“Bunca zamand\u0131r \u015f\u00fcphelendi\u011fim \u015fey”, diye s\u00f6ze ba\u015flad\u0131 Buckner. “Melez hizmet\u00e7i Joan, Bayan Celia’dan intikam\u0131n\u0131 alabilmek i\u00e7in kendini zuvambiye d\u00f6n\u00fc\u015ft\u00fcrd\u00fc\u011f\u00fc y\u00f6n\u00fcnde. Muhtemelen han\u0131m\u0131ndan nefret etti\u011fi gibi b\u00fct\u00fcn aileden nefret ediyordu. \u0130htiyar Jacob’un da dedi\u011fi gibi, ergenli\u011fe kadar kendi adas\u0131ndaki vudu t\u00f6renlerine kat\u0131lm\u0131\u015ft\u0131. \u0130htiyac\u0131 olan tek \u015fey Karanl\u0131k Kar\u0131\u015f\u0131md\u0131, onu da Jacob yapt\u0131. Bayan Celia’y\u0131 ve \u00fc\u00e7 b\u00fcy\u00fck k\u0131z\u0131 \u00f6ld\u00fcrd\u00fc, Elizabeth’i de \u00f6ld\u00fcrecekti ama \u015fansa ka\u00e7may\u0131 ba\u015fard\u0131. Bunca zamand\u0131r bu eski evde pusuya yatm\u0131\u015f bekliyor, t\u0131pk\u0131 y\u0131k\u0131nt\u0131lar\u0131n aras\u0131ndaki bir y\u0131lan gibi.”<\/p>\n
“\u0130yi de neden bir yabanc\u0131y\u0131 \u00f6ld\u00fcrs\u00fcn ki?”<\/p>\n
“\u0130htiyar Jacob’un ne dedi\u011fini duydun,” diye hat\u0131rlatt\u0131 Buckner. “Bir zuvambi insanlar\u0131n kan\u0131n\u0131 d\u00f6kmekten tatmin olur. Branner’\u0131 yukar\u0131 \u00e7a\u011f\u0131r\u0131p kafas\u0131n\u0131 yard\u0131 ve eline baltay\u0131 tutturdu, a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 inip seni \u00f6ld\u00fcrs\u00fcn diye. Hi\u00e7 bir mahkeme buna inanmaz ama e\u011fer cesedini \u00e7\u0131kar\u0131p g\u00f6sterirsek masumiyetini kan\u0131tlamak i\u00e7in yeterli kan\u0131t\u0131m\u0131z olur. Branner’\u0131 \u00f6ld\u00fcrd\u00fc\u011f\u00fcne dair benim ifademi de alacaklar. Jacob bir zuvambinin \u00f6ld\u00fcr\u00fclebilece\u011fini s\u00f6yledi, bu olay\u0131 rapor ederken detaylar\u0131 tamam\u0131yla yazmak zorunda de\u011filim.”<\/p>\n
“Geldi ve merdivenlerin korkulu\u011fundan bize bakt\u0131,” diye m\u0131r\u0131ldand\u0131 Griswell. “Ama neden merdivenden izlerini bulamad\u0131k?”<\/p>\n
“Belki hal\u00fcsinasyon g\u00f6rm\u00fc\u015fs\u00fcnd\u00fcr. Belki bir zuvambi ruhunu yans\u0131tabiliyordur, hay anas\u0131n\u0131! mant\u0131\u011f\u0131n \u00f6tesinde olan bir \u015feyi neden mant\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131za oturtmaya \u00e7al\u0131\u015f\u0131yoruz? N\u00f6betimize ba\u015flayal\u0131m.”<\/p>\n
Griswell istemsizce, “I\u015f\u0131\u011f\u0131 kapatma!” diye hiddetle \u00e7\u0131k\u0131\u015ft\u0131.\u00a0 Sonra devam etti: “Tabii. Kapat. Karanl\u0131kta olmal\u0131y\u0131z t\u0131pk\u0131”- biraz teredd\u00fct etti- ” t\u0131pk\u0131 Branner ile benim karanl\u0131kta yatt\u0131\u011f\u0131m\u0131z gece gibi.”<\/p>\n
Fakat oda karanl\u0131\u011fa g\u00f6m\u00fcld\u00fc\u011f\u00fcnde, korku bedenine hastal\u0131k gibi n\u00fcfuz etti. Tir tir titreyerek uzand\u0131, kalbi \u00f6yle sert at\u0131yordu ki bo\u011fulacakm\u0131\u015f gibi hissetti.<\/p>\n
“Bat\u0131 Hint Adalar\u0131 bu d\u00fcnyan\u0131n musibet deli\u011fi olmal\u0131”, diye homurdand\u0131 Buckner, battaniyesinde bir leke vard\u0131. “Zombileri duymu\u015ftum. Zuvambinin ne oldu\u011funa dair hi\u00e7 bir bilgim yoktu. Belli ki b\u00fcy\u00fcc\u00fc bir herifin kad\u0131nlar\u0131 \u00e7\u0131ld\u0131rtmak i\u00e7in haz\u0131rlad\u0131\u011f\u0131 bir kar\u0131\u015f\u0131m. Ama bu yinede di\u011fer olan \u015feyleri a\u00e7\u0131klamaz: hipnotize edici g\u00fc\u00e7ler, anormal uzun \u00f6m\u00fcr, cesetleri kontrol edebilme yetene\u011fi- hay\u0131r, bir zuvambi sadece deli bir kad\u0131n olamaz. Bu, bir insandan daha fazlas\u0131 ya da az\u0131, kara ormanlarda ve batakl\u0131klarda do\u011fa b\u00fcy\u00fcyle yarat\u0131lm\u0131\u015f bir canavar- eh, g\u00f6rece\u011fiz.”<\/p>\n
