stephen king - mist-第11部分

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　〃Would　you　like；　a　shot　in　the　teeth；　motormouth？〃　I　asked　him。
　〃e　on；　Dave；　that's　not　helping；〃　Norton　said　distractedly。
　〃I'm　sorry；〃　the　woman　who　had　screamed　earlier　said。　〃I'm　sorry；　but　I　can't　stay　here。　I've　got　to　get　home　and　see　to　my　kids。〃
　She　looked　around　at　us；　a　blond　woman　with　a　tired；　pretty　face。
　〃Wanda's　looking　after　little　Victor；　you　see。　Wanda's　only　eight　and　sometimes　she　forgets　。。。　forgets　she's　supposed　to　be　。。。　well；　watching　him；　you　know。　And　little　Victor　。。。　he　likes　to　turn　on　the　stove　burners　to　see　the　little　red　light　e　on　。。。　he　likes　that　light　。。。　and　sometimes　he　pulls　out　the　plugs　。。。　little　Victor　does　。。。　and　Wanda　gets　。。。　bored　watching　him　after　a　while　。。。　she's　just　eight　。。。〃　She　stopped　talking　and　just　looked　at　us。　I　imagine　that　we　must　have　looked　like　nothing　but　a　bank　of　merciless　eyes　to　her　right　then；　not　human　beings　at　all；　just　eyes。　〃Isn't　anyone　going　to　help　me？〃　she　screamed。　Her　lips　began　to　tremble。　〃Won't　。。。　won't　anybody　here　see　a　lady　home？〃
　No　one　replied。　People　shuffled　their　feet。　She　looked　from　face　to　face　with　her　own　broken　face。　The　fat　local　man　took　a　hesitant　half…step　forward　and　his　wife　jerked　him　back　with　one　quick　tug；　her　hand　clapped　over　his　wrist　like　a　manacle。
　〃You？〃　the　blond　woman　asked　Ollie。　He　shook　his　head。　〃You？〃　she　said　to　Bud。　He　put　his　hand　over　the　Texas　Instruments　calculator　on　the　counter　and　made　no　reply。　〃You？〃　she　said　to　Norton；　and　Norton　began　to
　say　something　in　his　big　lawyer's　voice；　something　about　how　no　one　should　go　off　half…cocked；　and　。。。　and　she　dismissed　him　and　Norton　just　trailed　off。
　〃You？〃　she　said　to　me；　and　I　picked　Billy　up　again　and　held　him　in　my　arms　like　a　shield　to　ward　off　her　terrible　broken　face。
　〃I　hope　you　all　rot　in　hell；〃　she　said。　She　didn't　scream　it。　Her　voice　was　dead　tired。　She　went　to　the　OUT　door　and　pulled　it　open；　using　both　hands。　I　wanted　to　say　something　to　her；　call　her　back；　but　my　mouth　was　too　dry。
　〃Aw；　lady；　listen…〃　the　teenage　kid　who　had　shouted　at　Mrs。　Carmody　began。　He　held　her　arm。　She　looked　down　at　his　hand　and　he　let　her　go；　shamefaced　。　She　slipped　out。　into　the　fog。　We　watched　her　go　and　no　one　said　anything。　We　watched　the　fog　overlay　her　and　make　her　insubstantial；　not　a　human　being　anymore　but　a　pencil…　ink　sketch　of　a　human　being　done　on　the　world's　whitest　paper；　and　no　one　said　anything。　For　a　moment　it　was　like　the　letters　of　the　KEEP　RIGHT　sign　that　had　seemed　to　float　on　nothingness；　her　arms　and　legs　and　pallid　blond　hair　were　all　gone　and　only　the　misty　remnants　of　her　red　summer　dress　remained；　seeming　to　dance　in　white　limbo。　Then　her　dress　was　gone；　too；　and　no　one　said　anything。
　IV。　The　Storage　Area。　Problems　with　the　Generators。　What　Happened　to　the　Bag…Boy。
　Billy　began　to　act　hysterical　and　tantrummy；　screaming　for　his　mother　in　a　hoarse；　demanding　way　through　his　tears；　instantly　regressing　to　the　age　of　two。　Snot　was　lathered　on　his　upper　lip。　I　led　him　away；　walking　down　one　of　the　middle　aisles　with　my　arm　around　his　shoulders；　trying　to　soothe　him。　I　took　him　back　by　the　long　white　meat　cabinet　that　ran　the　length　of　the　store　at　the　back。　Mr。　McVey；　the　butcher；　was　still　there。　We　nodded　at　each　other；　the　best　we　could　do　under　the　circumstances。
　I　sat　down　on　the　floor　and　took　Billy　on　my　lap　and　held　his　face　against　my　chest　and　rocked　him　and　talked　to　him。　I　told　him　all　the　lies　parents　keep　in　reserve　for　bad　situations；　the　ones　that　sound　so　damn　plausible　to　a　child；　and　I　told　them　in　a　tone　of　perfect　conviction。
　〃That's；　not　regular　fog；〃　Billy　said。　He　looked　up　at　me　his　eyes　dark…circled　and　tear…streaked。　〃it　isn't；　is　it　Daddy？〃
　〃No；　I　don't　think　so。〃　I　didn't　want　to　lie　about　that。
　Kids　don't　fight　shock　the　way　adults　do；　they　go　with　it　maybe　because　kids　are　in　a　semipermanent　state　of　shock　until　they're　thirteen　or　so。　Billy　started　to　doze　off。　I　held　him；　thinking　he　might　snap　awake　again；　but　his　doze　deepened　into　a　real　sleep。　Maybe　he　had　been　awake　part　of　the　night　before；　when　we　had　slept　three…in…a…bed　for　the　first　time　since　Billy　was　an　infant。　And　maybe　…　I　felt　a　cold　eddy　slip　through　me　at　the　thought…maybe　he　had　sensed　something　ing。
