Bag of Bones   ::   Кинг Стивен

Mccurdie’s had burned in the firesof ’33, I knew. I’d seen a picture of it in flames somewhere. As I seized the canvas, the tips of my fingers punching through and letting out a fresh billow of green and gassy stench, I could hear grunting. I could hear Devore. He’s lying on top o/her and grunting like a pig. Sara is semiconscious, muttering unintelligibly through bruised lips which are shiny with blood. Devore is looking back over his shoulder at Draper Finney and Fred Dean. They have raced after the boy and brought him back, but he won’t stop yelling, he’s yelling to beat the band, yelling to wake the dead, and if they can hear the Methodists singing “How I Love to ll the Story” over here, then they may be able to hear the yowling nigger over there.

Devore says “Put him in the water, shut him up.” The minute he says it, as though the words are magic words, his cock begins to stifn. “What do you mean?” Ben Merrill asks. “You know goddam well, “Jared says. He pants the words out, jerking his hips as he speaks. His narrow ass gleams in the afternoon light. “He seen us! I3u want to cut his throat, get his blood all over you? Fine by me. Here. Take my knij, be my guest!”

“N-No, Jared!” Ben cries in horror, actually seeming to cringe at the sight of the knij. He is finally ready. It takes him a little longer, that’s all, he ain’t a kid like these other ones. But now—!

Never mind her smart mouth, never mind her insolent way of laughing, never mind the whole township. Let them all show up and watch if they like. He slips it to her, what she’s wanted all along, what all her kind want. He slips it in and sinks it deep. He continues giving orders even as he rapes her. Up and down his ass goes, tick-tock, just like a cat’s tail. “Somebody take care of him! Or do you want to spend jrty years rotting in Shawshank because of a nigger boy’s tattle?” Ben seizes one of Kito Tidwell’s arms, Oren Peebles the other, but by the time they have dragged him as far as the embankment they have lost their heart.

Raping an uppity nigger woman with the gall to laugh at Jared when he jll down and split his britches is one thing. Drowning a scared kid like a kitten in a mud-puddle… that’s another one altogether. They loosen their grip, staring into each other’s haunted eyes, and Kito pulls jee. “Run, honey!” Sara cries. “Run away and get—"Jared clamps his hands around her throat and begins choking. The boy trips over his own berry bucket and thumps gracelessly to the ground. Harry and Draper recapture him easily.