stephen king - mist-第14章

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ht　and　aware。　He　knew　what　was　happening　to　him。　Then　he　was　pulled；　bumping　and　rolling；　into　the　mist。　There　was　another　scream；　choked　off。　Norm　was　gone。
　I　pushed　the　tip　of　the　broom　handle　onto　the　button　and　the　motor　whined。　The　door　began　to　slide　back　down。　It　touched　the　thickest　of　the　tentacles　first；　the　one　that　had　been　investigating　in　Myron's　direction。　It　indented　its　hide…　skin；　whatever…and　then　pierced　it。　A　black　goo　began　to　spurt　from　it。　it　writhed　madly；　whipping　across　the　concrete　storage…area　floor　like　an　obscene　bullwhip；　and　then　it　seemed　to　flatten　out。　A　moment　later　it　was　gone。　The　others　began　to　withdraw。
　One　of　them　had　a　five…pound　bag　of　Gaines　dog　food；　and　it　wouldn't　let　go。　The　descending　door　cut　it　in　two　before　thumping　home　in　its　grooved　slot。　The　severed　chunk　of　tentacle　squeezed　convulsively　tighter；　splitting　the　bag　open　and　sending　brown　nuggets　of　dog　food　everywhere。　Then　it　began　to　flop　on　the　floor　like　a　fish　out　of　water；　curling　and　uncurling；　but　ever　more　slowly；　until　it　lay　still。　I　prodded　it　with　the　tip　of　the　broom。　The　piece　of　tentacle；　maybe　three　feet　long；　closed　on　it　savagely　for　a　moment；　then　loosened　and　lay　limp　again　in　the　confused　litter　of　toilet　paper；　dog　food；　and　bleach　cartons。
　There　was　no　sound　except　the　roar　of　the　generator　and　Ollie；　crying　inside　the　plywood　partment。　I　could　see　him　sitting　on　a　stool　in　there　with　his　face　clutched　in　his　hands。
　Then　I　became　aware　of　another　sound。　The　soft；　slithery　sound　I　had　beard　in　the　dark。　Only　now　the　sound　wasmultiplied　tenfold。　it　was　the　sound　of　tentacles　squirming　over　the　outside　of　the　loading　door；　trying　to　find　a　way　in。
　Myron　took　a　couple　of　steps　towards　me。　〃Look；〃　he　said。　〃You　got　to　understand…〃
　I　looped　a　fist　at　his　face。　He　was　too　surprised　to　even　try　to　block　it。　It　landed　just　below　his　nose　and　mashed　his　upper　lip　into　his　teeth。　Blood　flowed　into　his　mouth。
　〃You　got　him　killed〃'　I　shouted。　〃Did　you　get　a　good　look　at　it？　Did　you　get　a　good　look　at　what　you　did？〃
　I　started　to　pummel　him；　throwing　wild　rights　and　lefts；　not　punching　the　way　I　had　been　taught　in　my　college　boxing　classes　but　only　hitting　out。　He　stepped　back；　shaking　some　of　them　off；　taking　others　with　a　numbness　that　seemed　like　a　kind　of　resignation　or　penance。　That　made　me　angrier。　I　bloodied　his　nose。　I　raised　a　mouse　under　one　of　his　eyes　that　was　going　to　black　just　beautifully。　I　clipped　him　a　hard　one　on　the　chin。　After　that　one；　his　eyes　went　cloudy　and　semi…vacant。
　〃Look；〃　he　kept　saying；　〃look；　look；〃　and　then　I　punched　him　low　in　the　stomach　and　the　air　went　out　of　him　and　he　didn't　say　〃look；　look〃　anymore。　I　don't　know　how　long　I　would　have　gone　on　punching　him；　but　someone　grabbed　my　arms。　I　jerked　free　and　turned　around。　I　was　hoping　it　was　Jim。　I　wanted　to　punch　Jim　out；　too。
　But　it　wasn't　Jim。　It　was　Ollie；　his　round　face　dead　pale；　except　for　the　dark　circles　around　his　eyes…eyes　that　were　still　shiny　from　his　tears。　〃Don't；　David；〃　he　said。　〃Don't　hit　him　anymore。　it　doesn't　solve　anything。〃
　Jim　was　standing　off　to　one　side；　his　face　a　bewildered　blank。　I　kicked　a　carton　of　something　at　him。　It　struck　one　of　his　Dingo　boots　and　bounced　away。
　〃You　and　your　buddy　are　a　couple　of　stupid　assholes；〃　I　said。
　〃e　on；　David；〃　Ollie　said　unhappily。　〃Quit　it。〃
　〃You　two　assholes　got　that　kid　killed。〃
　Jim　looked　down　at　his　Dingo　boots。　Myron　sat　on　the　floor　and　held　his　beer　belly。　I　was　breathing　hard。　The　blood　was　roaring　in　my　ears　and　I　was　trembling　all　over。　I　sat　down　on　a　couple　of　cartons　and　put　my　head　down　between　my　knees　and　gripped　my　legs　hard　just　above　the　ankles。　I　sat　that　way　for　a　while　with　my　hair　in　my　face；　waiting　to　see　if　I　was　going　to　black　out　or　puke　or　what。
　After　a　bit　the　feeling　began　to　pass　and　I　looked　up　at　Ollie。　His　pinky　ring　flashed　subdued　fire　in　the　glow　of　the　emergency　lights。
　〃Okay；〃　I　said　dully。　〃I'm　done。〃
　〃Good；〃　Ollie　said。　〃We've　got　to　think　what　to　do　next。〃
　The　storage　area　was　beginning　to　stink　of　exhaust　again。　〃Shut　the　generator　down。　That's　the　first　thing。〃
