pzb.lostsouls-第8部分

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rked；　Steve　had　to　wonder　where　in　hell　the　apple　had　e　from。　He　took　a　big　bite　and　handed　it　back；　chewing　slowly；　letting　the　golden…tasting　juice　run　over　his　tongue：　crunchy；　sweet。　The　taste　made　him　feel　better。　〃You　remember　the　Hook？〃　he　asked　after　he　had　swallowed　the　mouthful。　〃That　old　spook　story？〃
　　〃Uh…uh；〃　said　Ghost；　eating　the　core　of　the　apple。　Steve　watched　to　see　whether　Ghost　would　spit　out　the　seeds。　When　he　didn't；　Steve　spoke　again。　〃You　know；　that　story　about　the　kids　out　at　Lovers　Lane。　They're　fucking　in　the　backseat；　and　all　of　a　sudden　this　bulletin　es　on　the　radio　about　a　crazy　man　escaped　from　the　asylum　outside　of　town。　A　psycho　killer　with　a　hook　instead　of　a　hand。〃
　　Steve　looked　at　Ghost。　Ghost　was　leaning　against　one　of　the　fence　posts；　head　tilted　back；　staring　at　the　sky。　The　moon　had　gone　behind　a　cloud。　Ghost's　face　was　shadowed；　his　eyes　dark。　He　might　have　been　listening；　then　again；　he　might　have　been　receiving　messages　from　an　agrarian　collective　civilization　somewhere　near　Alpha　Centauri。
　　〃So　they　hauled　ass　out　of　Lovers　Lane；〃　Steve　went　on　anyway；　〃and　when　they　got　home；　the　boy　went　around　the　car　to　open　the　door　for　the　girl。　And　what　do　you　think　he　found？　A　bloody　hook；　hanging　from　the　handle　of　the　door！〃　He　leaned　over　and　spoke　the　last　words　right　into　Ghost's　ear。
　　Ghost　jumped；　almost　fell　over。　He　stared　at　Steve　for　several　seconds；　then　grinned。　〃Out　at　Lovers　Lane？〃　he　asked。　Both　of　them　turned　to　look　at　the　T…bird　parked　in　the　clearing。　It　sat　large　and　dusty；　its　engine　giving　an　occasional　metallic　groan　as　it　cooled。
　　〃How　e…〃　Ghost　began；　and　Steve　knew　Ghost　was　about　to　exhibit　the　weird；　irritating　logic　that　sometimes　possessed　him。　He　was　going　to　ask　how　e　the　couple　had　the　radio　on　while　they　were　fucking；　or　why　the　psycho　killer　would　have　reached　to　open　the　car　door　with　his　hook　when　he　could　have　used　his　hand。　But　then　the　moon　sailed　out　from　behind　its　cloud　and　flooded　the　hill　with　cold　white　light；　and　Ghost　sucked　in　his　breath；　sharp　and　scared。
　　Steve　followed　Ghost's　gaze　to　the　oak　and　saw　nothing　at　all。　But　he　knew　Ghost　saw　something　there。　And　somehow　that　was　scarier　than　seeing　it　himself。
　　
　　Ghost　felt　his　feet　moving。　He　hadn't　told　them　to　move。　He　wasn't　even　sure　he　wanted　them　to　move。　He　took　several　steps　toward　the　oak；　and　when　he　got　close　enough；　the　outline　of　the　twins　grew　clearer；　more　solid。
　　They　were　balanced　on　a　low　branch；　their　legs　swinging；　their　hands　climbing　like　delicate　white　insects　along　the　trunk。　Closer　still；　and　Ghost　could　smell　them：　their　strange；　heady　bouquet　of　strawberry　incense；　clove　cigarettes；　wine　and　blood　and　rain　and　the　sweat　of　passion。　All　the　things　they　had　loved　when　they　were　alive；　the　things　that　dragged　them　down；　drove　them　to　live　upon　each　other's　essence　until　they　ran　dry。　But　here　on　this　midnight　hill；　in　the　pallid　moonlight；　the　twins　were　beautiful　still。　They　wore　colored　silks；　silks　that　caught　the　moon　and　threw　it　back　in　a　thousand　shades　of　iridescence。　And　Ghost　could　see　no　spiderweb　tracery　of　age　on　their　faces。　He　saw　only　their　dark　lips；　their　brittle；　false…colored；　silken　hair　of　lemon…yellow　and　cherry…red；　their　eyes　like　silver　pearl；　filmy　and　pupilless。
