Pet Sematary | Page 5

L udlo w a n d i n t h e to w ns e ast o f L udlo w , a n d t h e c o m pli c a te d l i tig atio n, in volv in g t h e f e d era l
g overn m en t a s w ell a s t h at o f t h e s ta te , m ig ht s tr e tc h i n to t h e n ex t c en tu ry .
R ach el s to pp ed c ry in g a b ru ptly . S he s a t u p. “ Is t h at— ”
“ T hat’ s it,” L ouis s a id . H e fe lt a p pre h en siv e—
n o, h e fe lt s c a re d . In fa c t h e fe lt te rrif ie d . H e h ad m ortg ag ed
tw elv e y ears o f t h eir l iv es f o r t h is ; i t w ould n ’t b e p aid o ff u nti l E il e en w as s e v en te e n .
H e s w all o w ed .
“ W hat d o y ou t h in k?”
“ I th in k it ’ s b eau tif u l,” R ach el sa id , a n d th at w as a h uge w eig ht o ff h is c h est- a n d o ff h is m in d. S he w asn ’
t
k id din g, h e s a w ; it w as in th e w ay s h e w as lo okin g a t it a s th ey tu rn ed in th e a sp halt e d d riv ew ay th at c u rv ed
aro und t o t h e s h ed i n
b ac k , h er e y es s w eep in g t h e b la n k w in dow s, h er m in d a lr e ad y t ic k in g a w ay a t s u ch m att e rs a s c u rta in s a n d
o il c lo th f o r t h e c u pboard s, a n d G od k new w hat e ls e .
“ D ad dy?”
E ll ie s a id f r o m th e b ack s e at. S he h ad s to pped c ry in g a s w ell. E ven G ag e h ad s to pped f u ssin g. L ouis
sa v ore d t h e s ile n ce.
“ W hat, l o ve?”
H er e y es, b ro w n u nder d ark is h b lo nd h air in th e r e arv ie w m ir r o r, a ls o s u rv ey ed th e h ouse , th e la w n, th e r o o f o f
a n oth er h ou se o ff t o t h e l e ft i n t h e d is ta n ce, a n d t h e b ig f ie ld s tr e tc h in g u p t o t h e w oods.
“ Is t h is h om e?”
“ It’ s g oin g t o b e, h oney ,” h e s a id .
“ H oora y !”
sh e s h oute d , a lm ost ta k in g h is