Tonight felt different. The air was dense. The streetlights struggled to dispel a darkness so thick you felt you could touch it. There was no breeze; the leaves stayed perfectly still, as if any movement might invite the horror they dreaded.
Usually, the local dogs bark in a rhythmic relay – from far to near, then near to far. Tonight was different. When one dog barked, every dog on the street joined in a frantic symphony of unrest. The park, usually bustling with evening joggers, was completely empty. The darkness there seemed to actively push back against the lights, preventing anything from entering.
Residents stood at their windows, hearts pounding. They felt something was about to happen. They could feel it in their bones; they could sense it from the hair standing up on their arms.
Just when it was becoming too much to bear, it came.
A gargantuan beast coasted down the road. Its minions accompanied it on foot, moving with a rhythmic, mechanical precision. They collected the abandoned items left outside the houses and fed them to the beast, which roared its approval. The dogs hit a fever pitch, protesting this intrusion into their territory. The party moved along at a leisurely, terrifying pace, relishing the havoc they brought to the neighbourhood’s “fur kids”.
Then, as quickly as the chaos descended, it vanished into the night.
The street was left strangely altered. The air turned calm. The leaves on the trees caught a sudden breeze, and the streetlights seemed to shine brighter than before. A few brave souls finally ventured into the park, and the dogs – exhausted from their vigil – finally lay down to rest. They were happy. They had protected their humans. They were ready for sweet dreams until the next time the darkness comes calling.
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