, but the closer he got to the dogs, the more unsettled he became.

It was then that Zack heard it—the low rumble that had been gnawing at his nerves for days now. It was faint at first, but as he stood there, the sound grew louder, deeper.

The growl.

Zack's heart skipped a beat. His hand instinctively moved to his gun, but he realized he couldn't hear the growl anymore. The dogs, however, still hadn't stopped barking.

Suddenly, one of the dogs—a large German Shepherd—let out a sharp whine and bolted, running toward the street as if trying to escape something only it could see. The other dogs followed suit, running in every direction, their fear palpable.

Zack stood frozen, watching them scatter into the night, before turning back to the park. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Whatever was happening, whatever was causing this terror, it wasn't just on the boat. It was here, too.

He turned around, making his way back to the street, but as he reached the corner, something caught his eye. A shadow flickered in the alleyway ahead of him. Zack stopped, his instincts kicking in, his fingers tightening around the gun's grip.

For a moment, there was nothing—no movement, no noise. Just the oppressive silence of the night.

Then, a flash. A quick silhouette darting across the alley. Zack's hand shot up, his gun aimed, but it was already gone.

A chill ran down his spine as he slowly lowered his weapon. He knew that feeling—the feeling that someone—or something—was watching him. But there was no one here. Just shadows. And the growing dread in his chest.

Zack's phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the silence.

He pulled it out, seeing Ethan's name on the screen. Zack answered quickly, his voice low.

"Zack, you won't believe this," Ethan said, his tone rushed and tense. "The dogs. They're acting weird here, too. We're seeing the same thing you described, but get this—one of the officers who was called out to investigate? He's missing. Just like the others. No sign of struggle, no trace."

Zack's mind raced. Missing officers, terrified dogs, and disappearances. The pieces were starting to come together, but the full picture wasn't clear yet. The growling, the fear, the strange behavior—it was all connected somehow. But how?

"We need to meet up," Zack said, already moving back toward his car. "This is bigger than we thought. I'll head to the station."

As Zack hung up the phone, he glanced back at the park. The dogs were gone, vanished into the night. But the eerie sense of something lurking just out of sight lingered in the air.

Whatever was happening, it wasn't just a series of isolated incidents. It was something darker. Something that fed on fear.

Later that evening, after a long, fruitless investigation into the missing officer and strange occurrences, Zack drove back to the station. As he pulled into the parking lot, he noticed something odd.

There were still several patrol cars parked outside, but the dogs stationed at the front gate—usually calm and reliable—were now behaving erratically. They were barking, pacing, and staring into the darkness as if something unseen had them on edge.

He pulled his car into the lot and stepped out. His boots hit the concrete with a sharp echo as he walked toward the gate. The dogs' barking grew louder with every step. But there was one dog—his usual companion, a large shepherd mix named Max—that wasn't following the others.

Max was calm, lying down on the grass with his head held high, watching Zack intently. Zack approached the dog slowly, his hand reaching down. He could feel a chill in the air as he crouched beside Max, the dog's calmness almost eerie in contrast to the chaos around them.

"Why aren't you freaking out, huh?" Zack whispered, more to himself than the dog. Max's eyes locked with his, steady and unblinking.

It didn't make sense. Max, who had always been the most alert and excitable dog on the force, wasn't reacting to whatever the others were so terrified of.

Zack stood up, looking around the lot. The barking was deafening, but Max remained unshaken, as if he sensed something the others couldn't.

He was about to turn away when he noticed something else—one of the other dogs, a German Shepherd named Rex, was acting strangely. Zack had noticed Rex more in recent days, his eyes clouded and unfocused.

Tonight, the dog seemed to be stumbling slightly, as if he couldn't see properly. Zack frowned, kneeling down in front of the animal.

"Rex, what's wrong with you?" Zack muttered.

Rex blinked a few times, his eyes glazed and distant. His usually sharp senses seemed dulled. Zack placed a hand gently on Rex's head, and the dog didn't respond. He had seen this before—Rex was losing his sight. But how? Could it be stress, or something else?

Zack's thoughts were interrupted as the growl returned, faint yet unmistakable. The sound came from deeper in the parking lot, hidden in the shadows, just beyond the reach of the streetlights. He stood up, his eyes scanning the darkness.

Max growled low, his body tense.

Zack turned back to the station. He wasn't sure if it was the creature they had been chasing or something worse, but whatever it was, it was getting closer.