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The small town was silent except for the occasional rustling of leaves and the distant hum of traffic. But amidst the grieving murmurs at the funeral, a single sound stood out—a dog’s relentless barking. The mourners at the cemetery exchanged uneasy glances as the golden retriever, Max, refused to leave the side of his owner’s coffin. His paws scraped against the polished wood, his whimpers growing louder, more desperate. It wasn’t grief that fueled his actions. It was something else.
Max had always been devoted to his owner, Thomas, a kind-hearted man known for rescuing animals. But something was wrong. Max wasn’t just mourning—he was trying to tell them something. When one of Thomas’s closest friends tried to pull the dog away, Max snarled and bared his teeth, his body trembling with urgency. Whispers spread like wildfire. Something about the scene felt... off.
A shiver ran down the priest’s spine as he hesitated with the final prayers. Then, as if possessed by an unseen force, Max threw himself at the coffin again, barking with a ferocity that sent chills through the gathered mourners. The funeral director, now sweating, cleared his throat and suggested they open the casket to calm the dog. No one wanted to, but the tension in the air made it impossible to ignore.
When the lid creaked open, gasps and shrieks tore through the cemetery. What they saw inside was not the peaceful face of a deceased man but something far more horrifying. Thomas's eyes were wide open in terror, his fingernails cracked and bloodied from scratching the inside of the coffin. The realization hit like a freight train—Thomas had been buried alive.
Panic erupted. Paramedics were called, hands fumbled to check for a pulse, but it was too late. The once-beloved man had met his end in a way no one should. And all along, his loyal dog had known the truth. The question remained—how had this happened? A tragic mistake? Or something far more sinister?