Cycle of the Werewolf (JULY)
Cycle of the Werewolf
JULY
They canceled the Fourth of July. No one cares that much when Marty Coslaw tells his friends that they canceled the Fourth of July. Maybe they don’t care because they do not understand how important the Fourth of July is to Marty.
“Don’t be silly,” his mother tells him impatiently - she is frequently impatient with him. When she justifies her impatience to herself, she tells herself that she will not treat her son differently only because he is disabled. She will not treat him like a child only because he will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
“Wait until next year!” his dad tells him. “Ha-ha, so you finally didn't get something you wanted!” his big sister says when he tries to tell her how sad he is that the Fourth of July has been canceled. This night is very special to him. The fireworks over the town park, the pops of brightness followed by the loud KER-WHAMP! sounds of the explosions.
Kate is thirteen. And Marty is ten. She believes that everyone loves Marty just because he can’t walk. She is very happy that the fireworks have been canceled. Even Marty’s grandfather tells him to stop complaining - and Marty’s grandfather usually has lots of sympathy for him. “They are only canceling the fireworks. And you know why.”
Marty knows why they are canceling the fireworks. The killer, that’s why. The stories in the papers are calling him the Full Moon Killer. But Marty’s friends at school are saying that the Full Moon Killer wasn’t a real man at all. They think he is a supernatural creature. A werewolf, maybe.
Marty doesn’t believe that. Werewolves were only in the movies. But he thinks there could be a crazy person out there who uses the full moon to kill. The fireworks have been canceled because of the curfew. No one is allowed to be out of their houses past 6:00 pm.
For Marty, who could not run or ski, or climb or play football, just thinking about the fireworks made a big difference for him. Thinking about the warm summer night, a cold Coke in his hand, the lights in the sky, the explosions, the noise. That is what Marty lived for the whole year.
But now they have canceled the fireworks. It does not matter what other people are saying. For Marty it feels like they have canceled his Fourth of July. Only his uncle Al understood. He was visiting his sister, Marty’s mother, for the holiday. Uncle Al had listened to Marty complaining that afternoon after lunch.
Marty had told him and was worried what Uncle Al was going to say. “Do you see what I mean? Do you understand? It doesn’t have anything to do with being in a wheelchair, like Katie says. It’s just not fair, when you look forward to something for so long… Not when it’s something you really need. Do you get it?”
Marty waited very anxiously while Uncle Al considered his question. Finally, Uncle Al said quietly, “Sure I understand. I get it. And I bought something for you. Maybe you can make your own Fourth.” “My own Fourth? What do you mean?” “Come on out to my car, Marty. I’ve got something… well, I’ll show you.”
Before Marty could say anything, Uncle Al was walking away towards the front of the house. Marty followed him. The batteries in his wheelchair made a soft whirring sound. The sound did not bother him anymore. It was part of his existence now.
Uncle Al’s car was an expensive Mercedes convertible. Marty knew his parents did not like the car (“It’s a fifty-thousand-dollar accident waiting to happen,” his mother says). But Marty loves the car. Once Uncle Al had taken him for a ride along some of the smaller roads in the country. They had driven very fast down the small roads!
Uncle Al did not tell Marty how fast they were going. “If you don’t know, you won’t be scared,” Uncle Al had said. But Marty had not been scared. He could not sleep that night because he had been so excited by the drive.
Uncle Al opened the car door and took something from the front passenger seat. Marty arrived in his wheelchair and stopped. Uncle Al put a large paper bag on his skinny legs. “Here you go, kid. Happy Fourth of July.”
The first thing Marty saw when he looked in the bag was the exotic Chinese writing on the package label. Then he saw what was inside, and his heart began to fly! The package was full of fireworks! “The ones that look like pyramids are Twizzers,” Uncle Al said.
Marty wanted to say something, but he could not speak, he was so happy. “Just light the fuses, put them on the ground, and they shoot colored sparks into the night. The tubes with the thin sticks - those are bottle rockets.
Put them in an empty Coke bottle and up they go. The little ones are fountains. There are two Roman candles. And of course, there’s a pack of firecrackers. But you should only use those tomorrow.”
When Uncle Al said those last words, he made a movement with his head toward the house where Marty’s mother and father were - he knew they would not like the present he had given Marty. “Thank you!” Marty was finally able to say. “Thank you, Uncle Al!” “Just don’t tell anyone where you got them,” Uncle Al said.
“Right! Of course!” Marty answered. “But are you sure you don’t want them, Uncle Al?” asked Marty. “That’s okay. I can get some more later,” Uncle Al answered. “I know a guy in the next town who will be selling them until late tonight.”
He put his hand on Marty’s head. “This is your Fourth. Don’t light any of the noisy fireworks or you will wake up everyone in the house. And for Christ’s sake, don’t blow your hand off, or your mother will never talk to me again.”
Then Uncle Al laughed and got into his car and started it. The engine made a loud roaring sound. He waved to Marty and raced off down the road. Marty didn’t even have time to thank him again. He sat there for a moment watching his uncle drive away. He tried not to cry.
Then he put the pack of fireworks under his shirt and buzzed back to the house and up to his room. In his mind he was already waiting for night to come and for everyone to be asleep. He is the first one to go to bed that night. His mother comes in and kisses him goodnight.
“Are you okay, Marty?” she asks. “Yes, mom.” She pauses. She is about to say something, but she changes her mind. She leaves. Later his sister comes in. She does not kiss him. She comes close to his bed. She whispers, “See? You don’t always get what you want just because you’re disabled.”
