When Maggie relocates to a new house with her son, Ethan, and her husband, Kyle, she feels ready for a fresh start. Her son needed a different environment and a new school, and Maggie just wanted him to be happy. One day, a gray-coated husky wanders into their yard, eating their food and forming a bond with Ethan. Soon after, the husky leads Maggie and Ethan into the woods, ready to reveal something shocking…
When we moved to our new home, I had a good feeling. It marked a new chapter for us, and I was eager for it. Kyle, my husband, and I wanted to give Ethan a fresh beginning after his recent experience with bullying at school. We all hoped to leave that behind.
The house previously belonged to an elderly man named Christopher, who had recently died. His daughter, a woman in her forties, sold the property to us, explaining that it was too painful for her to keep and that she hadn’t lived there since her father’s passing.
“Too many memories are in there,” she told me during our walkthrough. “And I don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. I want a family who will love it as much as we did to make it their home.”
I felt optimistic about settling in, but from the very first day, something unusual started. Every morning, a husky would appear at our front door. It was an older dog, with silver-gray fur and bright blue eyes that seemed to penetrate right through us.
The gentle canine didn’t bark or cause any trouble. He simply sat patiently, waiting. Naturally, we fed him some food and provided water, assuming he belonged to a neighbor. After finishing, he would walk away as if this was routine.
Do you believe his owners simply neglect to feed him? Ethan asked one day while we were grocery shopping and picked up some dog treats.
I replied, “I’m not sure, Ethan. Maybe the man who lived here before fed him, so it’s part of his daily routine?”
He added the treats to our cart. Initially, we didn’t pay much attention. Kyle and I wanted to get Ethan a dog eventually, but we decided to wait until he settled into his new school.
But then, he came back the next day. And the day after that. Always at the same time, always sitting quietly on the porch.
It seemed like the husky wasn’t just any stray. He behaved as if he belonged here. Like we were just temporary visitors in his home. It was odd, but we didn’t think too much of it.
Ethan was thrilled. I saw that my son was slowly falling for the dog. He spent hours playing with him, throwing sticks, or sitting on the porch chatting as if they’d known each other forever.
From the kitchen window, I would watch, smiling at Ethan’s connection with this mysterious dog. It was exactly what Ethan needed after everything at his old school.
One morning, as Ethan petted him, his fingers traced the dog’s collar.
“Mom, there’s a name on it!” he called out.
I went over and knelt beside the dog, brushing aside some fur covering the worn leather collar. The name was faint but visible: Christopher Jr.
My heart skipped a beat. Could it be a coincidence? Christopher, like the previous owner of our house? Was this husky his dog? The thought gave me a chill. Tracy hadn’t mentioned having a dog.
“Do you think he keeps coming here because this was his home before?” Ethan asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
I shrugged, feeling uneasy. “Maybe, sweetheart, but it’s hard to say.”
Despite that, it felt like the husky wasn’t just any stray. His behavior suggested he believed he belonged here. Like we were temporary guests in his territory. It was strange, but we dismissed it.
Later that day, after Christopher Jr. ate, he began acting strangely. He whined softly, pacing near the yard’s edge, frequently glancing toward the woods. He had never shown this behavior before. Now, it looked like he was asking us to follow him.
The dog froze and stared deeply into the forest, and that’s when I saw it.
“Mom, I think he wants us to come with him!” Ethan said excitedly, already tugging on his jacket.
I hesitated. “Honey, I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”
“Please, Mom! We have to see where he’s going and what’s happening. I’ll text Dad so he knows. Please?”
