A sudden noise jolted me awake. It sounded like a rustle, an unsettling crackle of something stirring in the darkness. My heart raced as I listened intently, trying to discern its source. Aria was sound asleep, but that didn't help to calm my nerves. I had to find out what was happening. I shuffled out of bed, the cold wooden floor sending shivers up my spine as I made my way downstairs. My heart thudded in my chest, the shadows flickering as I turned on the dim light in the hallway.
When I reached the kitchen, the eerie quiet pressed on me. It was dark and still, almost oppressive, and I felt like I was wrestling with something unseen. There, just beyond the kitchen door, I caught sight of Fatso, peering intently out the slightly ajar patio door. His ears were perked up, his body rigid
