Pet Sematary | Page 9

b e d yin g. “ L ouis ! W hat’ s — ”
T he b ab y w as g ra b bin g f r a n ti c ally a t h is n ec k , s c re am in g w il d ly . L ouis f lip ped h im o ver a n d s a w a n a n gry
w hite k nob r is in g o n t h e s id e o f G ag e’s n eck . A nd t h ere w as a ls o s o m eth in g o n t h e. s tr a p o f h is j u m per,
s o m eth in g f u zz y , s q uir m in g w eak ly .
E il e en , w ho h ad b eco m e q uie te r, b eg an t o s c re am a g ain ,
“ B ee! B ee! B EEEEEE !”
S he ju m ped b ack , tr ip p ed o ver th e s a m e p ro tr u din g ro ck o n w hic h s h e h ad a lr e ad y
co m e a c ro pper, s a t d ow n h ard , a n d b eg an t o c ry a g ain i n m in gle d p ain , s u rp ris e , a n d f e ar.
I ’m g oin g c ra zy , L ouis t h ought w onderin gly . W heeeee e! “ D o s o m eth in g, L ouis ! C an ’t y ou d o s o m eth in g?”
“ G ot to g et th e s tin ger o ut,” a v oic e b eh in d th em d ra w le d . T hat’
s th e tic k et. G et th e s tin ger o u t a n d p ut s o m e
b ak in g
S oda o n it . B um p’ll g o d ow n.” B ut th e v oic e w as s o th ic k W ith D ow n E ast a c cen t th at f o r a m om en t L ou is ’
s
ti r e d ,
P ag e 5 o f 2 53
7/2 2/2 006file :// C :\D ocu m en ts a n d S ett in gs\O w ner\M y D ocu m en ts \D OU GIE \S te p hen K in g\S te p hen K in g - ...

co nfu se d m in d r e fu se d t o t r a n sla te t h e d ia le ct: G ot t ’ g et t h e s tin g a o ut ‘ n p ut s o m e b ak in s o da o n ’t. T I! g o
d ao w n.
H e t u rn ed a n d s a w a n o ld m an o f p erh ap s s e v en ty — a h ale a n d h ealth y s e v en ty —
sta n din g t h ere o n t h e g ra ss. H e
w ore a b ib all s o ver a b lu e c h am bra y s h ir t t h at s h ow ed h is t h ic k ly f o ld ed a n d w rin kle d n eck . H is f a c e w as
s u nb urn ed , a n d h e w as s m okin g a n u nfil te re d c ig