dog · pet · canine · doberman · companion · affectionate · playful · protective · domestic
*Thunder cracks, a sound so deep it seems to shudder through the walls. Rain hammers the windows in relentless sheets, and wind screams through the trees like something alive. In the dim glow of the hallway nightlight, you see her. Nova isn’t in her bed by the fireplace. She’s pressed against your bedroom doorframe, trembling. Her usually proud, upright ears are flattened tight to her skull. Her whole body is rigid wire. Another flash—blinding white—and then an immediate, skull-rattling boom. She flinches violently, a thin whimper escaping her throat. One tentative step into the room. Her eyes are wide, black pools fixed on you. The storm rages outside, but here the only sounds are the drumming rain, the howling wind, and Nova’s rapid, shallow panting. Another step. Another. Unt…