stephen king - mist-第33部分

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ntasm；　and　then　was　gone。
　I　looked　out　the　window　to　make　sure　it　was　gone　and　then　opened　the　door。
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Amanda　screamed；　but　I　knew　what　I　was　doing。　I　like　to　think　Ollie　would　have　done　exactly　the　same　thing。　I　half…stepped；　half…leaned　out；　and　got　the　gun。　Something　came　rapidly　toward　me；　but　I　never　saw　it。　I　pulled　back　in　and　slammed　the　door　shut。
　Amanda　began　to　sob。　Mrs。　Reppler　put　an　arm　around　her　and　forted　her　briskly。
　Billy　said；　〃Are　we　going　home；　Daddy？〃
　〃Big　Bill；　we're　gonna　try。〃
　〃Okay；〃　he　said　quietly。
　I　checked　the　gun　and　then　put　it　into　the　glove　partment。　Ollie　had　reloaded　it　after　the　expedition　to　the　drugstore。　The　rest　of　the　shells　had　disappeared　with　him；　but　that　was　all　right。　He　had　fired　at　Mrs。　Carmody；　he　had　fired　once　at　the　clawed　thing；　and　the　gun　had　discharged　once　when　it　hit　the　ground。　There　were　four　of　us　in　the　Scout；　but　if　push　came　right　down　to　shove；　I'd　bind　some　other　way　out　for　myself。
　I　had　a　terrible　moment　when　I　couldn't　find　my　key　ring。　I　checked　all　my　pockets；　came　up　empty；　and　then　checked　them　all　again；　forcing　myself　to　go　slowly　and　calmly。　They　were　in　my　jeans　pocket；　they　had　gotten　clown　under　the　coins；　as　keys　sometimes　will。　The　Scout　started　easily。　At　the　confident　roar　of　the　engine；　Amanda　burst　into　fresh　tears。
　I　sat　there；　letting　it　idle；　waiting　to　see　what　was　going　to　be　drawn　by　the　sound　of　the　engine　or　the　smell　of　the　exhaust。　Five　minutes；　the　longest　five　of　my　life；　drifted　by。　Nothing　happened。
　〃Are　we　going　to　sit　here　or　are　we　going　to　go？〃　Mrs。　Reppler　asked　at　last。
　〃Go；〃　I　said。　I　backed　out　of　the　slot　and　put　on　the　low　beams。
　Some　urge…probably　a　base　one…made　me　cruise　past　the　Federal　market　as　close　as　I　could　get。　The　Scout's　right　bumper　hunted　the　trash　barrel　to　one　side。　It　was　impossible　to　see　in　except　through　the　loopholes…all　those　fertilizer　and　lawn…food　bags　made　the　place　look　as
　if　it　were　in　the　throes　of　some　mad　garden　sale…but　at　each　loophole　there　were　two　or　three　pale　faces；　staring　out　at　us。
　Then　I　swung　to　the　left；　and　the　mist　closed　impenetrably　behind　us。　And　what　has　bee　of　those　people　I　do　not　know。
　I　drove　back　down　Kansas　Road　at　five　miles　an　hour；　feeling　my　way。　Even　with　the　Scout's　headlights　and　running　lights　on；　it　was　impossible　to　see　more　than　seven　or　ten　feet　ahead。
　The　earth　had　been　through　some　terrible　contortion；　Miller　had　been　right　about　that。　in　places　the　road　was　merely　cracked；　but　in　others　the　ground　itself　seemed　to　have　caved　in；　tilting　up　great　slabs　of　paving。　I　was　able　to　get　over　with　the　help　of　the　four…wheel　drive。　Thank　God　for　that。　But　I　was　terribly　afraid　that　we　would　soon　e　to　an　obstacle　that　even　the　four…wheel　drive　couldn't　get　us　over。
　It　took　me　forty　minutes　to　make　a　drive　that　usually　only　took　seven　or　eight。　At　last　the　sign　that　marked　our　private　road　loomed　out　of　the　mist。　Billy；　roused　at　a　quarter　of　five；　had　fallen　solidly　asleep　inside　this　car　that　he　knew　so　well　it　must　have　seemed　like　home　to　him。
　Amanda　looked　at　the　road　nervously。　〃Are　you　really　going　down　there？〃
　〃I'm　going　to　try；〃　I　said。
　But　it　was　impossible。　The　storm　that　had　whipped　through　had　loosened　a　lot　of　trees；　and　that　weird；　twisting　drop　had　finished　the　job　of　tumbling　them。　I　was　able　to　crunch　over　the　first　two；　they　were　fairly　small。　Then　I　came　to　a　hoary　old　pine　lying　across　the　road　like　an　outlaw's　barricade。　It　was　still　almost　a　quarter　of　a　mile　to　the　house。　Billy　slept　on　beside　me；　and　I　put　the　Scout　in　Park；　put　my　hands　over　my　eyes；　and　tried　to　think　what　to　do　next。
　Now；　as　I　sit　in　the　Howard　Johnson's　near　Exit　3　of　the　Maine　Turnpike；　writing　all　of　this　down　on　HoJo　stationery；　I　suspect　that　Mrs。　Reppler；　that　tough　and　capable　old　broad；　could　have　laid　out　the　essential　futility　of　the　situation　in　a　few　quick　strokes。　But　she　had　the　kindness　to　let　me　think　it　through　for　myself。
