stephen king - mist-第22部分

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and　not　wanting　to　see　whatever　was　crawling　on　the　glass　out　there。
　I　started　down　toward　the　loophole；　Ollie　by　my　side。　His　hand　was　in　the　pocket　that　held　Mrs。　Dumfries'　gun。　Now　one　of　the　other　watchers　let　out　a　cry…not　so　much　of　fear　as　disgust。
　Ollie　and　I　slipped　through　one　of　the　checkout　lanes。　Now　I　could　see　what　had　frightened　the　guy　from　his　post。　I　couldn't　tell　what　it　was；　but　I　could　see　it。　It　looked　like　one　of　the　minor　creatures　in　a　Bosch　painting…one　of　his　hellacious　murals。　There　was　something　almost　horribly　ic　about　it；　too；　because　it　also　looked　a　little　like　one　of　those　strange　creations　of　vinyl　and　plastic　you　can　buy　for　1。89　to　spring　on　your　friends　。。。　in　fact；　exactly　the　sort　of　thing　Norton　had　accused　me　of　planting　in　the　storage　area。
　It　was　maybe　two　feet　long；　segmented；　the　pinkish　color　of　burned　flesh　that　has　healed　over。　Bulbous　eyes　peered　in　two　different　directions　at　once　from　the　ends　of　short；　limber　stalks。　It　clung　to　the　window　on　fat　sucker…pads。　From　the　opposite　end　there　protruded　something　that　was　either　a　sexual　organ　or　a　stinger。　And　from　its　back　there　sprouted　oversized；　membranous　wings；　like　the　wings　of　a　housefly。　They　were　moving　very　slowly　as　Ollie　and　I　approached　the　glass。
　At　the　loophole　to　the　left　of　us；　where　the　man　had　made　the　disgusted　cawing　sound；　three　of　the　things　were　crawling　on　the　glass。　They　moved　sluggishly　across　it；　leaving　sticky　snail　trails　behind　them。　Their　eyes　…　if　that　is　what　they　were　…　joggled　on　the　end　of　the　finger…thick　stalks。　The　biggest　was　maybe　four　feet　long。　At　times　they　crawled　right　over　each　other。
　〃Look　at　those　goddam　things；〃　Tom　Smalley　said　in　a　sickened　voice。　He　was　standing　at　the　loophole　on　our　right。　I　didn't　reply。　The　bugs　were　all　over　the　loopholes　now；　which　meant　they　were　probably　crawling　all　over　the　building　。。。　like　maggots　on　a　piece　of　meat。　It　wasn't　a　pleasant　image；　and　I　could　feel　what　chicken　I　had　managed　to　eat　now　wanting　to　e　up。
　Someone　was　sobbing。　Mrs。　Carmody　was　screaming　about　abominations　from　within　the　earth。　Someone　told　her　gruffly　that　she'd　shut　up　if　she　knew　what　was　good　for　her。　Same　old　shit。
　Ollie　took　Mrs。　Dumfries'　gun　from　his　pocket　and　I　grabbed　his　arm。　〃Don't　be　crazy。〃
　He　shook　free。　〃I　know　what　I'm　doing；〃　he　said。
　He　tapped　the　barrel　of　the　gun　on　the　window；　his　face　set　in　a　nearly　masklike　expression　of　distaste。　The　speed　of　the　creatures'　wings　increased　until　they　were　only　a　blur…if　you　hadn't　known；　you　might　have　believed　they　weren't　winged　creatures　at　all。　Then　they　simply　flew　away。
　Some　of　the　others　saw　what　Ollie　had　done　and　got　the　idea。　They　used　the　mop　handles　to　tap　on　the　windows。
　The　things　flew　away；　but　came　right　back。　Apparently　they　had　no　more　brains　than　your　average　housefly；　either。　The　near…panic　dissolved　in　a　babble　of　conversation。　I　heard　someone　asking　someone　else　what　he　thought　those　things　would　do　if　they　landed　on　you。　That　was　a　question　I　had　no　interest　in　seeing　answered。
　The　tapping　on　the　windows　began　to　die　away。　Ollie　turned　toward　me　and　started　to　say　something；　but　before　he　could　do　more　than　open　his　mouth；　something　came　out　of　the　fog　and　snatched　one　of　the　crawling　things　off　the　glass。　I　think　I　screamed。　I'm　not　sure。
　It　was　a　flying　thing。　Beyond　that　I　could　not　have　said　for　sure。　The　fog　appeared　to　darken　in　exactly　the　way　Ollie　had　described；　only　the　dark　smutch　didn't　fade　away；　it　solidified　into　something　with　flapping；　leathery　wings；　an　albino…white　body；　and　reddish　eyes。　it　thudded　into　the　glass　hard　enough　to　make　it　shiver。　Its　beak　opened。　It　scooped　the　pink　thing　in　and　was　gone。　The　whole　incident　took　no　more　than　five　seconds。　I　had　a　bare　final　impression　of　the　pink　thing　wiggling　and　flapping　as　it　went　down　the　hatch；　the　way　a　small　fish　will　wiggle　and　flap　in　the　beak　of　a　seagull。
