stephen king - mist-第8节

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　Then　the　town　fire　whistle　began　to　wail；　slowly　cranking　up　to　a　shriek　of　its　own；　falling　off；　then　rising　again。　Billy　grabbed　my　hand…clutched　it。　〃What　is　it；　Daddy？〃　he　asked；　and　then；　immediately：　〃Is　Mommy　all　right？〃
　〃Must　be　a　fire　on　the　Kansas　Road；〃　Norton　said。
　Those　damned　live　lines　from　the　storm。　The　fire　trucks　will　go　through　in　a　minute。〃
　That　gave　my　disquiet　something　to　crystallize　on。　There　were　live　lines　down　in　our　yard。
　Bud　Brown　said　something　to　the　checker　he　was　supervising；　she　had　been　craning　around　to　see　what　was　happening。　She　flushed　and　began　to　run　her　calculator　again。
　I　didn't　want　to　be　in　this　line。　All　of　a　sudden　I　very　badly　didn't　want　to　be　in　it。　But　it　was　moving　again；　and　it　seemed　foolish　to　leave　now。　We　had　gotten　down　by　the　cartons　of　cigarettes。
　Someone　pushed　through　the　IN　door；　some　teenager。　I　think　it　was　the　kid　we　almost　hit　ing　in；　the　one　on　the　Yamaha　with　no　helmet。　〃The　fog！〃　he　yelled。　〃Y'oughta　see　the　fog！　It's　rolling　right　up　Kansas　Road！〃　People　looked　around　at　him。　He　was　panting；　as　if　he　had　run　a　long　distance。　Nobody　said　anything。　〃Well；　y'oughta　see　it；〃　he　repeated；　sounding　defensive　this　time。　People　eyed　him　and　some　of　them　shuffled；　but　no　one　wanted　to　lose　his　or　her　place　in　line。　A　few　people　who　hadn't　reached　the　lines　yet　left　their　carts　and　strolled　through　the　empty　checkout　lanes　to　see　if　they　could　see　what　he　was　talking　about。　A　big　guy　in　a　summer　hat　with　a　paisley　band　（the　kind　of　hat　you　almost　never　see　except　in　beer　mercials　with　backyard　barbecues　as　their　settings）　yanked　open　the　OUT　door　and　several　people…ten；　maybe　a　dozen…went　out　with　him。　The　kid　went　along。
　〃Don't　let　out　all　the　air　conditioning；〃　one　of　the　army　kids　cracked；　and　there　were　a　few　chuckles。　I　wasn't　chuckling。　I　had　seen　the　mist　ing　across　the　lake。
　〃Billy；　why　don't　you　go　have　a　look？〃　Norton　said。
　〃No；〃　I　said　at　once；　for　no　concrete　reason。
　The　line　moved　forward　again。　People　craned　their　necks；　looking　for　the　fog　the　kid　had　mentioned；　but　there　was　nothing　on　view　except　bright…blue　sky。　I　heard　someone　say　that　the　kid　must　have　been　joking。　Someone　else　responded　that　he　had　seen　a　funny　line　of　mist　on　Long　Lake　not　an　hour　ago。　The　first　whistle　whooped　and　screamed。　I　didn't　like　it。　It　sounded　like　big…league　doom　blowing　that　way。
　More　people　went　out。　A　few　even　left　their　places　in　line；　which　speeded　up　the　proceedings　a　bit。　Then　grizzled　old　John　Lee　Frovin；　who　works　as　a　mechanic　at　the　Texaco　station；　came　ducking　in　and　yelled：　〃Hey！　Anybody　got　a　camera？〃　He　looked　around；　then　ducked　back　out　again。
　That　caused　something　of　a　rush。　If　it　was　worth　taking　a　picture　of；　it　was　worth　seeing。
　Suddenly　Mrs。　Carmody　cried　in　her　rusty　but　powerful　old　voice；　〃Don't　go　out　there！　〃
　People　turned　around　to　look　at　her。　The　orderly　shape　of　the　lines　had　grown　fuzzy　as　people　left　to　get　a　look　at　the　mist；　or　as　they　drew　away　from　Mrs。　Carmody；　or　as　I
