stephen king - mist-第28章

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　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　said。　She　had　a　low；　raspy；　petent　voice。　〃But　it　feels　right　in　my　hand。〃　She　looked　him　over　closely；　and　her　eye　was　cold。　〃Jim　Grondin；　isn't　it？　Didn't　I　have　you　in　school？〃
　Jim's　lips　stretched　in　an　uneasy　egg…suck　grin。　〃Yes'm。　Me　and　my　sister　Pauline。〃
　〃Too　much　to　drink　last　night？〃
　Jim；　who　towered　over　her　and　probably　outweighed　her　by　one　hundred　pounds；　blushed　to　the　roots　of　his　American　Legion　crewcut。　〃Aw；　no…〃
　She　turned　away　curtly；　cutting　him　off。　〃I　think　we're　ready；〃　she　said。
　All　of　us　had　something；　although　you　would　have　called　it　an　odd　assortment　of　weapons。　Ollie　had　Amanda's　gun；　Buddy　Eagleton　had　a　steel　pinchbar　from　out　back　somewhere。　I　had　a　broom　handle。
　〃Okay；〃　Dan　Miller　said；　raising　his　voice　a　bit。　〃You　folks　want　to　listen　up　a　minute？〃
　A　dozen　people　had　drifted　down　toward　the　OUT　door
　to　see　what　was　going　on。　They　were　loosely　knotted；　and　to　their　right　stood　Mrs。　Carmody　and　her　new　friends。
　〃We're　going　over　to　the　drugstore　to　see　what　the　situation　is　there。　Hopefully；　we'll　be　able　to　bring　something　back　to　aid　Mrs。　Clapham。〃　She　was　the　lady　who　had　been　trampled　yesterday；　when　the　bugs　came。　One　of　her　legs　had　been　broken　and　she　was　in　a　great　deal　of　pain。
　Miller　looked　us　over。　〃We're　not　going　to　take　any　chances；〃　he　said。　〃At　the　first　sign　of　anything　threatening；　we're　going　to　pop　back　into　the　market…〃
　〃And　bring　all　the　fiends　of　hell　down　on　our　heads！〃　Mrs。　Carmody　cried。
　〃She's　right！〃　one　of　the　summer　ladies　seconded。　〃You'll　make　them　notice　us！　You'll　make　them　e！　Why　can't　you　just　leave　well　enough　alone？〃
　There　was　a　murmur　of　agreement　from　some　of　the　people　who　had　gathered　to　watch　us　go。
　I　said；　〃Lady；　is　this　what　you　call　well　enough　？〃
　She　dropped　her　eyes；　confused。
　Mrs。　Carmody　marched　a　step　forward。　Her　eyes　were　blazing。　〃You'll　die　out　there；　David　Drayton！　Do　you　want　to　make　your　son　an　orphan　？〃　She　raised　her　eyes　and　raked　all　of　us　with　them。　Buddy　Eagleton　dropped　his　eyes　and　simultaneously　raised　the　pinchbar；　as　if　to　ward　her　off。
　〃All　of　you　will　die　out　there！　Haven't　you　realized　that　the　end　of　the　world　has　e？　The　Fiend　has　been　let　loose！　Star　Wormwood　blazes　and　each　one　of　you　that　steps　out　that　door　will　be　torn　apart！　And　they'll　e　for　those　of　us　who　are　left；　just　as　this　good　woman　said！　Are　you　people　going　to　let　that　happen　？〃　She　was　appealing　to　the　onlookers　now；　and　a　little　mutter　ran　through　them。　〃After　what　happened　to　the　unbelievers　yesterday？　it's　death！　It's　death！　It's…〃
　A　can　of　peas　flew　across　two　of　the　checkout　lanes　suddenly　and　struck　Mrs。　Carmody　on　the　right　breast。　She　staggered　backward　with　a　startled　squawk。
　Amanda　stood　forward。　〃Shut　up；〃　she　said。　〃Shut　up；　you　miserable　buzzard。〃
　〃She　serves　the　Foul　One！〃　Mrs。　Carmody　screamed。　A　jittery　smile　hung　on　her　face。　〃Who　did　you　sleep　with　last　night；　missus？　Who　did　you　lie　down　with　last　night？　Mother　Carmody　sees；　oh　yes；　Mother　Carmody　sees　what　others　miss。〃
　But　the　moment's　spell　she　had　created　was　broken；　and　Amanda's　eyes　never　wavered。
　〃Are　we　going　or　are　we　going　to　stand　here　all　day？〃　Mrs。　Reppler　asked。
　And　we　went。　God　help　us；　we　went。
　Dan　Miller　was　in　the　lead。　Ollie　came　second；　I　was　last；　with　Mrs。　Reppler　in　front　of　me。　I　was　as　scared　as　I've　ever　been；　I　think；　and　the　hand　wrapped　around　my　broom　handle　was　sweaty…slick。
　There　was　that　thin；　acrid；　and　unnatural　smell　of　the　mist。　By　the　time　I　got　out　the　door；　Miller　and　Ollie　had　already　faded　into　it；　and　Hatlen；　who　was　third；　was　nearly　out　of　sight。
　Only　twenty　feet；　I　kept　telling　myself。　Only　twenty　feet。
　Mrs。　Reppler　walked　slowly　and　firmly　ahead　of　me；　her　tennis　racket　swinging　lightly　from　her　right　hand。　To　our　left　was　a　red　cinderblock　wall。　To　our　right　the　first　rank　of　cars；　looming　out　of　the　the　mist　like　ghost　ships。　Another　trash　barrel　materialized　out　of　the　whiteness；　and　beyond　that　was　a　bench　where　people　sometimes　sat　to　wait　their　turn　at　the　pay　phone。　Only　twenty　feet；　Miller's　probably　the〃　by　now；　twenty　feet　is　only　ten　or　twelve　paces；　so
