She found an open container of soup in the refrigerator, but it smelled spoiled, so she put it back.

She drank water straight from the kitchen faucet, and poured some into a plastic cup for Buddy, because she didn’t want him to be thirsty either.

On the fourth morning, she finally remembered what Andrew had taught her about emergencies.

She dragged a chair under the wall telephone, climbed up, and dialed 911.

Chapter 3 — Officer Natalie

Eric sent help at once. Officer Natalie arrived as the rain poured across the small front porch.

Several neighbors stood behind a chain-link fence or watched from their windows.