[ WP ] There is a monster in your house that can only attack you once you acknowledge that it exists . You know this and try to write off the various ways it tries to get your attention .

`` Probably a squirrel'', I mused as I shrugged. I was in my back yard picking up after the dog after he returned to his favorite napping spot in the house. A moment ago, there was a flutter in the leaves that gave me start. I've been hearing more and more of these things in the back yard lately, now seemingly every time I come outside. On my way back inside, I made a mental note to look around my property tomorrow for signs of a squirrel home on my property. 
 
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 THUD 
 
 My eyes shot open and my heart raced. `` What was that? ``, I thought to myself. I sat up in bed and looked around the bright room through bleary eyes. I concluded that a squirrel had probably made his way into my attic overnight and had crashed into something. I decided to go up and check it out. Having armed myself with a flashlight and a large knife, I reached up and pulled the cord to open the attic. Creaking, the stairs unfolded, and I paused to look up into the dark space before starting my ascent. Reaching the top, I turned on my flashlight to try to find the light switch, which I immediately remembered did n't work. `` Good thing I brought the flashlight'', I mumbled. I crawled up into the tiny space and shined the flashlight around. No tracks, no poop, and no signs of animal life. Suddenly, my dog barked loudly from downstairs. Startled, I jumped up. A quick, sharp pain entered my head and the light went out. 
 
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 My eyes fluttered open, and it took me a few moments to remember where I was. I slowly turned and got up on my hands and knees. I picked up the knife and shining flashlight, and stumbled to the attic door. 
 
 Downstairs, I leaned against the kitchen table and took a moment to collect my thoughts amid my throbbing headache. Squinting, my eyes caught something on the floor to my right. Red. My eyes went wide as I took in the horrible sight. Blood-soaked patches of golden fur littered a dark pool of dark blood and splintered bones on the floor. `` DOGBERT! ``, I exclaimed as fear gripped my chest. Still holding the knife, I whirled around, expecting an assailant standing there, waiting. There was no one. I searched all through the house, and all around the yard, and there was not a soul in sight. 
 
 I sat on the sofa and cried for several minutes. I loved that dog. He was there for me through everything: the fights, the divorce, the depression, the anxiety. All of it, and there he was, or at least what was left of him. 
 
 I thought of calling the police, but I did n't know what I would say to them. It was n't like there were some strange monsters just hiding in houses and eating people's pets. Surely, this was an act of some heinous person who managed to sneak in and get away undetected. I would n't have the first clue for them. `` Oh well'', I finally sighed, and cleaned up the mess the best I could while I tried to control my sobs. 
 
 Later that night, I was watching TV, holding Dogbert's favorite pillow close. A noise came on during my movie, and I thought maybe it was some strange effect in the film. `` That's quite irritating'', I thought as it got louder. I realized that something had to be wrong with the channel, so I changed it. Surprisingly, the noise continued. It was some sort of white noise, like static. I turned off the TV, but the noise did not stop. Suddenly, I began to make out a voice in the static. Ever so faintly, the voice spoke. I managed to pick up a few words: ``... fluf... ate... blood... m here...''. `` Weird'', I thought, and approached my stereo to investigate. Figuring it had activated tuner mode somehow, I reached ahead to turn off the whole system. As my finger pressed down, I heard a voice say `` Acknowledge me! ``, before the system powered down. `` What a weird station'', I mused, and got ready for bed. 
 
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 Here we are. The night was uneventful, but now I find myself staring back up into the attic. Let me explain. When I first woke up, I had this strange feeling, as if someone, or something, was watching me. I turned my head around and looked across my bedroom. There was no one there. `` Whatever'', I scoffed, `` I must be losing my mind''. I headed to the bathroom and sat down to relieve my bladder. A few seconds in, I jumped up, spraying urine all over the floor and wall, as it felt like something had grabbed my rear end from inside the toilet. `` Easy, bud! ``, I scolded myself. I was certain I was having some sort of mental breakdown, probably due to the grieving over my beloved pet. Giving the walls a quick wipe, I remembered that I had to check the back yard for squirrels, and decided to do so after breakfast. 
 
 Wolfing down some eggs and bacon, I got dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a thin, long-sleeved shirt. I stopped at the hall mirror to check my hair. I suddenly realized that my shirt had white letters printed on it. `` I'm closer than you think'', I mouthed, reading the shirt. `` That's odd, I do n't remember this shirt'', I thought aloud. I dismissed it, since I often had dirty clothes on my floor for many months at a time, and have had several friends over since I last did all of my laundry. 
 
 I could n't help this strange, gnawing thought at the back of my mind that all of these strange occurrences were somehow related. I pushed back at these thoughts, due to the improbability of events. No matter how hard I pushed back, the thoughts never left. 
 
 What does this have to do with the attic? Let me explain a bit more... 
 
 I made my rounds outside, checking every nook and cranny, getting low down to the ground to look for droppings or anything else that would indicate some sort of animal pest. As I approached the back of the house, I noticed the first sign. A hole just under the eaves trough. `` That must lead to the attic'', I said to myself in disbelief, `` I wonder what kind of animal could create a hole that big?'' Getting closer, I looked up into it and saw nothing. I wondered why I would n't have seen light yesterday, when I was searching around up there. The hole was probably obscured by the furnace, I concluded. 
 
 Figuring a gaping hole is a sure sign of a pest, I decided to call Pest Control without any further investigation. I told them about the hole and the noises in the attic, and they said they'd send someone out right away. 
 
 Out of curiosity, I decided to open the attic door, at the very least just so it would be open for the Pest Control guy. I opened it and the stairs lowered with their familiar creek, lighting softly on the floor. I suddenly heard a bark behind me. It was so loud and clear I figured it was right in the kitchen. Wide-eyed, I turned and ran in, expecting to see Dogbert, wagging his tail, and reassuring me it had all been a dream. I stood there, disappointment shattering my soul. I saw nothing. The phone rang and startled me out of my brain fog. I picked it up and looked at the display, which read `` Benson's Pest Service''. I picked it up, and before I could give a greeting, a chilling voice said, `` They'll never get me out of the attic''. Goosebumps spread all over my body, and I hung up quickly. Fear quickly made way to anger. `` What a stupid prank! ``, I shouted, and tossed the phone on to the table. 
 
 Here I stand. I've tried to ignore the signs. I've tried to push away the connections my mind was making between all of the strange events. It has not worked. There's got to be something going on. Something I've never heard of. Perhaps something no one has ever heard of. I stare up into the dark space, hesitating on the first step. 
 
 `` Hello? ``, I call into the darkness. 
 
 `` Hello'', came the answer, as the world went dark. 
 
 
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 Sorry it was so long. First time doing this!
