Pet Sematary(158)

Louis. Don't forget about Louis, you dummy! Louis was the man you came out to see, remember? You didn't come out to Ludlow to go exploring the goddam woods.

"What you got there, Randy?" the would-be hero cried. His voice, still shrill and somehow optimistic, carried well.

Randy's reply was almost but not quite obscured by the growing wail of the fire sirens. "Dead cat."

"Burnt up?"

"Don't look burnt," Randy returned. "Just looks dead."

And Steve's mind returned implacably, as if the exchange across the street had something to do with what he had seen-or what he thought he had seen: That was Louis.

He started to move then, trotting up the path toward the woods, leaving the fire behind him. He had worked up a good sweat by the time he reached the edge of the woods, and the shade felt cool and good. There was the sweet aroma of pine and spruce, bark and sap.

Once into the woods he broke into an all-out run, not sure why he was running, not sure why his heart was beating double time. His breath whistled in and out.

He was able to lengthen his run to a sprint going downhill-the path was admirably clear-but he reached the arch that marked the entrance to the Pet Sematary at little more than a fast walk. There was a hot stitch high in his right side, just under the armpit.

Chapter 3

His eyes barely registered the circles of graves-the beaten tin squares, the bits of board and slate. His gaze was fixed on the bizarre sight at the far side of the circular clearing. It was fixed on Louis, who was climbing a deadfall, seemingly in outright defiance of gravity. He mounted the steep fall step by step, his eyes straight ahead, like a man who has been mesmerized or who is sleepwalking. In his arms was the white thing that Steve had seen from the tail of his eye. This close, its configuration was undeniable-it was a body. One foot, clad in a black shoe with a low heel, protruded. And Steve knew with a sudden and sickening certainty that Louis was carrying Rachel's body.

Louis's hair had gone white.

"Louis!" Steve screamed.

Louis didn't hesitate, didn't pause. He reached the top of the deadfall and began down the far side.

He'll fall, Steve thought incoherently. He's been damned lucky, incredibly lucky, but pretty soon he's going to fall and if his leg's the only thing he breaks-But Louis did not fall. He reached the other side of the deadfall, was temporarily out of Steve's sight, and then reappeared as he walked toward the woods again.

"Louis!" Steve yelled again.

This time Louis stopped and turned back.

Steve was struck dumb by what he saw. Besides the white hair, Louis's face was that of an old, old man.

At first there was no recognition at all in Louis's face. It dawned little by little, as if someone was turning a rheostat up in his brain. Louis's mouth was twitching. After a while Steve realized that Louis was trying to smile.

"Steve," he said in a cracked, uncertain voice. "Hello, Steve. I'm going to bury her. Have to do it with my bare hands, I guess. It may take until dark. The soil up there is very stony. I don't suppose you'd want to give me a hand?"

Steve opened his mouth, but no words came out. In spite of his surprise, in spite of his horror, he did want 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... was she in the fire?"

"I waited too long with Gage," Louis said. "Something got into him because I waited too long. But it will 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 was insane and abysmally weary. But somehow only the latter seemed to carry weight in his own bewildered mind.

"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 few moments 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 hands for good holds, attempting to crawl up it, and then gaining his feet. As he did so, a crazy daredevil exhilaration swept over him-it was like hitting on pure oxygen. He believed he could do it-and he did. Moving swiftly and surely, he reached the top. He stood there for a moment, swaying, watching Louis 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 toward Prospect. The sound carries. It's funny."

"Louis-"

But Louis had turned away.

For a moment Steve almost followed him-it was very, very close.

I could help him, if that's what he wants... and I want to help him, yes.

That's the truth because there's more going on here than meets the eye and I want to know what it is. It seems very... well... very important. It seems like a secret. Like a mystery.