Ryan stepped out of the car and stood outside the church, hesitant to bid his father farewell. “We couldn’t even give Dad a proper funeral,” he thought, feeling the heaviness of grief. Suddenly, Bella’s urgent bark caught his attention.
Turning to his car, Ryan saw Bella unusually agitated. Her persistent barking echoed in the quiet parking lot, drawing the early mourners’ gaze.
“Bella!” Ryan signaled her to lie down, but she continued to whine and paw at the car door. He patted her head through the window. “Stay, Bella.”
Ryan walked towards the church, ignoring Bella’s protests. Inside, Arnold’s closed casket was already in place, cordoned off due to an infectious disease. The gathered mourners murmured in sadness and respect.
As Ryan approached the front, Bella’s barking grew frantic. It was unlike her, especially in an unfamiliar place. Ryan grew curious and concerned. Bella had always been intuitive, and her behavior now was unsettling.
Suddenly, Bella broke free, darting into the church and heading straight for the coffin. Her barking intensified as she stood alert, sniffing around the casket. Attendees gasped; the funeral director moved forward, but Ryan halted him.
“Bella, what is it?” Ryan knelt beside her, alarmed. His suspicion grew. Taking a deep breath, he opened the casket.
Silence fell as the lid creaked open. Ryan stared in disbelief—the casket was empty. His father’s body was gone.
The crowd gasped, whispering in confusion. Ryan’s mind raced. Where was his father’s body? How could this happen?
The funeral director, pale and shaken, stepped forward. “Mr. Thompson, I have no explanation. We must contact the authorities.”
Ryan nodded, his focus on Bella, who continued to investigate. “Bella, find,” he urged softly, hoping her senses would provide answers.
Bella sniffed and darted towards a hallway. Heart pounding, Ryan followed. They reached a storage room, Bella scratching urgently at the door.
Opening it, Ryan froze—inside lay his father’s body on a stretcher. An unfamiliar man stood nearby, looking guilty. Ryan recognized him as a hospital worker.
“What are you doing?” Ryan demanded, furious and confused.
The man stuttered, “I…I was paid to take the body.”
“Paid? By whom?” Ryan approached, fists clenched.
The man trembled. “I don’t know his name. He needed the body for experiments. He paid me a lot.”
Ryan’s anger flared. “Experiments on my father? How dare you!”
Police arrived, alerted by the commotion. They took the man into custody, and Ryan watched as his father’s body was returned.
Later, Ryan sat outside with Bella, grateful for her intuition. “Good girl, Bella. You knew something was wrong.”
Bella wagged her tail, and Ryan understood—her vigilance had uncovered the truth. His father’s funeral could finally proceed, though the memory of that day would linger, a reminder of how intuition reveals hidden truths even in darkness.
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