I Hear a Dog Bark on Halloween

[emusnare]

.

At almost midnight on Halloween,
the lights are turned off in my house.
My bedroom window is cracked open
to welcome cool air from outside.
As I begin to fall asleep,
I hear a dog bark in the distance -
its mournful howl echoing down the street
gives me chills and makes my spine tingle.
After an hour, it stops abruptly,
leaving me to wonder: why the noise?
What disturbed this creature to bellow
with persistence for such a long time,
then go silent,
like a watchman ambushed by a foe?

.