js&cs.thebridge-第3章

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　　Behind　him；　Boonie　let　out　a　scream。
　　Drew　turned　just　in　time　to　see　the　drum　rumbling　toward　him；　picking　up　speed　as　it　closed　on　the　edge。　It　was　the　one　that　had　slipped　from　his　cousin's　grip；　but　it　wasn't　the　only　one　moving。
　　The　whole　back　of　the　truck　was　a　flurry　of　jittery　motion；　the　last　dozen　barrels　rocking　and　shuddering　on　their　bases。　As　if　something　had　e　alive　inside　of　them。
　　As　if　that　something　wanted　out。
　　Drew　barely　managed　to　sidestep　the　drum　as　it　thundered　past　him；　disappeared　over　the　side。　There　was　one　long；　astonishingly　pregnant　moment　of　roaring　silence。
　　Then　the　drum　broke　the　surface；　like　egg…drilling　sperm。
　　And　thus　was　the　new　world　conceived。
　　　
　　Born　of　poison　raised　in　poison　claiming　poison　for　its　own　it　rose　a　miracle　of　raw　creation　hot　black　howl　of　life　and　death　intertwined　and　converted　to　some　third　new　option　agony　blip　with　an　echoing　tail　so　long　it　seemed　to　have　gone　on　forever　only　now　the　tail　was　wagging　the　dog　dredging　up　silt　and　sewage　bursting　metal　eggshell　skins　in　a　riotous　shrapnel　dance　of　power　surging　self…aware　gathering　mass　assassinating　shape　infesting　polluting　corrupting　in　hideous　birthday　celebration　it　rose　already　killing　and　stared　into　the　face　of　its　maker。
　　
　　Drew　was　less　than　six　feet　away　from　the　rail　when　the　massive　liquid　blowback　erupted：　a　solid　pillar　of　displaced　fluid　that　shot　from　the　creek　to　the　peak　of　Black　Bridge　in　a　fraction　of　a　second。　It　towered　above　him　and　stayed　there；　impossible：　fracturing　physics；　disemboweling　logic。
　　Coalescing　into　form。
　　The　creature　loomed；　not　freeze…framed　or　static　but　swaying　like　a　wind　funnel；　an　enormous　oily　serpent。　Against　the　black　sky；　it　did　not　look　real；　but　he　could　feel　the　incredible　life…shredding　charge　of　its　presence；　pulsating　in　the　air。　It　made　every　hair　on　his　body　stand　on　end　in　total；　mortal　terror。
　　And　then　the　lightning　struck；　releasing　him　utterly　from　his　sanity。　In　the　light；　he　could　see　all　too　clearly　the　things　that　suffered　and　swirled　within　it。　Could　see　the　rusted　struts　and　rotted　shells　of　the　barrels：　skeletal；　clawing。　Could　see　the　multicolored　Rorschach　toxins　that　were　its　blood　and　soul。
　　Could　see　the　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　fish：　not　dead；　no　longer　alive。
　　All　of　them　staring。　At　him。
　　With　new　eyes　。。。
　　Then　the　lightning　decayed；　and　before　he　could　scream；　the　black　wall　descended　upon　him。
　　
　　Boonie　dove　off　the　side　of　the　truck　in　the　second　before　it　hit。　He　was　still　in　the　air　when　several　tons　went　WHOOOM　and　splattered　across　its　bed。　He　couldn't　see　what　happened　to　Drew。　He　didn't　need　to　see　to　know　there　was　nothing　he　could　do。
　　Boonie　was　heavy；　and　plummeted　fast。　He　hadn't　had　time　to　plot　a　course。　The　railroad　tracks　came　up　to　meet　him；　head…on　and　far　too　quickly。
　　He　got　his　arms　up　and　tucked　his　body　enough　to　keep　his　neck　from　snapping；　all　it　cost　him　was　a　splintered　clavicle　and；　on　the　second　bounce；　some　teeth　and　lip；　the　two　merged　together　in　a　wet　hard　bone…shard　buckshot　hail　that　gagged　him　as　he　rolled；　came　up；　instinctively　assessed　the　situation。
　　No　motion　from　the　truck；　except　for　the　steam　curling　off　the　exterior。　The　door　was　still　open；　the　cab　was　still　vacant；　the　headlights　still　glared。　Beyond　the　truck　lay　Toad　Road　and　escape；　the　other　way　just　led　deeper　into　the　Black　Bridge　woods。　He　could　drive　one　whole　hell　of　a　lot　faster　than　he　could　run。
　　That　pretty　much　wrapped　it　up。　Boonie　vaulted　for　the　cab；　keeping　one　eye　on　the　railroad　ties　and　the　other　one　peeled　for　forty…foot　monsters。　There　was　a　harsh　static　crackle　in　the　air　that　kept　getting　louder；　the　closer　he　got。　It　wasn't　the　sound　from　the　creek；　so　it　didn't　mean　shit。
　　It　was　the　radio；　he　found　out　when　he　hit　the　driver's　seat。　Starview　92　had　disintegrated　into　ear…splitting　hiss。　Bad　sign。　He　grabbed　the　stick　and　jammed　it　in　gear。　Nothing　happened。　He　laid　on　the　gas　and　got　dick。
