Pang!599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeatI3QkcK
I woke up in a cold sweat as I quickly wrapped myself in a robe that was hanging on my chair and rushed towards the back door, grabbing the keys from the sugar bowl. Whoever that is, I thought. I hope he or she doesn't get hurt. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37dBxemLRO
As I opened the door, the garbage can was lying on the alley road, leaving the rubbish flowing. I covered my nose and mouth and lifted the garbage can, finding a huge scratch mark on the aluminum surface. I stroked the scratch mark and found my fingers penetrated inside, before removing myself from the large hole it had created. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbdsvovtvXc
What could've done this?599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡopri9UJNVV
Morning came and my eyelids felt heavy as I chewed on my cornflakes at the dining table when I heard a loud slurp beside me. I turned to my right and saw Em slurping her orange juice, making my ears screech in pain. "Could you stop?" I snapped. "It's driving me insane."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDPgMsxyeln
Em stuck her tongue out as she continued her antics, prompting me to yanked her chestnut locks. "Auntie, Bugsy pulled my hair."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq9GRXvY2dd
"Bugsy, don't bully your sister," she scolded me.
"She started it first," I insisted. "She's annoying the crap out of me."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMM1JPHFRuJ
"Still, you can't pull someone's hair," Aunt Inara placed both hands around her hips. "It'll hurt in the long run."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmfwNLUoeL
Before I could say anything, Aunt Inara headed towards the kitchen, making me sigh in frustration. Sometimes, I wished I'm the only child in the family instead. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGNcfKj1lv
I slurped down the milk in my cereal bowl and got up from the table, slipping on my shoes. "I'm going out," I announced. "I'll be back before sundown."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytx1cvn7lR
"Bring your sister with you," Aunt Inara instructed. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6pTbpEOaH7
"But why?" I groaned, dropping dramatically on the marble tiles. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShmH03XyiQ
"Just do what I say," she shot back. I watched helplessly as Em jumped in joy and hugged me, only to be pushed away by me. "Fine. I can't believe I have to drag this little pest with me."
"Bugsy!"
"It's true."
"Just be nice to her, okay?"
"Fine, whatever."
We came out from the back door and stumbled upon the town's garbage man, Mr Thompson. His head covered with an olive-green beret, matched with his gray T-shirt and denim overalls and paired with brown shoes. "Morning, Mr Thompson," I greeted. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrOf321nz3
He looked at me and smiled. "Morning Bugsy," he answered. "Morning, Em. How are you girls doing?"599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2hfg0L2rZ
"We're doing great," I grinned and noticed the same scratch mark I saw last night. "Hey Mr Thompson, do you know what caused this?"599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1H5rZVQTlv
I pointed at the scratch mark and he turned his attention to the mark, scratching the back of his head. "A rabid dog," he replied. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOU3CBURL91
My eyebrows were raised at his strange answers. "Looks kinda big to be a dog."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv071ZDnOkz
"Those weren't ordinary rabid dogs, Bugsy," Mr Thompson stuttered. "Those dogs were possessed by a nasty spirit."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQL9UB7VwqB
"Where did those spirits come from?" asked Em. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqeG64GUL6b
"An abandoned farm within a few kilometres away," he pointed to our left. I thanked Mr Thompson before he stopped me. "Once you've seen it, you can never unseen it."
"Yes, sir," I give a nod of respect, as we left the town of Slaborough, wandering into the unknown territory.
We headed out on the gravel road and admired the prairie wildflowers flourishing on the grasslands, swaying with the rhythm of the wind. As the heat from the sun felt intense, Em and I fanned ourselves with our bare hands. My lips felt dry and my feet began to sore as I kneel on the road, only to jump in fright, leaving me with redness on my knees.599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRIhTc4S8E
"How long more?" Em complained. "I'm dying here."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBIMONL4Th8
"We'll get there when we get there," I said, with my teeth clenched. "Now stop complaining or I'll leave you in the middle of the road."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7oKIIsYDI
Em whined as she continued the journey behind, expressing her eagerness to come back home. The scorching heat began to overcame us when we saw a farm from a distance. I rubbed my eyes and the farm stood there, empty. Em and I ran towards the farm and climbed over the fence, noticing the woods were being consumed by time. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxc4B8Kzs5d
Overgrown weeds surrounded the landscape of the house as the paint slowly peeling away from its surface, baring its nakedness. Em and I held hands as we took a step inside the farmhouse, only to be greeted by a deafening creak of the floor. The birds cawed as they flew away from the house, making it empty. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTanaKsjCgD
"So what are we looking for again?" asked Em, clueless. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0OOagsgvt
"A rabid dog," I answered. "According to Mr Thompson, they were possessed by an evil spirit from this farm."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLKoV4IAt0J
"Maybe they're outside," Em ran towards the back door. "I'm positive we'll find one."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuyxvG3FO9e
I nodded and followed her to the backyard, only to find a gray fur goat lying on the grass, blood flowing from its torso. Em covered her eyes as I inspected the wound on the goat's torso, finding similarities with the scratch mark I found on the garbage bin behind my house. "Poor goat," she wept. "Why would a dog did this?"599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6NZweDBiM
"They weren't in control," I sighed and dragged my sister away from the dead goat. "We should head home before sundown."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgATMDNLQI
Before we hit the road, a low, growling sound was heard behind the weeds. Em stood behind me, cowering in fear as I bravely unveiled the grassy curtains, and gasped in fear as I saw a dog, with bald patches on its jet black fur and blood on its paws, its nails chipped. The dog continued snarling in our direction as its mouth began foaming and scratched the surface of the ground. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwqs5MLT0D
Em and I froze as the dog kept on digging and digging and digging until it collapsed on the ground, without moving a muscle. I swallowed my saliva like a lump of sand as I slowly approached the dog, feeling its pulse. "Is the doggie okay?" Em cried. "Please let it be alive."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNbUEa6SvK
I frowned at my sister and shook my head. "He didn't make it."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9U4B7e7nK
Em slumped as I squeezed her in my arms, stroking the back of her hair. "At least the dog is in heaven," I reassured. "Let's just go home and not mention anyone about this, okay?"599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXmRqJ2GHC
She nodded and walked beside me on the gravel road, arriving back at Little Owl Coffeehouse in the nick of time. Aunt Inara smiled as she placed two glasses of water on the table and sat down, facing us. "Did you guys have fun?" she asked. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwClc6JW6vv
"It was okay," lied Em. "Bugsy's kinda bossy the whole day."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mgVGyI1NN
"It was for your own good, Em," I scolded. "You were about to fall from the swing."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MHMJodDy0
Aunt Inara chuckled. "At least you two did something productive. Now go freshen up. You girls are really sweaty."599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YyuJg8Y6r
We heeded her advice and went into our room, with Em slamming the bathroom door behind her. I slouched on my armchair, untying my hair and tossing my socks inside the laundry basket. I emptied my pocket when I felt a cold, metal object on my fingertips, accompanied by a jingle. I took it out and my widened at the sight of a tiny, round bell. 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrIJiDwaqD
That's odd.I never had a small bell before. Where did it come from, and how did it end up inside my pocket? 599Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7odzxi2QCk
