stephen king - mist-第2章

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ies。　We　sat　in　the　guest　room　down　the　hall　from　my　little　studio　and　looked　at　each　other's　faces　in　the　flickering　yellow　glow　and　listened　to　the　storm　roar　and　bash　at　our　house。　About　twenty　minutes　later　we　heard　a　ripping；　rending　crash　as　one　of　the　big　pines　went　down　nearby。　Then　there　was　a　lull。
　〃Is　it　over？〃　Steff　asked。
　〃Maybe；〃　I　said。　〃Maybe　only　for　a　while。
　We　went　upstairs；　each　of　us　carrying　a　candle；　like　monks　going　to　vespers。　Billy　carried　his　proudly　and　carefully。　Carrying　a　candle；　carrying　the　fire；　was　a　very　big　deal　for　him。　it　helped　him　forget　about　being　afraid。
　It　was　too　dark　to　see　what　damage　had　been　done　around　the　house。　It　was　past　Billy's　bedtime；　but　neither　of　us　suggested　putting　him　in。　We　sat　in　the　living　room；　listened　to　the　wind；　and　looked　at　the　lightning。
　About　an　hour　later　it　began　to　crank　up　again。　For　three　weeks　the　temperature　had　been　over　ninety；　and　on　six　of　those　twenty…one　days　the　National　Weather　Service　station　at　the　Portland　Jetport　had　reported　temperatures　of　over　one　hundred　degrees。　Queer　weather。　Coupled　with　the　grueling　winter　we　had　e　through　and　the　late　spring；　some　people　had　dragged　out　that　old　chestnut　about　the　long…range　results　of　the　fifties　A…bomb　tests　again。　That；　and　of　course；　the　end　of　the　world。　The　oldest　chestnut　of　them　all。
　The　second　squall　wasn't　so　hard；　but　we　heard　the　crash　of　several　trees　weakened　by　the　first　onslaught。　As　the　wind　began　to　die　down　again；　one　thudded　heavily　on　the　roof；　like　a　fist　dropped　on　a　coffin　lid。　Billy　jumped　and　looked　apprehensively　upward。
　〃It'll　hold；　champ；〃　I　said。
　Billy　smiled　nervously。
　Around　ten　o'clock　the　last　squall　came。　It　was　bad。　The　wind　howled　almost　as　loudly　as　it　had　the　first　time；　and　lightning　seemed　to　be　flashing　all　around　us。　More　trees　fell；　and　there　was　a　splintering　crash　down　by　the　water　that　made　Steff　utter　a　low　cry。　Billy　had　gone　to　sleep　on　her　lap。
　〃David；　what　was　that？〃
　〃I　think　it　was　the　boathouse。〃
　〃Oh。　Oh；　Jesus。〃
　〃Steffy；　I　want　us　to　go　downstairs　again。〃　I　took　Billy　in　my　arms　and　stood　up　with　him。　Steffs　eyes　were　big　and　frightened。
　〃David；　are　we　going　to　be　all　right
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Really？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　We　went　downstairs。　Ten　minutes　later；　as　the　final　squall　peaked；　there　was　a　splintering　crash　from　upstairs…the　picture　window。　So　maybe　my　vision　earlier　hadn't　been　so　crazy　after　all。　Steff；　who　had　been　dozing；　woke　up　with　a　little　shriek；　and　Billy　stirred　uneasily　in　the　guest　bed。
　〃The　rain　will　e　in；〃　she　said。　〃It'll　ruin　the　furniture。〃
　〃If　it　does；　it　does。　It's　insured。〃
　〃That　doesn't　make　it　any　better；〃　she　said　in　an　upset；　scolding　voice。　〃Your　mother's　dresser　。。。　our　new　sofa。。。。　the　colour　TV。。。〃
　〃Shhh；〃　I　said。　〃Go　to　sleep。〃
　〃I　can't；〃　she　said；　and　five　minutes　later　she　had。
　I　stayed　awake　for　another　half　hour　with　one　lit　candle　for　pany；　listening　to　the　thunder　walk　and　talk　outside。　I　had　a　feeling　that　there　were　going　to　be　a　lot　of　people　from　the　lakefront　munities　calling　their　insurance　agents　in　the　morning；　a　lot　of　chainsaws　burring　as　cottage　owners　cut　up　the　trees　that　had　fallen　on　their　roofs　and　battered　through　their　windows；　and　a　lot　of　orange　CMP　trucks　on　the　road。
　The　storm　was　fading　now；　with　no　sign　of　a　new　squall　ing　in。　I　went　back　upstairs；　leaving　Steff　and　Billy　on　the　bed；　and　looked　into　the　living　room。　The　sliding　glass　door　had　held。　But　where　the　picture　window　had　been　there　was　now　a　jagged　hole　stuffed　with　birch　leaves。　It　was　the　top　of　the　old　tree　that　had　stood　by　our　outside　basement　access　for　as　long　as　I　could　remember。　Looking　at　its　top；　now　visiting　in　our　living　room；　I　could　understand　what　Steff　had　meant　by　saying　insurance　didn't　make　it　any　better。　I　had　loved　that　tree。　It　had　been　a　hard　campaigner　of　many　winters；　the　one　tree　on　the　lakeside　of　the　house　that　was　exempt　from　my　own　chainsaw。　Big　chunks　of　glass　on　the　rug　reflected　my　candle…flame　over　and　over。　I　reminded　myself　to　warn　Steff　and　Billy。　They　would　want　to　wear　their　slippers　in　here。　Both　of　them　liked　to　slop　around　barefoot　in　the　morning。
