t for somebody to start the motor again。 The fact was； she and Tad were under siege by dog。
Tad was sleeping。 If the dog was in the barn； she could make it now。
But if it's still in front of the car？ Or under it？
She remembered something her father used to say sometimes when he was watching the pro football games on TV。 Her dad almost always got tanked for these occasions； and usually ate a large plate of cold beans left over from Saturday…night supper。 As a result； the TV room was uninhabitable for normal earth fife by the fourth quarter； even the dog would slink out； an uneasy deserter's grin on its face。
This saying of her father's was reserved for particularly fine tackles and intercepted passes。 'He laid back in the tall bushes on that one！' her father would cry。 It drove her mother crazy 。。。 but by the time Donna was a teenager； almost everything about her father drove her mother crazy。
She now had a vision of Cujo in front of the Pinto； not sleeping at all but crouched on the gravel with his back legs coiled under him； his blood shot eyes fixed intently on the spot where she would first appear if she left the car on the driver's side。 He was waiting for her； hoping she would be foolish enough to get out。 He was laying back in the tall bushes for her。
She rubbed both hands over her face in a quick and nervous washing gesture。 Overhead； Venus now peeked out of the darkening blue。 The sun had made its； exit； leaving a still but somehow crazed yellow light over the fields。 Somewhere a bird sang； stopped； then sang again。
It came to her that she was nowhere near as anxious to leave the car and run for the door as she had been that afternoon。 Part of it was having dozed off and then wakened not knowing exactly where the dog was。 Part of it was the simple fact that the heat was drawing back … the tormenting beat and what it was doing to Tad had been the biggest thing goading her to make a move。 It was quite fortable in the car now； and Tad's half…lidded； half…swooning state had bee a real sleep。 He was resting fortably； at least for the time being。
But she was afraid those things were secondary to the main reason she was still here … that； little by little； some psychological point of readiness had been reached and passed。 She remembered from her childhood diving lessons at Camp Tapawingo that there came an instant； that first time on the high board； when you either had to try it or retreat ignominiously to let the girl behind you have her crack at it。 There came a day during the learning…to…drive experience when you finally had to leave the empty country roads behind and try it in the city。 There came a time。 Always there came a time。 A time to dive； a time to drive； a time to try for the back door。
Sooner or later the dog would show itself。 The situation was bad； granted； but not yet desperate。 The right time came around in cycles … that was not anything she had been taught in a psychology class； it was something she knew instinctively。 If you chickened down from the high board on Monday； there was no law that said you couldn't go right back again on Tuesday。 You could
Reluctantly； her mind told her that was a deadly…false bit of reasoning。
She was not as strong tonight as she had been last night。 She would be even weaker and more dehydrated tomorrow morning。 And that was not the worst of it。 She had been sitting almost all the time for … how long？ … it didn't seem possible； but it was now some twenty…eight hours。 What if she was too stiff to do it？ What if she got halfway to the porch only to be doubled up and then dropped flopping to the ground by charley horses in the big muscles of her thighs？
In matters of life and death； her mind told her implacably； the right time only es around once … once and then it's gone。
Her breathing and heart rate had speeded up。 Her body was aware she was going to make the try before her mind was。 Then she was wrapping her shirt more firmly about her right hand； her left hand was settling on the doorhandle； and she knew。 There had been no conscious decision she was aware of； suddenly she was simply going。 She was going now； while Tad slept deeply and there was no danger he would bolt out after her。
She pulled the doorhandle up； her hand sweat…slick。 She was holding her breath； listening for any change in the world。
The bird sang again。 That was all。
If he's basked the door too far out of shape it won't even Open； she thought。 That would be a kind of bitter relief。 She could sit back then； rethink her options； see if there was anything she had left out of her calculations 。。。 and get a little thirstier 。。。 a little weaker 。。。 a little slower。。。。
She brought pressure to bear against the door； slugging her left shoulder against it； gradually settling more and more of her weight upon it。 Her right hand was sweating inside the cotton shirt。 Her fist was so tightly clenched that the fingers ached。 Dimly； she could feel the crescents of her nails biting into her palm。 Over and over in her mind's eye she saw herself punching through the glass beside the knob of the porch door； beard the tinkle of the shards striking the boards inside； saw herself reaching for the handle 。。。
But the car door wasn't opening。 She shoved as hard as she could； straining； the cords in her neck standing out。 But it wasn't opening。 It
Then it did open； all of a sudden。 It swung wide with a terrible clunking sound； almost spilling her out on all fours。 She grabbed for the doorhandle； missed； and grabbed again。 She held the handle； and suddenly a panicky certainty stole into her mind。 It was as cold and numbing as a doctor's verdict of inoperable cancer。 She had gotten the door open。 but it wouldn't close again。 The dog was going to leap in and kill them both。 Tad would have perhaps one confused moment of waking； one last merciful instant in which to believe it was a dream； before Cujo's teeth ripped his throat open。
Her breath rattled in and out； quick and quick。 It felt like hot straw。 It seemed that she could see each and every piece of gravel in the driveway； but it was hard to think。 Her thoughts tumbled wildly。 Scenes out of her past zipped through the foreground of her mind like a film of a parade which had been speeded up until the marching bands and horseback riders and baton twirlers seemed to be fleeing the scene of some weird crime。
The garbage disposal regurgitating a nasty
green mess all over the kitchen ceiling； backing
up through the bar sink。
Failing off the back porch when she was five and breaking her wrist。
Looking down at herself during period 2 … algebra … one day when she was a high school freshman and seeing to her utter shame and horror that there were spots of blood on her light blue linen skirt； she had started her period； how was she elver going to get up from her seat when the bell rang without everybody seeing； without everyone knowing that DonnaRose was having her period？
The first boy she had ever kissed with her mouth open。 Dwight Sampson。
Holding Tad in her arms； newborn； then the nurse taking him away； she wanted to tell the nurse not to do that … Give him back； I'm not done with him； those were the words that had e to mind … but she was too weak to talk and then the horrible； squelching； gutty sound of the afterbirth ing out of her； she remembered thinking I'm puking up his life…support systems； and then she had passed out。
Her father； crying at her wedding and then getting drunk at the reception。
Faces。 Voices。 Rooms。 Scenes。 Books。 The terror of this moment； thinking I AM GOING TO DIE …
With a tremendous effort； she got herself under some kind of control。 She got the Pinto's doorhandle in both hands and gave it a tremendous yank。 The door flew shut。 There was that clunk again as the hinge Cujo had knocked out of true protested。 There was a hefty bang when the door slammed dosed that made Tad jump and then mutter a bit in his sleep。
Donna leaned back in the seat； shaking helplessly all over； and cried silently。 Hot tears slipped out from under her lids and ran back on a slant toward her cars。 She had never in her fife been so afraid of anything； not even in her room at night when she was little and it had seemed to her that there were spiders everywhere。 She could