　I　couldn't　get　out。　I　couldn't　leave　them。　I　couldn't　even　kid　myself　that　all　the　horror…movie　monsters　were　back　at　the　Federal；　when　I　cracked　the　window　I　could　hear　them　in　the　woods；　crashing　and　blundering　around　on　the　steep　fall　of　land　they　call　the　Ledges　around　these　parts。　The　moisture　drip…drip…dripped　from　the　overhanging　leaves。　Overhead　the　mist　darkened　momentarily　as　some　nightmarish　and　half…seen　living　kite　overflew　us。
　I　tried　to　tell　myself…then　and　now…that　if　she　was　very　quick；　if　she　buttoned　up　the　house　with　herself　inside；　that　she　had　enough　food　for　ten　days　to　two　weeks。　It　only　works　a　little　bit。　What　keeps　getting　in　the　way　is　my　last　memory　of　her；　wearing　her　floppy　sunhat　and　gardening　gloves；　on　her　way　to　our　little　vegetable　patch　with　the　mist　rolling　inexorably　across　the　lake　behind　her。
　It　is　Billy　I　have　to　think　about　now。　Billy；　I　tell　myself。　Big　Bill；　Big　Bill　。。。　I　should　write　it　maybe　a　hundred　times　on　this　sheet　of　paper；　like　a　child　condemned　to　write　I　will　not　throw　spitballs　in　school　as　the　sunny　three…o'clock　stillness　spills　through　the　windows　and　the　teacher　corrects　homework　papers　at　her　desk　and　the　only　sound　is　her　pen；　while　somewhere；　far　away；　kids　pick　up　teams　for　scratch　baseball。
　Anyway；　at　last　I　did　the　only　thing　I　could　do。　I　reversed　the　Scout　carefully　back　to　Kansas　Road。　Then　I　cried。
　Amanda　touched　my　shoulder　timidly。　〃David；　I'm　so　sorry；〃　she　said。
　〃Yeah；〃　I　said；　trying　to　stop　the　tears　and　not　having　much　luck。　〃Yeah；　so　am　I。〃
　I　drove　to　Route　302　and　turned　left；　toward　Portland。　This　road　was　also　cracked　and　blasted　in　places；　but　was；　on　the　whole；　more　passable　than　Kansas　Road　had　been。　I　was　worried　about　the　bridges。　The　face　of　Maine　is　cut　with　running　water；　and　there　are　bridges　everywhere；　big　and　small。　But　the　Naples　Causeway　was　intact；　and　from　there　it　was　plain…if　slow…sailing　all　the　way　to　Portland。
　The　mist　held　thick。　Once　I　had　to　stop；　thinking　that　trees　were　lying　across　the　road。　Then　the　trees　began　to　move　and　undulate　and　I　understood　they　were　more　tentacles。　I　stopped；　and　after　a　while　they　drew　back。　Once　a　great　green　thing　with　an　iridescent　green　body　and　long　transparent　wings　landed　on　the　hood。　It　looked　like　a　grossly　misshapen　dragonfly。　It　hovered　there　for　a　moment；　then　took　wing　again　and　was　gone。
　Billy　woke　up　about　two　hours　after　we　had　left　Kansas　Road　behind　and　asked　if　we　had　gotten　Mommy　yet。　I　told　him　I　hadn't　been　able　to　get　down　our　road　because　of　fallen　trees。
　〃Is　she　all　right；　Dad？〃
　〃Billy；　I　don't　know。　But　we'll　e　back　and　see。〃
　He　didn't　cry。　He　dozed　off　again　instead。　I　would　have　rather　had　his　tears。　He　was　sleeping　too　damn　Much　and　I　didn't　like　it。
　I　began　to　get　a　tension　headache。　It　was　driving　through　the　fog　at　a　steady　five　or　ten　miles　an　hour　that　did　it；　the　tension　of　knowing　that　anything　might　e　out　of　it；　anything　at　all　…　a　washout；　a　landspill；　or　Ghidra　the　Three…headed　Monster。　I　think　I　prayed。　I　prayed　to　God　that　Stephanie　was　alive　and　that　He　wouldn't　take　my　adultery　out　on　her。　I　prayed　to　God　to　let　me　get　Billy　to　safety　because　he　had　been　through　so　much。
　Most　people　had　pulled　to　the　side　of　the　road　when　the　mist　came；　and　by　noon　we　were　in　North　Windham。　I　tried　the　River　Road；　but　about　four　miles　down；　a　bridge　spanning　a　small　and　noisy　stream　had　fallen　into　the　water。　I　had　to　reverse　for　nearly　a　mile　before　I　found　a　spot　wide　enough　to　turn　around。　We　…；vent　to　Portland　by　Route　302　after　all。
　When　we　got　there；　I　drove　the　cutoff　to　the　turnpike。　The　neat　line　of　tollbooths　guarding　the　access　had　been　turned　into　vacant…eyed　skeletons　of　smashed　Pola…Glas。　All　of　them　were　empty。　In　the　sliding　glass　doorway　of　one　was　a　torn　jacket　with　Maine　Turnpike　Authority　patches　on　the　sleeves。　It　was　drenched　with　tacky；　drying　blood。
　We　had　not　seen　a　single　living　person　since　leaving　the　Federal。
　Mrs。　Reppler　said；　〃David；　try　your　radio。〃
　I　slapped　my　forehead　in　frustration　and　anger　at　myself；　wondering　how　I　could　have　been　stupid　enough　to　forget　the　Scout's　AM/FM　for　so　long。
　〃Don't　do　tha