Chapter 12 CHAPTER VII Dams on the Benron Lowlands

1 And seen from the highway, Boston in the morning light looks like a dead city, there licking the tragedy of the past - a plague, maybe, or a catastrophe.The sea breeze brings the smell of salty sea water.Everything between heaven and earth seemed hazy in the dawn mist. Drive north on the Starlow Expressway, Eddie.Cusbrak felt that the city was too old.You probably won't feel this old anywhere else in America.Compared with London, Boston is a child; compared with Rome, Boston is a baby.But by American standards, it's an old man. Boston was born here 300 years ago, before the Tea and Stamp Acts.

Its oldness, its silence, the smell of the sea in the morning mist—all of it made Eddie nervous.When Eddie got nervous, he couldn't help but whip out his asthma spray. There were not many people on the street.If not for one or two pedestrians walking on the overpass, Eddie would have thought that he had come to a city ravaged by disasters, where ancient demons and unnamed monsters were everywhere.At the Canmel Square bus station in the city center, he saw many people waiting for the bus.Waiters, nurses, and civil servants all looked sleepy. That's right, Eddie thought.That's right, it's better to take a car.To hell with the subway.Taking the subway is not a good idea.If it were me, I wouldn't take the subway.Never go underground, into dark tunnels.

The thought is painful.If he didn't get the idea out of his mind quickly, he'd have to use his asthma spray again.Eddie saw a green sign ahead of him that said, "Access to Maine, New Hampshire, Northern New England." He looked at the sign, and suddenly a deep-seated shudder ran through him.His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.Eddie really hoped it was the first sign of something, a virus or what his mother called a "strange fever."But he knew very well in his heart that it was the city behind him, standing quietly on the boundary line between day and night, between the past and the uncertain future.He was sick, not from a virus or some strange fever, but from painful memories.

I'm scared, Eddie thought.This feeling has been hidden in my heart.fear.But eventually we get over our fear and use it.But how to use it? He couldn't remember.He wondered if the rest of them could remember.For everyone's sake, he wished he could remember. He followed the signs to the I-95 intersection.In such an early morning, although traffic jams had already begun on the road heading south to the city, there were very few vehicles heading north.He drove forward, guessing where the next signpost would lead.Eddie has a great sense of direction.Choosing a path was as easy for him as choosing a trail among the many tangled byways in the Derrybanron Lowlands.

He suddenly remembered something that happened that summer.Bill said to him one day, "Eddie, you...you have...a compass in your head." That really made him happy.He thought he could have died for Bill then; Eddie would have said without hesitation, "No problem, boss..." Eddie laughed at the thought--not a laugh, just a snort, but the sound surprised him, and he actually laughed.He rarely smiles these days.It was a dangerous "pilgrimage" and he certainly didn't expect any joy.But, he thought, if God is a mean and shameless man who has to deal with pious pilgrims, then this pilgrimage will make you suffer.

"Anything good lately, Ezz?" he said aloud to himself, laughing again. Oh, how he didn't like hearing Richie call him "Azzy" last year...and kind of liked it. Just like Ben liked when Richie called him "Haystack".That was... a mysterious name, a mysterious identity, and parents' worries.Hope, endless orders are all right. Rich doesn't have good words coming out of his mouth, but maybe he knows how important it is to be different to people like them who are worthless to others. A row of loose change is neatly arranged on the dashboard at the front of the car.Among these coins were two or three silver coins.He suddenly remembered the past again.silver.Not the counterfeit copper clips, but real silver coins with the Statue of Liberty on them.Ben.Hansko's Silver Coin.Yes, didn't Bill or Ben or Beverly save their lives with a big silver coin?He can't remember.In fact, he couldn't remember a lot of things...or did he not want to think about them at all?

It was dark in there, he remembered suddenly.I remember very well that it was very dark in there. Boston was far behind as the fog slowly lifted.Front access to Maine, New Hampshire and all over northern New England.Derry ahead.There is something mysterious there that has been dead (or not) for 27 years.That mysterious thing has many different faces.But what exactly?Haven't they seen its true face after the mask has been removed? Ah, he remembered so much...but not enough. He remembered that he loved Bill Dunbon; he remembered it very well.Bill never joked about his asthma.Bill never said he was a sissy.He loved Bill like he loved his big brother... or his father.Bill knew what to do, where to go, what to do, and never got bogged down.Race Bill, run fast, and laugh a lot...but you're never short of breath.What a feeling, it's great.With Bill, I feel happy every day.

