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Lou started to laugh, but suddenly realized that Doug might beat him to Maureen. 'I'll help,' he said. Before Buddy could protest, he dived in. |
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The water shocked him. He'd supposed it would be like the rain, but it wasn't. It was frigid. It felt like icy arms squeezing his breath out. As he kicked for the surface, he pictured Cyndi's mutilated carcass on the kitchen floor. He imagined Buddy upstairs, ripping Sheila. And horror gripped him. Freezing, suffocating horror. What have we done! |
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He burst to the surface screaming. |
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The warm fingers of the rain tapped his face, entered his mouth, and his scream twisted into laughter. |
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'What's so funny?' Doug wanted to know. |
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'Everything's beautiful.' |
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'It'll be beautiful if we find her.' |
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'Hey, you got Cyndi and Bud got Sheila. It's my turn.' |
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'Whoever finds her first,' Doug said. Turning away, he called in a sing-song, 'You-whooooo, Maureeeeen. Where arrrre youuuuuu?' |
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Lou scanned the dark surface. |
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No Maureen. Could she hold her breath this long? he wondered. What if she'd drowned? Better for her to drown than get away. But the idea pulled at him with disappointment. He wanted her alive. He wanted to make her blood burst out. He wanted to bury himself in her hot gore. |
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