　Now　there　was　another　thud；　and　yet　another。　People　began　screaming　again；　and　there　was　a　stampede　toward　the　back　of　the　store。　Then　there　was　a　more　piercing　scream；　one　of　pain；　and　Ollie　said；　〃Oh　my　God；　that　old　lady　fell　down　and　they　just　ran　over　her。〃
　He　ran　back　through　the　checkout　aisle。　I　turned　to　follow；　and　then　I　saw　something　that　stopped　me　dead　where　I　was　standing。
　High　up　and　to　my　right；　one　of　the　lawn…food　bags　was　sliding　slowly　backward。　Tom　Smalley　was　right　under　it；　staring　out　into　the　mist　through　his　loophole。
　Another　of　the　pink　bugs　landed　on　the　thick　plate　glass　of　the　loophole　where　Ollie　and　I　had　been　standing。　One　of　the　flying　things　swooped　down　and　grabbed　it。　The　old　woman　who　had　been　trampled　went　on　screaming　in　a　shrill；　cracked　voice。
　That　bag。　That　sliding　bag。
　〃Smalley！〃　I　shouted。　〃Look　out'　Heads　up！〃
　In　the　general　confusion；　he　never　heard　me。　The　bag　teetered；　then　fell。　It　struck　him　squarely　on…the　head。　He　went　down　hard；　catching　his　jaw　on　the　shelf　that　ran　below　the　show　window。
　One　of　the　albino　flying　things　was　squirming　its　way　through　the　jagged　hole　in　the　glass。　I　could　hear　the　soft　scraping　sound　that　it　made；　now　that　some　of　the　screaming　had　stopped。　Its　red　eyes　glittered　in　its　triangular　head；　which　was　slightly　cocked　to　one　side。　A　heavy；　hooked　beak　opened　and　closed　rapaciously。　It　looked　a　bit　like　the　paintings　of　pterodactyls　you　may　have　seen　in　the　dinosaur　books；　more　like　something　out　of　a　lunatic's　nightmare。
　I　grabbed　one　of　the　torches　and　slam…dunked　it　into　a　can　of　charcoal　lighter　fluid；　tipping　it　over　and　spilling　a　pool　of　the　stuff　across　the　floor。
　The　flying　creature　paused　on　top　of　the　lawn…Food　bags；　glaring　around；　shifting　slowly　and　malignantly　from　one　taloned　foot　to；　the　other。　It　was　a　stupid　creature；　I　am　quite　sure　of　that。　Twice　it　tried　to　spread　its　wings；　which　struck　the　walls　and　then　folded　themselves　over　its　hunched　back　like　the　wings　of　a　griffin。　The　third　time　it　tried；　it　lost　its　balance　and　fell　clumsily　from　its　perch；　still　trying　to　spread　its　wings。　It　landed　on　Tom　Smalley's　back。　One　flex　of　its　claws　and　Tom's　shirt　ripped　wide　open。　Blood　began　to　flow。
　I　was　there；　less　than　three　feet　away；　My　torch　was　dripping　lighter　fluid。　I　was　emotionally　pumped　up　to　kill　it　if　I　could　。。。　and　then　realized　I　had　no　matches　to　light　it　with。　I　had　used　the　last　one　lighting　a　cigar　for　Mr。　McVey　an　hour　ago。
　The　place　was　in　pandemonium　now。　People　had　seen　the　thing　roosting　on　Smalley's　back；　something　no　one　in　the　world　had　seen　before。　it　darted　its　head　forward　at　a　questing　angle；　and　tore　a　chunk　of　meat　from　the　back　of　Smalley's　neck。
　I　was　getting　ready　to　use　the　torch　as　a　bludgeon　when　the　cloth…wrapped　head　of　it　suddenly　blazed　alight。　Dan　Miller　was　there；　holding　a　Zippo　lighter　with　a　Marine　emblem　on　it。　His　face　was　as　harsh　as　a　rock　with　horror　and　fury。
　〃Kill　it；〃　he　said　hoarsely。　〃Kill　it　if　you　can。〃　Standing　beside　him　was　Ollie。　He　had　Mrs。　Dumfries'　。38　in　his　hand；　but　he　had　no　clear　shot。
　The　thing　spread　its　wings　and　flapped　them　once　…apparently　not　to　fly　away　but　to　secure　a　better　hold　on　its　prey…and　then　its　leathery…white；　membranous　wings　enfolded　poor　Smalley's　entire　upper　body。　Then　the　sounds　came…mortal　tearing　sounds　that　I　cannot　bear　to　describe　in　any　detail。
　All　of　this　happened　in　bare　seconds。　Then　I　thrust　my　torch　at　the　thing。　There　was　the　sensation　of　striking
　something　with　no　more　real　substance　than　a　box　kite。　The　next　moment　the　entire　creature　was　blazing。　It　made　a　screeching　sound　and　its　wings　spread；　its　head　jerked　and　its　reddish　eyes　rolled　with　what　I　most　sincerely　hope　was　great　agony。　It　took　off　with　a　sound　like　linen　bedsheets　flapping　on　a　clothesline　in　a　stiff　spring　breeze。　It　uttered　that　rusty　shrieking　sound　again。
　Heads　turned　to　follow　its　flaming；　dying　course。　I　think　that　nothing　in　the　entire　business　stands　in　my　memory　so　strongly　as　that　bird…thing　blazing　a　zigzagging　course　above　the　aisles　of　the　'Federal　Supermarket；　dropping　charred　and　smoking　bits　of　itself　here　and　there。　it　finally　crashed　into　the　spaghetti　sauces；　splattering　Ragu　and　Pri