Chapter 2

"Who's a good girl?" Taylor said squatting as a Labrador ran towards her.

Mark stood behind her, with dark circles under his eyes—too tired to frown.

He sighed and walked passed her into the house.

Looking up at the clock, he exhaled heavily and slouched on the couch.

He reached for the remote and put the TV on, gnashing his teeth in irritation at the sound of the barking dog.

Shortly after, the door sprung open.

"You do know you're supposed to be resting, right?" He said searching for a channel.

"Taylor!" He called having not heard a response.

Hearing heavy breathing, he turned to his side. Gazing at him with two big watery eyes was a furry creature standing with its mouth open.

"What tha...?!" He jumped off the couch.

"Bella!!" He yelled holding his chest to calm down his racing heart.

"Bella come with me, " Taylor called as she stepped in.

Mark looked at her leaving figure sighed and turned off the TV.

Getting into the room, he saw Taylor wrapped in a towel while the dog lay on the bed.

"Stay there!" She said as she walked towards the bathroom.

Mark cast a questioning gaze on her, his eyes seeking answers.

"Why is she on the?" He went on to ask.

"She's sleeping next to me." She said with a firm tone, not even sparing him a glance as she walked into the bathroom.

Mark clenched his fist as he looked at the innocent dog. Seeing his gaze, she ran behind the pillow cowering.

Under the shower, Taylor heard the door slam followed by a thud on the ground.

She sighed as the water ran through her body.

Exhaling deeply she recalled the accident that had happened earlier.

Why is Mark so insensitive?

"A dog... So?!" She mimicked.

Sighing, she turned off the shower and looked down at her belly.

"If only I knew he was this uptight!" She said and let out a sigh.

Suddenly she heard her dog growling.

"Bella, what's it?" she called knowing that Bella was not one to growl like that unless she saw something.

Coming out with a towel wrapped around her body, she walked towards the living room where Bella's barking could be heard aloud.

"Mark!" She called instinctively, still unsure why Bella would growl at Mark in that manner.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed seemingly having stepped on something that cut her foot.

Grimacing, she looked down only to find the wall clock on the ground, its glass shattered in pieces.

"Guh!" She exclaimed pissed and then she began leaping on one foot towards Bella, who continued barking aloud looking through the window.

"Bella, what's up?" She asked, rubbing her head as she too looked through the window. To her surprise, Mark's car sat unmoved from the driveway. "I thought he drove out.." she uttered.

"It's okay, girl. Let's go eat something." She hopped to her room to get a first aid kit to clean up her wound.

……

In the kitchen, Taylor stood by the counter cutting some onion.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed, inadvertently putting her finger in her mouth.

"What's happening today?" She was about to drop the knife when she heard a low growling sound coming from near the window.

Taylor's heart skipped a beat as she heard the growling sound. It was a deep guttural growl, unlike anything she had ever heard before. Her palms began to sweat and her breath came in short gasps.

Bella who had heard the sound too ran towards the window and began to bark.

The growl she'd heard echoed in her mind. Having worked in the vet for so long she's heard so many dogs growl, but none like this.

"Shhh!" She tried to hush Bella so she could hear better. But the dog ignored her plea.

Slowly, with the knife knitted in her fingers, Taylor walked towards the window, the source of the ominous sound.

Everything outside glowed in the moonlight, a brightness-like day only a bit grey. The dense trees swayed in harmony with the howling wind increasing the tension of the moment, their branches casting eerie shadows on the ground.

"Mark!" She called out wanting to believe that Mark was the one trying to fix something; an attempt of her mind to excuse the situation.

With one hand holding the knife, she used the other to shut the window.

A sudden loud bang echoed from the roof, pulling Taylor's heart to her throat.

She held the knife firmly now with both hands as she looked at the ceiling, following the sound of the slow and heavy footsteps on her roof. Now more than ever she wished Mark was here with her—despite being quite timid, he'd at least take away this sense of being alone... even Bella was cowering behind her.

Another thud was heard and the sound on the roof hushed, leaving an unsettling silence. Taylor's sweaty palm holding the knife slowly loosened its grip as she cautiously walked towards her room.

With the knife still in her hand, she lay on her bed staring left and right, refusing to turn off the light.

……

Awakened by the stream of sunlight that made its way through the curtains, Taylor sighed in relief. "It's finally day!"

She got off the bed, briefly glancing at the knife on the table. Her hands were slightly red and sore from holding the knife for so long.

The finger she cut the night before had become slightly swollen.

Grimacing, she reached out for her first aid kit.

Looking at her dishevelled look in the mirror, she sighed. Like a nightmare, the scene of the accident played once again in her mind.

"I hope he's alright..." She said as she picked herself off the bed.

Just then the door was pushed open. Mark who still seemed tired walked in.

"Where'd you go?" She asked.

"Like you care..." He said and walked into the bathroom.

Truly Mark was the last worry on her mind for some reason. After her patients at work, he used to be the first thought she had when she got up but now, the thought of him gives her heart questions that she doesn't want to answer.

"Come on girl, let's take a walk!" She said looking at Bella who had been sitting there quietly.

She and Bella walked out of the house, her eyes peeled as she wondered what made the sound she heard.

Before getting behind the kitchen, Bella, who had beaten her to it continued to bark rapidly.

"What's it, Bella?" She said as she made a bend to the kitchen's back.

"Whoa!" Her eyes widened in shock.