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We were all sad. We loved that damn dog.

So no, that had not been the noise.

I held perfectly still, barely breathing, as I tried to place it.

And then it happened again.

The air left my lungs, breath caught in my chest.

My heart stopped, body frozen in terror.

Just the smallest pop of a noise, coming from the direction of the open door of my connected bathroom.

My eyes shot to that blackened room.

It was as though a choking, suffocating cloud of terror was seeping out of it.

No light shone from there.

The power must have been out.

That was the only explanation for the total blackout in my room.

But that did not explain the noise, and my brain could find no easy way to explain it.

No good way.

It found a bad way, though.

Almost instantly.

That noise had sounded just like two fingers snapping together.

But that couldn’t be right.

No one would be in here with me, snapping their fingers.

Waiting in the dark without speaking.

No. That couldn’t be right.

And it came again.

Snap.

Closer this time. As though someone had taken a few steps toward my bed.

My whole body went cold. I was both frozen in place and trembling with fear.

I stared at the bathroom door.

Nothing moved.

At least I didn’t think it did.

The dark had texture when you stared into it too long.

Shapes formed. Changed.