Pet Sematary - Stephen King [9]
Dont, for Christs sake, Louis said. He wasnt crying. Only damn near. Its only half a day.
Half a day is bad enough, Rachel answered in a scolding voice and began to cry harder. Louis held her, and Gage slipped an arm comfortably around each parents neck. When Rachel cried, Gage usually cried too. But not this time. He has us to himself. Louis thought, and he damn well knows it.
They waited with some trepidation for Ellie to return, drinking too much coffee, speculating on how it was going for her. Louis went out into the back room that was going to be his study and messed about idly, moving papers from one place to another but not doing much else. Rachel began lunch absurdly early.
When the phone rang at a quarter past ten, Rachel raced for it and answered with a breathless Hello? before it could ring a second time. Louis stood in the doorway between his office and the kitchen, sure it would be Elliss teacher telling them that she bad decided Ellie couldnt hack it; the stomach of public education had found her indigestible and was spitting her back. But it was only Norma Crandall, calling to tell them that Jud had picked the last of the corn and they were welcome to a dozen ears if they wanted it. Louis went over with a shopping bag and scolded Jud for not letting him help pick it.
Most of it aint worth a tin shit anyway, Jud said.
Youll kindly spare that talk while Im around, Norma said. She came out on the porch with iced tea on an antique Coca-Cola tray.
Sorry, my Love.
He aint sorry a bit, Norma said to Louis and sat down with a wince.
Saw Ellie get on the bus, Jud said, lighting a Chesterfield. Shell be fine, Norma said. They almost always are. Almost, Louis thought morbidly.
But Ellie was fine. She came home at noon smiling and sunny, her blue first-day-of-school dress belling gracefully around her scabbed shins (and there was a new scrape on one knee to marvel over), a picture of what might have been two
children or perhaps two walking gantries in one hand, one shoe untied, one ribbon missing from her hair, shouting, We sang Old MacDonald! Mommy! Daddy! We sang Old MacDonald! Same one as in the Carstairs Street School!
Rachel glanced over at Louis, who was sitting in the window seat with Gage on his lap. The baby was almost asleep. There was something sad in Rachels glance, and although she looked away quickly, Louis felt a moment of terrible panic. Were really going to get old, be thought. Its really true. No ones going to make an exception for us. Shes on her way and so are we.
Ellie ran over to him, trying to show him her picture, her new scrape, and tell him about Old MacDonald and Mrs. Berryman all at the same time. Church was twining in and out between her legs, purring loudly, and Ellie was somehow, almost miraculously, not tripping over him.
Shh, Louis said and kissed her. Gage had gone to sleep, unmindful of all the excitement. Just let me put the baby to bed and then Ill listen to everything.
He took Gage up the stairs, walking through hot slanting September sunshine, and as he reached the landing, such a premonition of horror and darkness struck him that he stopped- stopped cold-and looked around in surprise, wondering what could possibly have come over him. He held the baby tighter, almost clutching him, and Gage stirred uncomfortably. Louiss arms and back had broken out in great rashes of gooseflesh.
Whats wrong? he wondered, confused and frightened. His heart was racing; his scalp felt cool and abruptly too small to cover his skull; he could feel the surge of adrenaline behind his eyes. Human eyes really did bug out when fear was extreme, he knew; they did not just widen but actually bulged as blood pressure climbed and the hydrostatic pressure of the cranial fluids increased. What the hell is