Cally said, following her brother as he ran to the tall hedge growing wild along the side of their yard. “I heard him!” James insisted, his voice tight and trembling. “I heard Cubby.” He began to call the dog, cupping his hands over his mouth as he shouted. “You heard him in the kitchen?” Kody asked. “Maybe he’s inside the house. Maybe you only thought he was outside.” James hesitated, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “Come on! Inside!” Kody urged. “Let’s check it out!” With Kody leading the way, they ran into the kitchen. Cally carefully pulled the screen door shut behind her. What was that racket?
She saw Mrs. Nordstrom leaning over the sink—and recognized the grinding roar of the garbage disposal. “Mrs. Nordstrom—did you hear Cubby barking?” Cally shouted. The housekeeper clicked off the disposal and turned off the water. She turned to Cally. “What did you say?” Cally didn’t need to repeat the question. She heard the high-pitched yips of the dog. Cubby. “Hear it?” James demanded eagerly. Everyone heard it. “Someone go out and bring that dog in,” Mrs. Nordstrom said. She waddled out of the room. “It’s definitely coming from outside,” Anthony said, listening hard. The little dog sounded excited, frightened. James burst back out through the kitchen door. Everyone followed. “Cubby! Cubby!” he called eagerly. Cally lingered on the back steps. She couldn’t hear Cubby’s excited yips anymore. They all stopped to listen. Silence. James’s shrill voice was the only sound as he shouted the dog’s name again and again. “I can’t hear him!” Kody declared. “He must be in the house,” Anthony suggested. He started back toward the kitchen. Kody and Cally followed him. James remained in the backyard, scurrying frantically back and forth, shouting Cubby’s name. Back in the kitchen, they could hear the little dog’s high-pitched barking clearly. “It really sounds like it’s coming from the backyard,” Cally said fretfully. “But we don’t hear it out there,” Anthony replied, shaking his head. “Let’s search the house,” Kody suggested. She pulled open the broom closet. “Cubby—are you in here?” No sign of him. The excited yips continued, mixed with sad howls. Cally pushed the screen door open and stuck her head out. The sound disappeared. James was still searching desperately at the side of the garage. Kody and Anthony were in the dining room, bending low to peek under the table and sideboard. “I can hear him,” Kody said, wrinkling her face in frustration. “But I can’t see him.” “Cubby! Here, boy! Cubby!” Anthony called. He glanced at his watch. “Oh, wow. I’m late. I’ve got another lawn to mow.” Cally walked him to the front door. “Want to go to a movie or something next Saturday night?” he asked as they stepped onto the porch. Cally was concentrating so hard on the dog’s barking, it took her a moment to respond. “Great,” she replied finally. “Come pick me up, okay?” She watched him disappear down the driveway. Then she returned to the kitchen, where she found Kody leaning wearily against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. “The barking stopped,” Kody reported. Cally could hear James crying in the backyard. “Where is he? Where is Cubby?” James threw himself down on the grass and started to wail and sob. “This is so weird,” Cally said fretfully. “Where is that dumb dog?” She arid Kody heard the car crunching up the gravel drive at the same time. “Good. It’s Mom and Dad,” Kody said, hurrying past Cally to the
door. “I have to tell them Anthony’s story about this house.” “No—wait.” Cally grabbed Kody’s arm. “Stop. Don’t tell them,” Cally urged. James’s unhappy wails rose up from the backyard. Kody’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “Huh? What do you mean?” “They’re already so upset about everything,” Cally said hurriedly, her eyes on the door. “And now
She saw Mrs. Nordstrom leaning over the sink—and recognized the grinding roar of the garbage disposal. “Mrs. Nordstrom—did you hear Cubby barking?” Cally shouted. The housekeeper clicked off the disposal and turned off the water. She turned to Cally. “What did you say?” Cally didn’t need to repeat the question. She heard the high-pitched yips of the dog. Cubby. “Hear it?” James demanded eagerly. Everyone heard it. “Someone go out and bring that dog in,” Mrs. Nordstrom said. She waddled out of the room. “It’s definitely coming from outside,” Anthony said, listening hard. The little dog sounded excited, frightened. James burst back out through the kitchen door. Everyone followed. “Cubby! Cubby!” he called eagerly. Cally lingered on the back steps. She couldn’t hear Cubby’s excited yips anymore. They all stopped to listen. Silence. James’s shrill voice was the only sound as he shouted the dog’s name again and again. “I can’t hear him!” Kody declared. “He must be in the house,” Anthony suggested. He started back toward the kitchen. Kody and Cally followed him. James remained in the backyard, scurrying frantically back and forth, shouting Cubby’s name. Back in the kitchen, they could hear the little dog’s high-pitched barking clearly. “It really sounds like it’s coming from the backyard,” Cally said fretfully. “But we don’t hear it out there,” Anthony replied, shaking his head. “Let’s search the house,” Kody suggested. She pulled open the broom closet. “Cubby—are you in here?” No sign of him. The excited yips continued, mixed with sad howls. Cally pushed the screen door open and stuck her head out. The sound disappeared. James was still searching desperately at the side of the garage. Kody and Anthony were in the dining room, bending low to peek under the table and sideboard. “I can hear him,” Kody said, wrinkling her face in frustration. “But I can’t see him.” “Cubby! Here, boy! Cubby!” Anthony called. He glanced at his watch. “Oh, wow. I’m late. I’ve got another lawn to mow.” Cally walked him to the front door. “Want to go to a movie or something next Saturday night?” he asked as they stepped onto the porch. Cally was concentrating so hard on the dog’s barking, it took her a moment to respond. “Great,” she replied finally. “Come pick me up, okay?” She watched him disappear down the driveway. Then she returned to the kitchen, where she found Kody leaning wearily against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest. “The barking stopped,” Kody reported. Cally could hear James crying in the backyard. “Where is he? Where is Cubby?” James threw himself down on the grass and started to wail and sob. “This is so weird,” Cally said fretfully. “Where is that dumb dog?” She arid Kody heard the car crunching up the gravel drive at the same time. “Good. It’s Mom and Dad,” Kody said, hurrying past Cally to the
door. “I have to tell them Anthony’s story about this house.” “No—wait.” Cally grabbed Kody’s arm. “Stop. Don’t tell them,” Cally urged. James’s unhappy wails rose up from the backyard. Kody’s eyes opened wide in surprise. “Huh? What do you mean?” “They’re already so upset about everything,” Cally said hurriedly, her eyes on the door. “And now
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