“You might be surprised what I get,” he says. She looks at him for a moment with suspicion before she leaves. His father comes in last and sits on Marty’s bed. “Is everything okay, big guy? You’re in bed early. Really early.” “I’m just feeling a little tired, daddy.”
“Okay.” He touches his head and stands up. “I’m sorry about the fireworks. You’ll just have to wait until next year.” His father leaves and Marty smiles a small, secret smile. And now he begins to wait for the rest of the house to go to bed.
It takes a long time. He can hear the sound of the TV in the living room. He can hear his mother talking on the phone with a friend. He can hear her wish someone a happy Fourth of July. Yes, she says, it is too bad they canceled the fireworks show. But she thought that, under the circumstances, everyone can understand why.
Every now and then, as eight o’clock becomes nine o’clock, he puts his hand under his pillow to make sure the bag of fireworks is still there. Around ten-thirty, when the moon is high in the sky, and its warm silver light fills his room, the house is silent.
He waits for a while longer. He must have fallen asleep, because when he looks, the moonlight has changed - it is brighter and it has moved across his room. He touches the wonderful bag of fireworks under his pillow again.
He takes the bag out. He puts his pajama shirt into his pajama pants and puts the bag of fireworks and a book of matches into his shirt. Now he prepares to get out of bed.
Getting out of bed is an operation for Marty. But it is not a painful operation, like people sometimes think it is. There is no feeling in his legs, so he cannot feel any pain. He puts his hand on the wooden back of the bed and pulls himself into a sitting position.
Then he pushes his legs over the side of the bed, one by one. He does this movement using only one hand. The other hand holds a bar that his parents installed in his room. The metal bar is on all four walls of his room.
One time he tried moving his legs with both hands and he fell off the bed and onto the floor. The sound of the crash caused everyone in the house to come running into his room. “You stupid show-off!” Katie yelled at him. She helped pick him up and put him in his chair.
He did not hurt himself too much. He had a cut on his forehead and his lip was bleeding. “Do you want to kill yourself? Well?” Katie had said, and she ran out of the room crying.
Now he is sitting on the side of his bed. He dries his hands on his shirt. Then he uses the bar to pull himself hand-over-hand to his wheelchair. His legs are useless. They are dead weight. He pulls them behind him. The moonlight is very bright now. There are shadows all over his room from the silver light.
The brakes are set on his wheelchair. He lifts himself up with confidence into the seat. He pauses for a moment to rest. He listens. There is no sound in the house. Do not use the fireworks that make noise, Uncle Al had told him. Marty agrees with him now.
No loud fireworks tonight. He will make this Fourth of July his own personal Fourth, and no one will know. No one will know until tomorrow when they will all find the burned pieces of Twizzers and fountains on the veranda. But it will not matter tomorrow.
He takes the brake off his chair and turns on the power. The little yellow light, the one that says the battery is charged, is bright in the dark room. Marty pushes RIGHT TURN. The chair rotates right. When it is facing the veranda doors, he pushes FORWARD. The chair rolls forward, humming quietly.
Marty unlocks the veranda doors and pushes FORWARD again. He rolls outside and onto the veranda. He opens the wonderful bag of fireworks and then pauses for a moment. He is fascinated by the summer night. He listens to the chirping of the crickets.
There is a pleasant aroma on the wind. The wind moves through the leaves of the trees. The moon is shining an unbelievable silver in the night sky. Marty cannot wait any longer. He puts his hand in the bag and takes out a snake.
He lights a match and then lights the fuse of the snake. He watches in silence. He is fascinated. The snake burns with a green-blue fire. It grows magically, spinning and throwing flames from its tail. The Fourth, he thinks. His eyes are bright in the night. The Fourth, the Fourth. Happy Fourth of July to me!
The bright flame begins to burn low. It flickers and then it goes out. Marty lights one of the triangular twizzers and watches it as a fountain of yellow fire shoots from the top. Before it can go out, he lights a second twizzer that shoots a dark red flame, like the roses that grow next to the fence.
Now there is a wonderful smell of burned powder. The smell fills the night. The wind moves the smell slowly away. He puts his hand back in the bag and pulls out the packet of firecrackers next. He has opened the packet before he realizes that he cannot light them.
The noise they would make, like a machine gun pop, would wake up the whole neighborhood! Fire, alarm, tragedy! If he lit the firecrackers, he would be in trouble until Christmas for sure. He leaves the Black Cat firecrackers on his legs, and puts his hand back into the bag.
He closes his hand on the biggest twizzer of all - a World Class Twizzer! He lights the fuse with a sense of happiness and fear, and then he throws it. Red light as bright as hellfire fills the night…
And it is in this blood-red light that Marty sees movement. At the end of the veranda, under the trees in the distance, the bushes begin to move. Slowly a dark shape moves the leaves apart. There is a low noise, like a cough and a snarl. The Beast appears.
It stands for a moment under the trees. It smells the air. And then it begins to move up the grass to where Marty sits in his wheelchair. Marty’s eyes are open wide. He tries to push himself into the back of his chair.
The Beast is leaning forward, but it is clearly walking on its two back legs. It is walking the way a man walks. The red light from the twizzer flashes in its green eyes. It moves slowly. Its nose is testing the air. It smells prey. It can smell that its prey is weak.
Marty can smell it - he can smell its fur, its sweat, its violence and ferocity. It makes the grunting noise again. Its lip, the color of liver, pulls back to show its teeth. They are sharp and long. Its fur is painted a silver-red in the mixed light of the moon and the twizzer.
