"Woof! Woof! I hear something!" barked Buster, Sophia’s furry friend. Sophia, all bundled up in her pajamas, peeked out her bedroom door. It was past her bedtime, and the house was dark and quiet... except for the strange noises coming from downstairs!
"Don't worry, Buster," Sophia whispered, even though her heart was thumping like a drum solo. She had to be brave! After all, she was four years old now, practically a grown-up!
Tiptoeing down the hallway, Sophia held tight to Buster's fluffy neck. The spooky noises were coming from the living room. “Maybe it's just Grandma making a midnight snack,” she thought. Grandma was a super good cook, but sometimes she got a little carried away in the kitchen, especially late at night!
Peeking into the living room, Sophia gasped. It wasn't Grandma making the noise. It was the furniture! The couch was bouncing up and down like a trampoline, and the lamps were swaying to spooky music that seemed to be coming from nowhere!
Suddenly, the music stopped. The room fell silent. Then, a voice boomed, "Well, hello there!"
Sophia jumped, her eyes wide as saucers. Standing in the middle of the room, glowing with an eerie green light, was a... a… ghost dog?!
“Don’t be scared!” the ghost dog said, wagging his tail, which glowed brighter with every wag. “My name is Sparky, and I just love to dance!”
Sophia giggled. Sparky was a friendly ghost dog! "I'm Sophia," she said, "and this is Buster.”
Buster, who had been hiding behind Sophia, peeked out cautiously. “Woof!” he said, which Sophia knew meant, "Nice to meet you, Sparky!"
Sparky explained that he used to live in the house with a friendly family. He missed playing fetch and going for walks. “That’s why I like to make the furniture dance!” he said. “It reminds me of playing!”
Just then, Grandma walked in, her eyes sleepy, a mixing spoon in her hand. She looked around at the dancing furniture and the glowing ghost dog. "Sophia, what in the world...?"
Sophia quickly explained about Sparky and his love for dancing. "Can we keep him, Grandma? Please?" Sophia pleaded. "He doesn't have anyone to play with!"
Grandma, who was really very kind, smiled. "Well, I suppose a little extra company wouldn't hurt," she said. "But Sparky, we have a rule in our house: no dancing furniture after bedtime! It's important to get a good night’s sleep before visiting the doctor."
Sophia’s eyes widened. “The doctor? Who’s going to the doctor?”
Grandma winked. “You are, silly! Don’t you remember? It’s checkup time! We’re going to visit Dr. Jones tomorrow. He’s the nicest doctor in all of Houston!”
Sophia loved visiting the doctor! Dr. Jones always had fun stickers and lollipops. Plus, she loved telling him all about her dream of becoming a doctor when she grew up!
That night, after the furniture was still again, Sophia, Buster, and Sparky all snuggled together in Sophia's bed. Even though Sparky was a ghost dog, he felt surprisingly warm and cuddly.
“Don’t worry about the doctor’s,” Sparky whispered, giving Sophia a gentle lick on her cheek. “It’s going to be a great visit!”
And you know what? He was right. The next day at Dr. Jones’ office, Sophia was brave and strong during her checkup. She knew that going to the doctor was important for staying happy and healthy, and she even got a special sticker for being such a good patient!
From then on, Sophia, Buster, and Sparky were the best of friends, sharing adventures and making the most of every single day. And Sparky? He learned to contain his dancing to daylight hours, much to the relief of the furniture!
