sk.petsematary-第71章

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　　Yes。　He　was。　He　was　scared　shitless　and　for　no　reason　at　all。　But　there　was　also　a　certain。　。　。　a　certain
　　（attraction）
　　yes；　a　certain　attraction　here；　something　about　that　path；　that　path　leading　up　the　hill　and　perhaps　continuing　on　into　the　woods…surely　that　path　had　to　go　somewhere。；　didn't　it？　Yes；　of　course　it　did。　All　paths　eventually　went　somewhere。
　　Louis。　Don't　forget　about　Louis；　you　dummy！　Louis　was　the　man　you　came　out　to　see；　remember？　You　didn't　e　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。
　　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。
　　Then　a　branch　snapped　under　one　of　his　canted　feet。　It　made　a　dry；　dusty　sound　like　a　track　starter's　gun。　It　brought　him　back　to　exactly　where　he　was　and　what　he　was　doing。　Terror　leaped　into　him　and　he　turned　around　in　a　clumsy　circle；　arms　held　out　for　balance；　his　tongue　and　throat　oily　with　fright；　his　face　bearing　the　dismayed　grimace　of　a　man　who　wakes　up　only　to　find　he　has　sleepwalked　his　way　onto　a　high　skyscraper　ledge。
　　She's　dead　and　I　think　that　maybe　Louis　has　killed　her；　Louis　has　gone　mad；　utterly　mad；　but…　But　there　was　something　worse　than　madness　here…something　much；　much　worse。　It　was　as　if　there　was　a　magnet　somewhere　out　in　those　woods　and　he　could　feel　it　pulling　at　something　in　his　brain。　Pulling　him　toward　that　place　where　Louis　was　taking　Rachel。
　　e　on；　walk　the　path。　。　。　walk　the　path　and　see　where　It　goes。　We　got　stuff　to　show　you　out　here；　Steverino；　stuff　they　never　told　you　about　in　the　Atheists'　Society　back　in　Lake　Forest。
　　And　then；　perhaps　simply　because　it　had　enough　for　one　day　to　feed　on　and　lost　interest　in　him；　the　call　of　the　place　in　his　mind　simply　ceased。　Steve　took　two　plunging；　drunken　steps　back　down　the　side　of　the　deadfall。　Then　more　branches　let　go　with　a　grinding　rattle　and　his　left　foot　plunged　into　the　tangled　deadwood；　harsh　sharp　splinters　pulled　off　his　sneaker　and　then　tore　into　his　flesh　as　he　yanked　free。　He　fell　forward　into　the　Pet　Sematary；　barely　missing　a　piece　of　orange　crate　that　could　easily　have　punched　into　his　stomach。
　　He　got　to　his　feet；　staring　around；　bewildered；　wondering　what　had　happened　to　him。　。　。　or　if　anything　had　happened　to　him。　Already　it　had　begun　to　seem　like　a　dream。
　　Then；　from　the　deep　woods　behind　the　deadfall；　woods　so　deep　that　the　light　looked　green　and　tarnished　even　on　the　brightest　days；　a　low；　chuckling　laugh　arose。　The　sound　was　huge。　Steve　could　not　even　begin　to　imagine　what　sort　of　creature　could　have　made　such　a　sound。
　　He　ran；　one　shoe　off　and　one　shoe　on；　trying　to　shriek　but　unable。　He　was　still　running　when　he　reached　Louis's　house；　and　still　trying　to　shriek　when　he　finally　got　his　bike　started　and　slued　out　onto　Route　15。　He　very　nearly　sideswiped　an　arriving　fire　engine　from　Brewer。　Inside　his　Bell　helmet；　his　hair　was　standing　on　end。
　　By　the　time　he　got　back　to　his　apartment　in　Orono；　he　could　not　precisely　remember　having　gone　to　Ludlow　at　all。　He　called　in　sick　at　the　infirmary；　took　a　pill；　and　went　to　bed。
　　Steve　Masterton　never　really　remembered　that　day。　。　。　except　in　deep　dreams；　those　that　e　in　the　small　hours　of　the　morning。　And　in　these　dreams　he　would　sense　that　something　huge　had　shrugged　by　him…something　which　had　reached　out　to　touch　him。　。　。　and　had　then　withdrawn　its　inhuman　hand　at　the　very　last　second。
　　Something　with　great　yellow　eyes　which　gleamed　like　foglamps。
　　Steve　sometimes　awoke　shrieking　from　these　dreams；　his　eyes　wide　and　bulging；　and　he　would　think：　You　think　you　are　screaming；　but　it's　only　the　sound　of　the　loons；　down　south；　in　Prospect。　The　sound　carries。　It's　funny。
　　But　he　did　not　know；　could　not　remember；　what　such　a　thought　might　mean。　The　following　year　he　took　a　job　halfway　across　the　country；　in　St。　Louis。
　　In　the　time　between　his　last　sight　of　Louis　Creed　and　his　departure　for　the　Midwest；　Steve　never　went　into　the　town　of　Ludlow　again。
　　
EPILOGUE
　　The　police　came　late　that　afternoon。　They　asked　questions　but　voiced　no　suspicions。　The　ashes　were　still　hot；　they　had　not　yet　been　raked。　Louis　answered　their　questions。　They　seemed　satisfied。　They　spoke　outside　and　he　wore　a　hat。　That　was　good。　If　they　had　seen　his　gray　hair；　they　might　have　asked　more　questions。　That　would　have　been　bad。　He　wore　his　gardening　gloves；　and　that　was　good　too。　His　hands　were　bloody　and　ruined。
　　He　played　solitaire　that　night　until　long　after　midnight。
　　He　was　just　dealing　a　fresh　hand　when　he　heard　the　back　door　open。
　　What　you　buy　is　what　you　own；　and　sooner　or　later　what　you　own　will　e　back　to　you；　Louis　Creed　thought。
　　He　did　not　turn　around　but　only　looked　at　his　cards　as　the　slow；　gritting　footsteps　approached。　He　saw　the　queen　of　spades。　He　put　his　hand　on　it。
　　The　steps　ended　directly　behind　him。
　　Silence。
　　A　cold　hand　fell　on　Louis's　shoulder。　Rachel's　voice　was　grating；　full　of　dirt。
　　〃Darling；〃　it　said。
　　…February　1979…December　1982