It has almost reached him. Its hands are claws. They are so like-unlike human hands. They are reaching for his throat. Then the boy remembers the packet of Black Cat firecrackers in his lap. He does not realize what he does. He takes a match and lights it. He touches the flame to the master fuse.
The fuse burns with bright light. It burns the back of his hand. The werewolf is surprised and steps backwards. It makes a sound that is like a grunt that is also a question. Like its hands, the sound is almost human. Marty throws the packet of firecrackers in its face.
They explode in noise and light. There is a sequence of explosions, one pop-pop-pop after another. The Beast screams in a roar of pain and anger. It steps backwards, almost falling. It reaches up to its face to push away the fire and pain in its face.
Marty sees one of its green eyes explode as four firecrackers burst at the same time with a terrible KA-POW! Now the Beast screams in pure agony. Its claws pull at its face. It roars again. The lights in Marty’s house begin to come on.
The Beast turns and runs back down the grass towards the trees. There is the smell of burnt fur in the air now. Marty can hear someone in the house yelling, “What was that?” It is his mother’s voice. Her voice is not impatient - it is terrified.
“Who’s there, goddammit?” His father is also scared, but he is also angry. “Marty? Is that you?” That is his sister Kate. Her voice does not sound mean at all now. “Marty, are you okay?” Marty sits in his wheelchair as the big red twizzer burns bright, then goes out.
Marty is too shocked and scared to cry. But his shock is not a terrible emotion. He feels excited at the same time. The next day, his parents pack a suitcase with some of his clothes. They follow the police’s suggestion and take Marty away for the rest of the summer. The Full Moon Killer might try to kill Marty again, they say.
Marty feels exhilarated. It is stronger than the shock he feels. He has looked into the terrible face of the Beast and he lived. There is also a simple joy in him. A quiet joy he will never be able to communicate to anyone. Not even to Uncle Al. He feels the joy because the fireworks happened after all.
Marty’s parents were very worried that their son would be traumatized from his experience. But for Marty, the experience confronting the Beast would live in his heart forever. And he believed that because of his experience, it had been the best Fourth of all.
JULY
Cycle of the Werewolf
Ciclo do lobisomem
JULY
Julho
They canceled the Fourth of July.
Eles cancelaram o 4 de Julho.
No one cares that much when Marty Coslaw tells his friends that they canceled the Fourth of July.
Ninguém se importa muito quando Marty Coslaw diz a seus amigos que eles cancelaram o 4 de Julho.
Maybe they don’t care because they do not understand how important the Fourth of July is to Marty.
Talvez eles não se importem porque não entendem o quão importante é o 4 de Julho para Marty.
“Don’t be silly,” his mother tells him impatiently - she is frequently impatient with him.
“Não seja bobo”, sua mãe lhe diz com impaciência - ela frequentemente fica impaciente com ele.
When she justifies her impatience to herself, she tells herself that she will not treat her son differently only because he is disabled.
Ao justificar sua impaciência para si mesma, ela diz a si mesma que não tratará o filho de maneira diferente apenas porque ele é deficiente.
She will not treat him like a child only because he will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair.
Ela não o tratará como uma criança apenas porque ele passará o resto da vida em uma cadeira de rodas.
“Wait until next year!” his dad tells him.
“Espere até o ano que vem!” seu pai lhe diz.
“Ha-ha, so you finally didn't get something you wanted!”
"Ha-ha, então você finalmente não conseguiu algo que queria!"
his big sister says when he tries to tell her how sad he is that the Fourth of July has been canceled.
sua irmã mais velha diz quando ele tenta dizer a ela como está triste porque o 4 de julho foi cancelado.
This night is very special to him.
Esta noite é muito especial para ele.
The fireworks over the town park, the pops of brightness followed by the loud KER-WHAMP! sounds of the explosions.
Os fogos de artifício sobre o parque da cidade, os estalos de brilho seguidos pelos altos sons de KER-WHAMP! das explosões.
Kate is thirteen.
Kate tem treze anos.
And Marty is ten.
E Marty tem dez anos.
She believes that everyone loves Marty just because he can’t walk.
Ela acredita que todo mundo ama Marty só porque ele não consegue andar.
She is very happy that the fireworks have been canceled.
Ela está muito feliz que os fogos de artifício foram cancelados.
Even Marty’s grandfather tells him to stop complaining - and Marty’s grandfather usually has lots of sympathy for him.
Até o avô de Marty diz para ele parar de reclamar - e o avô de Marty geralmente tem muita simpatia por ele.
“They are only canceling the fireworks.
“Eles estão apenas cancelando os fogos de artifício.
And you know why.”
E você sabe por quê.
Marty knows why they are canceling the fireworks.
“Eles estão apenas cancelando os fogos de artifício.
The killer, that’s why.
O assassino, é por isso.
The stories in the papers are calling him the Full Moon Killer.
As histórias nos jornais o chamam de Assassino da Lua Cheia.
But Marty’s friends at school are saying that the Full Moon Killer wasn’t a real man at all.
Mas os amigos de escola de Marty estão dizendo que o Assassino da Lua Cheia não era um homem de verdade.
They think he is a supernatural creature.
Eles acham que ele é uma criatura sobrenatural.
A werewolf, maybe.
Um lobisomem, talvez.
Marty doesn’t believe that.
Marty não acredita nisso.
Werewolves were only in the movies.
Lobisomens só existiam nos filmes.
But he thinks there could be a crazy person out there who uses the full moon to kill.
Mas ele acha que pode haver um louco por aí que usa a lua cheia para matar.
The fireworks have been canceled because of the curfew.
