stephen king - mist-第27部分

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　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　that；〃　Mrs。　Reppler　said　curtly。　〃You　can't　think　of　everything。　If　you　try；　you　will　go　mad　and　be　of　no　use　at　all。〃
　I　got　nothing　but　a　shriek　of　static　all　the　way　across　the　AM　band；　and　the　FM　yielded　nothing　but　a　smooth　and　ominous　silence。
　〃Does　that　mean　everything's　off　the　air？〃　Amanda　asked。　I　knew　what　she　was　thinking；　maybe。　We　were　far　enough　south　now　so　that　we　should　have　been　picking　up　a　selection　of　strong　Boston　stations　…　WRKO；　WBZ；　WMEX　But　if　Boston　had　gone
　〃It　doesn't　mean　anything　for　sure；〃　I　said。　〃That　static　on　the　AM　band　is　pure　interference。　The　mist　is　having　a　damping　effect　on　radio　signals；　too。〃
　〃Are　you　sure　that's　all　it　is？〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said；　not　sure　at　all。
　We　went　south。　The　mileposts　rolled　past；　counting　down　from　about　forty。　When　we　reached　Mile　1；　we　would　be　at　the　New　Hampshire　border。　Going　on　the　turnpike　was　slower；　a　lot　of　the　drivers　hadn't　wanted　to　give　up；　and　there　had　been　rear…end　collisions　in　several　places。　Several　times　I　had　to　use　the　median　strip。
　At　about　twenty　past　one　…　I　was　beginning　to　feel　hungry　…Billy　clutched　my　arm。　〃Daddy；　what's　that？　What's　that！〃
　A　shadow　loomed　out　of　the　mist；　staining　it　dark。　It　was　as　tall　as　a　cliff　and　ing　right　at　us。　I　jammed　on　the　brakes。　Amanda；　who　had　been　catnapping；　was　thrown　for…ward。
　Something　came；　again；　that　is　all　I　can　say　for　sure。　It　may　have　been　the　fact　that　the　mist　only　allowed　us　to　glimpse　things　briefly；　but　I　think　just　as　likely　that　there　are　certain　things　that　your　brain　simply　disallows。　There　are　things　of　such　darkness　and　horror…just；　I　suppose；　as　there　are　things　of　such　great　beauty　…　that　they　will　not　fit　through　the　puny　human　doors　of　perception。
　It　was　six…legged；　I　know　that；　its　skin　was　slaty　gray　that　mottled　to　dark　brown　in　places。　Those　brown　patches　reminded　me　absurdly　of　the　liver　spots　on　Mrs。　Carmody's　hands。　Its　skin　was　deeply　wrinkled　and　grooved；　and　clinging　to　it　were　scores；　hundreds；　of　those　pinkish　〃bugs〃　with　the　stalk…eyes。　I　don't　know　how　big　it　actually　was；　but　it　passed　directly　over　us。　One　of　its　gray；　wrinkled　legs　smashed　down　right　beside　my　window；　and　Mrs。　Reppler　said　later　she　could　not　see　the　underside　of　its　body；　although　she　craned　her　neck　up　to　look。　She　saw　only　two　Cyclopean　legs　going　up　and　up　into　the　mist　like　living　towers　until　they　were　lost　to　sight。
　For　the　moment　it　was　over　the　Scout　I　had　an　impression　of　something　so　big　that　it　might　have　made　a　blue　whale　look　the　size　of　a　trout…in　other　words；　something　so　big　that　it　defied　the　imagination。　Then　it　was　gone；　sending　a　seismological　series　of　thuds　back。　it　left　tracks　in　the　cement　of　the　interstate；　tracks　so　deep　I　could　not　see　the　bottoms。　Each　single　track　was　nearly　big　enough　to　drop　the　Scout　into。
　For　a　moment　no　one　spoke。　There　was　no　sound　but　our　breathing　and　the　diminishing　thud　of　that　great　Thing's　passage。
