dk.intensity-第42部分

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eality。　Fineboned；　slender；　graceful；　she　possessed　a　beauty　that　was　ethereal；　angelic；　and　she　seemed　to　be　not　a　real　girl　but　an　apparition　bearing　a　message　about　redemption；　a　manger；　hope；　and　a　guiding　star。
　She　was　dressed　in　black　penny　loafers；　white　knee　socks；　a　blue　or　black　skirt；　and　a　short…sleeved　white　blouse　with　dark　piping　on　the　collar　and　across　the　pocket　flap；　as　though　she　was　in　the　uniform　of　a　parochial　school。
　No　doubt　the　killer　provided　the　girl　with　the　clothes　that　he　wished　her　to　wear；　and　Chyna　saw　at　once　why　he　would　favor　outfits　like　this。　Though　physically　she　was　undoubtedly　sixteen；　she　seemed　younger　when　dressed　in　this　fashion；　with　her　slender　arms；　with　her　delicate　wrists　and　hands；　in　this　blushing　light；　the　demure　uniform　made　her　seem　like　a　child　of　eleven；　shy　of　her　confirmation　Sunday；　naive　and　innocent。
　Sociopaths　like　this　man　were　drawn　to　beauty　and　to　innocence；　because　they　were　pelled　to　defile　it。　When　innocence　was　stripped　away；　when　beauty　was　cut　and　crushed；　the　malformed　beast　could　at　last　feel　superior　to　this　person　he　had　coveted。　After　the　innocent　and　the　beautiful　were　left　dead　and　rotting；　the　world　was　to　some　degree　made　to　more　closely　resemble　the　killer's　interior　landscape。
　The　girl　sat　in　the　armchair。　She　was　holding　a　book。　She　opened　it；　turned　a　few　pages；　and　appeared　to　read。
　Although　she　had　surely　heard　the　panel　sliding　back　from　the　view　port　in　the　door；　she　did　not　look　up。　Apparently　she　assumed　that　her　visitor　was；　as　always；　the　eater　of　spiders。
　With　a　rush　of　emotion　that　pinched　her　heart　and　surprised　her　with　its　intensity；　Chyna　said；　〃Ariel。〃
　The　name　fell　through　the　port　as　into　an　airless　void；　having　carried　no　distance　whatsoever；　creating　no　echo。
　The　girl's　cell　obviously　had　been　lined　with　numerous　layers　of　soundproofing；　perhaps　with　even　more　layers　than　the　vestibule；　and　all　this　attention　to　the　containment　of　her　shouts　and　screams　seemed　to　indicate　that　from　time　to　time　the　killer　invited　people　into　his　home。　Perhaps　to　dinner。　Or　to　have　a　few　beers　and　watch　a　football　game。　That　he　would　dare　such　a　thing　was　only　one　more　proof　of　his　outrageous　boldness。
　But　that　he　would　have　friends　at　all　chilled　Chyna；　friends　not　demented　like　him；　who　would　be　horrified　to　discover　the　girl　in　his　cellar　and　to　know　that　their　host　slaughtered　whole　families　for　his　entertainment。　He　passed　for　human　in　the　workaday　world。　People　laughed　at　his　jokes。　Sought　his　advice。　Shared　their　joys　and　sorrows　with　him。　Perhaps　he　attended　church。　On　some　Saturday　nights；　did　he　go　dancing；　smoothly　two…stepping　around　the　floor　with　a　smiling　woman　in　his　arms；　keeping　time　to　the　same　music　everyone　else　heard？
　Chyna　raised　her　voice：　〃Ariel。〃　The　girl　failed　to　look　up。　Louder　still；　all　but　shouting　it　through　the　screened　port　in　the　padded　door：　〃Ariel！〃
　In　the　chair；　knees　primly　together；　the　book　in　her　lap；　head　bowed　to　the　page；　wings　of　hair　hiding　most　of　her　face；　Ariel　sat　as　if　deaf…or　as　if　she　were　a　girl　in　the　back　of　a　closet；　tuning　out　the　shouted　arguments　of　drunk　and　drug…sodden　adults；　tuning　out　further　and　further　until　she　was　in　a　great　deep　silent　place　of　her　own；　untouchable。
　Chyna　recalled　times；　as　a　young　girl；　when　simply　hiding　from　her　mother　and　her　mother's　more　dangerous　friends　had　not　provided　her　with　a　sufficient　sense　of　security。　Sometimes　the　arguments　or　the　celebrations　became　too　violent　or　too　boisterous；　the　chaos　of　noise　and　crazy　laughter　and　cursing　spun　like　a　tornado　around　her　even　where　she　had　concealed　herself；　and　her　fear　spiraled　out　of　control；　until　she　thought　that　her　heart　would　burst　or　her　head　explode。　Then　she　went　away　to　more　weling　places　in　her　mind；　through　the　back　of　the　old　wardrobe　into　the　land　of　Narnia；　which　she　had　read　about　in　the　wonderful　books　of　Mr。C。S。　Lewis；　or　to　visit　Toad　Hall　and　the　Wild　Wood　from　The　Wind　in　the　Willows；　or　into　realms　that　she　herself　invented。
