The Shining 原版小说-第61章
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〃Another time we were in the park;〃 he said。 〃Just Danny and I。 Saturday
afternoon。 He was sitting on a swing; coasting back and forth。 He collapsed onto
the ground。 It was like he'd been shot。 I ran over and picked him up and all of
a sudden he just came around。 He sort of blinked at me and said; ‘I hurt my
tummy。 Tell Mommy to close the bedroom windows if it rains。' And that night it
rained like hell。〃
〃Yes; but — 〃
〃And he's always ing in with cuts and scraped elbows。 His shins look like a
battlefield in distress。 And when you ask him how he got this one or that one;
he just says ‘Oh; I was playing;' and that's the end of it。〃
〃Jack; all kids get bumped and bruised up。 With little boys it's almost
constant from the time they learn to walk until they're twelve or thirteen。〃
〃And I'm sure Danny gets his share;〃 Jack responded。 〃He's an active kid。 But
I remember that day in the park and that night at the supper table。 And I wonder
if some of our kid's bumps and bruises e from just keeling over。 That Dr。
Edmonds said Danny did it right in his office; for Christ's sake!〃
〃All right。 But those bruises were fingers。 I'd swear to it。 He didn't get
them falling down。〃
〃He goes into a trance;〃 Jack said。 〃Maybe he sees something that happened in
that room。 An argument。 Maybe a suicide。 Violent emotions。 It isn't like
watching a movie; he's in a highly suggestible state。 He's right in the damn
thing。 His subconscious is maybe visualizing whatever happened in a symbolic way
。。。 as a dead woman who's alive again; zombie; undead; ghoul; you pick your
term。〃
〃You're giving me goose…bumps;〃 she said thickly。
〃I'm giving myself a few。 I'm no psychiatrist; but it seems to fit so well。
The walking dead woman as a symbol for dead emotions; dead lives; that just
won't give up and go away 。。。 but because she's a subconscious figure; she's
also him。 In the trance state; the conscious Danny is submerged。 The
subconscious figure is pulling the strings。 So Danny put his hands around his
own neck and — 〃
〃Stop;〃 she said。 〃I get the picture。 I think that's more frightening than
having a stranger creeping around the halls; Jack。 You can move away from a
stranger。 You can't move away from yourself。 You're talking about
schizophrenia。〃
〃Of a very limited type;〃 he said; but a trifle uneasily。 〃And of a very
special nature。 Because he does seem able to read thoughts; and he really does
seem to have precognitive flashes from time to time。 I can't think of that as
mental illness no matter how hard I try。 We all have schizo deposits in us
anyway。 I think as Danny gets older; he'll get this under control。〃
〃If you're right; then it's imperative that we get him out。 Whatever he has;
this hotel is making it worse。〃
〃I wouldn't say that;〃 he objected。 〃If he'd done as he was told; he never
would have gone up to that room in the first place。 It never would have
happened。〃
〃My God; Jack! Are you implying that being half…strangled was a 。。。 a
fitting punishment for being off limits?〃
〃No 。。。 no。 Of course not。 But — 〃
〃No buts;〃 she said; shaking her head violently。 〃The truth is; we're
guessing。 We don't have any idea when he might turn a corner and run into one of
those 。。。 air pockets; one…reel horror movies; whatever they are。 We have to
get him away。〃 She laughed a little in the darkness。 〃Next thing we'll be seeing
things。〃
〃Don't talk nonsense;〃 he said; and in the darkness of the room he saw the
hedge lions bunching around the path; no longer flanking it but guarding it;
hungry November lions。 Cold sweat sprang out on his brow。
〃You didn't really see anything; did you?〃 she was asking。 〃I mean; when you
went up to that room。 You didn't see anything?〃
The lions were gone。 Now he saw a pink pastel shower curtain with a dark shape
lounging behind it。 The closed door。 That muffled; hurried thump; and sounds
after it that might have been running footsteps。 The horrible; lurching beat of
his own heart as he struggled with the passkey。
〃Nothing;〃 he said; and that was true。 He had been strung up; not sure of
what was happening。 He hadn't had a chance to sift through his thoughts for a
reasonable explanation concerning the bruises on his son's neck。 He had been
pretty damn suggestible himself。 Hallucinations could sometimes be catching。
〃And you haven't changed your mind? About the snowmobile; I mean?〃
His hands clamped into sudden tight fists
(Stop nagging me! )