　　〃GOD　DAMN　IT！〃　he　bellowed；　grabbing　the　keys　and　grinding　the　ignition。　〃GO　。。。　！〃
　　That　was　when　he　noticed　the　rivulets；　moving　across　the　windshield。　Not　down。　Across：　a　lateral；　spider…webbing　motion；　like　a　hundred　liquid　tentacles　gripping　the　cab。　He　stared　in　slack…jawed　dumbstruck　awe　as　the　glass　started　to　steam。　The　liquid　pressed　impossibly　against　the　pane　and　squeezed。
　　Boonie　dove　for　the　passenger　side；　grappling　with　the　handle。　All　around　him；　the　safety　glass　starred。　He　cracked　the　door　open；　started　to　bail　。。。
　　。。。　as　the　windows　blew　inward：　a　blinding；　razored　spray　。。。
　　。。。　and　then　he　was　out　the　door　and　running；　running　for　his　life；　a　thousand　tiny　septic　barbs　of　shrapnel　lodged　in　his　face；　his　hands；　his　neck　and　back　and　legs　that　tripped　on　a　tie　and　brought　him　down；　all　two　hundred　and　forty…seven　pounds　of　him；　shrieking　pain　as　his　scar…pitted　Frankenstein's　former　right　knee　smacked　cold　steel　rail　。。。
　　。。。　but　he　couldn't　stay　down　or　the　game　was　fucking　over；　so　he　pistoned　back　up　to　his　feet　and　hobbled　with　all　his　might；　ignoring　the　pain；　ignoring　the　everywhere　tingle　that　turned　to　burn；　terrible　burn　in　his　eyes；　left　eye　stinging　sharp　and　wet　and　bleeding；　bleeding　from　within　。。。
　　。。。　and　still　he　ran；　trading　the　rails　for　Toad　Road　mud；　screaming　out　prayers　to　sweet　baby　Jesus　as　he　stumbled　through　puddles　of　primal　rain。　Running　from　the　devil　in　his　own　back　pocket。
　　Running　till　he　dropped　。。。
　　
　　
　　　Two
　　　
　　One　hundred　and　eighty…eight　thousand　souls　adorned　the　rolling　stretch　of　God's　country　that　was　Paradise；　Pennsylvania。　It　was　just　over　nine　hundred　square　miles　of　sprawling；　picturesque　land；　with　the　rugged　hump　of　the　Appalachian　foothills　sweeping　across　the　west　and　the　wide　rocky　expanse　of　the　Susquehanna　River　to　the　east。
　　Paradise　was　the　nexus　point　of　the　region's　major　east/west；　north/south　arteries；　which　made　it　the　natural　nerve　center　for　trucking　of　every　stripe。　Big　rigs　rumbled　in　and　out　constantly；　ferrying　the　essential　ingredients　of　the　good　life　east　to　Philadelphia　and　New　York；　south　to　Baltimore　and　Washington；　north　to　Harrisburg　and　Allentown；　and　west；　down　the　turnpike；　to　Pittsburgh　and　the　Ohioan　heartlands　beyond。
　　The　outer　townships　were　mostly　made　up　of　farms；　factories；　and　forest　land；　green　hills　and　hollows　sparsely　populated　and　broken　up　by　strip　malls　and　sleepy　one…horse　hamlets　that　accounted　for　maybe　thirty…seven　thousand　out　of　the　total　population。
　　Another　seventy…three　thousand　or　so　clustered　around　the　industrial　parks；　which　in　turn　gave　way　to　wave　upon　wave　of　dense…packed；　self…replicating　suburbia：　houses　and　lawns　and　houses　and　lawns；　gradually　shrinking　in　size　as　the　neighborhoods　crested　the　hills　and　entered　the　valley　that　marked　the　city　proper。　There　they　packed　in；　tighter　and　tighter；　until　the　lawns　at　last　evaporated　into　puddle…sized　patches　or　disappeared　altogether。
　　The　City　Reservoir；　on　the　south　side　of　town；　was　the　highest　elevation　and　the　site　of　the　Paradise　Water　pany's　vast　standing　pools。　If　you　stood　on　the　crest　of　the　hill　and　looked　out　over　the　valley；　a　vision　spread　before　you：　lights　twinkling　in　the　deep　blue　predawn　hush；　a　quintessentially　American　picture…postcard　jumble　of　church　steeples　and　smokestacks；　homes　and　factories　and　parks　and　schools。
　　Seventy…eight　thousand　people　lived　and　dreamt　there：　along　narrow　one…way　streets　and　shady　tree…lined　boulevards；　in　the　crumbling　tarpaper　Penn　Street　shanties　and　cozy　Cape　Cods　of　College　Avenue；　in　the　tastefully　renovated　Market　Square　townhouses　and　lush　Georgian　abodes　of　Linden　Boulevard。
　　From　the　posh　palatial　estates　of　Wyndham　Hills　to　the　paper…thin　walls　of　the　Paradise　Rescue　Mission…and　everywhere　in　between…one　hundred　and　eighty…eight　thousand　hearts　beat　through　the　night；　ticking　off　the　moments　of　a　lifetime。
　　Paradise　boasted　a　low　cost　of　living　and　an　unemployment　rate　a　few　tenths　of　a　point　below　the　national　average。　The　last　thirty　years　had　seen　a　steady　growth　in　the　black　and　Hispanic　munities…and；　more　rece