Laurie

Stephen King

Lloyd Sunderland is a 65 year-old retiree living in the (fictional) island community of Caymen Key, Florida who has become depressed and lost weight after his wife Marian died from a glioblastoma six months prior. One September, he is visited by his older sister, Beth, who gifts him a Border Collie-Mudi puppy out of concern for his wellbeing. Lloyd is initially unwilling to accept the dog but ultimately agrees to look after her on a trial basis, naming her "Laurie". Lloyd gradually bonds with Laurie as he looks after her, and in mid-October he tells Beth that he will keep her. He finds his physical and mental health improving, and begins eating more healthily and sleeping better. He also resumes working part-time as an accountant. He regularly takes Laurie for walks along "Six Mile Path", a boardwalk running alongside a canal. On December 6, Lloyd's neighbor Evelyn Pitcher asks...