Cool and fresh, the air sifts through the morning as Sage, the golden-coated husky mix, perches on her porch, staring intensely into the neighbor's yard. It is a cold winter morning, and her owner, half-asleep, watches her with mild amusement. He has always found her obsession with that yard strange, but after enduring her persistent scratching and the clacking of her nails on the door, he could care less.

Unbeknownst to him, Sage's unwavering gaze holds a purpose. The neighbor's yard harbors a dark, sinister secret.

It began when she was just a pup, enjoying the crisp night air as huskies and husky mixes do. That was when she first saw him - the man from next door. She had been startled when he emerged under the cover of darkness, dragging a sack into his vast, tree-filled yard, nearly the size of a football field. She watched, ears pricked and nose twitching, as he dug a hole, tossed the sack inside, covered it with dirt, and walked away as if nothing had happened.

But Sage knew something had happened. And she never forgot.

Over the years, she watched him repeat the ritual - sack after sack, buried beneath the earth. Sometimes, after finishing his work, he would glance at her and smile. Other times, he would toss her a treat - the doggy kind - before disappearing back into his home. Yet, no matter how many treats he offered, Sage remained fixated, her piercing gaze never wavering.

Now, many years later, Sage is older, her golden fur dusted with gray, but she still watches with the same intensity. Her owner still thinks she is odd, but she doesn't care. She has a duty.

Then, one day, everything changes.

The neighbor's yard is no longer quiet. It is swarmed with police officers and crime scene investigators, their shovels tearing into the earth. Reporters speak into cameras, their voices urgent. Sage watches in alarm as the yard - the yard she has guarded with her eyes for so long - is disturbed.

And she does not like it.

She barks furiously, her hackles raised, her body tense. She watches as the men unearth sack after sack, laying them out on the ground like trophies of something unspeakable. Her frustration builds. She whines, she paces, she growls - until finally, she can take it no longer.

With a burst of energy, Sage leaps over the fence, racing toward the scene. Chaos erupts as she darts past officers and investigators, her nose leading her straight to the nearest sack. She sniffs frantically, her tail wagging in anticipation.

She has waited so long for this moment.

She had not stared out of curiosity. She had not stared in hopes of more treats.

She had stared because she wanted to meet the ones in the sacks.

And now, as a decomposed hand slips from the bag she is sniffing, Sage finally meets one at last.