It was Bill's idea to build a dam in the Ben Lun Lowlands, and it was because of that dam that they all came together.Ben tells them what to do, but the dam was Bill's idea.And since the beginning of that year, they've all seen some weird—horrifying—things, except for Richie, but it's Bill who's brave enough to say it first. that dam. That shit dam. He thought of Victor.Chris's words: "Bye, man. That's a hairy kid's trick. You better stop doing it." A day later, Ben.Hansko smiled and said to them, "We can." "We can drown—" 2

"The whole Benron Lowlands, if we like." Bill and Eddie looked puzzled at Ben, then at the pile of stuff he'd brought: planks, sledgehammer, shovel. "I'm quitting," Eddie said, glancing at Bill. "We tried it yesterday, and it didn't work. The water washed the roots away." "It will work this time," Ben said, looking at Bill, waiting for his decision. "Okay, let's, try, try again," Bill began, "I called, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Later, later. Maybe he and Stan, Tan, Tanley will help, help."

"Which Stanley?" Ben asked. "Ulis," Eddie told him.Eddie was still watching Bill carefully.He's been a little weird today—not talking much, and not so much interested in building the dam.Bill looked pale and distant. "Stanley Ulis? I don't think I know him. Did he go to Derry School, too?" "He's the same age as us, but just finished fourth grade," Eddie said. "Because he was sickly when he was little, he went to school a year later than us. You thought you were unlucky yesterday. It's a good thing you're not Stanley. Those people Always bullied him."

"He's Jew, Jew, Jew," Bill explained, "Well, many, many, many kids don't like, like you, because he, he's Jewish." Bill threw the board aside, stood up, patted the dirt off his buttocks, and walked to the creek.Bill put his hands in his back pockets and sighed heavily.Eddie knew there was something important to say.He looked at them both seriously.Eddie felt a sudden pang of fear. But all Bill said was, "Have you got your asthma spray, Eddie?" Eddie patted his pocket. "enough." "Hey, does chocolate milk work?" Ben asked. Eddie smiled. "Excellent!" he and Ben laughed.Bill looked at them with a smile, but couldn't figure it out.Eddie explained it to him, and Bill nodded and laughed too. Eddie looked unimpressed. "Look at that," Bill said, sounding oddly like Henry Powers. "I screwed your neck back so you could see yourself wiping your ass." Ben couldn't straighten up laughing.Bill glanced at him, smiling with his hands still in the back pockets of his trousers.Yes, it is smiling, but it looks a little distant, a little dazed.He looks at Eddie, then back at Benth. "Children are delicate," he said. "Yes." Eddie agreed.But it felt like he was just pretending.Bill has something on his mind.Bill will not speak up until the time is right.The question is, does Eddie really want to know? "Kids are stupid." "It should be remodeled." Ben was still laughing. "You, you are, are you teaching, teaching us how to build, build dams, and are, still, sitting, sitting here for a, a day?" Ben stood up and looked at the creek.The river flows slowly.The Kentucky River is not wide when it comes to Barron.But yesterday they still failed.Neither Eddie nor Bill knew how to find a pivot in the current.But Ben knew. 3 It was a beautiful summer day.There was a light breeze, the sky was blue and clear, and the birds were happy in the bushes on the shore.Eddie had to use an asthma spray once, and he didn't use it again all morning. Ben had seemed so timid and unconfident the day before.Now he is devoting himself to building the dam, like a general determined to win.From time to time he climbed up to the bank of the stream, his muddy hands on his hips, to see how the work was progressing.I also run my hands through my hair from time to time.By 11 they had put up a wacky and ridiculous stand. At first Eddie couldn't believe it, then he felt a pleasure, and then it was a feeling he had never experienced before—unbelievable.Amazement and pleasure mixed together.He couldn't describe this new feeling in words.It wasn't until that night, when he lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, recalling that scene, that he found a suitable word: strength.That feeling is - power. It never occurred to him, Bill, or maybe even Ben himself, that it was power. He could see that Bill was involved too--preoccupied at first, but then completely absorbed.He also patted Ben's fat shoulder and said it was incredible.Ban Hui blushed with joy. Ben directed Eddie and Bill to cut the creek with planks down the middle, and he drove the planks into the river bed with a sledgehammer.Then sand, stones and silt were brought from the bank of the stream and filled between the two boards. In less than 20 minutes he created a canal of dirt and stones.Eddie couldn't believe his eyes. "If we have cement, then the whole city will have to move to the old Cape before next weekend." Ben said, throwing the shovel aside, and sat on the shore to catch his breath.Bill and Eddie laughed, and Ben smiled back at them.The water builds up behind the upstream planks. "Great!" Eddie exclaimed. "Too great. Great, great." Bill smiled happily. "Yeah," said Ben, "let's go get something to eat." 4 They sat on the bank and ate, not talking much, watching the river rise higher and higher behind the dam. They changed the landscape on both sides of the stream.Eddie saw: the diverted river washed away the base of the stream bank, and the opposite bank was about to collapse. The river water upstream of the dam forms a circular puddle.A river overflowed to the shore, gurgling and flowing into the grass on the bank.It was only then that Eddie slowly realized that the dam had been built.The gaps between the planks and the embankment create new waterways.The Kentucky River collects behind the dam.The gurgling stream has disappeared; the stones upstream of the dam have been submerged by water; when the wider and wider stream passes by, the turf and soil plop into the water, splashing a series of sprays. The river downstream of the dam has basically dried up, with only a few streams passing through the middle of the riverbed.The stones that had been buried under the water for many years emerged from the water, and were quickly dried by the sun.Eddie looked at all this in amazement...that strange feeling surged in his heart again.They changed all that.them. Ben deftly stuffed the leftover wrapping paper into his lunch bag.Eddie and Bill couldn't help but be amazed at how much he ate.They ate and chatted. Suddenly Eddie yelled: "Look, the river flowing past the dam has become muddy again." "Oh, my God!" Edith jumped up. "The water washed away the earth and rocks we filled in! If only we had cement." The danger was quickly ruled out.But even Eddie could see that if no one was around to fill in a few spadefuls of fresh soil now and then, the erosion of the water would eventually blow the whole dam down. Suddenly there was a piercing applause from behind: "God, someone built a reservoir in Banlun, it's so fucking amazing." Eddie turned and noticed that Ben was pursing his lips, looking nervous at the sound.Richie Budger and Stanley Ulis stood on the path far upstream. Richie ran to the stream, glanced at Ben with interest, and screwed Eddie's face. "Come on! I hate it when you touch my face, Ricky." "Ah, you like it very much, Ezz," Richie smiled brightly at him, "how's your luck lately?" 5 They didn't finish work until around 4 o'clock. The 5 people sat on the high bank of the river admiring their masterpiece. The place where Bill, Ben, and Eddie had dinner together just now was flooded.Even Ben Si couldn't believe what he saw.A sense of accomplishment, mixed with fatigue, and a little restlessness.He suddenly thought of Mickey Mouse in Fantasyland.It knows how to make miracles happen, but not how to stop everything. "It's fucking incredible." Richie said.Dorje spoke softly, pushing his glasses. Eddie gave him a fat look, but Richie wasn't kidding; he was serious and thoughtful. The gently rolling land on the other side of the creek has now become a swamp.Ferns and holly bushes soaked in the water.The swamp continued to spread westward.The Kentucky River, blocked by a dam, had flowed jubilantly this morning, but now