Incidents Around the House
by Malerman, Josh
Contents
Chapter 34
Overview
Kami and Kamael, two trained guard dogs, arrive as the family adds another layer to the house’s defenses. The trainers describe practical security measures, but Mommy’s question about ghosts reveals that the family’s real fear is not an ordinary intruder. The chapter shows how far Mommy and Daddo have gone to protect Bela while also underlining the uncertainty of whether physical safeguards can stop what is haunting them.
Summary
Two women bring in two large guard dogs, Kami and Kamael, to protect Bela’s house. The trainers explain that the dogs have already been scent-trained to recognize Bela, Mommy, and Daddo from pieces of their clothing, so the dogs will not attack the family. The trainers also warn that the dogs are working animals, not pets, and that they should not be played with or fed treats or human food.
Daddo asks practical questions about how the dogs will live in the house and whether the family is supposed to interact with them. The trainers say the dogs should be let into the fenced backyard a few times a day and especially before bedtime so they can patrol the first floor overnight. When Mommy says she wants the dogs to guard the entire house, the trainers explain that the dogs are meant to secure entrances and would only go upstairs if they heard a struggle.
The key tension of the conversation comes when Mommy asks what the dogs can do about ghosts or something already inside the house. Daddo does not dismiss the question, showing how seriously both parents now take the haunting. The trainers, not understanding the true nature of the threat, insist that nothing will get past the dogs and praise the house as the most fortified they have seen. Bela is glad the dogs are there, while Mommy remains tense but briefly hopeful that the family has done everything possible to protect itself.
Who Appears
- Mommypushes for total protection and pointedly asks whether the guard dogs can stop a ghost already inside.
- Belanarrates the dogs’ arrival, feels glad they are there, and notices the trainers’ uneasy reactions.
- Daddohandles practical questions about the dogs and silently accepts Mommy’s concern about the haunting.
- Kamione of the two large trained guard dogs brought to patrol and protect the house.
- Kamaelthe second trained guard dog, paired with Kami to secure the house overnight.
- Dog trainersdeliver the dogs, explain their rules and training, and reassure the family about the home’s defenses.