　　But　they　were　looking　at　him；　he　knew　that；　and　when　he　was　close　enough　to　touch　the　trunk　of　the　tree；　one　of　them　spoke　to　him。　It　was　only　his　name；　whispered　through　the　branches；　〃Ghost；〃　but　it　was　like　a　wind　blowing　from　across　a　strange　sea；　like　an　unseen　rustle　in　an　empty　room。　Ghost　put　his　hand　on　the　trunk；　near　a　slender　silk…clad　leg　so　tangible　he　wanted　to　stroke　it。
　　Why　was　he　seeing　them　now；　these　creatures　from　his　dream？　He　had　thought　they　were　pitiful；　but　now　they　frightened　him。　He　found　himself　wondering　what　they　had　bee　after　their　death；　how　death　had　changed　them。　If　they　were　somehow　alive　even　now；　what　allowed　them　to　be？　And　why　had　he　dreamed　of　them　in　the　first　place？
　　Ghost　was　used　to　asking　himself　such　questions。　He　had　been　visited　in　his　dreams　by　the　dead；　he　had　dreamed　the　future　as　clearly　as　a　story　in　a　book；　he　had　been　able　to　pick　up　the　thoughts　and　feelings　of　people　he　was　close　to…and　other　people　if　he　concentrated…for　as　long　as　he　could　remember。　But　he　had　never　been　visited　while　awake　by　creatures　from　one　of　his　dreams。
　　〃What　is　it？〃　Steve　called　from　across　the　clearing。　
　　〃Hello；　Ghost；〃　said　the　crimson…haired　twin；　smiling　down　at　him　with　rouged　lips。　Those　lips　were　too　dark　in　that　pale；　peaked　face；　and　there　was　no　warmth　in　that　smile；　only　a　spasm　of　muscles　long　forgotten；　a　memory　of　a　smile。　But　Ghost　looked　up　into　those　flat　silvery　eyes；　and　he　was　not　afraid　for　his　own　safety。　Not　yet。　These　twins　had　been　dead　a　long　time；　if　indeed　they　had　ever　lived　outside　his　dream。
　　〃Of　course　we　haven't；〃　said　the　first　twin；　catching　Ghost's　thought。　〃We're　just　your　dream。〃
　　〃We　don't　go　around　killing　little　niggerboys　on　lonely　roadsides　long　past　midnight　just　to　suck　their　lives　out。〃
　　〃He　didn't　taste　exquisite；　did　he；　love；　at　the　moment　of　death？　No；　we　didn't　suck　out　that　little　boy's　life；　Ghost。〃
　　〃Nooo；　not　us；　not　so　we　could　stay　beautiful。　We're　just　your　dream。。。。　〃
　　Obviously　they　did　not　intend　him　to　believe　it。　Beneath　the　twins'　exotic　scent　Ghost　caught　a　whiff　of　decay；　dry　and　stale；　edged　with　pale　brown。　Their　skin　suddenly　looked　brittle；　as　if　the　touch　of　a　breeze　would　flake　it　away　from　fragile　ivory　bones。　Ghost　wanted　to　ask　them　whether　it　hurt　to　rot；　whether　they　grew　lonely　in　the　grave。　He　wanted　to　know　whether　they　were　buried　together　in　a　casket　big　enough　for　two　bodies…big　enough　for　two　small　dry　bodies　that　knew　how　to　fit　together　like　a　puzzle　of　blood　and　bone。　Or　did　their　graves　lie　side　by　side；　and　did　they　have　to　reach　through　the　earth　to　clasp　hands？
　　He　had　to　find　out　what　they　were；　whether　they　were　dangerous。　Reluctantly　he　reached　out　and　tried　to　touch　their　minds；　reluctantly　he　found　them。　Their　minds　were　like　echoes；　like　haunted　rooms　from　which　all　the　life　had　gone。　The　touch　of　their　thoughts　was　light；　fluttering；　as　cold　and　silver　as　graveyard　stone；　as　voracious　as　feeding　animals。　They　took　Ghost　into　the　grave　with　them；　and　he　saw　the　darkest　darkness　that　ever　was；　darker　than　a　starless　night　on　the　mountain　where　he'd　been　born；　darker　than　the　darkness　that　swam　up　behind　his　closed　eyelids　when　he　lay　in　bed　at　night；　darker　than　the　hour　before　dawn。
　　He　was　lying　on　rotten　satin；　and　he　felt　his　tissues　drying　and　shrivelling　inside　him；　felt　the　secret　loving　movement　of　the　creatures　that　shared　his　grave；　the　pale　worms；　the　shiny　beetles　with　their　delicate　black　legs；　the　things　without　shape　or　name；　too　tiny　to　be　seen；　the　hungry　things　turning　his　flesh　back　into　new　rich　earth…
