Chapter 2 — Elena traces the muddy tracks deeper inside — Then she discovers dog hair embedded in the drying soil
Elena ignored Brenda’s demanding glare and took two deliberate steps forward.
She crouched beside the next footprint in the sequence.
The mud was smeared unevenly across the wood grain, but the shape was distinct.
It was narrow at the heel pad and wide at the front toes, lacking any arch or human imprint entirely.
Elena reached out with the tip of her index finger.
She gently separated the wet clumps of soil near the center of the impression.
Golden-blonde strands of coarse fur were matted directly into the drying mud.
She pulled a single long hair free and held it up to the light coming from the window.
It caught the afternoon sun, shining a familiar amber color.
Brenda crossed her arms even tighter, huffing in annoyance.
“What on earth are you doing down there? The proof is right in front of your face.”
“Look closer at the shape of these prints, Mom,” Elena said calmly, rising to her feet.
“A human foot doesn’t leave four round pad marks and a claw scuff.”
Brenda scoffed and looked down at the floor again, refusing to adjust her stance.
“That’s just a child dragging her shoes through the dirt and trying to cover her tracks.”
Elena did not reply to the accusation.
Instead, she turned her back on Brenda and walked slowly down the hallway, following the mud trail backward.
Each print confirmed the direction of travel, moving away from the rear exit and toward the center of the house.
She reached the threshold of the kitchen door and stopped to examine the baseboard.
More golden hairs were snagged on the splintered wood near the floor molding.
A low, muffled yawn echoed from around the corner near the back utility door.