head and whined at Jenny, then went back to her hopeless task.

Jenny had often read about people going cold with fear, but what she felt was a sudden rush of heat that made her break into a sweat all over again. Something -- or someone -- was outside the house. Jenny couldn't remember Peaches ever pawing frantically at a door. Something was out there, and the dog wanted to get at it.

Jenny was so scared her heart was thudding in her ears like a bass drum. She wished it would stop. She couldn't hear anything else but it, and if she couldn't hear the enemy, whatever it was, how would she know it was about to jump on her?

Stop it, stop it, stop it! Nobody's going to jump on you, she thought. How could they? They'd have to get in first and how can they get in unless you open the door? Not even Brad's big enough to break down the door.

Immediately, Jenny took a quick mental tour of the house. The front door was locked. Back door? Yes, she remembered checking it before she went into town earlier, and she hadn't used it since. Same with the door leading in from the garage. She'd left the car in the driveway after she drove her parents to the airport; she hadn't used the garage at all. But what about the garage door itself? What if the automatic lock hadn't worked?

The thudding in her ears got louder than ever. When she took Peaches out earUer, when Brad was

there, she'd left the door open. Someone could have stolen in then. It couldn't be Brad though. Or could it? After he'd left, she'd stayed out with Peaches. He could have come back. He -- or someone else -- could be in the house right now. Jenny spun around. All she could see were the stairs and part of the h\ing room. Behind her. Peaches was whimpering, a high-pitched, anxious sound that made Jenny bite her lips, mainly to keep from whimpering herself. There was the basement, too, she thought. Piled with unpacked boxes, it was the perfect place to hide out.

Wait, wait, wait I Jenny turned around again. Peaches wasn't wliimpeiing or pawing anymore, she was just sitting and staring at the door. Her ears were pricked up, but her tongue was hanging out the side of her mouth, as if she were taking a quick breather, just waiting to see what move her opponent on the other side of the door was going to make.

On the other side of the door. If someone were in the house. Peaches wouldn't be glued to the door hke that. WTioever or whatever was out there, was out there.

They have to be, Jenny thought. And the thought made her heart slow down. She didn't feel safe, but she wasn't on the verge of panic, either. The thudding in her ears started to fade a bit, and she could hear other sounds -- normal sounds -- like the hum of the refrigerator and the dripping of water in the kitchen sink. She leaned over and patted