The Thing in the Dark

I was about 11 years old, and it was past midnight, 12:30 a.m. to be

exact. My parents were asleep, but my cousin, who was 18 at the

time, was still up. I had to take out the trash, so I brought my

dog Berry with me. He was mostly black with a few white spots, always alert and

always by my side. The trashcan was only a 30-second walk from the front door.

I tossed the bag in, then turned around and called for Berry. But there was nothing.

No footsteps, no tags jingling. Just silence. I turned on my flashlight and looked around.

He wasn't there. Confused, I started walking back toward the house.