Pet Sematary(56)

Ellie's little Schwinn with its red training wheels. Gage's Crawly-Gator.

Where was the eat? Had he left him in?

Somehow he sailed off course and ran into the wall. A splinter whispered into one palm and he cried out "Shit!" to the darkness, realizing after the word was out that it sounded more seared than mad. The whole garage seemed to have taken a stealthy half-turn. Now it wasn't just the light switch; now he didn't know where the f**k anything was, and that included the door into the kitchen.

He began walking again, moving slowly, his palm stinging. This is what it would be like to be blind, he thought, and that made him think of a Stevie Wonder concert he and Rachel had gone to-when? Six years ago? As impossible as it seemed, it had to be. She had been pregnant with Ellie then. Two guys had led Wonder to his synthesizer, guiding him over the cables that snaked across the stage so he wouldn't stumble. And later, when he had gotten up to dance with one of the back-up singers, she had led him carefully to a clear place on the floor.

He had danced well, Louis remembered thinking. He had danced well, but he had needed a hand to lead him to the space where he could do it.

How about a hand right now to lead me to my kitchen door? he thought... and abruptly shuddered.

If a hand came out of the darkness now to lead him, how he would scream-scream and scream and scream.

He stood still, heart thudding. Come on, he told himself. Stop this shit, come on, come on-Where was that f**king cat?

Then he did slam into something, the rear bumper of the station wagon, and the pain sang up his body from his barked shin, making his eyes water. He grabbed his leg and rubbed it, standing one-legged like a heron, but at least he knew where he was now, the geography of the garage fixed firmly in his mind again, and besides, his night vision was coming, good old visual purple. He had left the cat in, he remembered that now, hadn't really wanted to touch it, to pick it up and put it out and-And that was when Church's hot, furry body oiled against his ankle like a low eddy of water, followed by its loathsome tail, curling against his calf like a clutching snake, and then Louis did scream; he opened his mouth wide and screamed.

28

"Daddy!" Ellie screamed.

She ran up the jet way toward him, weaving in and out between deplaning passengers like a quarterback on a keeper play. Most of them stood aside, grinning. Louis was a little embarrassed by her ardor, but he felt a large, stupid grin spreading across his own face just the same.

Rachel was carrying Gage in her arms, and he saw Louis when Ellie shouted.

"Dayeee!" he yelled exuberantly and began to wriggle in Rachel's arms. She smiled (a trifle wearily, Louis thought) and set him on his feet. He began to run after Ellie, his legs pumping busily. "Dayeee! Dayeee!"

Louis had time to notice that Gage was wearing a jumper he had never seen before-it looked like more of Grandda's work to Louis. Then Ellie hurtled into him and shinnied up him like a tree.

"Hi, Daddy!" she bellowed and smacked his cheek heartily.

"Hi, hon," he said and bent over to catch Gage. He pulled him up into the crook of his arm and hugged them both. "I'm glad to see you back."

Rachel came up then, her traveling bag and pocketbook slung over one arm, Gage's diaper bag slung over the other. I'LL BE A BIG BOY SOON was printed on the side of the diaper bag, a sentiment probably meant more to cheer up the parents than the diaper-wearing child. She looked like a professional photographer at the end of a long, grueling assignment.

Louis bent between his two kids and planted a kiss on her mouth. "Hi."

"Hi, Doe," she said, and smiled.

"You look beat."

"I am beat. We got as far as Boston with no problem. We changed planes with no problem. We took off with no problem. But as the plane is banking over the city, Gage looks down and says, 'Pretty, pretty,' and then whoopses all over himself."

"Oh, Jesus."

"I got him changed in the toilet," she said. "I don't think it's a virus or anything. He was just airsick."

"Come on home," Louis said. "I've got chili on the stove."

"Chili! Chili!" Ellie screamed in Louis's ear, transported with delight and excitement.

"Chiwwi! Chiwwi!" Gage screamed in Louis's other ear, which at least equalized the ringing.

on," Louis said. "Let's get your suitcases and blow this joint.

"Daddy, how's Church?" Ellie asked as he set her down. It was a question Louis had expected, but not Ellie's anxious face, and the deep worry line that appeared between her dark blue eyes. Louis frowned and then glanced at Rachel.

"She woke up screaming over the weekend," Rachel said quietly. "She had a nightmare."

"I dreamed that Church got run over," Ellie said.

"Too many turkey sandwiches after the big day, that's my guess," Rachel said.

"She had a bout of diarrhea too. Set her mind at rest, Louis, and let's get out of this airport. I've seen enough airports in the last week to last me for at least five years."

"Why, Church is fine, honey," Louis said slowly.

Yes, he's fine. He lies around the house all day long and looks at me with those strange, muddy eyes-as if he'd seen something that had blasted away most of whatever intelligence a cat has. He's just great. 1 put him out with a broom at night because I don't like to touch him. I just kind of sweep at him with it and he goes. And the other day when 1 opened the door, Ellie, he had a mouse-or what was left of it. He'd strewed the guts hell to breakfast. And speaking of breakfast, I skipped mine that morning. Otherwise-"He's just fine."