Мгла
The First Night.
NowIcouldseewhathadfrightenedtheguyfromhispost.Icouldn’ttellwhatitwas,butIcouldseeit.ItlookedlikeoneoftheminorcreaturesinaBoschpainting-oneofhishellaciousmurals.Therewassomethingalmosthorriblycomicaboutit,too,becauseitalsolookedalittlelikeoneofthosestrangecreationsofvinylandplasticyoucanbuyfor$1.89tospringonyourfriends...infact,exactlythesortofthingNortonhadaccusedmeofplantinginthestoragearea.
Itwasmaybetwofeetlong,segmented,thepinkishcolorofburnedfleshthathashealedover.Bulbouseyespeeredintwodifferentdirectionsatoncefromtheendsofshort,limberstalks.Itclungtothewindowonfatsucker-pads.Fromtheoppositeendthereprotrudedsomethingthatwaseitherasexualorganorastinger.Andfromitsbacktheresproutedoversized,membranouswings,likethewingsofahousefly.TheyweremovingveryslowlyasOllieandIapproachedtheglass.
Attheloopholetotheleftofus,wherethemanhadmadethedisgustedcawingsound,threeofthethingswerecrawlingontheglass.Theymovedsluggishlyacrossit,leavingstickysnailtrailsbehindthem.Theireyes-ifthatiswhattheywere-joggledontheendofthefinger-thickstalks.Thebiggestwasmaybefourfeetlong.Attimestheycrawledrightovereachother.
"Lookatthosegoddamthings,"TomSmalleysaidinasickenedvoice.Hewasstandingattheloopholeonourright.Ididn’treply.Thebugswereallovertheloopholesnow,whichmeanttheywereprobablycrawlingalloverthebuilding...
