Against the Unknown

The hush of night, a stillness deep,
Where shadows stretched and secrets creep.
A dog barked in the distance, low,
A mournful sound, a hint of woe.

The salt was tipped over, a scattered spill,
A whispered omen, a superstitious chill.
An empty bird feeder, barren and stark,
Where wings once fluttered, now only dark.

The sound of wind chimes, a haunting refrain,
A melody lost in the whispering rain.
The mailbox was full, its contents unseen,
What mysteries waited, what tales did it glean?

A single light flickered, a beacon so frail,
Against the unknowns that lay on the trail.
A mystery whispered in whispers so slight,
The pieces unraveled, set loose in the night.

LINE COUNT: 16 Lines
WRITTEN FOR: "WINNER AND NEW PROMPT DUE MONDAY FEB 26"  
PROMPT:
Choose MYSTERY as one of your genres - which also means include some sort of mystery in your entry.

Include all of these phrases in your story or poem - they can be in any order but they must be used exactly as below. and bolded:

a dog barked
the salt was tipped over
an empty bird feeder
sound of wind chimes
the mailbox was full