Despite the chaos, Mark wasn’t ready to give up on Duke just yet. They decided to implement a strict boundary, installing a heavy-duty baby gate at the base of the stairs to restrict Duke’s access to the upper floor. “Maybe if he’s not right at the door, he’ll calm down,” Sarah hoped. But the barrier did little to quiet the storm. Duke spent the night at the bottom of the stairs, his barks echoing up the staircase, a relentless, booming sound that woke Leo every hour.
Sarah went back and forth, comforting the baby while Duke’s aggressive outbursts grew more frequent. The lack of sleep was taking its toll on everyone. Mark watched Duke from the kitchen, seeing the way the dog shivered and paced, his eyes never leaving the ceiling. It didn’t look like jealousy anymore; it looked like obsession.
They were trapped in a cycle of noise and fear, wondering if the loyal companion they knew was gone forever, replaced by a creature they didn’t recognize.