THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FOG
1960
As Pete Jacob's stepped out, the fog immediately swallowed up his house and he could see nothing but the white blanket all around him. It gave him the weird feeling of being the last man in the world.
Suddenly Pete felt dizzy. Hie stomach did a flip-flop. He felt like a person in a falling elevator.
Then it passed and he walked on. The fog began to clear and Pete's eyes opened wide with fright, awe and wonder.
He was in the middle of the city.
But the nearest city was forty miles away!
But what a city! Pete had never seen anything like it.
Graceful buildings with high spires seemed to reach to the sky. People walked along on moving conveyer belts.
The cornerstone on a skyscraper read April 17, 2007. Pete had walked into the future. But how?
Suddenly Pete was frightened. Horribly, terribly, frightened.
He didn't belong here. He couldn't stay. He ran after the receding fog.
A policeman in a strange uniform called angrily. Strange cars that rode six inches or so off the ground narrowly missed hitting him. But Pete succeeded. He ran back into the fog and soon every-thing was blanked out.
Then the feeling came again. That weird feeling of falling... then the fog began to clear.
It looked like home...
Suddenly there was an earsplitting screech. He turned to see a huge prehistoric brontosaurus lumbering toward him. The desire to kill was in his small beady eyes.
Terrified, he ran into the fog again...
The next time the fog closes in on you and you hear hurried footsteps running through the white-ness... call out.
That would be Pete Jacobs, trying to find his side of the Fog...
Help the poor guy.
НЕЗНАКОМЕЦ
THE STRANGER
1960
Стивен КИНГ
Люди, места и вещи, том 1 (People, Places & Things vol.1), 1960
Kelso Black laughed.
He laughed until his sides were splitting and the bottle of cheap whiskey he held clenched in his hands slopped on the floor.
Dumb cops! It had been so easy. And now he had fifty grand in his pockets. The guard was dead—but it was his fault! He got in the way
With a laugh, Kelso Black raised the bottle to his lips. That was when he heard it. Footsteps on the stairs that led to the attic where he was holed up.
He drew his pistol. The door swung open.
The stranger wore a black coat and a hat pulled over his eyes.
“Hello, hello.” he said. “Kelso, I've been watching you. You please me immensely.” The stranger laughed and it sent a thrill of horror through him.
“Who are you?”
The man laughed again. “You know me. I know you. We made a pact about an hour ago, the moment you shot that guard.”
“Get out!” Black's voice rose shrilly. “Get out!” Get out!”
“It's time for you to come, Kelso” the stranger said softly “After all—we have a long way to go.”
The stranger took off his coat and hat. Kelso Black looked into that Face.
He screamed.
Kelso Black screamed and screamed and screamed.
But the stranger just laughed and in a moment, the room was silent. And empty.
But it smelled strongly of brimstone.
Never Look Behind You
Never Look Behind You
George Jacobs closing his office, when an old woman felt free to walk right in.
Hardly anyone walked through his door these days. The people hated him. For fifteen years he'd picked the people’s pockets clean of money. No one had ever been able to hook him on a charge. But back to our little story.
The old woman that came in had an ugly scar on her left cheek. Her clothes were mostly filthy rags and other crude material. Jacobs was counting his money.
"There! Fifty-thousand, nine hundred and seventy-three dollars and sixty-two cents."
Jacobs always liked to be precise.
"Indeed a lot of money," she spoke up. "Too bad you won't be able to spend it."
Jacobs turned around.
Why - who are you?" he asked in half surprise. "What right have you to spy on me?"The woman didn’t answer. She held up her bony hand. There was a flash of fire on his throat - and a scream. Then, with a final gurgle, George Jacobs died.
"I wonder what - or who - could have killed him?" said a young man.
"I’m glad he’s gone." said another.
That one was lucky.
He didn’t look behind him.
Never Look Behind You
THE END
Hotel at The end of The Road
Hotel at The end of The Road
By Stephen King
"Faster !" Tommy Riviere said. "Faster !"
"I’m hitting 85 now," Kelso Black said.
"The cops are right behind us,"Riviera said. "Put it up to 90." He leaned out the window. Behind the fleeing car was a police car, with siren wailling and red light flashing.
"I’m hitting the side road ahead," Black grunted. He turned the wheel and the car turned into the winding road-spraying gravel.
The uniformed policeman scratched his head. "Where did they go ?".
His partner frowned. "I don’t know. They just - disapeared ."
"Look," Black said. "Lights ahead."
"It’s a hotel," Riviera said wonderingly. "Out on this wagon track, a hotel ! If that don’t beat all ! The police’ll never look for us there."
Black, unheeding of the car’s tires, stamped on the brake. Riviera reached into the back seat and got a black bag. They walked in.
The hotel looked just like a scene out of the early 1900s.
Riviera rang the bell impatiently. An old man shuffled out. "We want a room," Black said.
The man stared at them silently.
"A room," Black repeated.
The man turned around to go back into his office.
"Look, old man," Tommy Riviera said. "I don’t take that from anybody." He pulled out his thirty-eight.
"Now you give us a room."
Hotel at The end of The Road
The man looked ready to keep going, but at last he said : "Room five. End of the hall."
He gave them no register to sign, so they went up. The room was barren except for an iron double bed, a cracked mirror, and soiled wallpaper.
"Aah, what a crummy joint," Black said in disgust. "I’ll bet there’s enough cockroaches here to fill a five-gallon can."
The next morning when Riviera woke up, he couldn’t get out of bed. He couldn’t move a muscle. He was paralyzed. Just then the old man came into view. He had a needle wich he put into Black’s arms.
"So you’re awake," he said. "My, my, you two are the first additions to my museum in twenty-five years. But you’ll be well preserved. And you won’t die.
"You’ll go with the rest of my collection of living museum. Nice specimens."
Tommy Riviera couldn’t even express his horror.
ПРОКЛЯТАЯ ЭКСПЕДИЦИЯ
THE CURSED EXPEDITION
1960
Стивен КИНГ
Люди, места и вещи, том 1 (People, Places & Things vol.1), 1960
“Well,” said Jimmy Keller, looking across to the gantry to where the rocket rested in the middle of the desert. A lonely wind blew across the desert, and Hugh Bullford said, “Yeah. It's about time to leave for Venus. Why? Why do we want to go to Venus?”
“I don't know,” Keller said. “I just don't know.”
The rocket ship touched down on Venus. Bullford checked the air and said in amazed tones,
“Why, it's good old type Earth air! Perfectly breathable.”
They went out, and it was Keller's turn for amazement. “Why, it's just like spring on earth! Every-thing's lush and green and beautiful. Why ...it's Paradise!”
They ran out. The fruits were exotic and delicious, the temperature perfect. When night fell, they slept outside.
“I'm going to call it the Garden of Eden,” said Keller enthusiastically.