Os fogos de artifício foram cancelados por causa do toque de recolher.
No one is allowed to be out of their houses past 6:00 pm.
Ninguém pode sair de casa depois das 18h.
For Marty, who could not run or ski, or climb or play football,
Para Marty, que não conseguia correr, esquiar, escalar ou jogar futebol,
just thinking about the fireworks made a big difference for him.
apenas pensar nos fogos de artifício fez uma grande diferença para ele.
Thinking about the warm summer night, a cold Coke in his hand, the lights in the sky, the explosions, the noise.
Pensando na noite quente de verão, uma Coca gelada na mão, as luzes no céu, as explosões, o barulho.
That is what Marty lived for the whole year.
É por isso que Marty esperava o ano inteiro.
But now they have canceled the fireworks.
Mas agora eles cancelaram os fogos de artifício.
It does not matter what other people are saying.
Não importa o que as outras pessoas estão dizendo.
For Marty it feels like they have canceled his Fourth of July.
Para Marty, parece que eles cancelaram seu 4 de julho.
Only his uncle Al understood.
Apenas seu tio Al entendia.
He was visiting his sister, Marty’s mother, for the holiday.
Ele estava visitando sua irmã, a mãe de Marty, no feriado.
Uncle Al had listened to Marty complaining that afternoon after lunch.
Tio Al tinha ouvido Marty reclamar naquela tarde depois do almoço.
Marty had told him and was worried what Uncle Al was going to say.
Marty havia contado a ele e estava preocupado com o que tio Al diria.
“Do you see what I mean?
“Você vê o que quero dizer?
Do you understand?
Você entende?
It doesn’t have anything to do with being in a wheelchair, like Katie says.
Não tem nada a ver com estar em uma cadeira de rodas, como diz Katie.
It’s just not fair, when you look forward to something for so long…
Não é justo, quando você espera por algo por tanto tempo...
Not when it’s something you really need.
Não quando é algo que você realmente precisa.
Do you get it?”
Você entende?"
Marty waited very anxiously while Uncle Al considered his question.
Marty esperou ansiosamente enquanto tio Al considerava sua pergunta.
Finally, Uncle Al said quietly, “Sure I understand.
Finalmente, Tio Al disse baixinho, “Claro que entendo.
I get it.
Entendo.
And I bought something for you.
E eu comprei algo para você.
Maybe you can make your own Fourth.”
Talvez você possa fazer seu próprio dia 4.
“My own Fourth?
“Meu próprio dia 4?
What do you mean?”
O que você quer dizer?"
“Come on out to my car, Marty.
“Venha para o meu carro, Marty.
I’ve got something… well, I’ll show you.”
Eu tenho uma coisa... bem, vou te mostrar.
Before Marty could say anything, Uncle Al was walking away towards the front of the house.
Antes que Marty pudesse dizer qualquer coisa, tio Al estava se afastando em direção à frente da casa.
Marty followed him.
Marty o seguiu.
The batteries in his wheelchair made a soft whirring sound.
As baterias em sua cadeira de rodas faziam um zumbido suave.
The sound did not bother him anymore.
O som não o incomodava mais.
It was part of his existence now.
Fazia parte de sua existência agora.
Uncle Al’s car was an expensive Mercedes convertible.
O carro do tio Al era um caro Mercedes conversível.
Marty knew his parents did not like the car
Marty sabia que seus pais não gostavam do carro
(“It’s a fifty-thousand-dollar accident waiting to happen,” his mother says).
(“É um acidente de cinquenta mil dólares esperando para acontecer”, diz sua mãe).
But Marty loves the car.
Mas Marty adora o carro.
Once Uncle Al had taken him for a ride along some of the smaller roads in the country.
Certa vez, tio Al o levou para passear por algumas das estradas menores do interior.
They had driven very fast down the small roads!
Eles dirigiram muito rápido pelas pequenas estradas!
Uncle Al did not tell Marty how fast they were going.
Tio Al não disse a Marty a que velocidade eles estavam indo.
“If you don’t know, you won’t be scared,” Uncle Al had said.
“Se você não sabe, não vai ter medo”, disse tio Al.
But Marty had not been scared.
Mas Marty não tinha medo.
He could not sleep that night because he had been so excited by the drive.
Ele não conseguiu dormir naquela noite porque estava muito animado com a viagem.
Uncle Al opened the car door and took something from the front passenger seat.
Tio Al abriu a porta do carro e pegou algo no banco do carona.
Marty arrived in his wheelchair and stopped.
Marty chegou em sua cadeira de rodas e parou.
Uncle Al put a large paper bag on his skinny legs.
Tio Al colocou um grande saco de papel em suas pernas magras.
“Here you go, kid. Happy Fourth of July.”
“Aqui está, garoto. Feliz 4 de julho.
The first thing Marty saw when he looked in the bag was the exotic Chinese writing on the package label.
A primeira coisa que Marty viu quando olhou na sacola foi a exótica escrita chinesa no rótulo da embalagem.
Then he saw what was inside, and his heart began to fly!
Então ele viu o que havia dentro e seu coração começou a voar!
The package was full of fireworks!
O pacote estava cheio de fogos de artifício!
“The ones that look like pyramids are Twizzers,” Uncle Al said.
“Aqueles que parecem pirâmides são Twizzers”, disse Tio Al.
Marty wanted to say something, but he could not speak, he was so happy.
Marty queria dizer alguma coisa, mas não conseguia falar, de tão feliz que estava.
“Just light the fuses, put them on the ground, and they shoot colored sparks into the night.
