sk.cujo-第1章

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The　Old　Masters：　how　well　they　understood
Its　human　position；　how　it　takes　place
While　someone　else　is　eating　or　opening　a　window　or
Mt　walking　dully　along　。。。
W。　H。　AUDEN；　〃Musee　des　Beaux　Arts〃
Old　Blue　died　and　he　died　so　hard　He　shook　the　ground　in　my　back　yard。　I　dug　his　grave　with　a　silver　spade　And　I　lowered　him　down　with　a　golden　chain。　Every　link　you　know　I　did　call　his　name；　I　called；　〃Here；　Blue；　you　good　dog；　you。
FOLK　SONG
〃Nope；　nothing　wrong　here。
THE　SHARP　CEREAL　PROFESSOR
　
ONCE　UPON　A　TIME；　not　so　long　ago；　a　monster　came　to　the　small　town　of　Castle　Rock；　Maine。　He　killed。　a　waitress　named　Alma　Frechette　in　1970；　a　woman　named　Pauline　Toothaker　and　a　junior　high　school　student　named　Cheryl　Moody　in　1971；　a　pretty　girl　named　Carol　Dunbarger　in　1974；　a　teacher　named　Etta　Ringgold　in　the　fall　of　1975；　finally；　a　grade…schooler　named　Mary　Kate　Hendrasen　in　the　early　winter　of　that　same　year。
He　was　not　werewolf；　vampire；　ghoul；　or　unnameable　creature　from　the　enchanted　forest　or　from　the　snowy　wastes；　he　was　only　a　cop　named　Frank　Dodd　with　mental　and　sexual　problems。　A　good　man　named　John　Smith　uncovered　his　name　by　a　kind　of　magic；　but　before　he　could　be　captured　…　perhaps　it　was　just　as　well　…　Frank　Dodd　killed　himself。
There　was　some　shock；　of　course；　but　mostly　there　was　rejoicing　in　that　small　town；　rejoicing　because　the　monster　which　had　haunted　so　many　dreams　was　dead；　dead　at　last。　A　town's　nightmares　were　buried　in　Frank　Dodd's　grave。
Yet　even　in　this　enlightened　age；　when　so　many　parents　are　aware　of　the　psychological　damage　they　may　do　to　their　children；　surely　there　was　one　parent　somewhere　in　Castle　Rock　…　or　perhaps　one　grandmother　…　who　quieted　the　kids　by　telling　them　that　Frank　Dodd　would　get　them　if　they　didn't　watch　out；　if　they　weren't　good。　And　surely　a　hush　fell　as　children　looked　toward　their　dark　windows　and　thought　of　Frank　Dodd　in　his　shiny　black　vinyl　raincoat；　Frank　Dodd　who　had　choked　。。。　and　choked　。。。　and　choked。
He's　out　there；　I　can　bear　the　grandmother　whispering　as　the　wind　whistles　down　the　chimney　pipe　and　snuffles　around　the　old　pot　lid　crammed　in　the　stove　hole。　He's　out　there；　and　if　you're　not　good；　it　may　be　his　face　you　see　looking　in　your　bedroom　window　after　everyone　in　the　house　is　asleep　except　you；　it　may　be　his　smiling　face　you　see　peeking　at　you　from　the　closet　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　the　STOP　sign　he　held　up　when　he　crossed　the　little　children　in　one　band；　the　razor　he　used　to　kill　himself　in　the　other　。。。　so　shbb；　children　。。。　shhhh　。。。　shhhh
But　for　most；　the　ending　was　the　ending。　There　were　nightmares　to　be　sure；　and　children　who　lay　wakeful　to　be　sure；　and　the　empty　Dodd　house　（for　his　mother　had　a　stroke　shortly　afterwards　and　died）　quickly　gained　a　reputation　as　a　haunted　house　and　was　avoided；　but　these　were　passing　phenomena　…　the　perhaps　unavoidable　side　effects　of　a　chain　of　senseless　murders。
But　time　passed。　Five　years　of　time。
The　monster　was　gone；　the　monster　was　dead。　Frank　Dodd　moldered　inside　his　coffin。
Except　that　the　monster　never　dies。　Werewolf；　vampire；　ghoul；　unnameable　creature　from　the　wastes。　The　monster　never　dies。
It　came　to　Castle　Rock　again　in　the　summer　of　1980。
Tad　Trenton；　four　years　old；　awoke　one　morning　not　long　after　midnight　in　May　of　that　year；　needing　to　go　to　the　bathroom。　He　got　out　of　bed　and　walked　half　asleep　toward　the　white　light　thrown　in　a　wedge　through　the　half…open　door；　already　lowering　his　pajama　pants。　He　urinated　forever；　flushed；　and　went　back　to　bed。　He　pulled　the　covers　up；　and　that　was　when　he　saw　the　creature　in　his　closet。
Low　to　the　ground　it　was；　with　huge　shoulders　bulking　above　its　cocked　head；　its　eyes　amber…glowing；　pits　…　a　thing　that　might　have　been　half　man；　half　wolf。　And　its　eyes　rolled　to　follow　him　as　he　sat　up；　his　scrotum　crawling；　his　hair　standing　on　end；　his　breath　a　thin　winter…whistle　in　his　throat：　mad　eyes　that　laughed；　eyes　that　promised　horrible　death　and　the　music　of　screams　that　went　unheard；　something　in　the　closet。