　〃'Yeah；　let's　get　out　of　here；〃　Myron　said。　His　eyes　appealed　to　me。　〃I'm　sorry　about　the　kid。　But　you　got　to　understand…〃
　〃I　don't　got　to　understand　anything。　You　and　your　buddy　go　back　into　the　market；　but　you　wait　right　there　by　the　beer　cooler。　And　don't　say　a　word　to　anybody。　Not　yet。〃
　They　went　willingly　enough；　huddling　together　as　they　passed　through　the　swinging　doors。　Ollie　killed　the　generator；　and　just　as　the　lights　started　to　fail；　I　saw　a　quilted　rug…the　sort　of　thing　movers　use　to　pad　breakable　things…flopped　over　a　stack　of　returnable　soda　bottles。　I　reached　up　and　grabbed　it　for　Billy。
　There　was　the　shuffling；　blundering　sound　of　Ollie　ing　out　of　the　generator　partment。　Like　a　great　many　overweight　men；　his　breathing　had　a　slightly　heavy　wheezing　sound。
　〃David？〃　His　voice　wavered　a　little。　〃You　still　here？〃
　〃Right　here；　Ollie。　You　want　to　watch　out　for　all　those　bleach　cartons。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　I　guided　him　with　my　voice　and　in　thirty　seconds　or　so　he　reached　out　of　the　dark　and　gripped　my　shoulder。　He　gave　a　long；　trembling　sigh。
　〃Christ；　let's　get　out　of　here。〃　I　could　smell　the　Rolaids　he　always　chewed　on　his　breath。　〃This　dark　is　。。。　is　bad。〃
　〃It　is；〃　I　said。　〃But　hang　tight　a　minute；　Ollie。　I　wanted　to　talk　to　you　and　I　didn't　want　those　other　two　fuckheads　listening。〃
　〃Dave　。。。　they　didn't　twist　Norm's　arm。　You　ought　to　remember　that。〃
　〃Norm　was　a　kid；　and　they　weren't。　But　never　mind；　that's　over。　We've　got　to　tell　them；　Ollie。　The　people　in　the　market。　〃
　〃If　they　panic…〃　Ollie's　voice　was　doubtful。
　〃Maybe　they　will　and　maybe　they　won't。　But　it　will　make　them　think　twice　about　going　out；　which　is　what　most　of　them　want　to　do。　Why　shouldn't　they？　Most　of　them　will　have　people　they　left　at　home。　I　do　myself。　We　have　to　make　them　understand　what　they're　risking　if　they　go　out　there。〃
　His　hand　was　gripping　my　arm　hard。　〃All　right；〃　he　said。　〃Yes；　I　just　keep　asking　myself　。。。　all　those　tentacles　。。。　like　a　squid　or　something　。。。　David；　what　were　they　hooked　to　？　What　were　those　tentacles　hooked　to？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　But　I　don't　want　those　two　telling　people　on　their　own　；　。　That　would　start　a　panic。　Let's　go。〃
　I　looked　around；　and　after　a　moment　or　two　located　the　thin　line　of　vertical　light　between　the　swing　doors。　We　started　to　shuffle　toward　it；　wary　of　scattered　cartons；　one　of　Ollie's　pudgy　hands　clamped　over　my　forearm。　it　occurred　to　me　that　all　of　us　had　lost　our　flashlights。
　As　we　reached　the　doors；　Ollie　said　flatly：　〃What　we　saw　it's　impossible；　David。　You　know　that；　don't　you？　Even　if　a　van　from　the　Boston　Seaquarium　drove　out　back　and　dumped　out　one　of　those　gigantic　squids　like　in　Twenty　Thousand　Leagues　Under　the　Sea；　it　would　die。　It　would　just　die。　〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃That's　right。〃
　〃So　what　happened？　Huh？　What　happened？　What　is　that　damned　mist？〃
　〃Ollie；　I　don't　know。〃
　We　went　out。
　　
　V。　An　Argument　with　Norton。A　Discussion　Near　the　Beer　Cooler。Verification。
　Jim　and　his　good　buddy　Myron　were　just　outside　the　doors；　each　with　a　Budweiser　in　his　fist。　I　looked　at　Billy；　saw　he　was　still　asleep；　and　covered　him　with　the　ruglike　mover's　pad。　He　moved　a　little；　muttered　something；　and　then　Jay　still　again。　I　looked　at　my　watch。　It　was　12：15　P。m。　That　seemed　utterly　impossible；　it　felt　as　if　at　least　five　hours　had　passed　since　I　had　first　gone　in　there　to　look　for　something　to　cover　him　with。　But　the　whole　thing；　from　first　to　last；　had　taken　only　about　thirty…five　minutes。
　I　went　back　to　where　Ollie　stood　with　Jim　and　Myron。　Ollie　had　taken　a　beer　and　he　offered　me　one。　I　took　it　and　gulped　down　half　the　can　at　once；　as　I　had　that　morning　cutting　wood。　it　bucked　me　up　a　little。
　Jim　was　Jim　Grondin。　Myron's　last　name　was　LaFleur　…　that　had　its　ic　side；　all　right。　Myron　the　flower　had　drying　blood　on　his　lips；　chin；　and　cheek。　The　eye　with　the　mouse　under　it　was　already　swelling　up。　The　girl　in　the　cranberry…colored　sweatshirt　walked　by　aimlessly　and　gave　Myron　a　cautious　look。　I　could　have　told　her　that　Myron　was　on