Welcome to Dead House

Amanda and Josh settle into their new lives over the next few weeks, doing their best to make friends with the other kids. One day while playing ball, they realize that their dog got loose from his leash, and after hours of searching, they still can’t find him. That night, Amanda and Josh’s parents go to a party at the neighbor’s house. Exhausted and heartbroken, Amanda and Josh go to bed, and Amanda lies awake thinking until Josh comes to her room. He knows that their dog went back to the cemetery, and he’s going to look with or without Amanda. Excited for the adventure but also nervous about going out at night, Amanda agrees. Outside, it’s so still and quiet that it feels “as if [they] were all alone in the world” (82), at least until they hear footsteps following them.

The person following them is Ray, who tells them not to go to the cemetery because “[they]’d be nuts to go there at night” (86). Despite the warning, Josh doesn’t stop, so Amanda and Ray go after him. At the cemetery, the kids discover an amphitheater with a giant tree leaning over it, its roots poking up from the dirt.