It’s late at night. You’re going somewhere, maybe to see someone, maybe just walking, either way you find yourself alone on your route. Despite this, gradually, you notice footsteps, not your own, behind you. There’s no one else there. You’re sure of this. But they’re still there. You try to ignore it, but they’re growing louder and faster. You swing your head around and - the footsteps stop. There’s Nothing.You start walking again, this time with only your footsteps echoing in the empty space.
The Huskies are home tonight——despite their fur, fit for such cold conditions, Miller worries and those dogs mean everything to him. He wouldn’t risk something happening just because he’s lonely… that’s the walk is for, bundling up in his warmest clothes, and walking the dimly lit path near the house.
It’s not even a Winter month, yet it’s eternally snowing in this part of Alaska; there’s no complaints, the cold is welcoming. The glistening white blankets on the ground, sparkling when the moon shines down. Blue hues connect then, glancing from his feet to the outstretched path before him.
Only then, had he realized the excessive sound of footfalls behind him… an added crunch to the ones his own boots were causing. It wasn’t uncommon for others to be here this time of night, so as he took a step to the side, to offer more room, and not even bothering to look back. After a moment or two, the noises only increased, doubling in volume and number… However, it caught him by surprise when nobody passed him.
Turning to look… blonde brows furrowed above narrowed eyes. What? There was nobody there. So what had he just heard…? Was it his own feet? “ … Is anyone there——? ” Silence. Just the sound of a gentle breeze through evergreen, shifting branches, needles, and snow. Maybe he didn’t even want an answer in return.
Miller’s immediate thought rested upon a particular memory, one he wasn’t quite fond of, honestly, and attempted to bury as best he could. Gaze lingered on the ground… there was no other imprints there but his own——had he had been hearing things? Was he beginning to lose his mind? Inhaling a shaking breath, a plume of white air passed through soft lips.
Shaking his head, he turned his head, his body following in sync a few seconds after, and soon he was walking again, only then taking a dip in the path to another portion of the walkway, to get back home. This time… this time the sound hadn’t followed him. All that filled the space around him was his own once more. Alone. As it had always been.