stephen king - mist-第21章

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　Three…quarters　of　the　line　was　gone　now。　I　could　see　the　end　of　it　lying　beside　one　of　Billy's　feet。　Then　the　rope　stopped　moving　through　my　hands　again。　It　lay　motionless　for　perhaps　five　seconds；　and　then　another　five　feet　jerked　out。　Then　it　suddenly　whipsawed　violently　to　the　left；　twanging　off　the　edge　of　the　OUT　door。
　Twenty　feet　of　rope　suddenly　paid　out；　making　a　thin　heat　across　my　left　palm。　And　from　out　of　the　mist　there　came　a　high；　wavering　scream。　It　was　impossible　to　tell　the　sex　of　the　screamer。
　The　rope　whipsawed　in　my　hands　again。　And　again。　It　skated　across　the　space　in　the　doorway　to　the　right；　then　back　to　the　left。　A　few　more　feet　paid　out；　and　then　there　was　a　ululating　howl　from　out　there　that　brought　an　answering　moan　from　my　son。　Hatlen　stood　aghast。　His　eyes　were　huge。　One　corner　of　his　mouth　turned　down；　trembling。
　The　howl　was　abruptly　cut　off。　There　was　no　sound　at　all　for　what　seemed　to　be　forever。　Then　the　old　lady　cried　out…this　time　there　could　be　no　doubt　about　who　it　was。
　Git　it　offa　me！　〃　she　screamed。　〃　Oh　my　Lord　my　Lord　get　it…〃
　Then　her　voice　was　cut　off；　too。
　Almost　all　of　the　rope　abruptly　ran　out　through　my　loosely　closed　fist；　giving　me　a　hotter　burn　this　time。　Then　it　went　pletely　slack；　and　a　sound　came　out　of　the　mist　…　a　thick；　loud　grunt…that　made　all　the　spit　in　my　mouth　dry　up。
　It　was　like　no　sound　I've　ever　heard；　but　the　closest　approximation　might　be　a　movie　set　in　the　African　veld　or　a　South　American　swamp。　It　was　the　sound　of　a　big　animal。　It　came　again；　low　and　tearing　and　savage。　Once　more　。。。　and　then　it　subsided　to　a　series　of　low　mutterings。　Then　it　was　pletely　gone。
　〃Close　the　door；〃　Amanda　Dumfries　said　in　a　trembling　voice。　〃Please。〃
　〃In　a　minute；〃　I　said；　and　began　to　yank　the　line　back　in。
　It　came　out　of　the　mist　and　piled　up　around　my　feet　in　untidy　loops　and　snarls。　About　three　feet　from　the　end；　the　new　white　clothesline　went　barn…red。
　〃Death！〃　Mrs。　Carmody　screamed。　〃Death　to　go　out　there！　Now　do　you　see？〃
　The　end　of　the　clothesline　was　a　chewed　and　frayed　tangle　of　fiber　and　little　puffs　of　cotton。　The　little　puffs
　were　dewed　with　minute　drops　of　blood。
　No　one　contradicted　Mrs。　Carmody。
　Mike　Hatlen　let　the　door　swing　shut。
　　
　VII。　The　First　Night。
　Mr。　McVey　had　worked　in　Bridgton　cutting　meat　ever　since　I　was　twelve　or　thirteen；　and　I　had　no　idea　what　his　first　name　was　or　his　age　might　be。　He　had　set　up　a　gas　grill　under　one　of　the　small　exhaust　fans…the　fans　were　still　now；　but　presumably　they　still　gave　some　ventilation…and　by　6。30　P。m。　the　smell　of　cooking　chicken　filled　the　market。　Bud　Brown　didn't　object。　It　might　have　been　stock；　but　more　likely　he　had　recognized　the　fact　that　his　fresh　meat　and　poultry　wasn't　getting　any　fresher。　The　chicken　smelled　good；　but　not　many　people　wanted　to　eat。　Mr。　McVey；　small　and　spare　and　neat　in　his　whites；　cooked　the　chicken　nevertheless　and　laid　the　pieces　two　by　two　on　paper　plates　and　lined　them　up　cafeteria…style　on　top　of　the　meat　counter。
　Mrs。　Turman　brought　Billy　and　me　each　a　plate；　garnished　with　helpings　of　deli　potato　salad。　I　ate　as　best　I　could；　but　Billy　would　not　even　pick　at　his。
　〃You　got　to　eat；　big　guy；〃　I　said。
　〃I'm　not　hungry；〃　he　said；　putting　the　plate　aside。
　〃You　can't　get　big　and　strong　if　you　don't…〃
　Mrs。　Turman；　sitting　slightly　behind　Billy；　shook　her　head　at　me。
　〃Okay；〃　I　said。　〃Go　get　a　peach　and　eat　it；　at　least。　'Kay？〃
　〃What　if　Mr。　Brown　says　something？〃
　〃If　he　says　something；　you　e　back　and　tell　me。〃
　〃Okay；　Dad。〃
　He　walked　away　slowly。　He　seemed　to　have　shrunk　somehow。　It　hurt　my　heart　to　see　him　walk　that　way。　Mr。　McVey　went　on　cooking　chicken；　apparently　not　minding　that　only　a　few　people　were　eating　it；　happy　in　the　act　of　cooking。　As　I　think　I　have　said；　there　are　all　ways　of　handling　a　thing　like　this。　You　wouldn't　think　it　would　be
　so；　but　it　is。　The　mind　is　a　monkey。
　Mrs。　Turman　and　I　sat　halfway　up　the　patent…　medicines　aisle。　People　were　sitting　in　little　groups　all　over　the　store。　No　one　except　Mrs。　Carmody　was　sitting　alone；　even　Myron　and　his　buddy　Jim　were　together…they　were　both　passed　out　by　the　beer　cooler。