it was a still, wide swath. At two o'clock, the puddle behind the dam grew wider and filled the embankment.The discharge channel on both sides of the dam is almost as wide as the river.Everyone hurried around looking for all kinds of rescue supplies.Only Ben stayed there, mending the cracks in the dam.After a while, the group of scavengers came back with all kinds of loot: wooden planks, scrap tires, a rusty car door, a large corrugated steel fender.Under Bance's command, they built two more wings to the dam to stop the river leaking from both sides.The dam looks even more imposing now. "Stop being cool," Richie said, "You're a genius, man." Ben smiled. "I am over-flattered." Eddie noticed that Banth was looking at Richie with a mixture of awe and wariness.Eddie totally understood.He has known Rich for 4 years, and he still can't figure out his temper.In school, Rich could get A or B in all subjects, but he always got C and D in moral conduct. Every time he got such a poor moral score, his father would "torture" him , his mother cried to death.He will also swear to perform well in the future, and he can really restrain himself for a few days.But Richie's problem is that he can't stay still for a minute, and he can't control his mouth.But Ban Lun is not a place to stay for a long time, and they can't always be "green forest" boys here.They had to leave Banron.But as soon as he returned to that world, Rich's dirty mouth would cause him trouble—and adults, it was already very bad; if he met Henry Powers who was too old, it would be even worse Oops. The scene where he just arrived today is a typical example.Before Ben opened his mouth to say hello to him, he knelt down at Ben's feet and began to perform his religious salute——stretching his arms, clapping his hands on the muddy bank every time he kowtowed, There are still words in his mouth. Ricky imitates various sounds.He once told Eddie that his dream was to be a famous impersonator.Eddie has great admiration for his great ideals, but feels that Richie is too far away. Richie frantically performs his religious salute, imitating what he calls "the voice of Negro Jim," leaving Ben stunned and bewildered. "Don't, don't worry, worry," Bill said quickly, "R, R, Ricky said, just, that's it. He's crazy, crazy, crazy." Richie jumped up. "I can hear you, Dunbang. You better stay out of your business, or I'll talk bad about you in front of 'Haystack' too. Hello, 'Haystack'. My name is Rich. Dorje, I like to imitate all kinds of voices. "Speaking, he stretched out his hand to Ben.Bewildered, Ben held out his hand too.Richie tugged at his hand, and Ben was taken aback.Only then did Richie shake his hand graciously. "My name is Ben Hansko, if you're interested." "I met you at school." Richie said, pointing to the puddles that spread out, he asked, "Is this your idea. Those idiots can't figure it out." "You're talking about yourself, Richie," Eddie retorted. "Oh, you mean it was your idea, Ezz? God, I'm so sorry." Then he threw himself at Eddie's feet again, and began to perform his religious salute. "Get up, don't do this, get me covered in mud!" Eddie exclaimed. Richie jumped up again and gave Eddie a twist in the face. "Hey, smart!" Richie exclaimed happily. "Come on, hate!" "Honestly, Eates—who built the dam?" "Ban, bang, bum taught, taught us," Bill answered. "Great." Richie turned around and found Stanley Ulis standing behind him with his hands in his pockets, silently watching him perform. "It's manly Stanley Ulis," Rich told Ben. "Hi." Stanley greeted Ben, as if he didn't see Richie at all. "Hello." Ben also greeted Stanley. "We were in the same class in second grade. You were the kind of—" "—the one who never talks." Stanley took his words and smiled. "right" "Even if Stanley had a lot to say, he couldn't fart," Richie put in again, "and he's just like—uh-u-u-u-u-u-u-la-" "Shut, shut, shut, mouth, mouth, Richie," Bill ordered him. "Okay, but I have to tell you something first, and I don't want to say it. I think your dam is about to burst. The flash flood is coming through the canyon, friends. Let's evacuate the women and children first." Without rolling up his