　Then　Billy　said；　〃Was　it　a　dinosaur；　Dad？　Like　the　bird　that　got　into　the　market　？〃
　〃I　don't　think　so。　I　don't　think　there　was　ever　an　animal　that　big；　Billy。　At　least　not　on　earth。〃
　I　thought　of　the　Arrowhead　Project　and　wondered　again　what　crazy　damned　thing　they　could　have　been　doing　up　there。
　〃Can　we　go　on？〃　Amanda　asked　timidly。　〃It　might　e　back。〃
　Yes；　and　there　might　be　more　up　ahead。　But　there　was　no　point　in　saying　so。　We　had　to　go　somewhere。　I　drove　on；　weaving　in　and　out　between　those　terrible　tracks　until　they　veered　off　the　road。
　That　is　what　happened。　Or　nearly　all…there　is　one　final　thing　I'll　get　to　in　a　moment。　But　you　mustn't　expect　some　…neat　conclusion。　There　is　no　And　they　escaped　from　the　mist　into　the　good　sunshine　of　a　new　day；　or　When　we　awoke　the　National　Guard　had　finally　arrived；　or　even　that　great　old　standby：　It　was　all　a　dream。
　It　is；　I　suppose；　what　my　father　always　frowningly　called　fan　Alfred　Hitchcock　ending；〃　by　which　he　meant　a　conclusion　in　ambiguity　that　allowed　the　reader　or　viewer　I　to　make　up　his　own　mind　about　how　things　ended。　My　father　had　nothing　but　contempt　for　such　stories；　saying　they　were　〃cheap　shots。〃
　We　got　to　this　Howard　Johnson's　near　Exit　3　as　dusk　began　to　close　in；　making　driving　a　suicidal　risk。　Before　that；　we　took　a　chance　on　a　bridge　that　spans　the　Saco　River。　It　looked　badly　twisted　out　of　shape；　but　in　the　mist　it　was　impossible　to　tell　if　it　was　whole　or　not。　That　particular　game　we　won。
　But　there's　tomorrow　to　think　of；　isn't　there？
　As　I　write　this；　it　is　a　quarter　to　one　in　the　morning；　July　the　twenty…third。　The　storm　that　seemed　to　signal　the　beginning　of　it　all　was　only　four　days　ago。　Billy　is　sleeping　in　the　lobby　on　a　mattress　that　I　dragged　out　for　him。　Amanda　and　Mrs。　Reppler　are　close　by。　I　am　writing　by　the　light　of　a　big　Delco　flashlight；　and　outside　the　pink　bugs　are　ticking　and　thumping　off　the　glass。　Every　now　and　then　there　is　a　louder　thud　as　one　of　the　birds　takes　one　off。
　The　Scout　has　enough　gas　to　take　us　maybe　another　ninety　miles。　The　alternative　is　to　try　to　gas　up　here；　there　is　an　Exxon　out　on　the　service　island；　and　although　the　power　is　off；　I　believe　I　could　siphon　some　up　from　the　tank。　But
　But　it　means　being　outside。
　If　we　can　get　gas…here　or　further　along　…　we'll　keep　going。　I　have　a　destination　in　mind　now；　you　see。　It's　that　last　thing　I　wanted　to　tell　you　about。
　I　couldn't　be　sure。　That　is　the　thing；　the　damned　thing。　It　might　have　been　my　imagination；　nothing　but　wish　fulfillment。　And　even　if　not；　it　is　such　a　long　chance。　How　many　miles？　How　many　bridges？　How　many　things　that　would　love　to　tear　up　my　son　and　eat　him　even　as　he　screamed　in　terror　and　agony？
　The　chances　are　so　good　that　it　was　nothing　but　a　daydream　that　I　haven't　told　the　others　。。。　at　least；　not　yet。
　In　the　manager's　apartment　I　found　a　large　batteryoperated　multiband　radio。　From　the　back　of　it；　a　flat　antenna　wire　led　out　through　the　window。　I　turned　it　on；　switched　over　to　BAT。；　fiddled　with　the　tuning　dial；　with　the　SQUELCH　knob；　and　still　got　nothing　but　stat