　Six　new　men　were　watching　the　loopholes。　One　of　them　was　Ollie；　gnawing　a　leg　of　chicken　and　drinking　a　beer。　The　mop…handle　torches　leaned　beside　each　of　the　watchposts；　a　can　of　charcoal　lighter　fluid　next　to　each　。。。　but　I　don't　think　anyone　really　believed　in　the　torches　the　way　they　had　before。　Not　after　that　low　and　terribly　vital　grunting　sound；　not　after　the　chewed　and　blood…soaked　clothesline。　If　whatever　was　out　there　decided　it　wanted　us；　it　was　going　to　have　us。　It；　or　they。
　〃How　bad　will　it　be　tonight？〃　Mrs。　Turman　asked。　Her　voice　was　calm；　but　her　eyes　were　sick　and　scared。
　〃Hattie；　I　just　don't　know。〃
　〃You　let　me　keep　Billy　as　much　as　you　can。　I'm　。。。　Davey；　I　think　I'm　in　mortal　terror。〃　She　uttered　a　dry　laugh。　〃Yes；　I　believe　that's　what　it　is。　But　if　I　have　Billy；　I'll　be　all　right。　I'll　be　all　right　for　him。〃
　Her　eyes　were　glistening。　I　leaned　over　and　patted　her　shoulder。
　〃I'm　so　worried　about　Alan；〃　she　said。　〃He's　dead；　Davey。　In　my　heart　I'm　sure　he's　dead。〃
　〃No；　Hattie。　You　don't　know　any　such　thing。〃
　〃But　I　feel　it's　true。　Don't　you　feel　anything　about　Stephanie？　Don't　you　at　least　have　a　。。。　a　feeling？〃
　〃No；〃　I　said；　lying　through　my　teeth。
　A　strangled　sound　came　from　her　throat　and　she　clapped　a　hand　to　her　mouth。　Her　glasses　reflected　back　the　dim；　murky　light。
　〃Billy's　ing　back；〃　I　murmured。
　He　was　eating　a　peach。　Hattie　Turman　patted　the　floor　beside　her　and　said　that　when　he　was　done　she　would　show　him　how　to　make　a　little　man　out　of　the　peach　pit　and　some　thread。　Billy　smiled　at　her　wanly；　and　Mrs。　Turman　smiled　back。
　At　8：00　P。m。　six　new　men　went　on　at　the　loopholes　and　Ollie　came　over　to　where　I　was　sitting。　〃Where's　Billy？〃
　〃With　Mrs。　Turman；　up　back；〃　I　said。　〃They're　doing　crafts。　They've　run　through　peach…pit　men　and　shoppingbag　masks　and　apple　dolls　and　now　Mr。　McVey　is　showing　him　how　to　make　pipe…cleaner　men。〃
　Ollie　took　a　long　drink　of　beer　and　said；　〃Things　are　moving　around　out　there。〃
　I　looked　at　him　sharply。　He　looked　back　levelly。
　〃I'm　not　drunk；〃　he　said。　〃I've　been　trying　but　haven't　been　able　to　make　it。　I　wish　I　could；　David。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean；　things　are　moving　around　out　there？〃
　〃I　can't　say　for　sure。　I　asked　Walter；　and　he　said　he　had　the　same　feeling；　that　parts　of　the　mist　would　go　darker　for　a　minute　…　sometimes　just　a　little　smudge；　sometimes　a　big　dark　place；　like　a　bruise。　Then　it　would　fade　back　to　gray。　And　the　stuff　is　swirling　around。　Even　Arnie　Simms　said　he　felt　like　something　was　going　on　out　there；　and　Arnie's　almost　as　blind　as　a　bat。〃
　〃What　about　the　others？〃
　〃They're　all　out…of…staters；　strangers　to　me；〃　Ollie　said。　〃I　didn't　ask　any　of　them。〃
　〃How　sure　are　you　that　you　weren't　just　seeing　things？〃
　〃Sure；〃　he　said。　He　nodded　toward　Mrs。　Carmody；　who　was　sitting　by　herself　at　the　end　of　the　aisle。　None　of　it　had　hurt　her　appetite　any；　there　was　a　graveyard　of　chicken　bones　on　her　plate。　She　was　drinking　either　blood　or　V…8　juice。　〃I　think　she　was　right　about　one　thing；〃　Ollie　said。　〃We'll　find　out。　When　it　gets　dark；　we'll　find　out。〃
　But　we　didn't　have　to　wait　until　dark。　When　it　came；　Billy　saw　very　little　of　it；　because　Mrs。　Turman　kept　him　up　back。　Ollie　was　still　sitting　with　me　when　one　of　the　men　up　front　gave　out　a　shriek　and　staggered　back　from　his　post；　pinwheeling　his　arms。　It　was　approaching　eight…thirty；　outside　the　pearl…white　mist　had　darkened　to　the　dull　slaty　color　of　a　November　twilight。
　Something　had　landed　on　the　glass　outside　one　of　the　loopholes。
　〃Oh　my　Jesus！〃　the　man　who　had　been　watching　there　screamed。　〃Let　me　out！　Let　me　out　of　this！〃
　He　tore　around　in　a　rambling　circle；　his　eyes　starting　from　his　face；　a　thin　lick　of　saliva　at　one　corner　of　his　mouth　glimmering　in　the　deepening　shadows。　Then　he　took　off　straight　up　the　far　aisle　past　the　frozen…food　cases。
　There　were　answering　cries。　Some　people　ran　toward　the　front　to　see　what　had　happened。　Many　others　retreated　toward　the　back；　not　caring　and　not　want