　I　went　downstairs　again。　All　three　of　us　slept　together　in　the　guest　bed；　Billy　between　Steff　and　me。　I　had　a　dream　that　I　saw　God　walking　across　Harrison　on　the　far　side　of　the　lake；　a　God　so　gigantic　that　above　his　waist　He　was　lost　in　a　clear　blue　sky。　In　the　dream　I　could　hear　the　rending　crack　and　splinter　of　breaking　trees　as　God　stamped　the　woods　into　the　shape　of　His　footsteps。　He　was　circling　the　lake；　ing　toward　the　Bridgton　side；　toward　us；　and　all　the　houses　and　cottages　and　summer　places　were　bursting　into　purple…white　flame　like　lightning；　and　soon　the　smoke　covered　everything。　The　smoke　covered　everything　like　a　Mist。
　　
　II。　After　the　Storm。　Norton。　A　Trip　to　Town。
　〃Jeee…pers；〃　Billy　said。
　He　was　standing　by　the　fence　that　separates　our　property　from　Norton's　and　looking　down　our　driveway。　The　driveway　runs　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　a　camp　road　which；　in　its　turn；　runs　about　three…quarters　of　mile　to　a　stretch　of　two…lane　blacktop；　called　Kansas　Road。　From　Kansas　Road　you　can　go　anywhere　you　want；　as　long　as　it's　Bridgton。
　I　saw　what　Billy　was　looking　at　and　my　heart　went　cold。
　〃Don't　go　any　closer；　champ。　Right　there　is　close　enough。〃
　Billy　didn't　argue。
　The　morning　was　bright　and　as　clear　as　a　bell。　The　sky；　which　had　been　a　mushy；　hazy　color　during　the　heat　wave；　had　regained　a　deep；　crisp　blue　that　was　nearly　autumnal。　There　was　a　light　breeze；　making　cheerful　sun…dapples　move　back　and　forth　in　the　driveway。　Not　far　from　where　Billy　was　standing　there　was　a　steady　hissing　noise；　and　in　the　grass　there　was　what　you　might　at　first　have　taken　for　a　writhing　bundle　of　snakes。　The　power　lines　leading　to　our　house　had　fallen　in　an　untidy　tangle　about　twenty　feet　away　and　lay　in　a　burned　patch　of　grass。　They　were　twisting　lazily　and　spitting。　if　the　trees　and　grass　hadn't　been　so　pletely　damped　down　by　the　torrential　rains；　the　house　might　have　gone　up。　As　it　was；　there　was　only　that　black　patch　where　the　wires　had　touched　directly。
　〃Could　that　lectercute　a　person；　Daddy？〃
　〃Yeah。　it　could。〃
　〃What　are　we　going　to　do　about　it？〃
　〃Nothing。　Wait　for　the　CMP。〃
　〃When　will　they　e？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　Five…year…olds　have　as　many　questions　as　Hallmark　has　cards。　〃I　imagine　they're　pretty　busy　this　morning。　Want　to　take　a　walk　up　to　the　end　of　the　driveway　with　me？〃
　He　started　to　e　and　then　stopped；　eyeing　the　wires　nervously。　One　of　them　humped　up　and　turned　over　lazily；　as　if　beckoning。
　〃Daddy；　can　lectricity　shoot　through　the　ground？〃
　A　fair　question。　〃Yes；　but　don't　worry。　Electricity　wants　the　ground；　not　you；　Billy。　You'll　be　all　right　if　you　stay　away　from　the　wires。〃
　〃Wants　the　ground；〃　he　muttered；　and　then　came　to　me。　We　walked　up　the　driveway　holding　hands。
　It　was　worse　than　I　had　imagined。　Trees　had　fallen　across　the　drive　in　four　different　places；　one　of　them　small；　two　of　them　middling；　and　one　old　baby　that　must　have　been　five　feet　through　the　middle。　Moss　was　crusted　onto　it　like　a　moldy　corset。
　Branches；　some　half…stripped　of　their　leaves；　lay　everywhere　in　jackstraw　profusion。　Billy　and　I　walked　up　to　the　camp　road；　tossing　the　smaller　branches　off　into　the　woods　on　either　side。　it　reminded　me　of　a　summer's　day　that　had　been　maybe　twenty…five　years　before；　I　couldn't　have　been　much　older　than　Billy　was　now。　All　my　uncles　had　been　here；　and　they　had　spent　the　day　in　the　woods　with　axes　and　hatchets　and　Darcy　poles；　cutting　brush。　Later　that　afternoon　they　had　all　sat　down　to　the　trestle　picnic　table　my　dad　and　mom　used　to　have　and　there　had　been　a　monster　meal　of　hot　dogs　and　hamburgers　and　potato　salad。　The　'Gansett　beer　had　flowed　like　water　and　my　uncle　Reuben　took　a　dive　into　the　lake　with　all　his　clothes　on；　even　his　deck…shoes。　In　those　days　there　were　still　deer　in　these　woods。
　〃Daddy；　can　I　go　down　to　the　lake？〃
　He　was　tired　of　throwing　branches；　and　the　thing　to　do　with　a　little　boy　when　he's　tired　is　to　let　him　go　do　something　else。　〃Sure。〃
　We　walked　back　to　the　house　together　and　then　Billy