 One afternoon, a dog is allowed into the house when it is recognized as the family pet, but it dies soon after a combination of starvation and radiation sickness as well as loneliness, and the corpse is disposed of by the house's cleaning system.That evening, the house recites to the absent hostess her favorite poem, "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Sara Teasdale.An accidental fire breaks out in the kitchen and spreads throughout the entire house.