ebEpvI

file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Stephen%20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htmSteve opened his mouth, but no words came out. In spite of his surprise, in spite of his horror, he didwant to give Louis a hand. Somehow, up here in the woods, it seemed very right, very . very natural.“Louis,” he managed to croak at last, “what happened? Good Christ, what happened? Was she. . . wasshe in the fire?”“I waited too long with Gage,” Louis said. “Something got into him because I waited too long. But itwill be different with Rachel, Steve. I know it will.”He staggered a little, and Steve saw that Louis had gone insane—he saw this quite clearly. Louis wasinsane and abysmally weary. But somehow only the latter seemed to carry weight in his own bewilderedmind.“I could use some help,” Louis said.“Louis, even if I wanted to help you, I couldn’t climb over that pile of wood.”“Oh yes,” Louis said. “You could. If you just move steadily and don’t look down. That’s the secret,Steve.”He turned then, and although Steve called his name, Louis moved off into the woods. For a fewmoments Steve could see the white of the sheet flickering through the trees. Then it was gone.He ran across to the deadfall and began to climb it with no thought at all, at first feeling with his handsfor good holds, attempting to crawl up it, and then gaining his feet. As he did so, a crazy daredevilexhilaration swept over him—it was like hitting on pure oxygen. He believed he could do it—and hedid. Moving swiftly and surely, he reached the top. He stood there for a moment, swaying, watchingLouis move along the path—the path which continued on the far side of the deadfall.Louis turned and looked back at Steve. He held his wife, wrapped in a bloody sheet, in his arms.“You may hear sounds,” Louis said. “Sounds like voices. But they are just the loons, down south towardProspect. The sound carries. It’s funny.”“Louis—”But Louis had turned away.For a moment Steve almost followed him—it was very, very close.file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20St...20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm (330 of 333)7/28/2005 9:21:50 PM