The Smiling Dog

Chapter 2: The Descent

July 13, 2024

The morning sunlight streamed through my bedroom window, but I felt anything but refreshed. The nightmares had left me drained, my mind foggy with fear. But there was something else too—a nagging sense of curiosity, a need to understand what was happening to me.

I glanced at the clock. It was still early, but I knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. With a sigh, I got out of bed and grabbed my phone. The first thing I saw was Tom's reply from last night:

"Man, that picture is seriously messing with my head. Can't get it out of my mind."

I felt a pang of guilt. I had dragged Tom into this nightmare without warning him of the consequences. But there was no turning back now. I had to find answers.

I quickly got ready for the day, my mind racing with thoughts of the image and what it could mean. As I walked to school, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Every shadow seemed to conceal the grinning face of the dog, waiting to pounce.

When I arrived at school, I sought out Tom immediately. He was sitting alone at our usual table in the cafeteria, staring at his phone with a troubled expression. I slid into the seat opposite him, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Hey, Tom," I said, trying to sound casual. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

He looked up, dark circles under his eyes. "Not really. That damn picture kept popping into my dreams."

I nodded, sympathy and guilt swirling in my gut. "I know what you mean. I couldn't sleep either."

Without further preamble, I pulled out my phone and opened the email. Tom's eyes widened as he stared at the image, his expression a mix of fascination and horror.

"That's... unsettling," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, my throat dry. "Yeah, tell me about it. I've been having nightmares ever since I saw it."

Tom glanced around, his brow furrowed. "Do you think anyone else got this email?"

I shrugged. "I have no idea. But I had to show you. I couldn't keep it to myself."

He nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the image. "Thanks for sharing, man. But... what do we do now?"

I sighed, feeling the weight of responsibility settle on my shoulders. "I don't know. But we have to figure it out. We can't let this thing control us."

We sat in silence for a moment, both lost in our thoughts. The bell rang, signaling the start of first period. With a heavy heart, I pocketed my phone and followed Tom to class, knowing that the nightmare was far from over.

Little did I know, this was only the beginning of a descent into darkness from which there would be no escape.