Walter leaned in, hoping for more, but the old man shook his head. “Didn’t cause trouble, didn’t chat either. Mowed his lawn, had a family, and vanished into the house after dark. Can’t say I ever really knew him.” The vagueness only deepened the mystery.
A heavy storm arrived late that summer, drenching the yard and sending thick rivulets of water along the shed. The next morning, Walter stepped outside and froze. One side of the mound had eroded, revealing a glimpse of something dense and strangely smooth beneath the soil.