“Honestly umma, I’m an adult now.” Jonghyun said, smiling at his worried mother. “I’ve got Roo with me, and she may not be big but she’s protective. We’ll be fine.”

It was Jonghyun’s first time staying home for night on his own. His parents were headed out of town to visit his sick grandmother and he told them that he had a paper due Monday.

“Make sure you lock the windows and doors after we leave.” His mother said, patting him on the cheek. “I love you baby.”

“Love you too.” She kissed her son on the cheek and let her husband drag her out the door. “Yes!” Jonghyun fist pumped the air, thrilled at being able to stay alone. He planned on eating pizza for dinner and snacking on sweets while playing on the computer.

He waved from the window as his parents drove away. Then he quickly moved through the house checking and locking the windows, but try as he might, there was one window in the basement that just wouldn’t stay latched.

Shrugging as he guessed that the window was too small for anyone to get through anyways, he left it.

Climbing the stairs, a feeling of unease sent shivers down his spine. Shaking his head trying to rid himself of the feeling, he decided to lock the door to the basement. Usually the door stayed unlocked, but this was a different circumstance.

Clicking the lock and even throwing the deadbolt shut, Jonghyun felt satisfied that no one would be able to get into the house.

He ordered dinner straight away, grinning and chatting with his friend Jinki the pizza delivery boy.

“Hey, did you hear about the murderer that was released from prison by mistake?” Jinki said as Jonghyun handed over the cash his parents had left him. “My umma’s all worried that I’ll come across him while I’m delivering.”

Jonghyun snorted, “I doubt he’s anywhere near here. If it were me, I’d hit a big city so I’d be able to blend in. An escaped criminal in a small town would stand out like a sore thumb.”

“Guess you’re right.” Jinki slapped him on the back. “I’ll see you on Monday.”

Jonghyun waved and closed the door making sure to lock it before he took the large pizza into the living room to turn on the t.v.

He passed a few lazy hours doing exactly what he planned, t.v. and internet before he decided to go to bed. Snuggling deep in his covers with Roo sleeping on the mat next to his bed, Jonghyun drifted happily off to sleep.

Blinking sleep crusted eyes, Jonghyun stared at the glowing numbers. “2:36.” He swore, wondering what had woken him.

The house sounded still, silent in the early morning hours. Whining to himself, he buried himself deeper in his blankets and closed his eyes, only to open them again almost immediately.

A steady dripping sound met his ears as he lay in the silence.

At first he was terrified, but then a thought crossed his mind. “Oh crap.” He cursed, “Dad mustn’t have fixed the drip in my bathroom.” He realized, remembering how his father had promised to fix the leaky sink before his trip. He debated about getting up and trying to turn it off, but the heaviness in his legs said otherwise.

Ignoring the sound and sighing in relief, Jonghyun rolled over and let himself try to drift back off to sleep.

But, for what ever reason, he felt uneasy and a little nervous. Maybe it was the story Jinki had told him earlier, and maybe it didn’t help that he knew the window in the basement wasn’t locked. So he did what he did every night when he couldn’t sleep.

Reaching down beside his bed, Jonghyun clucked his tongue. A warm tongue at his fingers, dog slobber coating the digits.

If someone was in the house, Roo would bark and alert him. He was safe and protected inside the house, there was nothing to worry about. Pulling his hand back up, he wiped it on his sheets and feeling soothed was able to fall into a light sleep.

Sleeping fitfully until the clock read 3:45 am, Jonghyun finally gave up trying to sleep for the time being.

Annoyed at himself and at the dripping tap, he reached over the bed again. Letting Roo his hand, Jonghyun was able to fall asleep feeling like everything was alright.

It was close to 7 am when he awoke for the final time.

Deciding that he’d had enough and knowing his parents would be home soon, Jonghyun decided to get up. He made a mental note to tell his dad about the tap as soon as he came home. There was no way he could spend a night like that again.

Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Jonghyun made his way to the bathroom, shuffling his feet along the way. He could hear the front door opening and smiled to himself at the thought of seeing his parents, until he froze.

He froze with his hand on the light switch as he the light, illuminating the grotesque seen in front of his eyes.

He screamed, blood curdling and wordless as he took in the sight of his beloved Roo.

She hung from the shower curtain, skinned and dripping blood.

It hadn’t been the sink leaking that kept waking him in the night. It had been the sound of his dog’s blood dripping into a puddle on the floor.

She’d been strung up within an hour of his going to bed.

The remains of his dinner and snacking came up as he was sick all over the bathroom floor. Wiping his mouth with the back of his shaking hand he realized something.

Looking up at the wall straight ahead of him, his worst fears were confirmed.

Written in blood on the wall behind where his precious dog hung were the words that would haunt him every day for the rest of his life.

“Humans can too.”

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Yep, went and creeped my self out again...hey at least my dog sleeps on my bed not beside it...

Comments are loved, suggestions appreciated and everything else happily accepted!

Loves to you all

Kat