trouser legs—even without taking off his shoes—Ricky jumped into the water, filling the gap in the dam's flank.A piece of adhesive tape emblazoned with the Red Cross was taped to one eyeglass leg.Bill and Eddie smiled at each other and shrugged.This is Ricky.You can't stand it...but it's a real joy to be with him. For more than an hour, they have been repairing the dam.Rich obeyed Bane's orders without complaint—the general had two more strong men under his command and was tactful in his speech—and completed tasks with lightning speed.After finishing one item, he ran back, like a British soldier, tapped his wet heels, saluted with his backhand, reported to Ben for new orders, and learned to listen to various voices from time to time—the German commander, the British butler, Southern senators, newsreel narrators -- yelling at people. Not only has there been no progress in the project, but the danger has continued.When it was almost 5 o'clock, what Rich said really came true.Doors, corrugated steel, old tires all washed out.Thanks to the support of earth and rocks, a secondary dam was formed.Bill, Ben, and Rich sat smoking; Stanley lay on his back.Those who didn't know thought he was looking at the sky, but Eddie knew him.Stanley was looking intently at the woods across the creek, carefully observing what birds there could be in his "birding notes."Eddie sat cross-legged by himself, savoring the intoxicating, weary pleasure.In his eyes these buddies are the best lads in the world at the moment.They are so comfortable together, so agreeable. He looked up at Ben, who was clumsily holding half a cigarette, spitting like he didn't like the smell of it.Eddie watched as he fingered the cigarette out and buried it again. Ben looked up to see Eddie looking at him, and turned away sheepishly. Eddie glanced at Bill and saw that look he didn't like again.Bill looked across the water to the distant woods.The gray eyes are so far away that they seem to be thinking about something.The worry was on his face again.A worried expression.Eddie thought he was bewitched. Bill seemed to see what was on his mind, and looked back at him.Eddie smiled, but Bill didn't.He stubbed out the cigarette butt and looked at everyone.Even Ricky was quietly thinking about his own thoughts, which is really rare. Eddie knew that if Wood was completely quiet, Bill would never open his mouth to say something important.Because speaking is really too difficult for him.He suddenly wished he had something to say, or that Richie was imitating someone else's voice again.He was sure Bill was going to tell them something terrible when he opened his mouth, something that would change everything in front of him.Eddie reached out involuntarily, took out the asthma spray from the back pocket of his trousers, and held it in his hand. "Can I, can I tell you a few, a few, a few things, things?" Everyone looked at him. "Tell me a joke, Richie!" Eddie yelled inwardly. "Just kidding, it doesn't matter how vulgar it is, it doesn't matter even if it embarrasses him, as long as he shuts up. No matter what it is, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to change everything in front of me, and I don't want to experience the feeling of horror." The dark hoarse voice echoed in his head: I charge a dime a time. Eddie shuddered, trying to forget the voice and the associations the voice had made in his mind: the old house on Nabert Street, the overgrown front yard, the giant sunflower in the corner of the deserted garden. "Sure, Bill," Richie said, "what's up?" Bill hesitated to speak, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke. "Like, like, if you, you, you mock, mock, laugh at me, I, I will cut off, from you," Bill said, "This is absurd, absurd, absurd, but I swear I didn't say, lie .It really, really, really happened." "We're not going to laugh," Ben said, looking around at everyone. "Right?" Stanley shook his head.Richie shook his head too. Eddie really wanted to say, "No, we're going to laugh at you, Bill, we're going to laugh until our stomach hurts, and say you're stupid. Why don't you keep talking now?" But of course he couldn't say that. That