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第28部分

rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第28部分

小说: rstacy.doomsdaywarrior 字数: 每页4000字

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it off; shutting his mind like a steel spring on it … it passed。
 Rona broke stride momentarily; then she too threw it off。 One by one they were tested and found not wanting。 Thanks to Detroit's warning。
 But with Scheransky it was a different story。 Scheransky had trouble remembering his mantra; so he counted。 One…two…three。 It worked well for a time; his mind didn't wander; he was keeping up with the others。 Perhaps his lack of deep meditative training; he had trouble with such things … didn't matter。 He would be all right。 But that wasn't the case。
 They had gone perhaps another three hundred yards in the darkness; when Scheransky suddenly heard his voice; his counting of numbers in Russian; suddenly change to the voice of another man。 It was the voice of a guard; a KGB guard。 He was a child standing in the snow of the Gulag Reception Station。 He was next to his father; a proud prison official。 And the counting was not of footsteps in the dark cavern; but the counting of half…naked prisoners walking by him。
 Each time a prisoner walked by; his father made a mark in a little notebook。 It was so long ago。 It was the day that Scheransky most wanted to forget。 The day that haunted him。
 The Russian's most dreaded memory was buried deep in his unconscious childhood memories。 But the deeper the fear; the more hidden it was; the easier it was for the Whisperers to use it。。。 and the more horrible and real it seemed when it came to mind。
 There he was in the cold winter darkness of the gulag。 And there was a purge going on; the sixth in a year。 In the Kremlin; the Malenkov forces were out; and the Dzernoviks' faction was in; meaning new prisoners were arriving by the trainload … prisoners who had endured month after month of torture already at the hands of the KGB。
 And as the faceless political prisoners walked by; one was not anonymous。 One; just one; was not a thing to be reviled。
 〃Momma。〃 Scheransky gasped。 〃What are you …〃
 The woman; number 412; wore a torn and ragged filthy striped robe。 She had bare feet; blood in the cracks of her frozen toes; staining the snow beneath her。 She stopped; looked glazed at him; looking as if he were a rock or building。
 〃Momma; it's me。〃 He turned to his father; pulled on his arm; 〃Poppa; it's Momma; it's her … why is she here with the guilty? Why is she dressed like this; why is she with the prisoners?〃
 His father's face was ashen; his swollen chest suddenly deflated。 His black beady eyes grew wide with horror。 It was her。 〃I cannot do anything;〃 he whispered close to the boy's ear; and he dragged little Totu Scheransky away。 The boy Scheransky was screaming; 〃Momma; Momma。〃
 〃Shut up; stupid;〃 his father insisted; 〃she is not your mother … not anymore。 She is a traitor; I don't know what she did; but she did it。 And we don't know her。。。〃
 〃But Momma …〃
 His father slapped him。 He fell face first in the snow and he heard the crunch crunch crunch of the naked feet of the prisoners walking listlessly across the snow toward the unheated confinement building。
 Scheransky; though lost in the illusion; continued walking with his patriots in the cavern。 He was saying; 〃No; Poppa; no; it is Momma。。。 it is。。。 it is。。。〃 In his ears rang the whistle of the death train as it slowly pulled out。 The crunch crunch of the Freefighters' boots was; in his mind; the crunch crunch of the political prisoners' bare feet toward the death house。
 But that was not the worst … that was a past reality。 A long…ago memory unearthed by the powers of the unseen enemy in the cavern。 Now came the dreaded fantasy。
 Suddenly Scheransky was stopped dead in his tracks。 And dimly in the cavern's deep recesses he heard his mother's voice; all cracked and trembling horribly。 〃Son; son;〃 she pleaded。 〃My little Totu; why did you let them take me away? Why did you deny me; your mother?〃
 〃I didn't; Mother。 I…I…I'm sorry;〃 Scheransky stuttered out。 〃I …〃
 Then the words choked off in his throat; for out of the darkness stepped the decayed; twisted dry corpse of his mother; still wearing the tattered moldy robe with the black stripes of a prisoner on it。 She lifted her dried fungus…covered hand in the half…light and shook her finger at him。 〃Bad boy; you're a very bad boy。〃
 〃No;〃 he aspirated; his breath frozen; his chest hard and tight。 〃I …〃
 〃You let them kill me。 You did。 You denied me … and now …〃 the fungus…caked dissolving corpse's dry mouth cracked a toothy smile … 〃now; Son; I've e to get you。。。
 〃Join。。。 me。。。 in。。。 cemetery。 Here; e。。。 kiss your mother。。。〃 The corpse lurched forward; smacking its dead brown lips over teeth that fell out as she moved。
 〃No。。。 please。。。 don't e any closer;〃 Scheransky screamed; but he was unable to back off。 The corpse kept ing closer。 〃Oh God Jesus;〃 Scheransky cried; 〃Keep her away … keep it away from me。〃
 Scheransky brought his hands up to his face but not in time。 For the staggering mother…corpse leapt at him and held him in a bony…hard death grip。 She started biting his face with her decayed teeth; which shattered and broke into sharp fragments as they stuck into his skin。 〃No …〃 he screamed; 〃nooooooooooo。〃
 〃What's the matter with Scheransky?〃 Rock yelled as he ran back to the Russian。 Scheransky was screaming and tearing at the air as if he was being attacked。 Rock and Detroit; who reached their panion at the same time; grabbed his arms。 Rockson shouted; shook the Russian defector。 〃Scheransky; it's not real; not real。 Whatever is happening is an illusion。〃
 Slowly the screams died down; the flailing and crying died down。 Finally Scheransky just sat there on the cold cavern floor; on his haunches; sobbing softly; 〃Mother。。。 Mother。 God; I …〃
 Rockson gently lifted his friend to his feet。 〃It's all over now。。。 The nightmare is over。 We have to go; e on; e on。。。 left。。。 right。。。 left。。; That's it。〃
 There was no more mental attack。 And there came a different voice; a voice so soft you could sense it rather than hear it。 〃We are sorry;〃 said the whisper; 〃we thought you were more。。。 of the bad ones。 The ones we kill。 But your hearts are good。 We are sorry。。。 sorry。。。 sorry。。。〃
 And there was silence。 They were left … except for one more sentence from the darkness that warned:
 〃Beware of the sky。。。 sky。。。 sky。。。〃
 After assessing the damage … no one was seriously hurt; either mentally or physically; though they were still reeling from what had happened; Rockson urged them onward。
 
