“Do not go home tonight.”

The loud voices around Sara dwindled. Her ears began to ring harshly. Sara scanned the area for anyone suspicious, but no one stood out. She took a deep breath and showed the message to her sister.

“Look! I just got a weird text.” Sara’s hands shook as she handed Emma her phone. Emma’s eyes widened. She had never seen Sara so nervous before. Emma always stood up for her sister. She’s encountered bullies several times, but never a threat like this.

“Calm down. It’s not like they know where you live.” Emma replied. She pondered about what to do next. “Let’s just text them back,” Emma suggested. She quickly took the phone and replied.

“This prank is not funny. If you bother us again, then we’re going to report you.” Emma took a deep breath and sent the message.

“See, there you go. All you have to do is stand up for yourself and b-“ Emma was interrupted by another anonymous message.

“Don’t go home tonight.”

Typing…..

Emma continued:

“I just blocked you. How are you still texting me?”

“Stop being a creep or I’ll call the cops.”

“902 Huntsworth Ln”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got the cops covered.”

“Don’t go home tonight.”

The sender also sent audio of a creaking sound.

Emma’s palms began to sweat. She had never been in a situation like this before. The messenger knew exactly where they lived.

Sara’s body froze. She looked like she was in shock.

Typing…

“Who are you? Why are you doing this?” Emma was glued to the phone, waiting for an answer.

“I know something that others don’t.”

“I’m trying to warn you. Don’t go home tonight.”

Sara cursed under her breath. “This is ridiculous. I’m calling the cops.”

According to the officer, prank calls have rapidly increased this week. He told them that there was nothing to worry about and suggested that he would escort them home.

The girls went into the officer's car and headed for home. Sara's legs rapidly shook, and her forehead began to sweat. Emma’s heartbeat thumped loud enough for everyone to hear. The kind officer noticed. “Nothing’s going to happen to you guys, I promise.” The drive was long and unnerving.

“Welcome home girls.”

The old house had two big oak trees in the front yard. An old tire swing hung from one of the trees. Sara reminisced about the great times on the swing.

Emma glanced at her vibrant red bike. It glistened in the weakening sunlight. It was next to the front door, just as she had left it.

Everything seemed to be normal, but something was off.

“Do you guys have a dog? Those footprints over there look pretty big.” The officer stated and began to ramble about his dog.

Emma cut him off. “No, our parents refused to adopt any animals.”

Emma felt a chill crawl down her spine. The only dog in the neighborhood lived four blocks down. There’s no way that he traveled this far.

Sara trembled once again. “I can’t take this anymore. Why is this happening to us?” She was now sobbing in the backseat.

“I’m going to check it out.” Officer Dean’s voice cracked as he exited the car. “I’ll be right back.” The sisters locked their doors as soon as he left the car.

The footprints were wide and deep. It didn’t look like anything that he’d seen before. Dean looked around for more clues. The old tire swing was torn in the back. There were ginormous claw prints covering the area. The officer hurriedly pulled out his pistol and walked to the car.

He ignited his car and buckled his seatbelt.

“You guys aren’t safe here. I’ll take you back to the st-.” The officer looked back slowly. The girls were gone. The same claw marks were found on their seat alongside blood and their phones.

Dean left the vehicle panicking about his next steps. There was a loud screeching sound nearby. The rain fastened and thunderstruck.

Dean’s hair stood on his neck. He wanted to run, but his legs kept wobbling. His phone vibrated in his hand. The policeman was at a loss for words.

“Don’t go home tonight.”