was their leader, Bill, after all.He shook his head painfully.No, we will not laugh at you.How could he laugh at this time? They sat on the high embankment, looked at Bill's face, looked at the spreading puddles and swamps, looked at Bill again, and listened quietly to his story of strange things that happened while looking through George's photo album.George in the photo nods at him, winks.He threw the photo album, and blood came out of the photo album. He spoke in pain for a long time, and by the end his face was flushed and he was covered in cold sweat.Eddie had never seen Bill stutter so badly. This bizarre story is finally over.Bill looked at them both bravely and fearfully.Benth, Ricky, and Stanley all had the same look on their faces—seriousness, awe, and fear, not a hint of doubt.Eddie felt an urge to jump up and scream, "What a story! Do you believe such a thing? And even if you did, do you think we would believe it? Pictures blink! Albums bleed! You're crazy, Bill." But he couldn't open his mouth, because his own face was equally serious and frightened.Although he can't see it, he can feel it.At this time Eddie noticed that except Richie, everyone had strange expressions on their faces.He knew what it was because he had the same look of approval on his own face. 29 Nabert Street is just outside the Derry Freight Yard.The dilapidated old house has been sealed.The porch fell to the ground and the yard was overgrown with weeds.A rusty tricycle was overturned in the tall grass, with one wheel sticking out at an angle. But there was a bare patch of grass to the left of the porch, and from there the lander's dirty windows could be seen set in the crumbling brick foundation. It was from one of these windows that Eddie first saw the leper's face six weeks earlier. 6 Eddie used to go to that freight yard on Saturdays when no one was playing with him.For no particular reason, he just liked being there. He rode across Wisham Avenue and turned northwest on No. 2 Road.Nabert Avenue Mission School sits on the corner of 2nd Road.A dilapidated wooden building with a large cross on the roof.Sometimes Eddie heard music coming from inside—gospel singing, but Eddie couldn't hear anything religious.But he still liked the sounds.Sometimes he stopped for a while on the grass across the street, leaning the car against a tree, pretending to read a book.Actually rocking to the music. When the church school was closed on Saturdays, he rode all the way to the freight yard, to the parking lot at the end of Nabert Street.Then lean the car against the wooden fence and watch the trains coming and going.Eddie especially loved seeing the vans headed north loaded with shiny new Fords. "One day I'll have a car like that too." Eddie secretly made up his mind. "Same as those, if not better. Or maybe a Cadillac!" There used to be a gate at the entrance of the freight yard, but no one repaired it after it was swept away by a storm, so Eddie could go in and out without hindrance.But if Mr. Bradeck saw him, he would be driven away.Sometimes some truck drivers thought he was wandering there to steal something, and chased him a long way. But most of the time it's silent.There was no one in the duty room at the crossing, and the windows were smashed.It hasn't been guarded 24/7 since probably 1950.So during the day Mr. Bradke shooed the children away, and at night a watchman went around with a searchlight four or five times. But some homeless people haunt there sometimes.If there was anything Eddie was afraid of in the freight yard, it was them—men with unshaven beards and cracked skin and blistered hands and mouth sores.They come by train, stop at Derry, and then take the train to some other place.Sometimes you come across a bum with no fingers.They always ask drunkenly if you have any cigarettes. One day a homeless man crawled out from under the porch of 29 Nabert Avenue and offered Eddie a blowjob for twenty-five cents.Eddie was so frightened that his whole body went cold and he backed away.One of the tramp's nostrils had rotted away and was covered with red nostrils. "I don't have quarters," Eddie said, stepping back. "A dime that