　they　milled　around；　seeking　out　their　friends。　A　pretty　young　woman　in　a　cranberry…colored　sweatshirt　and　dark…green　slacks　was　looking　at　Mrs。　Carmody　in　a　thoughtful；　evaluating　way。　A　few　opportunists　were　taking　advantage　of　whatever　the　situation　was　to　move　up　a　couple　of　places。　The　checker　beside　Bud　Brown　looked　over　her　shoulder　again；　and　Brown　tapped　her　shoulder　with　a　long　finger。　〃Keep　your　mind　on　what　you're　doing；　Sally。〃
　〃Don't　go　out　there！〃　Mrs。　Carmody　yelled。　〃It's　death！　I　feel　that　it's　death　out　there！〃
　Bud　and　Ollie　Weeks；　who　both　knew　her；　just　looked　impatient　and　irritated；　but　any　summer　people　around　her　stepped　smartly　away；　never　minding　their　places　in　line。　The　bag…ladies　in　big　cities　seem　to　have　the　same　effect　on　people；　as　if　they　were　carriers　of　some　contagious　disease。　Who　knows？　Maybe　they　are。
　Things　began　to　happen　at　an　accelerating；　confusing　pace　then。　A　man　staggered　into　the　market；　shoving　the　IN　door　open。　His　nose　was　bleeding。　〃Something　in　the　fog！〃　he　screamed；　and　Billy　shrank　against　me…whether　because　of　the　man's　bloody　nose　or　what　he　was　saying；　I　don't　know。　〃Something　in　the　fog！　Something　in　the　fog　took　John　Lee！　Something　He　staggered　back　against　a　display　of　lawn　food　stacked　by　the　window　and　sat　down　there。　〃Something　in　the　fog　took　John　Lee　and　I　heard　him　screaming！　〃
　The　situation　changed。　Made　nervous　by　the　storm；　by　the　police　siren　and　the　fire　whistle；　by　the　subtle　dislocation　any　power　outage　causes　in　the　American　psyche；　and　by　the　steadily　mounting　atmosphere　of　unease　as　things　somehow　。。。　somehow　changed　（I　don't　know　how　to　put　it　any　better　than　that）；　people　began　to　move　in　a　body。
　They　didn't　bolt。　if　I　told　you　that；　I　would　be　giving　you　entirely　the　wrong　impression。　It　wasn't　exactly　a　panic。　They　didn't　run…or　at　least；　most　of　them　didn't。　But　they　went。　Some　of　them　just　went　to　the　big　show　window　on　the　far　side　of　the　checkout　lanes　to　look　out。　Others　went　out　the　IN　door；　some　still　carrying　their　intended　purchases。　Bud　Brown；　harried　and　officious；　began　yelling：　〃Hey！　You　haven't　paid　for　that！　Hey；　you！　e　back　here　with　those　hotdog　rolls！　〃
　Someone　laughed　at　him；　a　crazy；　yodeling　sound　that　made　other　people　smile。　Even　as　they　smiled　they　looked　bewildered；　confused；　and　nervous。　Then　someone　else　laughed　and　Brown　flushed。　He　grabbed　a　box　of　mushrooms　away　from　a　lady　who　was　crowding　past　him　to　look　out　the　window…the　segments　of　glass　were　lined　with　people　now；　they　were　like　the　folks　you　see　looking　through　loopholes　into　a　building　site…and　the　lady　screamed；　〃Give　me　back　my　mushies！〃　This　bizarre　term　of　affection　caused　two　men　standing　nearby　to　break　into　crazy　laughter…and　there　was　something　of　the　old　English　Bedlam　about　all　of　it；　now。　Mrs。　Carmody　trumpeted　again　not　to　go　out　there。　The　fire　whistle　whooped　breathlessly；　a　strong　old　woman　who　had　scared　up　a　prowler　in　the　house。　And　Billy　burst　into　tears。
　〃Daddy；　what's　that　bloody　man？　Why　is　that　bloody　man？〃
　〃It's　okay；　Big　Bill；　it's　his　nose；　he's　okay。〃
