Start Fiction:
Alan wasn't sure what to do with his dog Rufus. He had been getting out of the yard more frequently and always ended up at the neighbor's house, digging around the foundation. It was the strangest thing.
Not only was Alan annoyed, his neighbor, Gary, was becoming more and more agitated as well. All the house in the neighborhood were at least one hundred years old. Foundations weren't built out of concrete, like modern houses, but brick and mortar, sometimes less. A dog digging holes around such a foundation, leaving holes was asking for more water in an already damp basement. And no one wanted to clean up mold and mildew, Gary made that very clear.
Rufus was a three year old Golden Retriever, full blooded. Normally a obeying companion, lately he acted like a pup; short attention span, no obeying orders and the digging.
Gary had moved in next door over a year ago so Rufus had grown used to him, even though he wouldn't get too close to Gary. There hadn't been any new landscaping around Gary's house, normal weather for the year and no reports of critter infestation in the area. Alan wasn't sure what had changed, if anything, other than Rufus.
Alan worked on the fence all day Saturday, making sure it was secure and altering the latches so Rufus couldn't pop them open. Rufus sat in the corner of the yard, staring at Gary's house the whole time Alan was in the yard.
What the hell is up with that dog? he thought. Rufus usually watched Alan as he worked in the yard, worked in his territory. He would follow him around, sitting several feet away, watching.
Rufus was a good dog, one of the best Alan ever owned. He was perhaps not as playful as most dogs, but he didn't bark much, bite, doodle in the house or normally get out and cause trouble.
Alan stood and watched Rufus for a while. He just stared at Gary's house, kinda creepy. A rabbit ran in front of him on the other side of the fence; nothing, not even a flinch.
Maybe it's not Rufus, Alan thought.
What did he really know about his neighbor? Gary was fairly reclusive, seemed to keep odd hours. Alan wasn't too sure he even knew what Gary did for a living, but he assumed it was something that required travel as there were stretches of time when he didn't see Gary.
Days would go by and his car wouldn't move or wouldn't be there at all. There were many consecutive nights when the house remained completely dark. Overflowing trash bins sometimes would sit for several weeks until Gary loaded it all up in his truck and head to the landfill. Then there were the times his empty trash bins would sit on the curb for weeks.
Very strange, indeed, Alan thought.What is it about that house that is attracting a crazy dog?
Rufus was still maintaining his position by the fence. His tail wasn't moving and his ears were flat. There was something about that house, something around the foundation that had Rufus obsessed.
"Come on, boy," Alan called out. Rufus actually responded right away. He walked slowly to Alan, looking back over his shoulder.
"What is it, boy?" Alan said as he knelt down and began to pet him with both hands. Rufus kept his focus on the house and let out a slight whimper.
Alan stood up and began to wonder if there was something other than a crazy dog going on with the house. Perhaps it wasn't the yard at all, but what Gary had in his basement.
End Fiction.
I might revisit this one tomorrow!
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