“Apenas acenda os pavios, coloque-os no chão e eles disparam faíscas coloridas na noite.
The tubes with the thin sticks - those are bottle rockets.
Os tubos com as hastes finas - esses são foguetes de garrafa.
Put them in an empty Coke bottle and up they go.
Coloque-os em uma garrafa vazia de Coca-Cola e eles vão embora.
The little ones are fountains.
Os pequenos são fontes.
There are two Roman candles.
Há duas velas romanas.
And of course, there’s a pack of firecrackers.
E, claro, há um pacote de bombinhas.
But you should only use those tomorrow.”
Mas você só deve usá-las amanhã.
When Uncle Al said those last words, he made a movement with his head toward the house where Marty’s mother and father were -
Quando Tio Al disse essas últimas palavras, ele fez um movimento com a cabeça em direção à casa onde estavam a mãe e o pai de Marty -
he knew they would not like the present he had given Marty.
ele sabia que eles não iriam gostar do presente que ele havia dado a Marty.
“Thank you!” Marty was finally able to say.
"Obrigado!" Marty foi finalmente capaz de dizer.
“Thank you, Uncle Al!”
"Obrigado, tio Al!"
“Just don’t tell anyone where you got them,” Uncle Al said.
“Só não conte a ninguém onde você os conseguiu”, disse Tio Al.
“Right! Of course!” Marty answered.
"Certo! Claro!" Marty respondeu.
“But are you sure you don’t want them, Uncle Al?” asked Marty.
"Mas você tem certeza de que não os quer, tio Al?" perguntou Marty.
“That’s okay. I can get some more later,” Uncle Al answered.
"Tudo bem. Posso pegar mais depois,” respondeu Tio Al.
“I know a guy in the next town who will be selling them until late tonight.”
“Conheço um cara na cidade vizinha que vai vendê-los até tarde da noite.”
He put his hand on Marty’s head.
Ele colocou a mão na cabeça de Marty.
“This is your Fourth.
“Este é o seu 4 de julho.
Don’t light any of the noisy fireworks or you will wake up everyone in the house.
Não acenda nenhuma das bombinhas barulhentas ou você acordará todos na casa.
And for Christ’s sake, don’t blow your hand off, or your mother will never talk to me again.”
E, pelo amor de Deus, não estrague a mão, ou sua mãe nunca mais vai falar comigo.”
Then Uncle Al laughed and got into his car and started it.
Então Tio Al riu e entrou no carro e ligou.
The engine made a loud roaring sound.
O motor fez um rugido alto.
He waved to Marty and raced off down the road.
Ele acenou para Marty e saiu correndo pela estrada.
Marty didn’t even have time to thank him again.
Marty nem teve tempo de agradecê-lo novamente.
He sat there for a moment watching his uncle drive away.
Ele ficou sentado por um momento observando seu tio ir embora.
He tried not to cry.
Ele tentou não chorar.
Then he put the pack of fireworks under his shirt and buzzed back to the house and up to his room.
Então ele colocou o pacote de fogos de artifício sob a camisa e voltou para casa e subiu para seu quarto.
In his mind he was already waiting for night to come and for everyone to be asleep.
Em sua mente, ele já esperava que a noite chegasse e que todos estivessem dormindo.
He is the first one to go to bed that night.
Ele é o primeiro a ir para a cama naquela noite.
His mother comes in and kisses him goodnight.
Sua mãe entra e lhe dá um beijo de boa noite.
“Are you okay, Marty?” she asks.
“Você está bem, Marty? ela pergunta.
“Yes, mom.” She pauses.
"Sim mãe." Ela faz uma pausa.
She is about to say something, but she changes her mind.
Ela está prestes a dizer algo, mas muda de ideia.
She leaves.
Ela sai.
Later his sister comes in.
Mais tarde, sua irmã entra.
She does not kiss him.
Ela não o beija.
She comes close to his bed.
Ela chega perto da cama dele.
She whispers, “See? You don’t always get what you want just because you’re disabled.”
Ela sussurra, “Viu? Você nem sempre consegue o que quer só porque é deficiente.”
“You might be surprised what I get,” he says.
“Você pode se surpreender com o que recebo”, diz ele.
She looks at him for a moment with suspicion before she leaves.
Ela olha para ele por um momento com desconfiança antes de sair.
His father comes in last and sits on Marty’s bed.
Seu pai chega por último e se senta na cama de Marty.
“Is everything okay, big guy?
“Tá tudo bem, garotão?
You’re in bed early. Really early.”
Você está na cama cedo. Bem cedo."
“I’m just feeling a little tired, daddy.”
"Só estou me sentindo um pouco cansado, papai."
“Okay.” He touches his head and stands up.
"OK." Ele toca a cabeça dele e se levanta.
“I’m sorry about the fireworks.
“Sinto muito pelos fogos de artifício.
You’ll just have to wait until next year.”
Você só vai ter que esperar até o ano que vem.”
His father leaves and Marty smiles a small, secret smile.
Seu pai vai embora e Marty dá um pequeno sorriso secreto.
And now he begins to wait for the rest of the house to go to bed.
E agora ele começa a esperar o resto da casa ir para a cama.
It takes a long time.
Demora muito tempo.
He can hear the sound of the TV in the living room.
Ele pode ouvir o som da TV na sala de estar.
He can hear his mother talking on the phone with a friend.
Ele pode ouvir sua mãe falando ao telefone com um amigo.
He can hear her wish someone a happy Fourth of July.
Ele pode ouvi-la desejar a alguém um feliz 4 de Julho.
