They weren’t afraid. That was the first thing I noticed.
Two deer stepped from the woods as I was tossing hay. They didn’t bolt—just stood there, watching me. The larger one stayed back, cautious. But the smaller one stared right into me. Like it knew something.
I laughed nervously and snapped a photo. “Got some unexpected visitors,” I posted. Harmless enough.
Then it walked up to the fence and dropped something at my feet—a bundle wrapped in dark fabric. Deliberate. Human. Inside was a small wooden box, old and worn. Inside that, a tarnished silver locket, carved with strange symbols that made my skin crawl.