10 HELPING SPARKY

CHAPTER 10 HELPING SPARKY Fire!" David said, the alarm blaring all around them. The kids backed against the wall, trying to stay out of the way as Dick and David raced to the garage. They heard the big doors rise and the sirens starting up. "Come on," RJ shouted over the alarm. "We can watch the trucks from the main door." Claire, Brynlee, and Kaz followed RJ down the hall. They all crowded around the glass door and watched as the first fire truck roared out of the garage. Sparky sat behind the kids and howled. More firefighters raced into the station.

"How did all those firefighters get here so fast?" Claire asked, her hands over her ears. "Most of them live nearby, like we do," Brynlee said. In the next few minutes, two more trucks raced out of the garage with lights flashing and sirens blaring. Then the garage doors went down, and all was quiet at the fire station. Claire rubbed her right ear. "My ears are still ringing," she said. Kaz's ears were ringing, too. "Alarms are loud," RJ said. "They have to be to wake the firefighters up during the night." "Speaking of night," Brynlee said with a yawn. "Should we go back to bed?" "I'm hungry," RJ said. "I want to get a snack first. Does anyone else want a snack?" "Sure," Claire said. She looked at Brynlee and RJ. "Hey, you guys have the same pajamas. Is that another twin thing?" "No," Brynlee said with a scowl. "It's a mom

thing." They all trooped down the hall and into the kitchen. Kaz drifted behind them. Sparky stopped just outside the kitchen door and sat down. "Aroooooooo!" he howled. "Ar-araroooooooo!" Everyone turned. "What's the matter, Sparky?" RJ asked. "Is he afraid to come into the kitchen now?" Claire asked. "I don't know," Brynlee said. "Come here, Sparky." She patted her legs. "Sparky, come!" RJ added. Even Kaz tried to coax the dog into the kitchen. "Come on, Sparky. Follow me." He swam back to Sparky, spun around, and hovered in the doorway to the kitchen. "I'll even let you pass through me. I know you like to pass through ghosts." Sparky stayed where he was. "Aroooooooo!" he howled. "Ar-ar-arooooooo!"

该页暂无翻译

RJ sighed. "He was just in here ten minutes ago. What happened in ten minutes to make him not want to be in the kitchen anymore?" "The fire alarm sounded!" Kaz and Claire said at the same time. "Could that be it?" Brynlee asked Claire. "Is that why Sparky doesn't want to go into certain rooms in the fire station? Because he heard the fire alarm when he was last in them?" "He was in the garage when that other alarm went off," Claire pointed out. "Remember? That's when he ran out!" Kaz thought Sparky had run out because he was chasing the fire truck. But maybe he ran out because he didn't like the alarm. "Animals' ears are very sensitive," Claire added. "You know," Brynlee said, tapping her chin. "Now that you mention it, I was here with Sparky another time the fire alarm went off. We were in the TV room that day."

"I bet that's it," RJ said. "The fire alarm hurt his ears, so he doesn't want to go into any room where he heard the alarm go off." "What can we do about that?" Brynlee asked. "This is a fire station. Alarms go off here." "We have lots of books about dogs in the library," Claire said. "Maybe one of them will have some ideas." "Maybe," Brynlee said. The next morning, Brynlee and RJ walked Claire back to the library so they could look at the dog books. "Most of what you're looking for is right here," Grandma Karen said as she pointed at a couple of shelves in the nonfiction room. "Thanks, Grandma," Claire said as she pulled out a stack of books. She dropped to her knees, and Brynlee and RJ plopped down beside her. Kaz hovered above and watched as they each chose a book and started reading.