　When　I　was　sure　he　was　solidly　out；　I　laid　him　on　the　floor　and　went　looking　for　something　to　cover　him　up　with。　Most　of　the　people　were　still　up　front；　looking　out　into　the　thick　blanket　of　mist。　Norton　had　gathered　a　little　crowd　of　listeners；　and　was　busy　spellbinding…or　trying　to。　Bud　Brown　stood　rigidly　at　his　post；　but　Ollie　Weeks　had　left　his；
　There　were　a　few　people　in　the　aisles；　wandering　like　ghosts；　their　faces　greasy　with　shock。　I　went　into　the　storage　area　through　the　big　double　door　between　the　meat　cabinet　and　the　beer　cooler。
　The　generator　roared　steadily　behind　its　plywood　partition；　but　something　had　gone　wrong。　I　could　smell　diesel　fumes；　and　they　were　much　too　strong。　I　walked　toward　the　partition；　taking　shallow　breaths。　At　last　I　unbuttoned　my　shirt　and　put　part　of　it　over　my　mouth　and　nose。
　The　storage　area　was　long　and　narrow；　feebly　lit　by　two　sets　of　emergency　lights。　Cartons　were　stacked　everywhere…bleach　on　one　side；　cases　of　soft　drinks　on　the　far　side　of　the　partition；　stacked　cases　of　Beefaroni　and　catsup。　One　of　those　had　fallen　over　and　the　cardboard　carton　appeared　to　be　bleeding。
　I　unlatched　the　door　in　the　generator　partition　and　stepped　through。　The　machine　was　obscured　in　drifting；　oily　clouds　of　blue　smoke。　The　exhaust　pipe　ran　out　through　a　hole　in　the　wall。　Something　must　have　blocked　off　the　outside　end　of　the　pipe。　There　was　a　simple　on/off　switch　and　I　flipped　it。　The　generator　hitched；　belched；　coughed；　and　died。　Then　it　ran　down　in　a　diminishing　series　of　popping　sounds　that　reminded　me　of　Norton's　stubborn　chainsaw。
　The　emergency　lights　faded　out　and　I　was　left　in　darkness。　I　got　scared　very　quickly；　and　I　got　disoriented。　My　breathing　sounded　like　a　low　wind　rattling　in　straw。　I　bumped　my　nose　on　the　flimsy　plywood　door　going　out　and　my　heart　lurched。　There　were　windows　in　the　double　doors；　but　for　some　reason　they　had　been　painted　black；　and　the　darkness　was　nearly　total。　I　got　off　course　and　ran　into　a　stack　of　the　bleach　cartons。　They　tumbled　and　fell。　One　came　close　enough　to　my　head　to　make　me　step　backward；　and　I　tripped　over　another　carton　that　had　landed　behind　me。　I　fell　down；　thumping　my　head　hard　enough　to　see　bright　stars　in　the　darkness。　Good　show。
　I　lay　there　cursing　myself　and　rubbing　my　head；　telling　myself　to　just　take　it　easy；　just　get　up　and　get　out　of　here；　get　back　to　Billy；　telling　myself　nothing　soft　and　slimy　was　going　to　close　over　my　ankle　or　slip　into　one　groping　hand。　I　told　myself　not　to　lose　control；　or　I　would　end　up　blundering　around　back　here　in　a　panic；　knocking　things　over　and　creating　a　mad　obstacle　course　for　myself。
　I　stood　up　carefully；　looking　for　a　pencil　line　of　light　between　the　double　doors。　I　found　it；　a　faint　but　unmistakable　scratch　on　the　darkness。　I　started　toward　it；　and　then　stopped。
　There　was　a　sound。　A　soft　sliding　sound。　It　stopped；　then　started　again　with　a　stealthy　little　bump。　Everything　inside　me　went　loose。　I　regressed　magically　to　four　years　of　age。　That　sound　wasn't　ing　from　the　market。　It　was　ing　from　behind　me。　From　outside。　Where　the　mist　was。
　Something　that　was　slipping　and　sliding　and　scraping　over　the　cinderblocks。　And；　maybe；　looking　for　a　way　in。
　Or　maybe　it　was　already　in；　and　it　was　looking　for　me　Maybe　in　a　moment　I　would　feel　whatever　was　making　that　sound　on　my　shoe。　Or　on　my　neck。
　It　came；　again。　I　was　positive　it　was　outside。　But　that　didn't　make　it　any　better。　I　told　my　legs　to　go　and　the　refused　the　order。　Then　the　quality　of　the　noise　changed。　Something　rasped　across　the　darkness　and　my　heart　leaped　in　my　chest　and　I　lunged　at　that　thin　vertical　line　of　light。　I　hit　the　doors　straight…arm　and　burst　through　into　the　market。
　Three　or　four　people　were　right　outside　the　double　doors…Ollie　Weeks　was　one　of　them…and　they　all　jumped　back　in　surprise。　Ollie　grabbed　at　his　chest。　〃David！〃　he　said　in　a　pinched　voice。　〃Jesus　Christ；　you　want　to