Sesi kesildi, sessizlikte Griswell kendi kalbinin g\u00fcmlemesini duydu. Karanl\u0131k orman\u0131n d\u0131\u015f\u0131nda, bir kurt \u00fcrk\u00fct\u00fcc\u00fc bir \u015fekilde uludu, bayku\u015flar ba\u011f\u0131r\u0131yordu.\u00a0 Sonra sessizlik yine simsiyah bir sis gibi \u00e7\u00f6kt\u00fc.<\/p>\n
Griswell battaniyenin \u00fczerinde d\u00fczg\u00fcn bi\u00e7imde yatmak i\u00e7in sava\u015f veriyordu. Zaman durmu\u015f gibiydi. Bo\u011fuluyormu\u015f hissine kap\u0131ld\u0131. Gerilim inan\u0131lmaz \u015fekilde b\u00fcy\u00fcyordu; da\u011f\u0131lan sinirlerini kontrol etmek i\u00e7in ortaya koydu\u011fu \u00e7aba uzuvlar\u0131n\u0131 ter i\u00e7inde b\u0131rakd\u0131. \u00c7enesi ac\u0131yana kadar kilitlenmi\u015f gibi di\u015flerini s\u0131kt\u0131 ve t\u0131rnaklar\u0131 avucunun derinliklerine do\u011fru kenetlenmi\u015fti.<\/p>\n
Neyi umdu\u011funu o da bilmiyordu. \u0130blis tekrar sald\u0131racakt\u0131, ama nas\u0131l?\u00a0 Vah\u015fet mi olurdu, tatl\u0131 bir \u0131sl\u0131k m\u0131, \u00e7\u0131plak ayaklar\u0131yla y\u0131llanm\u0131\u015f basamaklardan sessizce mi inerdi, yoksa karanl\u0131kta ani bir balta vuru\u015fuyla m\u0131 sald\u0131r\u0131rd\u0131? Onu mu se\u00e7erdi yoksa Buckner’\u0131? Yoksa Buckner \u00e7oktan \u00f6lm\u00fc\u015f m\u00fcyd\u00fc? Karanl\u0131kta hi\u00e7 bir \u015fey g\u00f6remiyordu ama onun d\u00fczenli nefes al\u0131\u015f veri\u015fini duyuyordu. G\u00fcneylilerin sinirleri \u00e7elikten olmal\u0131yd\u0131. Yoksa Buckner karanl\u0131k dar bir \u015feritle ayr\u0131lm\u0131\u015f vaziyette yan\u0131 ba\u015f\u0131nda m\u0131 nefes al\u0131yordu? \u0130blis bu hareketsiz ortamda \u00e7oktan sald\u0131r\u0131ya ge\u00e7mi\u015f ve \u015eerifin yerini alm\u0131\u015f olabilir miydi, hortlak gibi uzanm\u0131\u015f sald\u0131rmay\u0131 m\u0131 bekliyordu? – binlerce korkun\u00e7 d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcnce Griswell’e sald\u0131r\u0131p onu t\u0131rmal\u0131yordu.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hemen aya\u011fa kalk\u0131p, ba\u011f\u0131rmaz ve lanetli evden ko\u015farak \u00e7\u0131kmazsa delirece\u011fini hissetmeye ba\u015flad\u0131- dara\u011fac\u0131n\u0131n korkusu bile art\u0131k karanl\u0131kta orada yatmak i\u00e7in tutamazd\u0131 onu- Buckner’\u0131n nefes al\u0131\u015f veri\u015fleri birden bozuldu, Griswell kafas\u0131ndan a\u015fa\u011f\u0131 kaynar sular d\u00f6k\u00fcl\u00fcyormu\u015f gibi hissetti. Yukar\u0131dan bir yerden tuhaf, tatl\u0131 bir \u0131sl\u0131k sesi y\u00fckseldi…<\/p>\n
Griswell kontrol\u00fc kaybetti, akl\u0131n\u0131 i\u00e7ine \u00e7eken fiziksel karanl\u0131ktan daha derin bir karanl\u0131\u011fa s\u00fcr\u00fcklendi. Mutlak bo\u015flukta ge\u00e7en bir s\u00fcre\u00e7 vard\u0131, harekete ge\u00e7mek bilincini devreye sokman\u0131n ilk evresiydi (!). Deli gibi ko\u015fuyordu, inan\u0131lmaz derecede engebeli bir yolda t\u00f6kezleye t\u00f6kezleye. Her \u015fey karanl\u0131kt\u0131 ve o g\u00f6zlerini kapam\u0131\u015f ko\u015fuyordu. Hayal meyal evden ka\u00e7m\u0131\u015f olmas\u0131 gerekti\u011fini fark etti ve hatta belki gerilmi\u015f beyni \u00e7al\u0131\u015fmaya ba\u015flamadan \u00f6nce kilometrelerce ko\u015fmu\u015ftu. Umurunda de\u011fildi; hi\u00e7 i\u015flemedi\u011fi bir cinayet i\u00e7in dara\u011fac\u0131nda as\u0131lmak o deh\u015fet evine d\u00f6nme