The dog whined again, then stilled suddenly. Tina squinted, heart pounding. From beneath the blanket, something shifted. A tiny limb pressed briefly against the fabric before slipping free. A paw, delicate and trembling, claws barely formed. Not human. Not what she expected.
Her breath caught. It was so small, so fragile, her brain scrambled to reconcile it. Had she misheard the cries? Had she spun a nightmare from shadows and nerves? Doubt crept in, gnawing at the certainty that had fueled her fear.