It’s 8:77 right now and I’m trapped in my room. It started as a normal night as things do, I live in the county where I hear the coyotes barking and howling, but that wasn’t even close to what I started hearing. So some background info: I bought this fairly old house in the county where I have to walk for five minutes to get to my neighbors as we are separated by their field and I’ve been living here for quite some time. I just got back from work, exhausted from another boring day at the office. I was greeted by my dog(Egg) when I got home and was ready to unwind and rest for the rest of the evening, nothing out of the ordinary happened. I fed my dog, scrolled on social media for awhile, that’s when the sun started to set. Despite it being winter here the sun was still going down at an alarming rate, I quickly let Egg out into the fenced backyard to do his thing.
That’s when I really noticed the sky, thunderstorms during winter are not common whatsoever. I got ready for bed and as the rain starting kissing the ground Egg raced inside. The coyotes starting barking at something(no doubtably the storm) and so did Egg. He’s usually not one to bark even during the summer storms, but I just chalked it off as him not expecting a storm while it’s still cold and snowy.
I just got into bed when Egg did something shocking: he starting growling at the window. I looked out into the dark rumbling night and multiple pairs of eyes staring into the room, pupils any reflecting light from my phone. They never came this close. Obviously confused and concerned, I practically jumped out of bed and scrambled to turn on the lights. I could see them more clearly now, the coyotes gathered by the low laying window, hackles raise and teeth bared. I closed both the blinds and curtains and after about thirty minutes or so i could hear them scampering off into the night. Sleep did not come easily that night to Egg and I. I heard him pace the room as he did when the sky slightly shook with distant fits of thunder.
A fair amount of time passed before I wearily drifted off to sleep. I woke to the storm. It felt like the whole earth was on the brink of being flung out into space, the coyotes howls were loud, but the thunder was louder. No lighting or signature power outage came, quite the opposite. The lights flicked on, I got out of bed and Egg was gone. I saw the light in the hallway from under the doorway, I also saw the paws. I heard the familiar click of nails but something was wrong. The hallway light flickered with each click and clack before the light shone immensely.
The door blocked the light but I could still tell it was not supposed to shine that bright, it bled in from the sides of the door before it turned off completely. My breathing went still and my flight flight freeze kicked in. I sat on the bed, fists clenched and intently watching the door. It started shaking and rumbling, it seemed like Egg (actually no, not Egg, let’s just say ggE as that thing.. was no longer my dog) was scratching as the door and throwing himself at it, I screamed at the first thump and crack. I thought it was the door, boy was I wrong.
Something in me clicked as I thought of rabies, I thought my poor egg somehow left the room and got bit by something. it rammed against the door again. Going still with a sicking snap. I was shocked obviously, but not as shocked when it continued attacking the door. I was mortified at whatever could turn egg so bent on attacking with no regard for its health but also grateful the door did not splinter, not even once. I foolishly decided to the thing where you take a video under the door so you can see what’s happening. Even without the flash I saw it, bent at awkward angles, it looked like Egg apart from its deformities. White and tan stained with dark blood, I swear I even saw a tooth mangled in one of the fur matts. ggE starting howling. A horrifying mangled sound, it made me want to vomit right then and there.
A mix between a inhuman screech and a rumbling snarl. The coyotes did not react to the ear splitting noise. That when it hit me. ggE had way to much blood on its fur to be its own from the door hitting. The random tooth must have been a sick kind of souvenir. I barricaded the door with my dresser is case it did break and ggE slowly gave up, I heard it walk away to haunt some other part of the house. It must not be very good at telling what’s alive or not cause I heard clattering and shattering all over and it started howling at something else. I tried to call 911 but the service cut out, I checked the time and it read 8:77, naturally I thought it was a dream and tried to wake up, when all failed I went back to bed with hopes I’d wake up in my proper house.
I woke up again, light did not shine in from the window so I open the curtains and blinds. It was still dark and worst of all: I saw many eyes watching, not moving or anything, just watching. I screamed loudly and ggE came running at the door again.
I just want to rest. I checked the time again. 8:77. Social media still works and I’ve posted on other platforms but no one believes me or just says Egg got rabies. The howls are getting more desperate, I was considering going into the hallway and giving into it as then finally, I could have a good long rest. I moved the dresser and peeked from the side of the door. It was now a mass of flesh and bones, deep red and stained matted fur, tangled up around snowy white bones. I passed out from the sight.
When I woke I had no idea how long I was out for as it was still 8:77. The howls keep getting louder. They are starting to sound like thunder, shaking the room. It gave one howl and door slam before running off somewhere. I played some phone games. I heard the drag of bones and squelch of wet flesh from the corner of my room. The sound is echoey and rapidly approaching.
I’m writing this in hopes if the storm come you can prepare. It’s so loud now, filling my ringing ears. Even if I run I will be followed by it, each room in my house should have a vent, and running out means nothing between it and I. The only hope I have is it takes mercy on me, making it swift and painless.
Part of me is shaking in anger, something took away my beloved dog. I hear nothing now. Not even rabies could make something do this, not a coyote not a dog. It is something else entirely. The carpet is turning red as flesh rises up, leaving the bones behind the grate.