It was mid-August when they disappeared.

Darkness hangs over our perfect little neighborhood. Everybody knows each other in this town; and hardly anybody comes to this remote part of America. Every year it’s the same thing; it makes us wonder. And some people try to find the truth behind this horror; but nobody made it back, wherever they decided to go.

Everybody ignores it; and now it’s a tradition. Green trees sparkle in the sun; but if you listen carefully, in the wind; you can hear them. You can hear their cries. Nobody knows where the noises come from. Our town is known for animals. Everyone has at least two pets. But every mid-August, they disappear without a trace. Nobody knows where they go. Months later they return as if nothing happened.

… I was playing with Sammy, my cat in the yard, during the days of the disappearances. Neighbors were complaining to each other, about their dogs that just vanished within the house.

“Sammy, your not going to leave again are you?” I mumble to Sammy.

But all the cat was concerned about, was the ball it was playing with. It was a small tennis ball, that my cat was throwing around. The grass was smooth, so I sat on the grass.

“Ok, Thomas bring your cat inside” A voice, sweet and kind, yelled from a distance.

“Ok Mom” I reply.

“Lock the door, as you come in” She instructed. With that she left.

“Ok Sammy, time to go in” I tell him.

He is a black Bombay cat. He does not shed like other cats. Sammy looked at me, with a cute little face. His green eyes burned into my blue eyes. I picked him up, and walked up the pavement and into the red door. I let him down and he ran upstairs to the kitchen, expecting food. I locked the door. This year, we decided to lock the door, so maybe Sammy would not leave. We can trap him, to keep him safe.

Talking to my parents at dinner was exhausting, while my eyes were glued on Sammy; who was licking himself. The night was ordinary, but I heard more voices.

The cries. I snuggled up against Sammy. Who to my surprise is still here. The cries got louder and clear at around midnight. The feeling of dread, suffocated me; as if I were trapped in a cocoon of death. The cold air, like frost, spread around my room. I could not stand this.

I looked again at Sammy, he was gone. I got up, and saw he was moaning at the door. He looked at me and I looked at the window. It was pitch black outside. But a street light was shining in the corner of the road. I stared at it; and made out figures moving. Then Sammy jumped on top of me. I was holding him, when I saw it. I saw it with my own eyes. I saw dogs and cats, mesmerized, walking on the street. Like a zombie parade, they all had the same destination. It was up a hill; where they were going. An animal meeting point. Voices were heard everywhere. I saw other lights turning on, in people’s window’s. Heads were coming out of the windows, yelling at the animals. Calling them back. But the voices, seemed to be guiding them up the hill. Sammy started to make a noise; and jumped off my lap; and leaned against the door, crying.

“Shh. No Sammy you’re not going, not this time” I whispered.

Then something strange happened. Sammy increased in size, and busted down the door. His eyes turned red, and he started to speak.

He bellowed the words “Die, you deserve to die”.

I screamed, then Sammy burst into flames.

I cried until my chest was in pain. My voice was screeching. I heared faint meows. I opened my eyes, and I’m lying on the bed sheets. My tears have dried on my cheeks. Bad dream. The window shutters were still closed, I heard no more voices. My head started to hurt. Bad dream.

…

I open my eyes again, and it’s now midnight. I started to breathe deeply. I looked at my side; and Sammy was gone. I panicked. I looked under my bed. I unlocked my room door and gently searched the house, calling him. I checked the locked door, our front door was still locked. I screamed his name.

“What’s wrong” My mother said sleepily. She yawned.

“Sammy’s gone!” I shot back.

Her eyes shoot right open. “Did you check the house?” She asked in deep concern.

“Yes. Everything is locked!” I say.

After searching the house. No sign of him. We exit the house, and I see a bunch of people outside.

“Did your pet disappear too?” Old Charles asked.

“Yes” My mother replied.

While everyone was going crazy; talking, crying, and scared about it I remembered my dream. Mesmerized. Walking up a hill. DIE. Something dark and evil was going to unfold. We had been ignoring the disappearances. But it was time I took a look at the situation. I remembered an old legend: up a hill; an abandoned house where a horrible murder took place, an old pet cemetery. But something darker happened. Something that includes pets. There is a bit missing to the story. As I stared at the hill that leads up to that house, I think it’s time people knew…The true story.

To be continued…