Luke Becomes Worried About Max
Inside the house, Luke watched from the window, worried about Max. He had grown up with the old dog, who had been there for all his milestones. “Dad, are you sure nothing’s wrong with him?” Luke asked as his father came back inside. Mark shrugged, trying to play it cool, “Max is just being weird, that’s all. He’ll calm down.” But deep down, Mark wasn’t so sure. The dog’s behavior had been escalating, and now, it was unnerving everyone.
Sarah Suggests Cutting Down the Tree
That night, Sarah had a suggestion as they lay in bed. “Maybe we should just cut the tree down, Mark. If Max thinks there’s something wrong with it, maybe there is. I mean, he was trained to detect things, right?” Mark hesitated. The idea of cutting down the tree felt drastic. It had stood there for decades, and it was part of the house’s charm. Still, Sarah had a point—Max’s instincts had never failed him before.
