The quiet of the house was shattered by the relentless barking of Granny’s dog, Babu. It was a deep, guttural bark, one that seemed to echo through the house with unnerving intensity. It wasn’t the kind of bark that came with a wagging tail or a playful spirit. No, this was different. It was frantic, desperate, and filled with an anxiety that made Granny’s skin crawl.
Babu was pacing back and forth, his eyes locked on the wall that separated their home from the abandoned building next door. The same building that had stood there for as long as Granny could remember, its windows long shattered and its doors sealed shut. The property, overgrown with weeds and ivy, had always given off an eerie vibe. It was as if the building was hiding something—something that didn’t want to be found.
But now, Babu was barking at the wall—at a wall that had always been just a wall to Granny. There was nothing remarkable about it, nothing to suggest that it should be the focus of such intense attention. And yet, the dog wouldn’t stop. His eyes were wide, unblinking, and his body was rigid, as though every fiber of his being was attuned to something Granny couldn’t see. Something that was there, just beyond her perception.
Granny tried to calm Babu down. She called his name softly, her voice soothing, but the dog only barked louder, his tail tucked between his legs as if he were frightened of whatever he saw. He refused to eat, refused to drink, and his body trembled with an unsettling energy that made Granny’s heart tighten with worry. She had never seen him act like this before, and it made her feel uneasy.
“What’s wrong, Babu?” Granny whispered, reaching out to stroke his fur. But the dog didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed on the wall, and his barking was so loud, so constant, that it felt as though the house itself might collapse under the weight of his panic.
Granny’s mind raced. What could be causing him to react this way? She had never seen him behave so erratically. She stood up, walked to the spot where Babu was barking, and knelt beside him.
“Shh, Babu,” she said softly, trying to calm him, but the dog’s barks only grew louder, more urgent. Her gaze shifted toward the wall, and for a moment, she felt an eerie chill crawl up her spine. It wasn’t just the dog’s behavior that unnerved her. There was something about that wall—something about the way it seemed to absorb the sound of Babu’s frantic barking—that made her feel as though something was hiding on the other side. The wall seemed… wrong.
Granny couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something there—something in that abandoned building, just beyond the wall, watching them. The thought sent a shiver through her body.
Determined to find out what was troubling Babu, Granny stood up and looked around the room. She moved the sofa that was pushed up against the wall, hoping to find something—perhaps a toy the dog had lost or a crack in the wall that was causing a strange reflection. But as she moved the furniture, she found nothing. No sign of a toy. No insects or rodents that might have frightened the dog. The wall was just as ordinary as it had always been.
But Babu didn’t stop barking. The sound filled the room, grating against Granny’s nerves, yet she couldn’t ignore the strange feeling gnawing at her. Something was wrong. The wall itself seemed to hold some kind of malevolent energy, and no matter how much she tried to reason with herself, the sensation wouldn’t leave.
She stepped back, staring at the wall. It was an old, crumbling structure, the paint peeling in places and the plaster cracked in others. It wasn’t in the best condition, but it had never felt dangerous before. Could it be the building next door? Granny thought. Maybe there’s something over there—something that’s affecting Babu.
But no, the dog had never reacted this way to the building before. It was as though something new—something alive—had taken residence on the other side of that wall. And Babu could sense it.
Granny’s heart pounded in her chest as she thought back to her dream—the dream that had haunted her only a few nights ago. The shadow that had moved through the window, the figure that had crept toward her door. It had all felt so real, so terrifying. Could it be? Could whatever had invaded her dream also be present here, in her home, just beyond the wall?
Her mind raced with the thought. The same coldness, the same unnatural presence that had chilled her to the bone in the dream was now filling the room. The air felt thicker, more oppressive, as if the very space she stood in was being suffocated by something unseen.
“Babu,” Granny whispered, her voice trembling. “What do you see, boy?”
But Babu only barked louder, his eyes fixed on the wall, his body trembling with fear. Granny’s gaze followed his, and for the first time, she noticed something she hadn’t before. There was a faint shadow behind the wall—just a flicker, a distortion of the light that seemed to shift with every bark. It wasn’t a shadow like the ones that came from the cracks in the plaster, but something else. Something darker.
Her blood ran cold.
Granny reached for the wall, her hand trembling as she pressed her palm against the cool surface. She felt nothing—no warmth, no movement—but the sensation of dread only grew stronger, as though the wall itself was watching her. It was as if it were alive, breathing, waiting for something.
A cold gust of wind blew through the room, despite the windows being shut tight. Granny’s heart skipped a beat. She knew, deep down, that this was no coincidence. The shadow that had haunted her in her dream—whatever that dark figure had been—was somehow connected to this wall. To the abandoned building next door.
The air grew even colder, and the dog’s barking intensified, his fear palpable. Granny’s throat tightened, and she fought the urge to scream. Was she imagining it? Or was there something truly evil on the other side of that wall, something that Babu could see but she couldn’t?
The dog refused to stop barking. Granny knew, in that moment, that whatever was haunting her dream was now waking in the real world, right here, just beyond the wall.
And this time, the shadow wasn’t just after her—it was coming for her family too.
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