Jul!

“Hello?” I called into the dark. It was quiet, and I didn’t see anyone or anything. Not a creature was stirring. Someone, or something, had definitely knocked. What if they’re hiding somewhere? I looked from side to side. Dream Jackie’s words suddenly echoed in the back of my mind. Is this what she was warning me about?

“Anyone there?” I tried again. By this point, the quiet had gone from peaceful to eerie. I also felt kind of ridiculous, not to mention a little chilly, standing on my porch at 3 a.m. in pajamas. “Okay, then. Goodnight,” I said just in case.

I began to back slowly toward the door and was answered with a “Meh” that brought my attention down to a goat walking to the porch from the side of the house my bedroom window was on. It was white with black hooves and had bright green eyes and peculiar horns that curved in an arch backward over its head. They were red with white stripes. White with red stripes? With these horns, it was as tall as my knees. Must be a pygmy goat. Not that I’d call myself a goat expert, but it was strange looking. Something about it seemed almost supernatural.