d\u00fc\u015f\u00fcncesinin yar\u0131s\u0131 kadar bile korkutmuyordu onu. G\u00fcc\u00fcn\u00fcn sonuna gelene kadar ka\u00e7ma d\u00fcrt\u00fcs\u00fc taraf\u0131ndan ele ge\u00e7irilmi\u015fti. Zihnindeki duman hen\u00fcz kalkmam\u0131\u015ft\u0131 ama donuk bir mucizenin de fark\u0131ndayd\u0131, y\u0131ld\u0131zlar\u0131 kara dallar\u0131n aras\u0131ndan g\u00f6remiyordu. Nereye gitti\u011fini g\u00f6rebilmeyi diledi. Bir tepeye t\u0131rman\u0131yormu\u015f gibi hissetti ki bu garipti \u00e7\u00fcnk\u00fc malikanenin \u00e7evresinin kilometrelerce d\u00fczl\u00fck oldu\u011funu biliyordu. Sonra \u00f6n\u00fcnde ve tepesinde belirsiz bir par\u0131lt\u0131 canland\u0131.<\/p>\n
Gittik\u00e7e rahats\u0131z edici bir simetriye b\u00fcr\u00fcnen kaya benzeri \u00e7\u0131k\u0131nt\u0131lar\u0131n \u00fczerine do\u011fru ilerliyordu. Sonra bir sesin kulaklar\u0131n\u0131 etkisi alt\u0131na ald\u0131\u011f\u0131n\u0131 fark edince deh\u015fete kap\u0131ld\u0131- garip, alayc\u0131 bir \u0131sl\u0131kt\u0131. Ses b\u00fct\u00fcn duman\u0131 al\u0131p g\u00f6t\u00fcrd\u00fc. Neden, neydi bu? Neredeydi? Uyan\u0131\u015f ve fark edi\u015f bir kasab\u0131n \u00e7arp\u0131c\u0131 darbesi gibi indi.<\/p>\n\t\n
“What I’ve suspected all the time,” answered Buckner. “That mulatto maid Joan turned zuvembie to avenge herself on Miss Celia. Probably hated the whole family as much as she did her mistress. She’d taken part in voodoo ceremonies on her native island until she was ‘ripe,’ as old Jacob said. All she needed was the Black Brew-he supplied that. She killed Miss Celia and the three older girls, and would have gotten Elizabeth but for chance. She’s been lurkin’ in this old house all these years, like a snake in a ruin.”<\/p>\n
“But why should she murder a stranger?”<\/p>\n
“You heard what old Jacob said,” reminded Buckner. “A zuvembie finds satisfaction in the slaughter of humans. She called Branner up the stair and split his head and stuck the hatchet in his hand, and sent him downstairs to murder you. No court will ever believe that, but if we can produce her body, that will be evidence enough to prove your innocence. My word will be taken, that she murdered Branner. Jacob said a zuvembie could be killed… in reporting this affair I don’t have to be too accurate in detail.”<\/p>\n
“She came and peered over the balustrade of the stair at us,” muttered Griswell. “But why didn’t we find her tracks on the stair?”<\/p>\n
“Maybe you dreamed it. Maybe a zuvembie can project her spirit-hell! why try to rationalize something that’s outside the bounds of rationality? Let’s begin our watch.”<\/p>\n
“Don’t turn out the light!” exclaimed Griswell involuntarily. Then he added: “Of course. Turn it out. We must be in the dark as”-he gagged a bit-“as Branner and I were.”<\/p>\n
But fear like a physical sickness assailed him when the room was plunged in darkness. He lay trembling and his heart beat so heavily he felt as if he would suffocate.<\/p>\n
“The West Indies must be the plague spot of the world,” muttered Buckner, a blur on his blankets. “I’ve heard of zombies. Never knew before what a zuvembie was. Evidently some drug concocted by the voodoo-men to induce madness in women. That doesn’t explain the other things, though: the hypnotic powers, the abnormal longevity, the ability to control corpses-no, a zuvembie can’t be merely a mad-woman. It’s a monster, something more and less than a human being, created by the magic that spawns in black swamps and jungles-well, we’ll see.”<\/p>\n
