Вино из одуванчиков

           Mother’svoicewasstrained,high."Healwayscomesthroughhere.Itellhimnotto,butthosedarnedkids,theycomethroughhereanyway.Somenighthe’llcomethroughandnevercomeoutagain—"

           Nevercomeoutagain.Thatcouldmeananything.Tramps.Criminals.Darkness.Accident.Mostofalldeath!

           Aloneintheuniverse.

           Therewereamillionsmalltownslikethisallovertheworld.Eachasdark,aslonely,eachasremoved,asfullofshudderingandwonder.Thereedyplayingofminor-keyviolinswasthesmalltowns’music,withnolights,butmanyshadows.Oh,thevastswellinglonelinessofthem.Thesecretdampravinesofthem.Lifewasahorrorlivedinthematnight,whenatallsidessanity,marriage,children,happiness,werethreatenedbyanogrecalledDeath.

           Motherraisedhervoiceintothedark."Doug!Douglas!"

           Suddenlybothofthemrealizedsomethingwaswrong.

           Thecricketshadstoppedchirping.Silencewascomplete.

           Neverinhislifeasilencelikethisone.Onesoutterlycomplete.Whyshouldthecricketscease?Why?Whatreason?They’dneverstoppedeverbefore.Notever.

           Unless.Unless—

           Somethingwasgoingtohappen.

           Itwasasifthewholeravinewastensing,bunchingtogetheritsblackfibers,drawinginpowerfromsleepingcountrysidesallabout,formilesandmiles.