time." The homeless man walked towards him with a hoarse voice.The man was wearing old green flannel trousers with something dirty stuck to his knees.He unzipped his pants and reached in.The red nose looks even more terrifying when you smile. "I...not a dime." Eddie suddenly thought: God, he has leprosy!If he touches me, I'm infected!When he came to his senses, he retreated and ran.He also heard the bum shuffling behind him, and the snap of his shoelaces as he ran across the tangled grass. "Come back, boy! One oral sex, free. Come back!" Eddie hopped onto the bike, panting heavily, a lump in his throat and a tightness in his chest.He pedaled harder, picking up speed.By this time the homeless man had grabbed hold of the basket hanging from the back.The car shook a few times.Eddie looked back to see the guy still running behind the car, biting his lip, looking desperate and angry. There seemed to be a big stone on his chest, but Eddie continued to ride faster and faster, imagining that those scabbed hands would grab his arm at any time, pull him off the bicycle, and throw him on the side of the road. In the stinking ditch.Who knows what will happen there.Eddie had been riding through the missionary school until he came to junction 2 before he dared to look back.The tramp is gone. It was almost a week later, when Eddie was in the garage with Richie and Bill looking at the comics, that he told them about the horrific experience. "He's not leprosy, fool," Richie yelled, "He's got syphilis." Eddie looked at Bill to make sure Richie was joking—he'd never heard of it.Looks like Rich made it up. "It really is, Bill?" Bill nodded seriously. "What happens when you get that disease?" Eddie asked. "It's rotten." Richie replied firmly. Eddie's eyes widened in horror. 7 From that day on, the old house at No. 29 Nabert Street had a special brilliance in Eddie's heart.The barren courtyard, the collapsed porch, and the windows sealed with wooden boards all attracted him inexplicably. Six weeks ago, he pulled the car over the side of the road and walked across the grass to the porch of the old house. His heart was beating wildly, and his mouth was dry—he was in the same mood that Bill had been in when he walked into George's room.There is a magical force driving him that makes him unable to control himself. He clutched the asthma spray tightly in his hand, but strangely, his asthma did not attack that day.He felt that everything was still, only the old house seemed to be approaching him quietly along an invisible track. Eddie looked under the porch—it was empty.That's not surprising.It was spring, and the bums did not come to Derry until late September and early November.Here they can find odd jobs like digging potatoes, picking apples, repairing fences, barns, and roofing before the harsh winter sets in. Although there are no homeless people there, there are many traces of staying here: empty wine bottles, torn and dirty blankets piled up at the base of the wall like a dead dog, crumpled newspapers, an old shoe, It smells like garbage.There was a thick layer of leaves falling there. Although Eddie didn't want to do it, he couldn't help himself, and finally crawled under the porch.The pounding of his heart made him feel a little dizzy.The smell down there was awful—wine, sweat, and rotting leaves. Eddie covered his nose and gently pulled a stiff blanket aside with his fingers.A window of the cellar is behind.One pane of the window was broken, and the others were covered with dirt.In a daze, he leaned forward.Getting closer and closer to that window, closer and closer to the darkness of the cellar, smelling the old, dry musty smell, getting closer and closer to the darkness there.If his asthma came at this time, the leper would surely catch him.The painless fear gripped his chest tightly, and his breathing became rapid again. He drew back and saw the face.It appeared so suddenly and so startling that Eddie fell silent.It was a face with bulging eyes and torn lips.Not the bum with the rotten nose, but something like it.It's very similar.However... that couldn't be human.No one can be rotten like that and still be alive. The man's