Seven Kisses in a Row by Patricia MacLachlan

Author:Patricia MacLachlan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

Night Rumbles

“I am not going to sleep in my bedroom tonight,” announced Emma.

“Why not?” asked Zachary. “Because of the mess?”

“No,” said Emma. “Because of night rumbles.”

“What are night rumbles?” asked Zachary.

“I am not sure,” said Emma, “but my friend Noah has them. He says they only come at night. He says they will come here soon. They are furry things with legs who live in the closet, and whiskery shadows in the corners of the room, and a long arm that lives under the bed and tries to grab you when you jump into bed.”

“Have you seen them yet?” asked Zachary.

Emma shook her head. “Not yet. And I am not going to.”

“Where will you sleep?” asked Zachary.

“In the backyard,” said Emma. “In the tent.”

“In the tent!” exclaimed Zachary. He loved sleeping in the tent. “But what about bugs and grubs and wild wolves?”

“I am not afraid of bugs and grubs,” said Emma. “And Wayne will protect me from wild wolves. In the tent there are not a lot of corners with boxes and closets and chairs and toy chests for things to hide in. Or in back of. Or under.”

“No mess,” said Zachary, nodding.

“No mess,” agreed Emma. She began to pack her things.

Uncle Elliot poked his head in the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Emma is not going to sleep in her room tonight,” said Zachary. “Because of night rumbles. The furry things with legs who live in the closet, and the whiskery shadows in the corners of the room, and the long arm that lives under the bed and tries to grab you when you jump into bed.”

“Where?” asked Uncle Elliot, peering cautiously around the room.

“They only come at night,” said Emma. “When the lights are off.”

“You could leave the lights on,” suggested Uncle Elliot.

Emma shook her head. “Then I’d see them,” she said. She looked at Uncle Elliot. “My parents say there are no such things as night rumbles.”

“And I am sure they are right,” said Uncle Elliot heartily. He opened the closet door. “No furry things here,” he said.

“They’re hiding behind the shoe boxes,” said Emma.

Uncle Elliot looked in each corner of Emma’s room.

“There are no whiskery shadows,” he said.

“They’re waiting for you to leave,” said Emma.

Uncle Elliot got down and peered under the bed.

“No arm,” he announced.

“There will be,” said Emma. “I am going to sleep outside in the tent.”

“The tent! All by yourself?” exclaimed Uncle Elliot. “Won’t you be scared? I was always scared.”

“I could sleep out there with you,” said Zachary eagerly.

“No,” said Emma. “By myself. I’ll have Wayne. And my battery lamp and my pencils and pens and writing paper and some books and two doughnuts that I’ve saved for a long time and Eleanor, my cactus.”

“Just remember bugs and grubs and wild wolves,” whispered Zachary.

They went to the garage to look for the tent. Aunt Evelyn was doing her ballet exercises with her hand on the car door handle.

“We’re putting up the tent, Ev,” said Uncle Elliot. “Emma’s going to sleep outside tonight because of the night rumbles.

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