The Thing Behind the Fence

It was an ordinary backyard, except for the chain link fence. Even that wasn’t especially out of the ordinary, so most people didn’t spare it a second look. Those who did rarely saw anything remarkable: just grass, a little overgrown, a rubber tire, nothing that would excite their interest.

If they’d looked closer, they might have seen the thing scuttling in the shadows as it shifted from one hiding place to another or seen the camouflage flicker from just a moment, revealing a many-legged shape.

At night, some of the people in the neighborhood heard it’s cry. They shivered, not knowing how close to death they were.

“Just the wind. Just a dog. Maybe it’s a coyote.”

They made endless excuses, always knowing that they weren’t true, but knowing that if they stopped believing them, they’d never be be able to sleep again.

---

Word Count: 144

This is for Flash Fiction for the Aspiring Writer. Thanks to Priceless Joy for running the challenge and Yinglan Z for providing the prompt picture.