Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 The back wall of Abe's room was gone. But there was a spot near the top of the stairs where they could escape from the wind and rain. Barry and Cruz sat there for a few minutes, until Cruz started to whimper. "What's wrong?" Barry asked. The dog was panting. "You thirsty? You need water?" Cruz's tail thumped. Barry knew that none of the sinks would work. But maybe there were bottles of water

somewhere in the kitchen. Barry and Cruz made their way down the slanting staircase. "You stay here," Barry said to Cruz, pointing to the bottom of the stairs. He didn't want Cruz wading through the dirty water. But Cruz wouldn't stay. He seemed to be glued to Barry's leg. They waded into the small kitchen. Dishes were floating around their feet, along with boxes and cans of food, but nothing to drink. Barry yanked open the fridge, and a thrill went through him when he saw two six-packs of Coke, some cheese, hot dogs, bread, and a large bottle of water. "We're in luck," he said to Cruz. He looked around for something to carry the food in. He saw a plastic bag floating in the corner and bent down to reach for it. But before he could grab it, Cruz let out a ferocious bark and rammed his body against Barry, almost knocking him down. A long, dark shape shot out from under the bag and disappeared into the murky water. A snake!

Barry stood still, frozen in fear. Was that a water moccasin? He remembered Gramps's most terrifying Betsy story, about one of his friends who'd been bitten by a water moccasin while making his way through the flooded streets. "The water was filled with poisonous snakes," Gramps had said. "Lots of people got bit." Now Barry shuddered. He grabbed as much food and soda and water as he could carry. He hurried back upstairs, praying that snakes couldn't climb. There was a metal bowl in Abe's room, and Barry filled it to the top. Cruz emptied it, and Barry filled it up again. Barry drank two cans of Coke. He ripped open the package of hot dogs; Cruz ate four, one after another. Barry made himself a cheese sandwich and gave Cruz the crusts. When they were finished, they settled back against the wall. Cruz lay down on top of Barry's legs. He looked up at Barry with a thank you kind of look on his face. Barry stroked his head.

"You're really not a killer dog, are you?" Barry said. Cruz looked at him and panted a little. Nah. That dog was probably from the shelter in downtown New Orleans. Abe couldn't afford a fancy Chinese army dog even if he'd wanted one. He had made up that killer-dog routine. Another trick to scare the bejesus out of Barry and Jay. "The storm will be over soon," Barry said to Cruz. The wind seemed to be dying down a bit. Cruz was still looking up at him. Barry saw the fear and confusion in his eyes. What could Barry do? And then it came to him. "I found my thrill," Barry sang quietly, "on Blueberry Hill…" Cruz licked Barry's chin. He liked it. So Barry kept singing — "The moon stood still… on Blueberry Hill" — until Cruz put his head on Barry's knee and closed his eyes. Soon Barry's eyelids started to sag. He stopped singing and leaned back to take a rest, lulled by the gentle rocking of the house and by

the song — familiar now — of Katrina's winds and rain.