She sat on the edge of the bed and wondered what to do. Vinnie, who lay on his stomach in front of door, raised his head and let out a low and guttural growl every couple of minutes.“What is it, boy?”

His head cocked, he sniffed at the open crack below the door.Did she hear footsteps in the hallway? The cottage was old and the hardwood floors in the hallway creaked when walked upon. In the next second, she heard the telltale sounds. Someone was in the hallway. There was no mistake. Vinnie stood, backed up and whined as he circled about. Her adrenaline kicked in overtime, but she knew she couldn’t flee. She was trapped, a cornered animal. She grabbed the phone, dialed 911 and listened to it ring over and over. Frantic, she hung up and tried again, but no one picked up on the other end. Just continuous ringing. “This can’t be.” She stared at it, upset. “There’s always someone to pick up a 911 call.” She tried one more time, but found it futile and hung up. The sound of the footsteps stopped at her door and she couldn’t breathe. She stared at the door handle and stood, terrified. The only sound, Vinnie’s low growl followed by his high pitch whine, didn’t help the situation. Time inched by. Someone stood on the other side of her door, simply stood there directly opposite her. She could feel it. She heard faint breaths and what she feared the most happened. The knob of the door moved. A tiny click, then the minutest movement, hardly noticeable shook the handle. She broke out in a cold sweat. I’m imagining all this. I’m in a new place and my mind is playing tricks on me like…like before with the mist. It jiggled again and then stopped. Silence. She tried to lick her lips, but her dry mouth made it impossible. When she thought it stopped, a horrific bang hit the door above her head and she jumped back. It sounded like the person on the other side took their fist and walloped hard in frustrated anger. Ready to lose her mind, she heard the sound of retreating footsteps. They quickly walked away. Vinnie heard them leave, too, and his growl and constant whine quieted. She didn’t hear any doors open or close, but she knew, she sensed whoever was in the cottage was now gone. Her blood ran through her veins colder than ice water and she rubbed her hands together trying desperately to get warmth back into them. A deep sigh instantly came out and she sat on the bed for what felt like hours, but was only minutes. Before she went into the adjoining bathroom to throw water on her face, she bent her head and prayed for peace and peace for whomever or whatever had stood outside her door. Phone in hand, she lay in bed and repeatedly dialed Nancy’s number, the police and 911. She figured it was out of order or she’d be able to reach one of those parties. Snuggled in, the blanket under her chin, she listened to the sounds of the wind and the bangs they made around the cottage. Never so alone or afraid in her life, she closed her eyes and after an hour fell asleep, the phone still clutched in her hand. Her apprehension followed into her dreams and she tossed and turned, restless and tense. In her dream, she ran through the grove and searched for something. A woman called her name and she stopped and turned. A hunched shadowy figure sat next to a grave and sobbed. Her face shrouded over with a black veil, Simone couldn’t get a good look at her. As Simone got closer, the woman turned toward her and reached out for her hand. “He’s here. He’s right here. Bring him home to me. Bring him home…” Simone’s eyes shot open and her heart raced. Wideawake, she sat, peered around then lay again.