Мгла
The First Night.
Sheopeneditalittlewayandthrewthebucketout.Itlandedonitssideandrolledbackandforthinever-decreasingarcs.Oneofthepinkthingsbuzzedoutofthenight,landedonthefloorpail,andbegantocrawloverit.
Amandaburstintotears.Iwalkedoverandputanarmaroundhershoulders.
AtonethirtythefollowingmorningIwassittingwithmybackagainstthewhiteenamelsideofthemeatcounterinasemidoze.Billy’sheadwasinmylap.Hewassolidlyasleep.NotfarawayAmandaDumfrieswassleepingwithherheadpillowedonsomeone’sjacket.
Notlongaftertheflamingdeathofthebird-thing,OllieandIhadgonebackouttothestorageareaandhadgathereduphalfadozenofthepadssuchastheoneI’dcoveredBillywithearlier.Severalpeopleweresleepingonthese.Wehadalsobroughtbackseveralheavycratesoforangesandpears,andfourofusworkingtogetherhadbeenabletoswingthemtothetopsofthelawn-foodbagsinfrontoftheholeintheglass.Thebird-creatureswouldhaveatoughtimeshiftingoneofthosecrates;theyweighedaboutninetypoundseach.
Butthebirdsandthebuglikethingsthebirdsateweren’ttheonlythingsoutthere.TherewasthetentacledthingthathadtakenNorm.Therewasthefrayedclotheslinetothinkabout.Therewastheunseenthingthathadutteredthatlow,gutturalroartothinkabout.
