What began as an innocent Halloween costume turned into something far more unexpected. Ever since my daughter, Arlie, watched a K9 demonstration at the county fair, she’s been obsessed with police dogs. So naturally, when Halloween arrived, she begged to dress up as a K9 officer—complete with her trusty sidekick, our German Shepherd pup, Shadow.
They quickly became a daily duo. Each afternoon after school, Arlie would suit up and “go on patrol,” striding through the yard giving Shadow dramatic commands like “Search for clues!” or “Protect the perimeter!” I assumed it was all just part of her imaginative world—until one day, she came back with a completely different expression.
“There’s something weird in the woods,” she whispered, eyes wide. “Shadow kept barking at it.”
At first, I figured it was a critter nest or maybe some discarded junk. But when she showed me the spot—hidden behind our back fence and partially buried under leaves—I saw something that gave me pause. A strange object, wrapped in plastic, poked out from the earth. Shadow was furiously digging at it.
I told her we’d leave it alone until I could return later and check. But when I went back that night with a flashlight, whatever it was… had disappeared.
The following morning, Arlie was buzzing with questions. “Where’d it go, Mom? Did someone move it?” Her voice trembled between worry and curiosity. I wanted to believe it was nothing—maybe trash that blew away or something ordinary—but deep down, I had a nagging feeling.
I reached out to our neighbor, Mr. Callahan. He’s lived next door for decades and usually knows what’s going on around here. After I described what Arlie found, he grew quiet.
“Well,” he finally said, “people have been whispering about strange activity near the woods lately. Odd lights. Cars coming and going late. Nothing anyone’s ever been able to pin down… but it’s been noticed.”
That evening, I tried to comfort Arlie. “It could’ve been garbage, sweetie. Nothing to worry about.” But she wasn’t convinced.
The very next day, she picked up her patrols again—more focused than ever. And Shadow? He seemed different too. Like he was on a mission.
Days went by with no further signs—until one rainy afternoon, Arlie came flying through the front door, soaked and breathless.
“Mom! You have to come now,” she cried. “It’s back.”