Chapter 4 Weird Dogs and Stranger Shadows

Chapter Four: Weird Dogs and Stranger Shadows

Ava quickly pulled away from Lucas's grip, her face burning. "Sorry," she muttered, stepping back.

Lucas just smiled calmly. "No worries. I've caught worse falls."

Ava gave a weak, awkward laugh and turned toward the car. Through the windshield, Alex was staring at them with a what-did-I-just-see expression.

Ava climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door. "Just drive," she mumbled, avoiding Alex's eyes.

As they pulled away, Alex glanced over. "You okay? That call sounded like an emergency. What happened?"

Ava didn't respond. She stared out the window, chewing the inside of her cheek.

"Ava," Alex said, her voice softer now. "Talk to me."

Ava sighed. "James cheated on me," she said, her voice shaking. "That jerk cheated on me."

The car jerked a little as Alex hit the brakes.

"Wait-what?" She blinked and turned to face her. "What did you just say?"

Ava nodded, blinking fast. "I caught him. In his room. With Clara."

Alex's jaw dropped. "No freaking way."

"He said he had practice," Ava whispered. "But the only thing he was practicing was being in bed-with Clara."

Alex looked like she might explode. "That little slimeball. I knew something was off. Didn't I say he was shady? Didn't I say that?!"

Ava wiped her face with her sleeve. "Yeah. You did."

Alex exhaled hard and started driving again. "If I see him, I might accidentally hit him with this car. Just putting that out there."

They rode in silence the rest of the way, Ava leaning her head against the window. Her birthday wasn't supposed to end like this. James was supposed to surprise her, make it special. Instead, he gave her the worst memory possible.

They pulled into Alex's driveway.

"You can stay here tonight," Alex said as she parked. "Unless you've got other plans... like hanging out with more terrible people."

Ava gave a small smile. "Nah. My mom's working another overnight shift. So, yeah. Thanks."

They walked to the door, and when Alex flipped on the lights, Ava froze.

"Wait. Is that a dog?" she asked, pointing to a small lump curled up on the couch.

"Yeah," Alex said proudly. "That's Hubby. I got her last week."

"You named your dog Hubby?"

Alex shrugged. "I wanted a name that sounded loyal and a little clingy."

Ava laughed and stepped closer-but before she could say anything else, the dog shot up and barked like she was some kind of monster.

"Whoa! Chill, it's just me!" Ava stepped back, hands raised.

But Hubby kept barking like she was under attack. Alex rushed over.

"Hubby! Stop! It's Ava-she's a friend!"

The barking didn't stop.

Ava crossed her arms and frowned. "Okay, rude. I've literally done nothing."

She stared the dog down. After a few tense seconds, Hubby yelped, jumped off the couch, and darted down the hall.

Ava blinked. "Did I just win a staring contest with your dog?"

Alex looked stunned. "She's never done that before."

Ava shrugged. "Guess she got the message."

"Maybe she just needs time to get used to you."

"It's fine," Ava said. "Honestly, it kind of fits. Everyone's turned on me today-even dogs."

Alex chuckled and led her down the hall. "Come on. You can crash in my room. No spare bed, though."

Ava nodded and dropped her bag. "Thanks again. Seriously."

Alex pulled out a blanket. "You want the bed?"

"I'm good," Ava said, already spreading the blanket on the floor. "The floor fits my rock-bottom vibe tonight."

Alex smirked. "I'm gonna take a shower. Don't cry too hard while I'm gone."

"No promises," Ava said with a faint smile.

When Alex went into the bathroom, Ava lay down on the floor. The room was quiet, the soft hum of the house the only sound. She stared at the ceiling, her chest heavy. James. Clara. Her birthday. All of it felt like one big joke.

When did everything start to go wrong?

She didn't even realize when she fell asleep.

...

Later that night, something woke her. Not a sound, just a feeling. That kind of weird, crawling feeling that pulls you out of sleep.

Ava opened her eyes. The room was dark, except for Alex's phone glowing dimly on the nightstand.

She sat up slowly.

For some reason, she walked over and checked on Alex, even though everything seemed fine. Alex was asleep, breathing softly.

Still, something felt... off.

Ava turned and tiptoed to the door, stepping into the hallway. The house was quiet. Too quiet.

She walked into the living room, her eyes scanning the shadows. Nothing seemed out of place.

Then, like something pulling her, she stepped outside.

The cool night air hit her arms, and she wrapped them around herself. It was late. Still. But that feeling in her chest hadn't left. Like something was watching her.

She turned to go back in-then froze.

Something moved.

Near the edge of the yard, behind a tree, a tall shadow stood.

Not walking.

Not shifting.

Just... standing there.

"Hello?" she called out.

No answer.

She took a step back toward the door, heart pounding.

The shadow didn't move. It just stood there, like it was watching her.

Ava's stomach twisted. Her fingers reached behind her for the doorknob.

She rushed back inside and slammed the door shut, locking it fast. Then she crept to the window and peeked out through the blinds.

The shadow was still there.

Still standing.

Still staring.

And Ava had no idea who-or what-it was.