　　〃Ghost！　What　the　fuck　are　you　doing？〃　Steve's　hands　were　on　him；　large　and　strong　and　undeniably　real；　Steve's　bony　fingers　digging　into　Ghost's　shoulders。
　　Ghost　leaned　back　against　Steve。　〃It　doesn't　hurt；〃　he　said　…to　Steve？　to　the　twins？　He　knew　not；　he　cared　not。
　　〃What　doesn't　hurt？　Who　are　you　talking　to？〃
　　〃Death　doesn't　hurt；〃　said　one　of　the　twins；　and　a　light　came　into　his　silver　eyes。　〃Death　is　dark；　death　is　sweet。〃
　　The　other　twin　took　up　the　litany。　〃Death　is　all　that　lasts　forever。　Death　is　eternal　beauty。〃
　　〃Death　is　a　lover　with　a　thousand　tongues…〃　
　　〃A　thousand　insect　caresses…〃　
　　〃Death　is　easy。〃　
　　〃Death　is　easy。〃
　　〃DEATH　IS　EASY　DEATH　IS　EASY　DEATH…ISEASYDEATHIS…〃
　　〃Shut　up！〃　Ghost　screamed。　The　chant　swelled　inside　his　head；　became　the　rhythm　of　his　heartbeat；　sucked　him　in。　〃Stop　it！　Leave　me　alone！〃
　　Then　Steve's　arms　were　around　him；　and　instead　of　the　twins'　rotten…spice　odor　there　was　only　Steve's　smell；　beer　and　dirty　hair　and　fear　and　love；　and　Ghost　buried　his　face　in　the　soft　black　cotton　of　Steve's　T…shirt。　When　he　opened　his　eyes　again；　the　twins　were　gone。　Ghost　heard　only　the　faraway　roar　of　the　power　plant　across　the　water；　saw　only　the　branches　of　the　oak；　tangled　and　twisted；　stretching　up　to　the　clear；　glittering　sky。
　　
　　Ghost　didn't　talk　much　on　the　drive　back　to　Missing　Mile。　He　told　Steve　only　about　the　lovely　feral　faces　of　the　twins　and　their　bright　silks　and　their　bewitching　dead　smell。　He　didn't　want　to　wonder；　he　said；　what　kind　of　an　omen　those　twins　might　have　been　。　。　。　or；　worse　than　an　omen；　if　they　might　have　been　real。　Instead　he　finished　the　whiskey　and　went　to　sleep　with　his　head　hung　out　the　window　and　his　hair　streaming　in　the　wind；　and　Steve　looked　from　the　shimmering　road　to　the　hill　of　Ghost's　cheek；　the　dark　curve　of　his　eyebrow；　the　satin　scrap　of　his　lashes。
　　Again　Steve　wondered　what　manner　of　things　lived　in　that　pale　head；　what　Ghost　was　made　of；　of　what　substance　were　his　visions。　Steve　had　heard　nothing　back　there　on　the　hill；　nothing　but　the　wind　and　the　power　plant's　faraway　hum。　He　had　seen　nothing　but　the　old　scarred　oak　tree；　wild　against　the　sky。　But　he　believed　that　Ghost　had　seen　a　pair　of　twins　long　dead；　the　twins　that　had　died　in　his　dream　and　e　back　to　life　in　his　waking　hours。　Steve　no　longer　even　considered　disbelieving　the　things　Ghost　saw　and　heard；　the　things　Ghost　knew　without　knowing。
　　Steve's　faith　in　the　high　omniscient　gods　of　his　childhood　…Santa　Claus；　the　Easter　Bunny；　and　an　eccentric　creature　apparently　designed　just　for　him；　the　Haircut　Fairy…had　been　blasted　by　older；　more　worldly　friends　who　advised　him　to　stay　awake　and　see　whether　it　wasn't　his　dad　spiriting　away　the　carefully　wrapped　package　of　dark　and　unruly　hair　clippings；　whether　it　wasn't　his　mother　delivering　all　those　mystical　goodies。　The　Easter…morning　chocolate　never　tasted　quite　se　wondrously　creamy　after　he　found　out　that　it　wasn't　brewed　and　molded　under　the　roots　of　a　tree　deep　in　some　enchanted　forest；　in　the　vast　subterranean　workshop　of　a　gl…ant　rabbit　he　had　pictured　as　bearing　a　strong　resemblance　to　Bugs　Bunny；　but　with　bright　pink　fur。
　　Years　later；　when　his　aunt　and　cousins　took　him　to　church；　he　suspected　that　this　was　more　of