Pet Sematary - Stephen King [133]
I know, she said. It just hits you all over the place. I moved the couch while you were in Bangor I thought running the vacuum around would take my mind off off things and I found four of his little Matchbox cars under there. as if they were waiting for him to come back and you know, play with them Her voice, already wavering, now broke. Tears spilled down her cheeks. And thats when I took the second Valium because I started crying again, the way Im crying now oh what a fucking soap opera all of this is hold me, Lou, will you hold me?
He did hold her, and he did it well, but he felt like an imposter. His mind spun with ways to turn these tears to his further benefit. Some nice guy, all right. Hey-ho, lets go.
How long does it go on? she wept. Does it ever end? If only we could have him back, Louis, I swear Id watch him better, it would never happen, and just because that driver was going too fast that doesnt let me-us-off the hook. I didnt know there could ever be hurt like this, and thats the truth. It comes, over and over it comes, and it hurts so much, Louis, theres no rest from it even when I go to sleep, when I go to sleep I dream it,
over and over again, I see him running to the road and I scream to him
Shhh, he said. Rachel, shhhh.
She lifted her puffy face to him. It wasnt even as if he were being bad, Louis. It was just a game to him the truck came at the wrong time and Missy Dandridge called while I was still crying and said she read in the Ellsworth American that the driver tried to kill himself.
What?
He tried to hang himself in his garage. Hes in shock and deep depression, the paper said
Too fucking bad he didnt make good on it, Louis said savagely, but his voice sounded distant to his own ears, and he felt a chill spreading through. The place has a power, Louis its been full of power before, and Im ascared its coming round to full again. My boys dead and hes out on a thousand dollars bail and hell go on feeling depressed and suicidal until some judge takes away his license for ninety days and gives him a slap-on-the-wrist fine.
Missy says his wife has taken the kids and left him, Rachel said dully. She didnt get that from the paper, but from somebody who knows somebody down Ellsworth way. He wasnt drunk. He wasnt on drugs. He didnt have any previous speeding violations. He said that when he got to Ludlow, he just felt like putting the pedal to the metal. He said he didnt even know why. So around and around it goes.
He just felt like putting the pedal to the metal.
The place has a power.
Louis thrust these thoughts away. He gripped his wifes forearm gently. Call your mother and father. Do it now. Theres no need for you and Ellie to be in this house another day. Not another day.
Not without you, she said. Louis, I want us I need us to stick together.
Ill follow you in three days-four at the most. If things went well, Rachel and Ellie might be back here in forty-eight hours. Ive got to find someone to fill in for me, on a part-time basis, at least, at the university. Ive got sick time and vacation time coming, but I dont want to leave Surrendra on the hot seat. Jud can watch the house while were gone, but Ill want to cut off the
electricity and store what weve got in the Dandridges deep freeze,
Effies school
The hell with it. Its out in three weeks, anyway. Theyll understand, the circumstances being what they are. Theyll arrange an early dismissal. Itll all work just-
Louis?
He broke off. What?
What are you hiding?
Hiding? He looked at her openly, clearly. I dont know what youre talking about.
Dont you?
No. I dont.
Never mind. Ill call them right now if thats what you really want.
It is, he said, and the words seemed to echo in his mind with an iron clang.
It might even be best.. for Ellie. She looked at him with her red-rimmed