Yes, she says, it is too bad they canceled the fireworks show.
Sim, ela diz, é uma pena que eles cancelaram o show de fogos de artifício.
But she thought that, under the circumstances, everyone can understand why.
Mas ela pensou que, dadas as circunstâncias, todos podem entender o porquê.
Every now and then, as eight o’clock becomes nine o’clock,
De vez em quando, quando as oito se tornam nove horas,
he puts his hand under his pillow to make sure the bag of fireworks is still there.
ele coloca a mão debaixo do travesseiro para se certificar de que o saco de fogos de artifício ainda está lá.
Around ten-thirty, when the moon is high in the sky, and its warm silver light fills his room, the house is silent.
Por volta das dez e meia, quando a lua está alta no céu e sua cálida luz prateada enche seu quarto, a casa está silenciosa.
He waits for a while longer.
Ele espera mais um pouco.
He must have fallen asleep, because when he looks, the moonlight has changed - it is brighter and it has moved across his room.
Ele deve ter adormecido, porque quando olha, o luar mudou - é mais brilhante e se moveu por seu quarto.
He touches the wonderful bag of fireworks under his pillow again.
Ele toca o maravilhoso saco de fogos de artifício sob o travesseiro novamente.
He takes the bag out.
Ele tira a bolsa.
He puts his pajama shirt into his pajama pants
Ele enfia a camisa do pijama dentro da calça do pijama
and puts the bag of fireworks and a book of matches into his shirt.
e enfia o saco de fogos de artifício e uma caixa de fósforos na camisa.
Now he prepares to get out of bed.
Agora ele se prepara para sair da cama.
Getting out of bed is an operation for Marty.
Sair da cama é uma operação para Marty.
But it is not a painful operation, like people sometimes think it is.
Mas não é uma operação dolorosa, como às vezes as pessoas pensam.
There is no feeling in his legs, so he cannot feel any pain.
Não há sensação em suas pernas, então ele não pode sentir nenhuma dor.
He puts his hand on the wooden back of the bed and pulls himself into a sitting position.
Ele põe a mão nas costas da cabeceira de madeira e se senta.
Then he pushes his legs over the side of the bed, one by one.
Então ele empurra as pernas para fora da cama, uma a uma.
He does this movement using only one hand.
Ele faz esse movimento usando apenas uma mão.
The other hand holds a bar that his parents installed in his room.
A outra mão segura uma barra que seus pais instalaram em seu quarto.
The metal bar is on all four walls of his room.
A barra de metal está nas quatro paredes de seu quarto.
One time he tried moving his legs with both hands and he fell off the bed and onto the floor.
Uma vez ele tentou mover as pernas com as duas mãos e caiu da cama no chão.
The sound of the crash caused everyone in the house to come running into his room.
O som do estrondo fez com que todos na casa viessem correndo para o quarto dele.
“You stupid show-off!” Katie yelled at him.
“Seu exibido estúpido!” Katie gritou com ele.
She helped pick him up and put him in his chair.
Ela ajudou a pegá-lo e colocá-lo em sua cadeira.
He did not hurt himself too much.
Ele não se machucou muito.
He had a cut on his forehead and his lip was bleeding.
Ele tinha um corte na testa e o lábio estava sangrando.
“Do you want to kill yourself? Well?” Katie had said, and she ran out of the room crying.
“Você quer se matar? E aí?" Katie disse, e ela saiu correndo da sala chorando.
Now he is sitting on the side of his bed.
Agora ele está sentado na beira de sua cama.
He dries his hands on his shirt.
Ele seca as mãos na camisa.
Then he uses the bar to pull himself hand-over-hand to his wheelchair.
Em seguida, ele usa a barra para se apoiar na cadeira de rodas.
His legs are useless.
Suas pernas são inúteis.
They are dead weight.
Elas são um peso morto.
He pulls them behind him.
Ele as puxa para trás.
The moonlight is very bright now.
O luar está muito claro agora.
There are shadows all over his room from the silver light.
Há sombras por todo o quarto devido à luz prateada.
The brakes are set on his wheelchair.
Os freios são acionados em sua cadeira de rodas.
He lifts himself up with confidence into the seat.
Ele se levanta com confiança no assento.
He pauses for a moment to rest.
Ele faz uma pausa para descansar.
He listens.
Ele escuta.
There is no sound in the house.
Não há som na casa.
Do not use the fireworks that make noise, Uncle Al had told him.
Não use os fogos de artifício que fazem barulho, tio Al disse a ele.
Marty agrees with him now.
Marty concorda com ele agora.
No loud fireworks tonight.
Nada de fogos de artifício altos esta noite.
He will make this Fourth of July his own personal Fourth, and no one will know.
Ele fará deste 4 de julho seu próprio 4 de julho, e ninguém saberá.
No one will know until tomorrow when they will all find the burned pieces of Twizzers and fountains on the veranda.
Ninguém saberá até amanhã quando todos encontrarão os pedaços queimados de Twizzers e fontes na varanda.
But it will not matter tomorrow.
Mas isso não importará amanhã.
He takes the brake off his chair and turns on the power.
Ele tira o freio da cadeira e liga a energia.
The little yellow light, the one that says the battery is charged, is bright in the dark room.
A luzinha amarela, aquela que diz que a bateria está carregada, brilha no quarto escuro.
Marty pushes RIGHT TURN.
Marty pressiona VIRAR À DIREITA.
The chair rotates right.
A cadeira gira para a direita.
When it is facing the veranda doors, he pushes FORWARD.
Quando está de frente para as portas da varanda, ele empurra PARA A FRENTE.
