Cycle of the Werewolf (JANUARY)
Cycle of the Werewolf
JANUARY
The moon is full tonight. But here, in the city of Tarker’s Mills, there is a terrible January snow storm. The sky is full of snow, and the moon is invisible. The wind is blowing hard in the town. The streets are quickly filling with snow.
Arnie Westrum works on the railroad. The snow storm arrives before he can leave, and now he is stuck. He is waiting for the storm to end in a small railroad maintenance building about 15 kilometers from town.
He is alone, and he is playing solitaire with a pack of old playing cards. Westrum stops playing cards and raises his head. He listens, then looks back down at his game again. It is only the wind, after all… But the wind does not scratch at doors, or whine like a dog who wants someone to open the door to let him inside.
He stands up. He is tall and skinny. He is wearing a heavy wool jacket and worker coveralls. There is a cigarette in the corner of his mouth. The light from the kerosene lamp shines on his face. He has many wrinkles from working many years outside in the weather.
The scratching sound comes again. He thinks it must be someone’s dog that is lost. It is freezing cold outside. The dog must want to come inside. That’s all it is… but he pauses. It would be cruel to leave the dog outside in the cold night.
It is not much warmer in here, he thinks. There is a small heater in the room, but he can still see his breath when he breathes out. But still he does not go to the door. He feels afraid. This has been a bad season in Tarker’s Mills.
Bad things have happened, evil things. He does not like how things feel in the town. But before he can decide what to do about his visitor, the whining sound changes to a deep snarl. There is a loud bang. Something very heavy hits the door. It moves away… and hits again!
The door shakes, and snow blows in from the top. Arnie Westrum looks around. He looks for something to put against the door. But before he can pick up the plastic chair he was sitting on, the growling thing hits the door again with incredible force. The door cracks from top to bottom!
There is a large hole in the door now. And there is something in the hole. Something is trying to get into the room where Arnie is. There is a snout. Its lips are pulled back in a terrible growl. There are eyes, bright, burning yellow eyes. It is the biggest wolf Arnie has ever seen.
And the snarls and growls sound very much like human words. The door cracks some more. The thing will be able to come inside soon. In the corner of the room there are many tools. There is an ax leaning against the wall.
Arnie reaches for the ax and picks it up just as the wolf jumps inside and stops. Its yellow eyes are glowing at the man in the corner. Its ears are laying flat against its head. Its tongue is hanging out of its mouth. Behind the thing the wind blows snow in through the door. It jumps with a terrible growl, and Arne swings the ax. Once.
Outside the building, the small light shines on the snow through the broken door. The wind swirls and howls. The screams begin. Something inhuman has come to Tarker’s Mills. It is the Werewolf. There is no reason for it to come now. No more reason than the arrival of cancer, or a psychopath who wants to kill and murder, or a destructive tornado.
Its time is now. Its place is here, in this little town in Maine where the people go to church every Sunday. Where small girls and boys bring apples to their teachers. Where the local paper prints headlines about the Senior Citizens’ Club. Next week the paper will print headlines about a different kind of news.
Outside the building, the snow begins to fall harder. It begins to fill in the footprints. The scream of the wind seems primal. There is no God or Light in the sound - it is all black winter and dark ice. The cycle of the Werewolf has begun.
JANUARY
Cycle of the Werewolf
Ciclo do lobisomem
JANUARY
Janeiro
The moon is full tonight.
A lua está cheia esta noite.
But here, in the city of Tarker’s Mills, there is a terrible January snow storm.
Mas aqui, na cidade de Tarker's Mills, há uma terrível tempestade de neve em janeiro.
The sky is full of snow, and the moon is invisible.
O céu está cheio de neve e a lua está invisível.
The wind is blowing hard in the town.
O vento sopra forte na cidade.
The streets are quickly filling with snow.
As ruas estão rapidamente se enchendo de neve.
Arnie Westrum works on the railroad.
Arnie Westrum trabalha na ferrovia.
The snow storm arrives before he can leave, and now he is stuck.
A tempestade de neve chega antes que ele possa partir e agora ele está preso.
He is waiting for the storm to end in a small railroad maintenance building about 15 kilometers from town.
Ele está esperando a tempestade terminar em um pequeno prédio de manutenção da ferrovia a cerca de 15 quilômetros da cidade.
He is alone, and he is playing solitaire with a pack of old playing cards.
Ele está sozinho e está jogando paciência com um baralho de cartas antigas.
Westrum stops playing cards and raises his head.
Westrum para de jogar cartas e levanta a cabeça.
He listens, then looks back down at his game again.
Ele escuta, então olha de volta para seu jogo novamente.
It is only the wind, after all…
Afinal, é só o vento...
But the wind does not scratch at doors, or whine like a dog who wants someone to open the door to let him inside.
Mas o vento não arranha as portas, nem gani como um cachorro que quer que alguém abra a porta para deixá-lo entrar.
He stands up.
Ele se levanta.
He is tall and skinny.
Ele é alto e magro.
He is wearing a heavy wool jacket and worker coveralls.
Ele está vestindo uma pesada jaqueta de lã e um macacão de trabalhador.
There is a cigarette in the corner of his mouth.
Tem um cigarro no canto da boca.
The light from the kerosene lamp shines on his face.
A luz da lâmpada de querosene brilha em seu rosto.
He has many wrinkles from working many years outside in the weather.
Ele tem muitas rugas por trabalhar muitos anos ao ar livre.