　〃Oh　my　God！〃　Miller　screamed。　〃Oh　dear　sweet　God；　look　at　this！〃
　Miller　had　gotten　there；　all　right。
　Buddy　Eagleton　was　ahead　of　Mrs。　Reppler　and　he　turned　to　run；　his　eyes　wide　and　stary。　She　batted　him　lightly　in　the　chest　with　her　tennis　racket。　〃Where　do　you　thing　you're　going？〃　she　asked　in　her　tough；　slightly　raspy　voice；　and　that　was　all　the　panic　there　was。
　The　rest　of　us　drew　up　to　Miller。　I　took　one　glance　back　over　my　shoulder　and　saw　that　the　Federal　had　been　swallowed　up　by　the　mist。　The　red　cinderblock　wall　faded　to　a　thin　wash　pink　and　then　disappeared　utterly；　probably　five　feet　on　the　Bridgton　Pharmacy　side　of　the　OUT　door。　I　felt　more　isolated；　more　simply　alone；　than　ever　in　my　life。　It　was　as　if　I　had　lost　the　womb。
　The　pharmacy　had　been　the　scene　of　a　slaughter。
　Miller　and　I；　of　course；　were　very　close　to　it…almost　on　top　of　it。　All　the　things　in　the　mist　operated　primarily　by　sense　of　smell。　It　stood　to　reason。　Sight　would　have　been　almost　pletely　useless　to　them。　Hearing　a　little　better；　but　as　I've　said；　the　mist　had　a　way　of　screwing　Up　the　acoustics；　making　things　that　were　close　sound　distant　and　…　sometimes　…　things　that　were　far　away　sound　close。　The　things　in　the　mist　followed　their　truest　sense。　They　followed　their　noses。
　Those　of　us　in　the　market　had　been　saved　by　the　power　outage　as　much　as　by　anything　else。　The　electric…eye　doors　wouldn't　operate。　In　a　sense；　the　market　had　been　scaled　up　when　the　mist　came。　But　the　pharmacy　doors　。。。　they　had　been　chocked　open。　The　power　failure　had　killed　their　air　conditioning　and　they　had　opened　the　doors　to　let　in　the　breeze。　Only　something　else　had　e　in　as　well。　
　A　man　in　a　maroon　T…shirt　lay　facedown　in　the　doorway。　Or　at　first　I　thought　his　T…shirt　was　maroon；　then　I　saw　a　few　white　patches　at　the　bottom　and　understood　that　once　it　had　been　all　white。　The　maroon　was　dried　blood。　And　there　was　something　else　wrong　with　him。　I　puzzled　it　over　in　my　mind。　Even　when　Buddy　Eagleton　turned　around　and　was　noisily　sick；　it　didn't　e　immediately。　I　guess　when　something　that　。。。　that　final　happens　to　someone；　your　mind　rejects　it　at　first…unless　maybe　you're　in　a　war。
　His　head　was　gone；　that's　what　it　was。　His　legs　were　splayed　out　inside　the　pharmacy　doors；　and　his　head　should　have　been　hanging　over　the　low　step。　But　his　head　just　wasn't。
　Jim　Grondin　had　had　enough。　He　turned　away；　his　hands　over　his　mouth；　his　bloodshot　eyes　gazing　madly　into　mine。　Then　he　stumbled　…staggered　back　toward　the　market。
　The　others　took　no　notice。　Miller　had　stepped　inside。　Mike　Hatlen　followed。　Mrs。　Reppler　stationed　herself　at　one　side　of　the　double　doors　with　her　tennis　racket。　Ollie　stood　on　the　other　side　with　Amanda's　gun　drawn　and　pointing　at　the　pavement。
　He　said　quietly；　〃I　seem　to　be　running　out　of　hope；　David。〃
　Buddy　Eagleton　was　leaning　weakly　against　the　pay…phone　stall　like　someone　who　has　just　gotten　bad　news　from　home。　His　broad　shoulders　shook　with　the　force　of　his　sobs。
　〃Don't　count　us　out　yet；〃　I　said　to　Ollie。　I　stepped　up　to　the　door。　I　didn't　want　to　go　inside；　but　I　had　promised　my　son　a　ic　book。
　The　Bridgton　Pharmacy　was　a　crazy　shambles。　Paperbacks　and　magazines　were　everywhere。　There　was　a　Spiderman　ic　and　an　Incredible　Hulk　almost　at　my　feet；　and　without　thinking；　I　picked　them　up　and　jammed　them　into　my　back　pocket　for　Billy。　Bottles　and　boxes　lay　in　the　aisles。　A　hand　hung　over　one　of　the　racks。
　Unreality　washed　over　me。　The　wreckage　。。。　the　carnage…that　was　bad　enough。　But　the　place　also　looked　like　it　had　been　the　scene　of　some　crazy　party。　It　was　hung　and　festooned　with　what　I　at　first　took　to　be　streamers。　But　they　weren't　broad　and　flat；　they　were　more　like　very　thick　strings　or　very　thin　cables。　It　struck　me　that　they　were　almost　the　same　bright　white　as　the　mist　itself；　and　a　cold　chill　sketched　its　way　up　my　back　like　frost。　Not　crepe。
　What？　Magazines　and　books　hung　dangling　in　the　air　from　some　of　them。
　Mike　Hatlen　was　prodding　a　strange　black　thing　w