Американские боги

           Andwhatelsewouldtheyhavedraggedoutontothelake,thoughtShadow,beforetherewerecars?

           Eachone,heknew,withoutanyquestion,hadadeadchildinthetrunk.Therewerescoresofthemdownthere.Eachhadsatoutontheice,infrontoftheeyesoftheworld,allthroughthecoldwinter.Eachhadtumbledintothecoldwatersofthelake,whenthewinterwasdone.

           Thiswaswheretheyrested:LemmiHautalaandJessieLovatandSandyOlsenandJoMingandSarahLindquistandalltherestofthem.Downwhereitwassilentandcold…

           Hepulledathisfoot.Itwasstuckfast,andthepressureinhislungswasbecomingunbearable.Therewasasharp,terrible,hurtinhisears.Heexhaledslowly,andtheairbubbledaroundhisface.

           Soon,hethought,soonI’llhavetobreathe.OrI’llchoke.

           Hereacheddown,putbothhandsaroundthebumperoftheklunker,andpushed,witheverythinghehad,leaningintoit.Nothinghappened.

           It’sonlytheshellofacar,hetoldhimself.Theytookouttheengine.That’stheheaviestpartofthecar.Youcandoit.Justkeeppushing.

           Hepushed.

           Agonizinglyslowly,afractionofaninchatatime,thecarslippedforwardinthemud,andShadowpulledhisfootfromthemudbeneaththecar,andkicked,andtriedtopushhimselfoutintothecoldlakewater.Hedidn’tmove.Thecoat,hetoldhimself.It’sthecoat.It’sstuck,orcaughtonsomething.