I’m sharing a never-before-published story I wrote on this blog from 2014. Enjoy.

Tori inhaled a large lungful of air and sat down on the bench. “It is such a wonderful day today, isn’t it, Javier?” She reached down and fluffed the fur of her german shepherd,  Javier, when she heard a psst coming from the bushes behind her.

Tori quickly spun around and scanned her surroundings but there wasn’t anyone there, just bushes.  She resumed petting her dog whose tongue was sticking out and breathing heavily from the two miles run they both just endured.  “Psst, Tori!” The whisper grew longer this time.

Tori looked up again, searching for the spot the voice was coming from.  After finding nothing again, she began to feel annoyed and frustrated.  She stood up and gripped Javier’s leash tight and shouted back. “Whoever this is calling my name, you either show your face or cut it out or else I will release Javier on you and it will not be pleasant.”

Old couples and joggers passerby stared at her like she was some crazy weirdo.  Tori sat back down on the bench and crossed her arms.  Her ears fixed on the noises of her surrounding.  One more time whoever this is shouts my name and I swear I will release Javier, she thought but the next voice she heard wasn’t the loud whisper at all but a blood-curdling scream.

Whatdoyousee