Harvey: You see, Dominic? You see? That's the one. He's here! He's been following me!
*Harvey's voice cracked as he pointed towards the dog.
Harvey: Dominic! Do something!
*Harvey watches as Dominic slowly goes near the door. Seeing this, the dog entered the house. But to Harvey's astonishment, Dominic did nothing to stop the dog from entering the house.
Harvey: Hey Dominic! Are you out of your mind? He might bite you. Use a rod or something!
*Dominic closed the door and locked it. And now, there are 3 beings in the room. Surprisingly, all this time the dog didn't do anything to Dominic. Harvey couldn't understand any of these.
Harvey: Dominic? Do you know this dog? Is...is he your pet? Did you pet it?
*As Dominic closed the door and turned towards Harvey, Harvey saw something that increased his fear twice. He noticed a strange amulet-shaped pendant worn by Dominic, suddenly lit up bright red. He immediately realized where he had seen this bright red earlier, the dog's eyes. They were glowing the same way as Dominic's pendant. But he didn't understand what was going on.
Harvey: Uh...Dominic? What is going on?
*Dominic sat on the chair while the dog stood beside him. Dominic gently waved his hands on the dog's head.
Dominic: You shouldn't have done that.
Harvey: What? What are you talking about–
Dominic: You shouldn't have told them about my research.
*Dominic became enraged.
Dominic: I have worked on it my whole life. A medication that could save animals from viral diseases. I did it! I told you because I considered you my best friend. But you took advantage of it.
*Harvey realized what Dominic was talking about. Dominic was working on a medication for domestic animals, where only a few doses would cure their viral diseases and stop them from being contagious. It would have been a revolution in the field of medical science. But a colleague of Dominic was jealous of him and so, he bribed Harvey offering a large sum of money, in exchange for revealing Dominic's confidential research formulas. Harvey could not resist such an offer. And so his colleague stole all of Dominic's research and framed it as his own. Harvey thought Dominic would never know about all of this, but somehow, all of this became known to Dominic.
Dominic: It's okay. He was confused about his target the first time, seeing two people, so he missed it. But now he won't.
*Dominic said this looking at the dog.
Dominic: Thanks to you, you came here, providing two separate targets for him.
*All of this was not enough to terrify Harvey, as Dominic continued.
Dominic: You shouldn't have left her alone. So, to be honest, I am not responsible for Emily, you are.
*A sudden shiver flowed through Harvey's spine. A jolt of terror went through his body, as he realized an unknown fear started to devour him. An abrupt thought came into his mind and Harvey hurriedly picked out his phone from his pocket and dialed Emily's number. It kept ringing.
Harvey: Hello! Hello!
*The phone kept ringing as his heartbeat pumped rapidly. The constant ringing of the phone kept him reminding of the worst possible outcome. Harvey kept dialing it multiple times, but Emily did not answer. As the atmosphere filled up with an uncanny agitation, Harvey's surge of fear burst out as tears. He understood that the damage had already been done.
Harvey: Please! No! Oh God...no...
*He shouted.
Dominic: No one can hear you. I have given sleeping pills to Ruby, she won't wake up until the next morning. But hey, look at the irony. You traded animal lives for money, and here tonight, you see there's an animal after you. Hah!
Harvey: I am sorry, Dominic. I am sorry! I am truly sorry...I'll give the money to you. I'll give you the whole amount, but please let me go! Let me go!
*Harvey pleaded as he cried.
Dominic: Fine, you can leave. Merry Christmas!
*Dominic gave a faded smile at Harvey. He swiftly moved his hand over the dog's head for the last time, slowly pointing his finger towards Harvey. As he did it, the dog started to snarl at Harvey, making an unearthly sound. His red eyes glowed brighter than earlier, as he slowly approached Harvey. For the last time, Harvey noticed the dust under the table, as he figured out the pattern it was arranged in. It was in the shape of an inverted pentacle.
The end.
[page 10]
YOU ARE READING
Talescope Vol. 1
Short StoryTalescope is a captivating anthology of short stories, offering a kaleidoscope of genres to enthrall every reader. From heartwarming romance to spine-tingling horror, thought-provoking sci-fi to enigmatic mystery, Talescope promises a riveting adven...