Storm Rescue by Laurie Halse Anderson

must be around back.”
    We run around the side of the house. Suddenly Brenna stops in front of us.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” I ask.
    Then I look past her and gasp in horror. The whole backyard is flooded under two feet of water—including Stormy’s kennel!

Chapter Eight
    S tormy is hysterical with fear—he keeps bounding up onto the top of the doghouse, then slipping off and splashing down into the water. Each time, he leaps straight up as if the water is burning hot, then races forward and rebounds off the wire kennel door. Then it’s back to the doghouse roof again. His ears are plastered back against his head, and his expression is panicky. His barking sounds hoarse, like he’s been doing it for a long time.
    Maggie hurries us forward. “We’ve got to get him out of there! He’s freaking out—he’s going to hurt himself, if he hasn’t already.”
    Behind the house, the ground slopes down, then levels off again where Stormy’s kennel is. The doghouse is an island surrounded by muddy water. We march right up to the kennel, with the water lapping at our knees.
    â€œHow are we going to get him back to the clinic?” I ask. “We don’t have a leash.”
    â€œThere’s one.” David points to a nylon leash hanging on a hook near the kennel door.
    â€œGood eye!” Brenna shouts above Stormy’s barking. “Who’s going to be the brave one?”
    Okay, Sunita. Don’t think—just go.
    I grab the leash from the kennel wall. Maggie is shouting something behind me, but I tune her out.
    I flip the latch on the kennel door, fling it open, and barge inside. “Good dog,” I say breathlessly, trying to make my voice calm and soothing, just like it was when I was comforting Lucy yesterday at the clinic. “It’s all right, sweetie.”
    Stormy’s barking drowns out my voice. I don’t think he even sees me standing there. He’s on top of the doghouse again, his claws scrabbling for a foothold on the rain-slick surface. He starts to slide off and jumps instead, splashing into two feet of muddy water on the ground.
    â€œCalm down, Stormy, okay?” I plead, my hand clutching the leash. “I want to help you.”
    Stormy pushes off the side of his kennel, rebounding off the chain-link fence like a trampoline. I flinch when I see him coming straight at me. Oh, no!
    â€œMove!” Maggie shouts. She’s so close that I feel her breath on my face. She grabs the leash and pushes me toward the door. I stumble on the threshold and fall to my knees outside, splashing into the water. Glancing over my shoulder, I see Maggie standing just inside the door, looking very small beside Stormy, who has missed running into her but is still bouncing around the wire pen like crazy. How is she ever going to calm him down and get him to safety?
    Maggie claps her hands and lets out a sharp whistle. Startled, Stormy freezes and looks toward her.
    â€œSit!” Maggie thunders, her voice louder and deeper than I’ve ever heard it.
    The dog responds instantly, dropping onto his haunches right there in the water. He looks surprised and uncertain. Maggie doesn’t give him a chance to figure out what’s going on. She darts forward and quickly snaps the leash onto his collar. As soon as she does, Stormy seems to sort of go limp. His tense muscles relax, and his ears return to their normal position. In a matter of seconds, Maggie’s leading him out of the kennel.
    â€œWow!” Brenna yells with admiration. Stormy doesn’t look too happy about sloshing through the water, but he’s walking meekly at Maggie’s side. “That was awesome! How did you know he would listen to you?”
    â€œI didn’t,” Maggie admits. “But I know he’s well trained, so I gave it my best shot.”
    â€œPretty good shooting. Or should I say shouting?” David says with a grin. He pats