He　heard　its　purring　growl；　he　smelled　its　sweet　carrion　breath。
Tad　Trenton　clapped　his　hands　to　his　eyes；　hitched　in　breath；　and　screamed。
A　muttered　exclamation　in　another　room　…　his　father。
A　scared　cry　of　'What　was　that？'　from　the　same　room　…　his　mother。
Their　footfalls；　running。　As　they　came　in；　he　peered　through　his　fingers　and　saw　it　there　in　the　closet；　snarling；　promising　dreadfully　that　they　might　e；　but　they　would　surely　go；　and　that　when　they　did。。。
The　light　went　on。　Vic　and　Donna　Trenton　came　to　his　bed；　exchanging　a　look　of　concern　over　his　chalky　face　and　his　staring　eyes；　and　his　mother　said　…　no；　snapped；　'I　told　you　three　hot　dogs　was　too　many；　Vic！'
And　then　his　daddy　was　on　the　bed；　Daddy's　arm　around　his　back；　asking　what　was　wrong。
Tad　dared　to　look　into　the　mouth　of　his　closet　again。
The　monster　was　gone。　Instead　of　whatever　hungry　beast　he　had　seen；　there　were　two　uneven　piles　of　blankets；　winter　bedclothes　which　Donna　had　not　yet　gotten　around　to　taking　up　to　the　cut…off　third　floor。　These　were　stacked　on　the　chair　which　Tad　used　to　stand　on　when　he　needed　something　from　the　high　closet　shelf。　Instead　of　the　shaggy；　triangular　head；　cocked　sideways　in　a　kind　of　predatory　questioning　gesture；　he　saw　his　teddybear　on　the　taller　of　the　two　piles　of　blankets。　Instead　of　pitted　and　baleful　amber　eyes；　there　were　the　friendly　brown　glass　balls　from　which　his　Teddy　observed　the　world。
'What's　wrong；　Tadder？'　his　daddy　asked　him　again。
'There　was　a　monster！'　Tad　cried。　'In　my　closed'　And　he　burst　into　tears。
His　mommy　sat　with　him；　they　held　him　between　them；　soothed　him　as　best　they　could。　There　followed　the　ritual　of　parents。　They　explained　there　were　no　monsters；　that　he　had　just…had　a　bad　dream。　His　mommy　explained　how　shadows　could　sometimes　look　like　the　bad　things　they　sometimes　showed　on　TV　or　in　the　ic　books；　and　Daddy　told　him　everything　was　all　right；　fine；　that　nothing　in　their　goo　house　could　hurt　him。　Tad　nodded　and　agreed　that　it　was　m　although　he　knew　it　was　not。
His　father　explained　to　him　how；　in　the　dark；　the　two　uneven　piles　of　blankets　had　looked　like　hunched　shoulder；　how　the　teddybear　had　looked　like　a　cocked　head；　and　wow　the　bathroom　light；　reflecting　from　Teddy's　glass　eyes；　ha　made　them　seem　like　the　eyes　of　a　real　live　animal。
'Now　look；'　he　said。　'Watch　me　close；　Tadder。'
Tad　watched。
His　father　took　the　two　piles　of　blankets　and　put　them　fa　rback　in　Tad's　closet。　Tad　could　hear　the　coathangers　jingling　softly；　talking　about　Daddy　in　their　coathanger　language　That　was　funny；　and　he　smiled　a　little。　Mommy　caught　his　smile　and　smiled　back；　relieved。
His　daddy　came　out　of　the　closet；　took　Teddy；　and　put　him　in　Tad's　arms。
'And　last　but　not　least；　Daddy　said　with　a　flourish　and　a　bow　that　made　both　Tad　and　Mommy　giggle；　'ze　chair。'
He　closed　the　closet　door　firmly　and　then　put　the　chair　against　the　door。　When　he　came　back　to　Tad's　bed　he　was　still　smiling；　but　his　eyes　were　serious。
'Okay；　Tad？'
'Yes；'　Tad　said；　and　then　forced　himself　to　say　it。　'But　was　there；　Daddy。　I　saw　it。　Really。'
'Your　mind　saw　something；　Tad；　'Daddy　said；　and　his　big　warm　hand　stroked　Tad's　hair。　'But　you　didn't　see　a　monster　in　your　closet；　not　a　real　one。　There　are　no　monsters；　Ta
Only　in　stories；　and　in　your　mind。'
He　looked　from　his　father　to　his　mother　and　back　again　…their　big；　well…loved　faces。
'Really？'
'Really；'　his　mommy　said。　'Now　I　want　you　to　get　up　and　go　pee；　big　guy。'
'I　did。　That's　what　woke　me　up。'
'Well；'　she　said；　because　parents　never　believed　you　'humor　me　then；　what　do　you　say？'
So　he　went　in　and　she　witched　while　he　did　four　drops　and　she　smiled　and　said；　'See？　You　did　have　to　go。'
Resigned；　Tad　nodded。　Went　back　to　bed。　Was　tucked　in。　Accepted　kisses。
And　as　his　mother　and　father　went　back　to　the　door　the　fear　settled　on　him　again　like　a　cold　coat　full　of　mist。　Like　a　shroud　stinking　of　hopeless　death。　Oh　please；　he　thought；　but　there　was　no　more；　just　that：　Oh　please　oh　please　oh　please。
Perhaps　his　father　caught　his　thought；　because　Vic　turned　back；　one　hand　on　the　light　switch；　and　repeated：　'No　monsters；　Tad。'
'No；　Daddy；'　Tad　said；　because　in　that　instant　his　father