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file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Stephen%20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htmStanding in the doorway of the pantry was Spot, my dog. There was dirt all over him and mud splashedclear up his legs. The fur on his belly was filthy, all knotted and snarled. He was just standing there—notgrowling or nothing— just standing there, but it was pretty clear that he had backed her into a corner,whether he meant to or not. She was in terror,Louis. I don’t know how you felt about your parents, but I know how I felt about mine—I loved themboth dearly. Knowing I’d done something to put my own mother in terror took away any joy I mighthave felt when I saw Spot standing there. I didn’t even seem to feel surprised that he was there.”“I know the feeling,” Louis said. “When I saw Church this morning, I just . . . it seemed like somethingthat was—” He paused a moment. Perfectly natural? Those were the words that came immediately tomind, but they were not the right words. “Like something that was meant.”“Yes,” Jud said. He lit a fresh cigarette. His hands were shaking the smallest bit. “And my mother seenme there, still in my underwear, and she screamed at me, ‘Feed your dog, Jud! Your dog needs to be fed,get him out of here before he messes the curtains!’“So I found him some scraps and called him, and at first he didn’t come, at first it was like he didn’tknow his own name, and I almost thought, well, this ain’t Spot at all, it’s some stray that looks like Spot,that’s all—”“Yes!” Louis exclaimed.Jud nodded. “But the second or third time I called him, he came. He sort of jerked toward me, and whenI led him out onto the porch, damned if he didn’t run right into the side of the door and just about fallover. He ate the scraps though, just wolfed them down. By then I was over my first fright and wasstarting to get an idea of what had happened. I got on my knees and hugged him, I was so glad to seehim. Then he licked my face, and. . .“Jud shuddered and finished his beer.“Louis, his tongue was cold. Being licked by Spot was like getting rubbed up the side of your face witha dead carp.”For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Louis said, “Go on.”“He ate, and when he was done, I got an old tub we kept for him out from under the back porch, and Igave him a bath. Spot always hated to have a bath; usually it took both me and my dad to do it, and we’dend up with our shirts off and our pants soaked, my dad cussing and Spot looking sort of ashamed—theway dogs do. And more likely than not he’d roll around in the dirt right after and then go over by mymother’s clothesline to shake off and put dirt all over the sheets she had hung and she’d scream atfile:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20St...20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm (127 of 333)7/28/2005 9:21:49 PM