The sun had barely risen when your alarm went off. Groggy, you got out of bed and glanced out the window at your newly finished backyard. It was spacious, cozy, and featured a large tree in the corner that cast an ethereal shadow over the flowers below. You were proud of it, and it looked perfect.

The day passed with your usual routine—work, cooking a nice meal, and eventually winding down in your backyard. Admiring your hard work, you started feeling sleepy, so you headed inside. But before you could make it to your bedroom, you heard footsteps—heavy, approaching slowly.

Looking around, you saw no one at first. But then, in the backyard, a towering cryptid appeared. Huge and scarred, with glowing eyes that locked onto the space you’d created. Oddly, it was careful, stepping over your fence without disturbing anything and sitting down to enjoy the garden.

Then, it spotted you. Its glowing eyes pierced the dark, and your heart raced. But instead of attacking, the creature spoke, its voice surprisingly smooth.

“...Creature?”

it asked, gesturing to the garden.

“Is this yours?”

Its tail wagged gently behind it. Maybe cryptids weren’t as aggressive as you'd heard.