forehead was cracked to reveal thick white bones, and there was a layer of yellow sticky stuff on it, staring at him like a dim searchlight.Only a cartilage remains of the nose above the two blood-red nostrils.One blue eye was smiling, and the other was stuffed with a dark brown soft mass.The leper's lower lip was shriveled like an animal's liver.It has no upper lip at all, and a ring of teeth is exposed, as if mocking someone. One hand stuck out the broken window, the other smashed the glass on the left.Enduring the pain and groping, as if trying to grab something.All kinds of beetles crawled around. Eddie, out of breath, cried and stooped to back out.He could barely breathe and his heart was beating like an engine.The leper was dressed in tattered silver-white clothes, and his unkempt hair was full of bugs. "How about a blowjob, Eddie?" The ghost's voice was hoarse, grinning at him with the remaining half of its mouth.The ghost spoke in a cadenced tone. "Bobby costs a dime a time, and 15 cents for more time." The ghost winked. "It's me, Eddie—Bob Gray. Now that we've been introduced to each other..." He clapped a hand on Eddie's right shoulder.Eddie screamed. "Never mind," said the leper.Like a dream, Eddie watched in horror as the ghost crawled out.The bones of his forehead hit the window frame, and his hands desperately grabbed the dead leaves on the ground.Shoulders squeeze out.The blue eye stayed on Eddie's face. "I'm coming, Eddie, it's all right," said the Ghost hoarsely, "you'd love to come down with all of us. Some of your friends are here." The hand reached out again.艾迪吓得快疯了，在惊慌纷乱的思想的某个角落，艾迪突然清醒地意识到如果那东西碰到他的露在外面的皮肤，他就会开始腐烂。这个想法唤醒了他的已经麻木的思维。他迅速转过身朝门廊的另一端爬过去。阳光透过木板的缝隙晃在脸上，布满灰尘的蛛网挂在头上。他回过头，看见那个麻风病人已经爬出了半截。 “跑可对你没什么好处，艾迪。”那个麻风病人叫着。 艾迪爬到门廊的尽头。这里有一段格子围栏。他低下头，毫不犹豫地钻过去。外面是一片玫瑰花丛，艾迪跌跌撞撞地站起来，穿过花丛，甚至没有感觉到花刺扎在身上的疼痛。他弯着腿一边向后退着走，一边掏出哮喘喷雾剂，对准喉咙喷了些药。当真没有发作？他一直在想那个流浪汉，他的头脑中在……在（上演一处戏）放映一部电影，一部恐怖电影。That's all.是自己吓唬自己！真他妈的笨蛋！ 艾迪正要嘲笑自己，突然一双烂手从门廊下伸出来，狂怒地抓住玫瑰花丛，连根拔起。血一滴一滴流在花丛上。 艾迪尖声高叫。 那个麻风病人爬了出来。那人穿着小丑的衣服，胸前缀着一排硕大的扣子。它笑着看着艾迪，张开半张嘴，吐出舌头。艾迪吓得尖叫。那条舌头耷拉在外面，足有3英尺长，而且伸缩自如。箭头一样的舌头卷起泥土。黄色的黏液顺着舌头流下来，有臭虫在那黏液上爬来爬去。那簇刚刚露出一抹新绿的玫瑰花丛顿时枯死了。 “口交。”那个麻风病人低声说着，晃晃悠悠地站起来。 艾迪拼命朝他的自行车跑去，像上次一样。但这一次像在一场噩梦中，无论你多么使劲儿也跑不快……在那些梦里，你不是总听到、感觉到有一个幽灵在向你逼近？你不是总能闻到幽灵的恶臭的呼吸，就像艾迪现在闻到的味道一样？ 他突然有一个离奇的想法：也许这真是场噩梦。也许醒来的时候躺在自己的床上，一身冷汗，浑身颤抖，甚至还哭了……但是还活着。very safe.然后又甩掉这个想法。那种魅力是致命的，是死亡的诱惑。 他没有立刻跨上自行车，而推着车把往前跑。他感到自己快被淹死了，淹死在自己的胸口。 “口交，”那个麻风病人又低声在说，“随时回来，艾迪。带着你的朋友一起来。” 它那溃烂的手指好像触到他的后背。艾迪跳上车子，飞奔而去，没有在乎胸口的疼痛，没有在乎哮喘发作，也没有回头。直到回到家里，他才敢回过头来，只见到正准备去公园踢球的两个孩子。 那天晚上，他直挺挺地躺在床上，一直手里紧紧地握着他的哮喘喷雾剂，定定地看着周围的影子，耳边又响起那个麻风病人的低语：“跑可对你没有好处，艾迪。” 8 “哇！”理奇充满了敬佩。比尔讲完他的故事后，艾迪第一个说出了自己的经历。 “还、还有、有香、香、烟吗，理、理、理奇？” 理奇把最后一根烟递给比尔，给他点上火。 “你不是在做梦，比尔？”斯坦利突然问。 比尔突然头。“不、不、不是、梦。” “是真的。”艾迪低声说。 比尔突然看着他。“什、什、什么？” “我说，是真的。”艾迪生气地看着他。“真的发生过。是真的！” 艾迪无论控制自己——他还没有意识到自己要做什么——开始讲述从内伯特产街29号的地窖里爬出的那个麻风病人的故事。讲到一半时他就紧张得喘不过气来。到最后竟然又哭又叫，瘦弱的身体抖作一团。 大家都不安地看着他。斯坦利拍拍他的后背。比尔趁大家不注意时，不好意思地拥抱了他一下。 “没、没事、事了，艾迪。没事、事、事了。” “我也看到了。”班恩突然说。他的声音既平淡又刺耳，还有几分恐惧。 艾迪抬起头，脸上挂满泪痕，双眼红肿。 "what?" “我见到过那个小丑，”班恩说，“不过不像你说的那样——反正我见到的时候不是那样。他没有全身溃烂。他是……他是干的。”他顿了顿，低下头，看着自己的苍白的手。“我还以为他是具干尸。” “像电影里？”艾迪问。 “像，也不像，”班恩慢慢地说着，“电影里的看上去都很假。很恐怖，但是你看得出那是化妆的效果。那些绷带，看起来太整洁了。 但是这个家伙……看起来像真的干尸。金字塔的墓室里埋的那种。除了那身衣服。 " “什、什、什、么、衣、服？” 班恩看着艾迪。“胸前钉着一排橘黄色的大扣子，银白色的衣服。” 艾迪听得目瞪口呆。“要是你在开玩笑，就这么说。我还……还想着门廊下的那个麻风病人。” “不是开玩笑。”班恩说，接着开始讲他的遭遇。他慢慢地说着，没有看其他人，好像为自己的行为深感羞愧。直到讲完故事，他才抬起头。 “你肯定是做梦吧？”理奇还是很怀疑。他看到班恩有点退缩，又接着说：“我不是不信任你，班恩。但是谁都知道气球不可能像你说的那样，逆风飞行——” “相片也不会眨眼啊。”班恩说。 理奇看了看班恩，又看了看比尔，不知怎么说。指责班恩白日做梦是一回事；指责比尔则是另一回事。比尔是他们的头儿，大家都尊敬他。没人公开说过，也没有必要说。比尔是个有思想的人，无聊的时候他能想出可做的事情，他能记得别人都已经忘记的游戏。虽然说不清，但大家都感觉得到比尔身上有一些成年人才具备的东西——也许是责任感，在需要的时候，比尔会为大家担起责任。因此理奇相信比尔的故事，虽然那故事荒诞离奇。也许他不想相信班恩的故事…… 或者艾迪的故事。 “你从没遇到过那种事吗？”艾迪问理奇。 理奇摇摇头。 班恩又问：“那你呢，斯坦利？” “没有。”斯坦利说完就看着别处了。他那张小脸面无血色，紧紧抿着嘴唇。 “遇、遇、遇到过、这种、事吗，斯、斯坦、斯坦利？” “我说过了，没有！”斯坦利说着站起来，手插在兜里，走到河堤边上。他站在那里看着水流越过他们修的水坝，在第二道水闸后聚积起来。 “来吧，斯坦利！”理奇夹着嗓子，尖声尖气地模仿老太太说话的声音。“坦白地说出来，斯坦利，告诉老奶奶小丑的故事，我就奖给你一块巧克力饼。快说吧——” “闭嘴！”斯坦利突然转过身，冲着理奇嚎叫。吓得理奇倒退两步。“快闭嘴！” “好吧，老板。”理奇说着坐下了。他用怀疑的目光看着斯坦利。 斯坦利的脸憋得通红。但是看他那表情，与其说是生气，不如说是恐惧。 “没什么，”艾迪平静地说，“别放在心上，斯坦利。” “不是个小丑。”斯坦利开口了。他的眼睛看看这个，看看那个，好像在无望地挣扎。 “你、你、你说、说出来，”比尔也很冷静，“我、我、都说、说、说了。” “不是个小丑。是——” 这时突然传来了内尔先生的叫骂声：“万能的主啊，看看他们都干了些什么！上帝啊！”大家仿佛挨了一枪，噌地跳了起来。