　She　had　always　been　able　to　e　back　from　those　escapements。　But　on　occasion；　she　had　thought　about　how　wonderful　it　would　be　to　stay　in　that　faraway　place；　where　neither　her　mother　nor　her　mother's　kind　would　ever　be　able　to　find　her　again；　no　matter　how　hard　they　looked。　In　those　exotic　kingdoms；　there　was　often　danger；　but　there　were　also　true　and　faithful　friends　like　none　found　on　this　side　of　magical　wardrobes。
　Now；　peering　through　the　screened　port　at　the　girl　in　the　chair；　Chyna　was　sure　that　Ariel　had　sought　refuge　in　just　such　a　far　place　and　was　detached　from　this　sorry　world　in　every　way　that　counted。　After　a　year　in　this　dismal　hole；　from　time　to　time　suffering　the　attentions　of　the　sociopath　upstairs；　perhaps　she　had　wandered　so　far　along　the　road　of　inner　adventure　that　she　could　not　easily…or　everreturn。
　In　fact；　the　girl　raised　her　gaze　from　the　book　and　sat　staring　neither　at　Chyna's　face　in　the　door　port　nor　apparently　at　anything　in　the　room；　but　at　something　in　a　world　twice　removed　from　this　one。　Even　in　the　inadequate　rose　light；　Chyna　could　see　that　Ariel's　eyes　were　out　of　focus　and　as　strange　as　the　eyes　of　any　of　the　dolls　that　surrounded　her。
　The　killer　had　told　the　men　at　the　service　station　that　he　had　not　yet　touched　Ariel　in　〃that　way；〃　and　Chyna　believed　him。　Because　once　he　had　taken　her　innocence；　he　would　need　to　smash　her　beauty；　and　when　that　was　done；　he　would　kill　her。　The　fact　that　she　was　alive　argued　that　she　was　still　untouched。
　Yet　day　after　day；　month　after　dreadful　month；　she　had　lived　in　exhausting　suspense；　waiting　for　the　hateful　son　of　a　bitch　to　decide　that　she　was　〃ripe；〃　waiting　for　his　brutal　assault；　his　sour　breath　on　her　face；　his　hot　and　insistent　hands；　the　terrible　irresistible　weight　of　him；　every　indignity　and　humiliation。　In　her　single　room；　there　had　been　nowhere　to　hide；　she　could　not　escape　to　the　rooftop；　to　the　beach；　to　the　attic；　to　the　crawlspace；　to　the　upper　limbs　of　the　tree　in　the　backyard。　〃Ariel。〃
　The　refuge　to　which　she　had　escaped　might　be　in　the　pages　of　the　book　that　she　now　held。　She　functioned　in　this　world；　grooming　and　feeding　and　bathing　and　dressing　herself；　but　she　lived　in　some　other　dimension。
　Chyna's　heart　rolled　in　a　sea　of　sorrow　in　a　storm　of　rage；　and　through　the　port　in　the　upholstered　door；　she　said；　〃I'm　here；　Ariel。　I'm　here。　You　aren't　alone　any　more。〃
　Ariel's　gaze　didn't　shift　out　of　dreams；　and　she　was　as　still　as　any　of　the　dolls。
　〃I　am　your　guardian；　Ariel。　I'll　keep　you　safe。〃
　As　the　girl　followed　a　long　and　winding　road　farther　into　her　private　Elsewhere；　her　hands　relaxed；　and　the　book　slipped　out　of　them。　It　slid　off　the　edge　of　the　chair　and　thumped　to　the　floor；　and　all　except　a　whisper　of　the　sound　was　absorbed　by　the　special　walls　and　ceiling。　She　was　not　aware　of　having　dropped　the　volume；　and　she　sat　unmoving。
　〃I'm　your　guardian；〃　Chyna　repeated；　and　wondered　vaguely　at　her　choice　of　words。
　She　was　more　afraid　for　Ariel　than　for　herself；　and　her　heart　was　racing　faster　than　ever　before。　〃Your　guardian。〃
　Hot　tears　blurred　Chyna's　vision；　disabling　tears；　an　indulgence　she　could　not　afford。　She　blinked　furiously　until　her　eyes　were　dry　and　her　vision　was　clear。
　She　turned　from　the　locked　inner　door　and　angrily　pushed　open　the　outer　one。
　Tatta…tatta…tatta…tatta…tatta　。。。　As　she　stepped　out　of　the　heavy　sound…baffling　of　the　vestibule　and　into　the　first　room　in　the　basement；　the　rattling　pipe　seemed　louder　than　she　remembered。
　Tatta…tatta…tatta　。。。　Perhaps　a　minute　had　passed　since　she'd　slid　aside　the　padded　panel　on　the　view　port。
　The　son　of　a　bitch　bastard　freak　was　still　in　his　shower；　naked　and　defenseless。　And　now　that　Chyna　knew　where　Ariel　was；　she　didn't　have　to　worry　that　the　cops　would　need　him　to　lead　them　to　the　girl。
　The　gun　felt　good　in　her　hand。　It　felt　wonderful　in　her　hand。　If　she　could　have　freed　Ariel　and　gotten　her　out　of　there；　she　would　have　done　that　rather　than　take　the　violent　option。　But　she　didn't　possess　a　key；　and　that　inner　door　was　not　going　to　be　easy　to　break　down。
　Tatta…tatta…tatta　。。。　She　had　only　one　choice。　She　went　to　the