50
Ben told himself that the boy had just fainted, and nothing more. It might be true. His pulse was strong and regular. He gathered him in his arms and carried him out to the Citroën.
He got behind the wheel and started the engine. As he pulled out onto Railroad Street, delayed reaction struck him like a physical blow, and he had to stifle a scream.
They were in the streets, the walking dead.
Cold and hot, his head full of a wild roaring sound, he turned left on Jointner Avenue and drove out of ‘salem’s Lot.