Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Echoes in the Dark

Zack leaned back in his chair, eyes heavy with exhaustion, but his mind far too restless to consider sleep. The eerie message about the disappearances transforming into something more sinister gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. Every fiber of his being screamed that they were dealing with something beyond human comprehension.

A soft knock at the door pulled him from his reverie. "Come in," he called out.

Officer Samantha poked her head into the room, her face pale, eyes wide. "Sir, you're going to want to hear this. We've been getting noise complaints from a whole block near Oakwood Heights. The weird part? Every single complaint mentions dogs."

Zack sat up straighter. "Dogs? What do you mean?"

She stepped fully into the office, clutching a handful of incident reports. "Every house on the street has reported that their dogs won't stop barking, whining, or cowering in corners. People say they're acting terrified—like they see something we can't. Some of them have even gone into hiding at night, under furniture or in basements. And here's the kicker..." She hesitated, her fingers tightening on the papers.

"What?" Zack prompted.

"All of this only happens after sunset."

The chill Zack had been trying to ignore settled deep into his spine. He took the reports from Samantha, flipping through the pages. Each description was disturbingly similar: loud, panicked barking, clawing at windows, animals refusing to leave their hiding spots. And every incident occurred during the dead of night.

"Anything else?"

She nodded. "The strangest thing? We have dogs here at the station acting the same way, but only one of them seems... calm. Completely unaffected."

"Which one?" Zack asked.

She glanced down, almost as if ashamed of what she was about to say. "Max, the old bloodhound. He's been going blind for a while now."

Zack's mind raced as he processed the implications. A blind dog wasn't reacting to whatever was terrifying the others. Could it be that the creature—or whatever force was responsible—existed in a way that only those with sight could perceive?

He pushed his chair back and stood, his thoughts turning to his own dog at home. Duke was a loyal German Shepherd, sharp as ever. Zack had dismissed his sudden barking fits in recent weeks as overzealous protectiveness. Now, the memory of Duke's low growl at nothing but shadows sent a shiver crawling up his neck.

"I want a full behavioral analysis on the dogs here," he said. "See if there's a pattern. Focus on the correlation between visual stimuli and fear response."

Samantha frowned. "You think whatever's out there is targeting sight?"

"I'm not sure," Zack admitted. "But we can't ignore the connection."

She gave a slow nod, her unease mirroring his own. "I'll get on it."

As Samantha left, Zack grabbed his jacket, his movements tense and deliberate. He had to check on Duke. If there was even a chance that his dog had sensed something, he needed to be sure Duke was safe.

The drive home was quiet, the streets unnervingly empty. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as his eyes scanned the darkened road ahead. Every passing shadow seemed heavier, every flicker of movement amplified by his growing paranoia.

When he pulled into his driveway, the house stood in eerie silence. Normally, Duke would be waiting at the window, his tail wagging. But tonight, there was no sign of him.

"Duke?" Zack called as he stepped inside.

A low, guttural growl answered him from the living room.

Zack's pulse quickened as he moved cautiously toward the sound. Duke was there, standing rigid, his fur bristled, eyes locked on the corner of the room where shadows pooled unnaturally.

"What is it, boy?" Zack whispered, kneeling beside his dog.

Duke didn't blink. His ears twitched, his nostrils flaring as if he could smell something Zack couldn't see.

Zack reached out a hand, his fingers brushing the air just beyond the shadows. A sudden, sharp coldness bit at his skin. He yanked his hand back, heart pounding.

The shadow didn't move. It stayed there, silent and still, but Zack could feel its presence—a weight that pressed against his senses.

He slowly backed away, guiding Duke with him. "Come on, buddy. Let's go outside."

The moment they stepped into the cool night air, Duke relaxed, his tail wagging slightly as he sniffed the breeze. Zack closed the door behind them, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

He needed answers.

---

The next morning, Zack was back at the station, his mind still reeling from the previous night's encounter. He was met with Ethan's usual humor, but today it felt forced.

"Jennifer's picking out flowers," Ethan said, sipping his coffee. "I told her to go easy on the lilies. I don't want the whole place smelling like a funeral."

Zack shot him a wry smile. "A little morbid, don't you think?"

"Yeah, well..." Ethan's smile faltered. "Everything feels off lately. Even Jennifer's noticed it. She told me the florist's dog freaked out last night—barked until his voice gave out, and now he won't come out from under the counter."

Zack tensed. "Let me guess—this happened at night?"

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "You think it's connected?"

"I know it is," Zack said. "There's a pattern, Ethan. Dogs sense whatever this thing is. And it's affecting them at night, just like the disappearances."

Ethan rubbed his temples. "Great. So we've got invisible monsters scaring dogs and making people vanish into thin air. Perfect timing, right before my wedding."

Zack's expression darkened. "Speaking of which... you need to think about moving the reception. That cruise ship—it's isolated, out in the middle of nowhere. If something happens..."

Ethan frowned, shaking his head. "Jennifer's been planning this for months, Zack. She won't want to hear about last-minute changes. Besides, how do I explain it to her without sounding insane?"

Zack placed a hand on his partner's shoulder. "You don't have to explain. Just trust me. If we're going to stand a chance, we need to stay where we can control the environment."

Ethan sighed heavily. "I'll talk to her. But you owe me for this one."

"Deal."

As the conversation ended, Zack's phone buzzed with another alert. A noise complaint—Oakwood Heights again.

He grabbed his keys. "Come on. We've got more barking dogs."

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