The chair rolls forward, humming quietly.
A cadeira rola para a frente, zumbindo baixinho.
Marty unlocks the veranda doors and pushes FORWARD again.
Marty destranca as portas da varanda e empurra PARA A FRENTE novamente.
He rolls outside and onto the veranda.
Ele rola para fora e para a varanda.
He opens the wonderful bag of fireworks and then pauses for a moment.
Ele abre o maravilhoso saco de fogos de artifício e faz uma pausa por um momento.
He is fascinated by the summer night.
Ele é fascinado pela noite de verão.
He listens to the chirping of the crickets.
Ele ouve o chilrear dos grilos.
There is a pleasant aroma on the wind.
Há um aroma agradável no vento.
The wind moves through the leaves of the trees.
O vento se move pelas folhas das árvores.
The moon is shining an unbelievable silver in the night sky.
A lua está brilhando com uma prata inacreditável no céu noturno.
Marty cannot wait any longer.
Marty não pode esperar mais.
He puts his hand in the bag and takes out a snake.
Ele põe a mão na bolsa e tira uma cobra.
He lights a match and then lights the fuse of the snake.
Ele acende um fósforo e depois acende o fusível da cobra.
He watches in silence.
Ele observa em silêncio.
He is fascinated.
Ele está fascinado.
The snake burns with a green-blue fire.
A cobra queima com um fogo verde-azulado.
It grows magically, spinning and throwing flames from its tail.
Ela cresce magicamente, girando e lançando chamas de sua cauda.
The Fourth, he thinks.
O dia 4, ele pensa.
His eyes are bright in the night.
Seus olhos brilham na noite.
The Fourth, the Fourth. Happy Fourth of July to me!
O dia 4, o dia 4. Feliz 4 de julho para mim!
The bright flame begins to burn low.
A chama brilhante começa a queimar lentamente.
It flickers and then it goes out.
Ela pisca e depois se apaga.
Marty lights one of the triangular twizzers and watches it as a fountain of yellow fire shoots from the top.
Marty acende um dos twizzers triangulares e o observa enquanto uma fonte de fogo amarelo brota do topo.
Before it can go out, he lights a second twizzer that shoots a dark red flame, like the roses that grow next to the fence.
Antes que ela apague, ele acende um segundo twizzer que dispara uma chama vermelha escura, como as rosas que crescem perto da cerca.
Now there is a wonderful smell of burned powder.
Agora há um cheiro maravilhoso de pólvora queimada.
The smell fills the night.
O cheiro enche a noite.
The wind moves the smell slowly away.
O vento afasta lentamente o cheiro.
He puts his hand back in the bag and pulls out the packet of firecrackers next.
Ele põe a mão de volta na sacola e então tira o pacote de bombinhas.
He has opened the packet before he realizes that he cannot light them.
Ele abriu o pacote antes de perceber que não pode acendê-las.
The noise they would make, like a machine gun pop, would wake up the whole neighborhood!
O barulho que elas fariam, como o estouro de uma metralhadora, acordaria toda a vizinhança!
Fire, alarm, tragedy!
Incêndio, alarme, tragédia!
If he lit the firecrackers, he would be in trouble until Christmas for sure.
Se ele acendesse as bombinhas, estaria em apuros até o Natal com certeza.
He leaves the Black Cat firecrackers on his legs, and puts his hand back into the bag.
Ele deixa as bombinhas Black Cat (Gato Negro) nas pernas e põe a mão de volta na bolsa.
He closes his hand on the biggest twizzer of all - a World Class Twizzer!
Ele fecha a mão no maior twizzer de todos - o Melhor dos Twizzer!
He lights the fuse with a sense of happiness and fear, and then he throws it.
Ele acende o pavio com uma sensação de felicidade e medo, e então o joga.
Red light as bright as hellfire fills the night…
Uma luz vermelha tão brilhante quanto o fogo do inferno enche a noite...
And it is in this blood-red light that Marty sees movement.
E é nessa luz vermelho-sangue que Marty vê o movimento.
At the end of the veranda, under the trees in the distance, the bushes begin to move.
No final da varanda, sob as árvores na distância, os arbustos começam a se mover.
Slowly a dark shape moves the leaves apart.
Lentamente, uma forma escura afasta as folhas.
There is a low noise, like a cough and a snarl.
Há um ruído baixo, como uma tosse e um rosnado.
The Beast appears.
A Besta aparece.
It stands for a moment under the trees.
Ele fica por um momento sob as árvores.
It smells the air.
Ele cheira o ar.
And then it begins to move up the grass to where Marty sits in his wheelchair.
E então começa a subir a grama até onde Marty está sentado em sua cadeira de rodas.
Marty’s eyes are open wide.
Os olhos de Marty estão bem abertos.
He tries to push himself into the back of his chair.
Ele tenta se enfiar no encosto da cadeira.
The Beast is leaning forward, but it is clearly walking on its two back legs.
A Besta está inclinada para a frente, mas está claramente caminhando sobre as duas patas traseiras.
It is walking the way a man walks.
Está andando como um homem anda.
The red light from the twizzer flashes in its green eyes.
A luz vermelha do twizzer brilha em seus olhos verdes.
It moves slowly.
Ela se move lentamente.
Its nose is testing the air.
Seu nariz está testando o ar.
It smells prey.
Sente o cheiro da presa.
It can smell that its prey is weak.
Ela pode sentir o cheiro de que sua presa é fraca.
Marty can smell it - he can smell its fur, its sweat, its violence and ferocity.
