Part 2: Following the Unexpected
At first, I thought nothing of it. Our dog Baxter often stayed outside in the mornings. But this sound felt different—more urgent, more insistent.
I stood up slowly and walked toward the back door.
“Baxter?” I called.
The scratching paused, then came a short bark—sharp and focused. It immediately caught my attention.
I opened the door.
Baxter stood there, alert and still. In his mouth, he held something yellow.
My breath caught.
He stepped forward and gently placed it near my feet.
It was a small sweater.
Soft. Yellow. Familiar.
For a moment, I couldn’t process what I was seeing. My hands trembled as I reached for it, but before I could pick it up, Baxter lifted it again and stepped back.
Then he turned and ran.
“Baxter, wait!” I called, quickly following him.
I didn’t stop to think. I simply followed.
He led me across the backyard and through a narrow gap in the fence, one I hadn’t paid attention to in a long time. On the other side was an empty lot, quiet and overgrown.
Baxter ran ahead, stopping occasionally to make sure I was still behind him.
Finally, he stopped at an old wooden shed.
My heart raced as I stepped closer.
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