Rebirth in Pet Sematary

Gage awoke in a strange bed, the sheets cool and unfamiliar against his skin. He blinked groggily, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. His own Batman pajamas were still on him, but the room was far from comforting. He gazed around, confused, at the dingy, decaying wallpaper and the eerie shadows cast by an ancient lamp. "Where am I?" he whispered to himself. The musty scent was overpowering, and the air felt thick with grief and pain. Suddenly, in the corner of the room, there was a flicker. The Wendigo appeared for a split second, its eyes burning into Gage's soul before it vanished. Startled, Gage jerked back, causing his small body to fall out of bed. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes wide with fear. "Mommy!" he yelled, his voice trembling. As the word left his lips, a searing pain shot through his feet. He looked down in horror as his toes elongated, the skin stretching and warping. His soles twisted inward, matching the grotesque deformity that he had only seen once in an old photograph of his mother's sister, Zelda. The transformation moved up his legs, his bones cracking and reforming. His little legs stretched unnaturally, the joints popping out at sickening angles. The muscles thinned and the skin turned pallid, almost translucent, revealing the dark veins beneath. "No, no, no," he whimpered, as the pain moved to his arms and torso. His arms grew longer and emaciated, fingers knotting into arthritic claws. His chest caved in slightly, the ribs becoming more pronounced. His stomach contracted violently, his spine twisting into a permanent hunch that sent waves of agony through his small frame. Gage's head began to deform, his round cheeks sinking in. His hair thinned out, turning a matted, greasy black. His eyes became sunken, dark circles forming underneath as they grew more prominent, like hollow pits. His nose broke and reconfigured itself into a beak-like shape. His lips pulled back, revealing yellowing teeth that sharpened grotesquely. Each tooth seemed to reposition itself, turning his innocent grin into a haunting snarl. His voice deepened and warped, echoing with the same eerie tone Zelda had always had. His pajamas transformed as well, the fabric darkening and shrinking into the tattered patient gown that Zelda used to wear. The change left him colder, both in body and spirit. As Gage tried to gather his bearings, he could feel his new spine pushing him forward, causing pain with every step. He staggered toward an old, cracked mirror mounted on the wall while crying out, "Mommy!" But his voice no longer held the innocent lilt of a child; it was now a rasping, grating sound. Memories began to twist and darken. The love he felt for Rachel morphed into a fierce, bitter resentment. His thoughts clouded, filled with a burning hatred that driven deeply into Zelda's core. He stopped mid-sentence, his mind shifting gears as the last vestiges of Gage disintegrated. In the mirror, now stood Zelda. The sight of her own reflection triggered something vile and angry inside of her. She blinked slowly, tilting her head, a malignant gleam in her eyes. "Rachel," she said, hissingly and loudly. Her voice rose in a ranting screech, "Rachel! You left me! You were supposed to save me, but you ran! You abandoned me when I needed you the most! All those years, trapped in a decaying body, suffering every moment, and where were you? Living your happy life, forgetting about the monster in the attic!" Each word was laced with venom, Zelda's face twisting with madness and pain. "You have no idea what true suffering is, Rachel! But you will. I’ll make sure of it. You can't escape me, not anymore. I will haunt you, I will torment you, and you will feel every ounce of the agony that you let me endure!" Zelda’s new form, once Gage, now pulsed with a vile energy, the shadows in the room growing darker as her anger festered. All memory of Gage was lost, replaced by the pure, unbridled wrath of Zelda, ready to exact her revenge.