Alone in the Dark

“Quiet, Rex!” Kyle said, trying to keep his voice down. He definitely didn’t want whatever Rex was barking at in the shed to hear him. Especially since they didn’t know what it was yet. He grabbed Rex’s collar and tried to pull the dog away from the door, but Rex wouldn’t budge.

“Maybe there’s a snake inside,” Mia suggested. She shuddered at the thought. She didn’t mind seeing pet snakes, but she definitely didn’t want to run into one in the wild. Especially in this dark, abandoned shed. “Or a raccoon.”

“Or a skunk,” Kyle said, making a face. It wouldn’t be the first time Rex had found a skunk.

A few months ago, Rex had found one sniffing around the backyard and decided to investigate. He was always up for making friends with new animals. But the skunk hadn’t been feeling quite as friendly. He’d sprayed Rex. It had taken Kyle hours to scrub the smell off in the bathtub.

Rex suddenly stopped barking and sniffed at the door. Kyle put his finger to his lips. Mia nodded in agreement, and they both listened, but the only sound they heard was Rex’s loud sniffing.

“It might not be something scary,” Mia said. “Maybe it’s just something quiet.”

“Like what?” Kyle asked. He was a little nervous, too, but he didn’t want Mia to know.

Mia shrugged. “Maybe it’s a ghost?” she suggested.

“I don’t think dogs can smell ghosts,” Kyle said.

Rex whined again and pawed at the door to the shed.

“Maybe not, but he definitely smells something,” Mia said.

Kyle moved a little closer to the shed. “Did you hear that?” he asked, putting his ear to the door.

“What?” Mia asked as she moved up next to him.

“It sounded like something was crying,” Kyle said. He grabbed the door handle and pulled it toward him just a little. The rusty hinge squeaked loudly in protest as the door opened a crack.

Rex whined.

“What is it?” Mia asked, peering over Kyle’s shoulder.

“I don’t know,” Kyle said. “It’s too dark in there to see anything. There’s only one way to find out.”

Kyle pulled the door the rest of the way open and looked inside. As sunlight flooded the shed, he gasped as he caught sight of what Rex had already smelled.