One evening, Ben, a local handyman, was walking his dog near an empty field when he heard strange noises coming from a small mound of dirt. Intrigued and a bit uneasy, he cautiously approached, using a stick to gently poke at the mysterious lump. As the earth moved, the noise became louder, more distinct, and oddly familiar.
What he saw next turned his face completely pale, his mind racing with confusion...
“Milo, Stay,” Ben ordered. He couldn’t be sure yet, but he knew he had to get some tools. Knowing that his friend John was closer to the field than his home was he immediately started sprinting towards his home. His old age was now far behind him as the adrenaline pushed him to knock loudly on his friend’s door, knowing he didn’t have time to lose.
John opened the door, looking confused. “What’s up Ben?” he asked. “I need your help and your tools. Quick, hurry!” He said. John listened without question as the two quickly grabbed John’s tools and made their way back. There, Milo was still waiting for them, his eyes not going off the lump of dirt. However, it seemed to be moving less than it had before!
He feared he could already be too late, and a cold sweat started gathering on the back of his neck. The two started carefully excavating the lump, trying to ensure they wouldn’t hurt whatever was trapped underneath.
Yet, what could possibly be trapped underneath the dirt? Was the animal alright? And most importantly, who could possibly have done such a thing?
Ben had lived in this beautiful spot near the woods for decades. Everyone knew him and his dog Milo, and he would say he had made friends with his neighbors. He had made sure to build a nice community. He had many lifelong friends living near him, and there never seemed to be a complaint about neighborhood safety. However, it seemed like that was about to change.
He was taking the route he and many of his neighbors would often take. Going into the woods was a lovely stroll. It had been the final walk of the day for him and Milo as the sun was setting, and Ben would wake up early in the morning again. He thought he would have a nice sleep after he tired out Milo with a nice game of fetch, no clue how that game would actually pan out.
Entering a nice open field on the last leg of their walk, Ben took out Milo’s favorite ball. Milo, who saw, immediately started to wag his tail, the excitement evident in the dog’s posture. Though the two of them had walked for a long time and Milo had done what he needed to do, the energy of the dog was still not quenched.
Ben knew a game of fetch would quickly remedy such a thing. Milo was quick to excite, but even he would be tired after chasing after multiple balls. He was lucky that Ben knew how to throw a mean ball. With the sun going down Ben hadn’t seen the change in the field, the partially obscured lump eluded him, but it wouldn’t get past Milo.