Zombie Dog Read Online Free Page B

setting down a mug, “we know you love Bear, but he needs to stay off the neighbors’ property. And that includes the empty house next door. If he’s scaring stray animals over there, he could get hurt.”
    â€œ Mom ,” Becky said indignantly, “Bear wasn’t even over there. He was with us in the yard. He didn’t do anything . Whatever it was just howled at him for no reason. And you didn’t hear this noise. It wasn’t any stray cat. It was, like, a banshee or something.” She was breathing hard, and she realized as she said it that it was true: The sound felt too eerie to have been made by anything natural.
    Her parents stared at her. Then her dad gave a little huffing sigh. “You can’t just make up ridiculous stories to cover up Bear’s bad behavior,” he said.
    Becky blinked hard and looked away from her parents. She stared instead at the big poster of different kinds of peppers that her mom had hung over the table, trying to will back tears. They were being so unfair. “Listen,” she said, working to keep her voice reasonable, “you don’t know all the stuff I’ve heard about the house next door. Everyone says it’s haunted. Or that a mad scientist lived there, or … different things …”
    The corners of her dad’s mouth twitched as if he was stopping himself from laughing, and Becky wanted to scream.
    â€œThere’s something weird about that house,” she told them. “Why do you think it’s been empty for so long?”
    â€œThe house next door is haunted ?” Jake asked. He broke into a huge grin. “That’s amazing!”
    Becky’s mom set down the sponge and turned around. “Of course it’s not haunted, Jake. Becky, don’t try to scare your brother. The house is empty because old Mrs. McNally lives in assisted living now, but she doesn’t want to sell it or rent it out,” she said matter-of-factly.
    â€œThere’s always a rational explanation foreverything,” Becky’s father said. “Now, who wants to watch that movie I picked up?”
    â€œI’ll make popcorn,” her mom said. On her way toward the pantry, she put her hands gently on Becky’s shoulders. “I know that moving to a new place can be hard,” she said sympathetically, “but making up stories won’t help. This is a wonderful house on a terrific street, and you’ll adapt.”
    Becky’s shoulders twitched with irritation, and her mom let go. “I do love the house,” Becky said, turning to look at her mom, “but there’s something strange about the house next door.”
    â€œI’m sorry, Becky, but that’s just not true,” her mom said.
    â€œAnd Becky?” her dad said, and she turned back around to look at him. He pointed one finger at her across the table. “The conversation about Bear’s behavior is not over.”
    Â 
    In bed that night, Becky couldn’t get comfortable. She could hear Bear downstairs in his crate, shifting around restlessly, and occasionally letting out a soft whimper. He didn’t like sleeping in the crate,but her parents insisted that he stay in the kitchen at night.
    Outside, branches blew against her window. Past them, Becky watched the full moon sailing high in the sky. She buried her face in her pillow and shut her eyes. She had to get some sleep.
    Downstairs, Bear barked, one sharp bark. Becky’s eyes flew open again, and she listened, wondering if her parents had heard him, but there was no sound from their room. Another whimper came from downstairs, and she threw back her covers and climbed out of bed. Bear was lonely.
    Becky tiptoed down the stairs without turning on the light. The moonlight coming through the windows washed across the floor, bright enough to see by.
    When Bear saw her, he jumped to his feet, his tail wagging hard enough to rattle the crate.
    â€œShh,