Read Online Dogs by Nancy Kress - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nancy Kress
Tags: Fiction, General, Suspense, Science-Fiction, Medical, Thrillers, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths
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smirked, making him wait. Eventually she said, âHe said he heard from somebody that thereâs some kind of plague going around, a disease that turns dogs vicious, so we should keep ours locked up. Ainât that a hoot? Some people will believe anything. Probably afraid that little Spic mutt of his will bite his finger.â
Despite himself, Ed laughed. Then he scowled at Cora and went to see if he could spot Jake and Petey and Rex from the craft-room window.
Del Lassiter hung up the phone. Brenda had gone back to bed after lunch. The chemo really tired her out. Del was glad she hadnât woken when Rod Gregory had called to tell Del about the dog plague.
A dog plague â¦How could such a thing happen? Was it even true? Dogs?
Del gazed at Folly, chewing on a miniature rawhide bone on the floor. All at once the Chihuahua looked up and sniffed the air. As she rose to her feet, her entire fawn-colored body started to quiver.
âCold, girl?â But the kitchen wasnât cold. Ever since Brenda had been diagnosed, Del kept the house at 78°, day and night. Chihuahuas shivered when cold, but also when excited, nervous, or scared.
Folly sniffed the air again and began to howl.
Ellie opened her bedroom door. The Greyhounds rushed up to her, Butterfly jumping to lay paws on Ellieâs shoulders and lick her face, the other four crowding close.
âGood morning, good morning!â
Morning indeed. Ellie had gone back to sleep and slept the morning away, which was disgraceful. She was on the four-to eleven shift today as work, but even soâ¦
Song dashed away and returned with her favorite toy, a much-slobbered-over football. Chimes licked Ellieâs hand. Music barked to go out. Ellie tried to attend to all of them at once, laughing at their antics. Scornfully she thought of her co-workers at the office, yammering on about TV shows and dates and clubbing in D.C. Who needed inane sitcoms or cheating men or noisy clubs? She had everything she wanted right here, with her precious friends whose lives she had saved.
Ellie opened the door to let the dogs out into the backyard. Somewhere a siren began to sound, but she barely noticed.
Steve Harper sat in his bedroom, listening to the phone ring. It was his mother, and he should answer it. Sheâd lost Davey, too, and he should be there for her. But he couldnât. He couldnât do anything but sit here, see ing over and over again the same image, the brown mastiff with a single long string of saliva and blood hanging from its mouth onto Daveyâs body â¦
Steve put his hands over his face. The phone went on ringing and ringing.
» 15
Allen Levy sat watching TV in the family room, waiting for 3:00, the remains of his lunch on a plate beside him. At 2:57, his mother bustled in, "Allen, it's time for my show."
âOh, Mom, pleeeessssse! Iâm right in the middle of Star Wars! Look!â
âYouâve seen it before, and you know I only watch this one show, Allen. Star Wars can wait an hour.â
âNo, it canât, I havenât seen it before, we never got the DVD, Jimmy gave it to me! Pleeeessse! Iâm so bored!â
Mrs. Levy frowned. âThis isnât like you, Allen. As I said, I only watch one show every day andââ
âThen can I go outside to play? Itâs so nice out, look!â
Allen pointed to the window, but his mother just kept gazing at him. He tried to look pathetic. Finally she sighed. âAll right, Iâll watch TV upstairs. But you stay right here, you hear me? And turn it down a bit.â
âThanks, Mom!â Allen turned back to the screen and inched toward it happily. He didnât touch the sound. On screen, the Sith blew up something.
When his mother had gone upstairs, he waited a few minutes. She didnât come down. Sheâd been watching her afternoon show, which seemed to involve grown-ups crying and screaming at each other a lot, as long as Allen
Despite himself, Ed laughed. Then he scowled at Cora and went to see if he could spot Jake and Petey and Rex from the craft-room window.
Del Lassiter hung up the phone. Brenda had gone back to bed after lunch. The chemo really tired her out. Del was glad she hadnât woken when Rod Gregory had called to tell Del about the dog plague.
A dog plague â¦How could such a thing happen? Was it even true? Dogs?
Del gazed at Folly, chewing on a miniature rawhide bone on the floor. All at once the Chihuahua looked up and sniffed the air. As she rose to her feet, her entire fawn-colored body started to quiver.
âCold, girl?â But the kitchen wasnât cold. Ever since Brenda had been diagnosed, Del kept the house at 78°, day and night. Chihuahuas shivered when cold, but also when excited, nervous, or scared.
Folly sniffed the air again and began to howl.
Ellie opened her bedroom door. The Greyhounds rushed up to her, Butterfly jumping to lay paws on Ellieâs shoulders and lick her face, the other four crowding close.
âGood morning, good morning!â
Morning indeed. Ellie had gone back to sleep and slept the morning away, which was disgraceful. She was on the four-to eleven shift today as work, but even soâ¦
Song dashed away and returned with her favorite toy, a much-slobbered-over football. Chimes licked Ellieâs hand. Music barked to go out. Ellie tried to attend to all of them at once, laughing at their antics. Scornfully she thought of her co-workers at the office, yammering on about TV shows and dates and clubbing in D.C. Who needed inane sitcoms or cheating men or noisy clubs? She had everything she wanted right here, with her precious friends whose lives she had saved.
Ellie opened the door to let the dogs out into the backyard. Somewhere a siren began to sound, but she barely noticed.
Steve Harper sat in his bedroom, listening to the phone ring. It was his mother, and he should answer it. Sheâd lost Davey, too, and he should be there for her. But he couldnât. He couldnât do anything but sit here, see ing over and over again the same image, the brown mastiff with a single long string of saliva and blood hanging from its mouth onto Daveyâs body â¦
Steve put his hands over his face. The phone went on ringing and ringing.
» 15
Allen Levy sat watching TV in the family room, waiting for 3:00, the remains of his lunch on a plate beside him. At 2:57, his mother bustled in, "Allen, it's time for my show."
âOh, Mom, pleeeessssse! Iâm right in the middle of Star Wars! Look!â
âYouâve seen it before, and you know I only watch this one show, Allen. Star Wars can wait an hour.â
âNo, it canât, I havenât seen it before, we never got the DVD, Jimmy gave it to me! Pleeeessse! Iâm so bored!â
Mrs. Levy frowned. âThis isnât like you, Allen. As I said, I only watch one show every day andââ
âThen can I go outside to play? Itâs so nice out, look!â
Allen pointed to the window, but his mother just kept gazing at him. He tried to look pathetic. Finally she sighed. âAll right, Iâll watch TV upstairs. But you stay right here, you hear me? And turn it down a bit.â
âThanks, Mom!â Allen turned back to the screen and inched toward it happily. He didnât touch the sound. On screen, the Sith blew up something.
When his mother had gone upstairs, he waited a few minutes. She didnât come down. Sheâd been watching her afternoon show, which seemed to involve grown-ups crying and screaming at each other a lot, as long as Allen
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