9780008390662

preparing for the worst
The wind slows for a moment and the room goes silent. We stare at the black
pool swallowing the cages below.
A chew toy shaped like a pink turtle floats past.
It’s just us and a whole lot of water.
I check out the group. Two cats. One bunny. Six dogs, including Snickers,
Boss, and me. There’s nowhere to jump. No tables, no cabinets. No space
above the upper cages.
And as Cowboy pointed out, the current is probably too strong for us to
tackle, anyways.
“Folks, don’t give up hope. You heard them,” I say. “They’re coming back
for us.”
“No way are they coming back,” says a sad-faced beagle mix. “Gimme a
break.”
“You never know,” I say. I am such a lousy liar.
“Oh, yes we do,” my sister mutters, just loud enough for me to hear, and we
share a look.
“Look, chances are the water won’t get too much higher,” I say. “But just to
be on the safe side, pile up anything you have in your cage. Bowls, toys,
towels.”
“Who died and made you pack leader?” asks a big mutt with a graying snout.
“Well, it beats howling like babies,” I say, and instantly I remember landing