His voice ceased, and in the silence Griswell heard the pounding of his own heart. Outside in the black woods a wolf howled eerily, and owls hooted. Then silence fell again like a black fog.<\/p>\n
Griswell forced himself to lie still on his blankets. Time seemed at a standstill. He felt as if he were choking. The suspense was growing unendurable; the effort he made to control his crumbling nerves bathed his limbs in sweat. He clenched his teeth until his jaws ached and almost locked, and the nails of his fingers bit deeply into his palms.<\/p>\n
He did not know what he was expecting. The fiend would strike again-but how? Would it be a horrible, sweet whistling, bare feet stealing down the creaking steps, or a sudden hatchet-stroke in the dark? Would it choose him or Buckner? Was Buckner already dead? He could see nothing in the blackness, but he heard the man’s steady breathing. The Southerner must have nerves of steel. Or was that Buckner breathing beside him, separated by a narrow strip of darkness? Had the fiend already struck in silence, and taken the sheriff’s place, there to lie in ghoulish glee until it was ready to strike?-a thousand hideous fancies assailed Griswell tooth and claw.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He began to feel that he would go mad if he did not leap to his feet, screaming, and burst frenziedly out of that accursed house-not even the fear of the gallows could keep him lying there in the darkness any longer-the rhythm of Buckner’s breathing was suddenly broken, and Griswell felt as if a bucket of ice-water had been poured over him. From somewhere above them rose a sound of weird, sweet whistling…<\/p>\n
Griswell’s control snapped, plunging his brain into darkness deeper than the physical blackness which engulfed him. There was a period of absolute blankness, in which a realization of motion was his first sensation of awakening consciousness. He was running, madly, stumbling over an incredibly rough road. All was darkness about him, and he ran blindly. Vaguely he realized that he must have bolted from the house, and fled for perhaps miles before his overwrought brain began to function. He did not care; dying on the gallows for a murder he never committed did not terrify him half as much as the thought of returning to that house of horror. He was overpowered by the urge to run-run-run as he was running now, blindly, until he reached the end of his endurance. The mist had not yet fully lifted from his brain, but he was aware of a dull wonder that he could not see the stars through the black branches. He wished vaguely that he could see where he was going. He believed he must be climbing a hill, and that was strange, for he knew there were no hills within miles of the Manor. Then above and ahead of him a dim glow began.<\/p>\n
He scrambled toward it, over ledge-like projections that were more and more taking on a disquieting symmetry. Then he was horror-stricken to realize that a sound was impacting on his ears-a weird mocking whistle. The sound swept the mists away. Why, what was this? Where was he? Awakening and realization came like the stunning stroke of a butcher’s maul.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pigeons From Hell","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,140],"tags":[621,608,622],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3110"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3110\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/herkafadanses.com\/en_us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}