Scratches In The Night

Late last night, I woke up to my dog growling at the bedroom door. He’s old, half-blind, and usually sleeps through anything, so it freaked me out. I listened, heart pounding, and heard faint scratching—like nails on wood—coming from the hallway. I grabbed my phone, turned on the flashlight, and cracked the door open. Nothing. Just silence and an empty hall. My dog calmed down, so I figured it was a rat or something and went back to bed.

This morning, I noticed faint scratches on the inside of the bedroom door, low to the ground. My dog’s claws are too dull to do that. And then I remembered—he didn’t follow me when I checked the hall. He stayed right by my side, staring at the door the whole time.