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file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Stephen%20King%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htmscratch there on the bicep, a fresh scratch, exactly where the dead branch had poked him.in the dream.I’m going to scream. I can feel it.And he could too; it was roaring up from inside, nothing but a big cold bullet of fear. Realityshimmered. Reality—the real reality, he thought—was those needles, the filth on the sheets, the bloodyscratch on his bare arm.I’m going to scream and then I’ll go crazy and I won’t have to worry about it anymore— “Louis?”Rachel was coming up the stairs. “Louis, did you go back to sleep?”He grappled for himself in those two or three seconds; he fought grimly for himself just as he had donein those moments of roaring confusion after Pascow had been brought into the Medical Center, dying ina blanket. He won. The thought which tipped the scales was that she must not see him this way, his feetmuddy and coated with needles, the blankets tossed back onto the floor to reveal the muck-splashedground sheet.“I’m awake,” he called cheerfully. His tongue was bleeding from the sudden, involuntary bite he hadgiven it. His mind swirled, and somewhere deep inside, away from the action, he wondered if he hadalways been within touching distance of such mad irrationalities; if everyone was.“One egg or two?” She had stopped on the second or third riser. Thank God.“Two,” he said, barely aware of what he was saying. “Scrambled.”“Good for you,” she said, and went back downstairs again.He closed his eyes briefly in relief, but in the darkness he saw Pascow’s silver eyes. His eyes flew openagain. Louis began to move rapidly, putting off any further thought. He jerked the bedclothes off thebed. The blankets were okay. He separated out thetwo sheets, balled them up, took them into the hallway, and dumped them down the laundry chute.Almost running, he entered the bathroom, jerked the shower handle on, and stepped under water so hot itwas nearly scalding, unmindful. He washed the dirt from his feet and legs.He began to feel better, more in control. Drying off, it struck him that this was how murderers must feelwhen they believe they have gotten rid of all the evidence. He began to laugh. He went on dryinghimself, but he also went on laughing. He couldn’t seem to stop.file:///E|/Funny%20&%20Weird%20Shit/75%20-%20Ste...%20Books/Stephen%20King%20-%20Pet%20Sematary.htm (65 of 333)7/28/2005 9:21:49 PM