Marty pode sentir o cheiro da Besta - ele pode sentir o cheiro de sua pele, seu suor, sua violência e ferocidade.
It makes the grunting noise again.
Faz o barulho de grunhido novamente.
Its lip, the color of liver, pulls back to show its teeth.
Seu lábio, da cor do fígado, se retrai para mostrar os dentes.
They are sharp and long.
Eles são afiados e longos.
Its fur is painted a silver-red in the mixed light of the moon and the twizzer.
Seu pelo é pintado de vermelho prateado na luz mista da lua e do twizzer.
It has almost reached him.
Ela quase o alcançou.
Its hands are claws.
Suas mãos são garras.
They are so like-unlike human hands.
Elas são tão parecidas-diferentes das mãos humanas.
They are reaching for his throat.
Elas estão tentando alcançar sua garganta.
Then the boy remembers the packet of Black Cat firecrackers in his lap.
Então o menino se lembra do pacote de bombinhas Gato Negro em seu colo.
He does not realize what he does.
Ele não percebe o que faz.
He takes a match and lights it.
Ele pega um fósforo e acende.
He touches the flame to the master fuse.
Ele toca a chama no fusível mestre.
The fuse burns with bright light.
O fusível queima com uma luz brilhante.
It burns the back of his hand.
Queima as costas da mão.
The werewolf is surprised and steps backwards.
O lobisomem fica surpreso e dá um passo para trás.
It makes a sound that is like a grunt that is also a question.
Faz um som que é como um grunhido que também é uma pergunta.
Like its hands, the sound is almost human.
Como suas mãos, o som é quase humano.
Marty throws the packet of firecrackers in its face.
Marty joga o pacote de bombinhas na cara dele.
They explode in noise and light.
Elas explodem em ruído e luz.
There is a sequence of explosions, one pop-pop-pop after another.
Há uma sequência de explosões, uma pop-pop-pop após a outra.
The Beast screams in a roar of pain and anger.
A Besta grita em um rugido de dor e raiva.
It steps backwards, almost falling.
Dá um passo para trás, quase caindo.
It reaches up to its face to push away the fire and pain in its face.
Ele estende a mão para o rosto para afastar o fogo e a dor em seu rosto.
Marty sees one of its green eyes explode as four firecrackers burst at the same time with a terrible KA-POW!
Marty vê um de seus olhos verdes explodir enquanto quatro bombinhas explodem ao mesmo tempo com um terrível KA-POW!
Now the Beast screams in pure agony.
Agora a Besta grita em pura agonia.
Its claws pull at its face.
Suas garras puxam seu rosto.
It roars again.
Ela ruge novamente.
The lights in Marty’s house begin to come on.
As luzes da casa de Marty começam a acender.
The Beast turns and runs back down the grass towards the trees.
A Besta se vira e corre de volta pela grama em direção às árvores.
There is the smell of burnt fur in the air now.
Há um cheiro de pelo queimado no ar agora.
Marty can hear someone in the house yelling, “What was that?”
Marty pode ouvir alguém na casa gritando: "O que foi isso?"
It is his mother’s voice.
É a voz de sua mãe.
Her voice is not impatient - it is terrified.
Sua voz não é impaciente - é apavorada.
“Who’s there, goddammit?”
"Quem está aí, droga?"
His father is also scared, but he is also angry.
Seu pai também está com medo, mas também com raiva.
“Marty? Is that you?”
“Marty? Isso é você?"
That is his sister Kate.
Essa é a irmã dele, Kate.
Her voice does not sound mean at all now.
Sua voz não soa má agora.
“Marty, are you okay?”
“Marty, você está bem?”
Marty sits in his wheelchair as the big red twizzer burns bright, then goes out.
Marty está sentado em sua cadeira de rodas enquanto o grande twizzer vermelho brilha e depois se apaga.
Marty is too shocked and scared to cry.
Marty está chocado demais e com medo demais para chorar.
But his shock is not a terrible emotion.
Mas seu choque não é uma emoção terrível.
He feels excited at the same time.
Ele se sente animado ao mesmo tempo.
The next day, his parents pack a suitcase with some of his clothes.
No dia seguinte, seus pais fazem uma mala com algumas de suas roupas.
They follow the police’s suggestion and take Marty away for the rest of the summer.
Eles seguem a sugestão da polícia e levam Marty embora pelo resto do verão.
The Full Moon Killer might try to kill Marty again, they say.
O Assassino da Lua Cheia pode tentar matar Marty novamente, dizem eles.
Marty feels exhilarated.
Marty se sente animado.
It is stronger than the shock he feels.
É mais forte do que o choque que ele sente.
He has looked into the terrible face of the Beast and he lived.
Ele olhou para a face terrível da Besta e viveu.
There is also a simple joy in him.
Há também uma alegria simples nele.
A quiet joy he will never be able to communicate to anyone.
Uma alegria silenciosa que ele nunca será capaz de comunicar a ninguém.
Not even to Uncle Al.
Nem mesmo para o tio Al.
He feels the joy because the fireworks happened after all.
Ele sente a alegria porque afinal os fogos de artifício aconteceram.
Marty’s parents were very worried that their son would be traumatized from his experience.
Os pais de Marty estavam muito preocupados que seu filho ficasse traumatizado com sua experiência.
But for Marty, the experience confronting the Beast would live in his heart forever.
Mas para Marty, a experiência de enfrentar a Besta viveria em seu coração para sempre.
And he believed that because of his experience, it had been the best Fourth of all.
E ele acreditava que, por causa de sua experiência, tinha sido o melhor dia 4 de todos.