by his sides。 〃I said I would; didn't I? I will。 Now go to sleep。 It's been a
long hard day。〃
〃And how;〃 she said。 There was a rustle of bedclothes as she turned toward him
and kissed his shoulder。 〃I love you; Jack。〃
〃I love you too;〃 he said; but he was only mouthing the words。 His hands were
still clenched into fists。 They felt like rocks on the ends of his arms。 The
pulse beat prominently in his forehead。 She hadn't said a word about what was
going to happen to them after they got down; when the party was over。 Not one
word。 It had been Danny this and Danny that and Jack I'm so scared。 Oh yes; she
was scared of a lot of closet boogeymen and jumping shadows; plenty scared。 But
there was no lack of real ones; either。 When they got down to Sidewinder they
would arrive with sixty dollars and the clothes they stood up in。 Not even a
car。 Even if Sidewinder bad a pawnshop; which it didn't; they had nothing to
hock but Wendy's ninety…dollar diamond engagement ring and the Sony AM/FM radio。
A pawnbroker might give them twenty bucks。 A kind pawnbroker。 There would be no
job; not even part…time or seasonal; except maybe shoveling out driveways for
three dollars a shot。 The picture of John Torrance; thirty years old; who had
once published in Esquire and who had harbored dreams — not at all unreasonable
dreams; he felt; of being a major American writer during the next decade; with
a shovel from the Sidewinder Western Auto on his shoulder; ringing doorbells。。。
that picture suddenly came to him much more clearly than the hedge lions and
he clenched his fists tighter still; feeling the fingernails sink into his palms
and draw blood in mystic quarter…moon shapes。 John Torrance; standing in line
to change his sixty dollars into food stamps; standing in line again at the
Sidewinder Methodist Church to get donated modities and dirty looks from the
locals。 John Torrance explaining to Al that they'd just had to leave; had to
shut down the boiler; had to leave the Overlook and all it contained open to
vandals or thieves on snow machines because; you see; Al; attendez…vous; Al;
there are ghosts up there and they have it in for my boy。 Good…by; Al。 Thoughts
of Chapter Four; Spring es for John Torrance。 What then? Whatever then? They
might be able to get to the West Coast in the VW; he supposed。 A new fuel pump
would do it。 Fifty miles west of here and it was all downhill; you could damn
near put the bug in neutral and coast to Utah。 On to sunny California; land of
oranges and opportunity。 A man with his sterling record of alcoholism; student…
beating; and ghost…chasing would undoubtedly be able to write his own ticket。
Anything you like。 Custodial engineer — swamping out Greyhound buses。 The
automotive business — washing cars in a rubber suit。 The culinary arts; perhaps;
washing dishes in a diner。 Or possibly a more responsible position; such as
pumping gas。 A job like that even held the intellectual stimulation of making
change and writing out credit slips。 I can give you twenty…five hours a week at
the minimum wage。 That was heavy tunes in a year when Wonder bread went for
sixty cents a loaf。
Blood had begun to trickle down from his palms。 Like stigmata; oh yes。 He
squeezed tighter; savaging himself with pain。 His wife was asleep beside him;
why not? There were no problems。 He had agreed to take her and Danny away from
the big bad boogeyman and there were no problems。 So you see; Al; I thought the
best thing to do would be to
(kill her。)
The thought rose up from nowhere; naked and unadorned。 The urge to tumble her
out of bed; naked; bewildered; just beginning to wake up; to pounce on her;
seize her neck like the green limb of a young aspen and to throttle her; thumbs
on windpipe; fingers pressing against the top of her spine; jerking her head up
and ramming it back down against the floorboards; again and again; whamming;
whacking; smashing; crashing。 Jitter and jive; baby。 Shake; rattle; and roll。 He
would make her take her medicine。 Every drop。 Every last bitter drop。
He was dimly aware of a muffled noise somewhere; just outside his hot and
racing inner world。 He looked across the room and Danny was thrashing again;
twisting in his bed and rumpling the blankets。 The boy was moaning deep in his
throat; a small; caged sound。 What nightmare? A purple woman; long dead;
shambling after him down twisting hotel corridors? Somehow he didn't think so。
Something else chased Danny in his dreams。 Something worse。
The bitter lock of his emotions was broken。 He got out of bed and went across