 
 CHAPTER 19
 
 At last they entered a snaking; twisting portion of the cavern with beautiful crystalline stalactites dangling down at them; and the hum in the air; that hum that was the power of the whisperers; ceased。 And no one felt those icy fingers reaching into their minds anymore … they had made it。
 They spent a dreary hour shivering and walking in what they hoped was the right direction; toward a spiral…shaped immense stalactite hanging from the murky darkness above。 The pass said it was dead south。 Rock hoped it was right。 They had e two thirds of the way now。
 There was the faintest squeak of leather wings against cold air。 And suddenly there was not illusion … but swift real death。 The Grim Reaper … in the form of a giant swooping bat … came at them screeching; and its clawed feet squeezed about Smokestone before anyone reacted。 He was lifted into the darkness。 〃Shoot; shoot;〃 he yelled。 〃Never mind if you hit me。〃
 Rockson understood。 The man was in pain; in the grip of a prehistoric creature of darkness。 And he reacted。 Rock sprayed the air with explosive bullets in the direction of the voice。 There was a shriek; a nonhuman shriek。 He stopped firing。 And waited。 There was a tremendous thud a moment later; about a hundred yards to their east。
 No one had to tell the rest to follow Rockson through the Stygian darkness; playing their bright flashbeams about to find their lost Indian panion。
 They found Smokestone lying crumpled on the hard rocks。 He had blood seeping out of two huge wounds; one on either side of his ribcage。 Chen immediately went down on his knees and pulled back the torn material of the chiefs garments。 He turned his face up to Rockson and slowly shook his head。 No。 He was not going to make it。
 There w

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