stephen king - mist-第29节

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　Ollie　was　still　frozen　in　his　shooter's　position；　but　now　his　mouth　was　trembling。　I　touched　him　gently。　〃Ollie；　let's　go。　And　thank　you。〃
　〃　I　killed　her；〃　he　said　hoarsely。　〃Damn　if　I　didn't　kill　her。〃
　〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃That's　why　I　thanked　you。　Now　let's　go。〃
　We　began　to　move　again。
　With　no　grocery　bags　to　carry　…　thanks　to　Mrs。　Carmody　…　I　was　able　to　take　Billy。　We　paused　for　a　moment　at　the　door；　and　Ollie　said　in　a　low；　strained；　voice；　〃I　wouldn't　have　shot　her；　David。　Not　if　there　had　been　any　other　way。〃
　〃Yeah。〃
　〃You　believe　it？〃
　〃Yeah；　I　do。〃
　〃Then　let's　go。〃
　We　went　out。；
　　
　XI。　The　End。
　Ollie　moved　fast；　the　pistol　in　his　right　hand。　Before　Billy　and　I　were　more　than　out　the　door　he　was　at　my　Scout；　an　insubstantial　Ollie；　like　a　ghost　in　a　television　movie。　He　opened　the　driver's　door。　Then　the　back　door。　Then　something　came　out　of　the　mist　and　cut　him　nearly　in　half。
　I　never　got　a　good　look　at　it；　and　for　that　I　think　I'm　grateful。　it　appeared　to　be　red；　the　angry　color　of　a　cooked　lobster。　It　had　claws。　It　was　making　a　low　grunting　sound；　not　much　different　from　the　sound　we　had　heard　after　Norton　and　his　little　band　of　Flat…Earthers　went　out。
　Ollie　got　off　one　shot；　and　then　the　thing's　claws　scissored　forward　and　Ollie's　body　seemed　to　unhinge　in　a　terrible　glut　of　blood。　Amanda's　gun　fell　out　of　his　hand；　struck　the　pavement；　and　discharged。　I　caught　a　nightmare　glimpse　of　huge　black　lusterless　eyes；　the　size　of　giant　handfuls　of　sea　grapes；　and　then　the　thing　lurched　back　into　the　mist　with　what　remained　of　Ollie　Weeks　in　its　grip。　A　long；　multisegmented　scorpion's　body　dragged　harshly　on　the　paving。
　There　was　an　instant　of　choices。　Maybe　there　always　is；　no　matter　how　short。　Half　of　me　wanted　to　run　back　into　the　market　with　Billy　hugged　to　my　chest。　The　other　half　was　racing　for　the　Scout；　throwing　Billy　inside；　lunging　after　him。　Then　Amanda　screamed。　It　was　a　high；　rising　sound　that　seemed　to　spiral　up　and　up　until　it　was　nearly　ultrasonic。　Billy　cringed　against　me；　digging　his　face　against　my　chest。
　One　of　the　spiders　had　Hattie　Turman。　It　was　big。　It　had　knocked　her　down。　Her　dress　had　pulled　Lip　over　her　scrawny　knees　as　it　crouched　over　her；　its　bristly；　spiny　legs　caressing　her　shoulders。　It　began　to　spin　its　web。
　Mrs。　Carmody　was　right；　I　thought。　We're　going　to　die　out　here；　we　are　really　going　to　die　out　here。
　〃Amanda！〃　I　yelled。
　No　response。　She　was　totally　gone。　The　spider　straddled　what　remained　of　Billy's　babysitter；　who　had　enjoyed　jigsaw　puzzles　and　those　damned　Double…Crostics　that　no　normal　person　can　do　without　going　nuts。　Its　threads　crisscrossed　her　body；　the　white　strands　already　turning　red　as　the　acid　coating　sank　into　her。
　Cornell　was　backing　slowly　toward　the　market；　his　eyes　as　big　as　dinner　plates　behind　his　specs。　Abruptly　he　turned　and　ran。　He　clawed　the　IN　door　open　and　ran　inside。
　The　split　in　my　mind　closed　as　Mrs。　Reppler　stepped　briskly　forward　and　slapped　Amanda；　first　forehand；　then　backhand。　Amanda　stopped　screaming。　I　went　to　her；　spun　her　around　to　face　the　Scout；　and　screamed　〃GO！〃　into　her　face。
　She　went。　Mrs。　Reppler　brushed　past　me。　She　pushed　Amanda　into　the　Scout's　back　seat；　got　in　after　her；　and　slammed　the　door　shut。
　I　yanked　Billy　loose　and　threw　him　in。　As　I　climbed　in　myself；　one　of　those　spider　threads　drifted　down　and　lit　on　my　ankle。　It　burned　the　way　a　fishing　line　pulled　rapidly　through　your　closed　fist　will　burn。　And　it　was　strong。　I　gave　my　foot　a　hard　yank　and　it　broke。　I　slipped　in　behind　the　wheel。
　〃Shut　it；　oh　shut　the　door；　dear　God！〃　Amanda　screamed
　I　shut　the　door。　A　bare　instant　later；　one　of　the　spiders　thumped　softly　against　it。　I　was　only　inches　from　it's　red；　viciously　stupid　eyes。　Its　legs；　each　as　thick　as　my　wrist；　slipped　back　and　forth　across　the　square　bonnet。　Amanda　screamed　ceaselessly；　like　a　firebell。
　〃Woman；　shut　your　head；〃　Mrs。　Reppler　told　her。
　The　spider　gave　up。　It　could　not　smell　us；　ergo　we　were　no　longer　there。　It　strutted　back　into　the　mist　on　its　unsettling　number　of　legs；　became　a　phantasm；　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　stillne