The scratching sound comes again.
O som de arranhão vem novamente.
He thinks it must be someone’s dog that is lost.
Ele acha que deve ser o cachorro de alguém que está perdido.
It is freezing cold outside.
Está muito frio lá fora.
The dog must want to come inside.
O cachorro deve querer entrar.
That’s all it is… but he pauses.
É só isso... mas ele faz uma pausa.
It would be cruel to leave the dog outside in the cold night.
Seria cruel deixar o cachorro do lado de fora na noite fria.
It is not much warmer in here, he thinks.
Não está muito mais quente aqui, ele pensa.
There is a small heater in the room, but he can still see his breath when he breathes out.
Há um pequeno aquecedor na sala, mas ele ainda pode ver sua respiração quando expira.
But still he does not go to the door.
Mas ele ainda não vai até a porta.
He feels afraid.
Ele está com medo.
This has been a bad season in Tarker’s Mills.
Esta tem sido uma temporada ruim em Tarker's Mills.
Bad things have happened, evil things.
Coisas ruins aconteceram, coisas más.
He does not like how things feel in the town.
Ele não gosta de como as coisas se sentem na cidade.
But before he can decide what to do about his visitor, the whining sound changes to a deep snarl.
Mas antes que ele possa decidir o que fazer com seu visitante, o som de ganido muda para um rosnado profundo.
There is a loud bang.
Há um estrondo alto.
Something very heavy hits the door.
Algo muito pesado bate contra porta.
It moves away… and hits again!
Ele se afasta... e bate de novo!
The door shakes, and snow blows in from the top.
A porta treme e a neve entra pelo topo.
Arnie Westrum looks around.
Arnie Westrum olha em volta.
He looks for something to put against the door.
Ele procura algo para encostar na porta.
But before he can pick up the plastic chair he was sitting on, the growling thing hits the door again with incredible force.
Mas antes que ele possa pegar a cadeira de plástico em que estava sentado, a coisa rosnando bate na porta novamente com uma força incrível.
The door cracks from top to bottom!
A porta racha de cima para baixo!
There is a large hole in the door now.
Há um grande buraco na porta agora.
And there is something in the hole.
E há algo no buraco.
Something is trying to get into the room where Arnie is.
Algo está tentando entrar na sala onde Arnie está.
There is a snout.
Há um focinho.
Its lips are pulled back in a terrible growl.
Seus lábios são puxados para trás em um rosnado terrível.
There are eyes, bright, burning yellow eyes.
Há olhos, brilhantes, olhos amarelos ardentes.
It is the biggest wolf Arnie has ever seen.
É o maior lobo que Arnie já viu.
And the snarls and growls sound very much like human words.
E os rugidos e rosnados soam muito como palavras humanas.
The door cracks some more.
A porta estala um pouco mais.
The thing will be able to come inside soon.
A coisa poderá entrar em breve.
In the corner of the room there are many tools.
No canto da sala há muitas ferramentas.
There is an ax leaning against the wall.
Há um machado encostado na parede.
Arnie reaches for the ax and picks it up just as the wolf jumps inside and stops.
Arnie estica a mão para pegar o machado e o pega no momento em que o lobo pula para dentro e para.
Its yellow eyes are glowing at the man in the corner.
Seus olhos amarelos estão brilhando para o homem no canto.
Its ears are laying flat against its head.
Suas orelhas estão encostadas na cabeça.
Its tongue is hanging out of its mouth.
Sua língua está pendurada para fora da boca.
Behind the thing the wind blows snow in through the door.
Atrás da coisa o vento sopra a neve pela porta.
It jumps with a terrible growl, and Arne swings the ax. Once.
Ele pula com um rosnado terrível e Arne balança o machado. Uma vez.
Outside the building, the small light shines on the snow through the broken door.
Do lado de fora do prédio, a pequena luz brilha na neve através da porta quebrada.
The wind swirls and howls.
O vento gira e uiva.
The screams begin.
Os gritos começam.
Something inhuman has come to Tarker’s Mills.
Algo desumano chegou a Tarker's Mills.
It is the Werewolf.
É o Lobisomem.
There is no reason for it to come now.
Não há razão para que venha agora.
No more reason than the arrival of cancer, or a psychopath who wants to kill and murder, or a destructive tornado.
Não há mais razão do que a chegada do câncer, ou um psicopata que quer matar e assassinar, ou um tornado destrutivo.
Its time is now.
Sua hora é agora.
Its place is here, in this little town in Maine where the people go to church every Sunday.
Seu lugar é aqui, nesta pequena cidade no Maine, onde as pessoas vão à igreja todos os domingos.
Where small girls and boys bring apples to their teachers.
Onde meninas e meninos trazem maçãs para seus professores.
Where the local paper prints headlines about the Senior Citizens’ Club.
Onde o jornal local publica manchetes sobre o Clube da Terceira Idade.
Next week the paper will print headlines about a different kind of news.
Na próxima semana, o jornal publicará manchetes sobre um tipo diferente de notícia.
Outside the building, the snow begins to fall harder.
Fora do prédio, a neve começa a cair com mais força.
It begins to fill in the footprints.
Começa a preencher as pegadas.
The scream of the wind seems primal.
O grito do vento parece primitivo.
There is no God or Light in the sound - it is all black winter and dark ice.
Não há Deus ou Luz no som - é tudo inverno negro e gelo escuro.
The cycle of the Werewolf has begun.
O ciclo do Lobisomem começou.