　〃What　did　he　mean；　something　in　the　fog？〃　Norton　asked。　He　was　frowning　ponderously；　which　was　probably　Norton's　way　of　looking　confused。
　〃Daddy；　I'm　scared；〃　Billy　said　through　his　tears。　〃Can　we　please　go　home？〃
　Someone　bumped　past　me　roughly；　jolting　me　off　my　feet；　and　I　picked　Billy　up。　I　was　getting　scared；　too。　The　confusion　was　mounting。　Sally；　the　checker　by　Bud　Brown；　started　away　and　he　grabbed　her　back　by　the　collar　of　her　red　smock。　It　ripped。　She　slap…clawed　out　at　him；　her　face　twisting。　〃Get　your　fucking　hands　off　me！〃　she　screamed。
　〃Oh；　shut　up；　you　little　bitch；〃　Brown　said；　but　he　sounded　totally　astounded。
　He　reached　for　her　again　and　Ollie　Weeks　said　sharply：　〃Bud！　Cool　it！〃
　Someone　else　screamed。　it　hadn't　been　a　panic　before…not　quite…but　it　was　getting　to　be　one。　People　streamed　out　of　both　doors。　There　was　a　crash　of　breaking　glass　and　Coke　fizzed　suddenly　across　the　floor。
　〃What　the　Christ　is　this？〃　Norton　exclaimed。
　That　was　when　it　started　getting　dark　。。。　but　no；　that's　not　exactly　right。　My　thought　at　the　time　was　not　that　it　was　getting　dark　but　that　the　lights　in　the　market　had　gone　out。　I　looked　up　at　the　fluorescents　in　a　quick　reflex　action；　and　I　wasn't　alone。　And　at　first；　until　I　remembered　the　power　failure；　it　seemed　that　was　it；　that　was　what　had　changed　the　quality　of　the　light；　Then　I　remembered　they　had　been　out　all　the　time　we　had　been　in　the　market　and　things　hadn't　seemed　dark　before。　Then　I　knew；　even　before　the　people　at　the　window　started　to　yell　and　point。
　The　mist　was　ing。
　It　came　from　the　Kansas　Road　entrance　to　the　parking　lot；　and　even　this　close　it　looked　no　different　than　it　had　when　we　first　noticed　it　on　the　far　side　of　the　lake。　it　was　white　and　bright　but　non…reflecting。　It　was　moving　fast；　and　it　had　blotted　out　most　of　the　sun。　Where　the　sun　had　been　there　was　now　a　silver　coin　in　the　sky；　like　a　full　moon　in　winter　seen　through　a　thin　scud　of　cloud。
　It　came　with　lazy　speed。　Watching　it　reminded　me　somehow　of　last　evening's　waterspout。　There　are　big　forces　in　nature　that　you　hardly　ever　see　…　earthquakes；　hurricanes；　tornadoes　…I　haven't　seen　them　all　but　I've　seen　enough　to　guess　that　they　all　move　with　that　lazy；　hypnotizing　speed。　They　hold　you　spellbound；　the　way　Billy　and　Steffy　had　been　in　front　of　the　picture　window　last　night。
　It　rolled　impartially　across　the　two…lane　blacktop　and　erased　it　from　view。　The　McKeons'　nice　restored　Dutch　Colonial　was　swallowed　whole。　For　a　moment　the　second　floor　of　the　ramshackle　apartment　building　next　door　jutted　out　of　the　whiteness；　and　then　it　went　too。　The　KEEP　RIGHT　sign　at　the　entrance　and　exit　points　to　the　Federal's　parking　lot　disappeared；　the　black　letters　on　the　sign　seeming　to　float　for　a　moment　in　limbo　after　the　sign's　dirty…white　background　was　gone。　The　cars　in　the　parking　lot　began　to　disappear　next。
　〃What　the　Christ　is　this？〃　Norton　asked　again；　and　there　was　a　catch　in　his　voice。
　It　came　on；　eating　up　the　blue　sky　and　the　fresh　black　hottop　with　equal　ease。　Even　twenty　feet　away　the　line　of　demarcation　w