Morning Horror

         Fear of what stirred beyond the black metal gate triggered a tremor in Pete's right hand.  The flashlight shook and rattled the silence of the early morning in Ridgewood Pines.  The fuchsia pot next to the porch where the fence butted up against the house spilled onto the concrete leaving the blooming pink flower covered in dirt and broken clay pieces.  Pete smelled the moist soil from the plant he just watered minutes ago before the flash of darkness raced past him.
         Shadows danced beneath the open door and the cold steps down to the cellar entrance.  A sloshing sound accompanied the dark symphony of motion.  Pete's breathing turned ragged and he struggled to control his emotions.  He reached out with his left hand to open the gate all the way.  The dew covered metal barely registered any feeling with his heart racing ahead of his mind.  A small squeak of metal rang out against the quiet and the movement beyond stopped.
         Suddenly, the metal pickets slammed into Pete's chest knocking him over and left him gasping for air.  Instantly, a giant dog was upon him licking his face voraciously, with the tags hanging from its  collar gently grazing his neck.  Soon, covered in drool, Pete opened his eyes and saw Sam, the neighbor's husky looking down at him.  Pete rolled onto his side and then stood up with a sigh of relief.  He looked down at the beaming pet and chuckled a little.
         Smiling at the dog's face he noticed some deep red on the light brown fur at the animal's neck.  He looked back down the stairwell and gasped.  Crumpled at the bottom, an expressionless face with black eyes stared back at him.  Sam whimpered and then Pete's head exploded in pain as his vision went blank.