- 为什么在贝壳村翻译司氏姐妹 [2012/09]
- 司氏姐妹： 尾声 [2012/12]
- 司氏姐妹Kindle版在Amazon出版 [2013/05]
- The Switch Sisters: Chapter 21 - Witches [2012/12]
- 司氏姐妹 第23章：土气火水 [2012/12]
- 司氏姐妹 第17章 – 走进黑暗 [2012/10]
- 司氏姐妹 第八章：水与火 [2012/07]
- The Switch Sisters: Chapter 17-- Into The Dark [2012/10]
- 司氏姐妹 第22章 - 废墟下 [2012/12]
- 司氏姐妹 （The Switch Sisters）第二章： 大日子 [2012/07]
- 司氏姐妹 第四章：灯灭了 [2012/07]
- 司氏姐妹 第六章 ：幼稚计划 [2012/07]
- 司氏姐妹 第七章：奔向沼泽地 [2012/07]
- 司氏姐妹 第14章: 哀悼的母亲 [2012/09]
- The Switch Sisters: Chapter 13 -- Powers Trapped [2012/09]
- 司氏姐妹 第十章： 逃离 [2012/08]
- 司氏姐妹 第13章：收回魔力 [2012/09]
- 司氏姐妹 第18章：入侵者 [2012/11]
- 司氏姐妹 第20章：银色钥匙 [2012/11]
- The Switch Sisters, Chapter 16 – The Door that Closed [2012/10]
- The Switch Sisters: Chapter 11 – The Morning After [2012/09]
- 司氏姐妹：第16章 - 关闭的门 [2012/10]
http://theswitchsisters.wordpress.com/
第5章：魔踪潜影
“玛拉！”
玛丽第一个看到她。在靠近玫瑰花圃的石井边，堆着一摊看似白色床单的东西。那就是玛拉，她的头朝下，她的手抓着一件黑色外套。在她的脚周围，是一滩在月光下透出暗红色光芒的液体。
亨特太太跑过整个花园。她转过身来，面对客人，又踉跄倒退几步。她指着在她身后的玛拉。
“凶手！”她又说了一遍，这一次不是尖叫，而是低声抽泣，她用指头戳着空气，对着身体瘫倒在地上的玛拉。
玛丽拖着米娜的手越过水井，不让亨特太太可以够着她。 法妈和摩根也很快赶到。他们帮助玛拉站起来。她仍然抓着外套，当她的白色礼服随着她站起身而展开，可以看到鲜红的血液从外套渗透到玛拉身上。上午时灿烂的笑容从她的脸上消失了，她抽泣着，她的身体在不可控制的抽搐着。
“怎么回事？”法妈问道。她用双臂支撑着玛拉，虽然她的声音充满着关心，但依然冷峻和严肃。 “玛拉，”她说。“请马上告诉我们。”客人们已慢慢移近，有一部分人由于好奇心而冒然向前，另一些人因恐惧而徘徊犹豫。
“格雷厄姆，”玛拉说。她的声音又软又轻，带着抽泣。 “我找不到他。我一直在寻找他，然后，我看见他和另外一个影子一起站在井边。我能够感到有什么东西不对。灯突然灭了，当我赶到这里，我只发现这样东西”。她举起外套。很明显，它是格雷厄姆曾一直穿着燕尾服外套。
法妈说：“你有没有看到对方是谁？”。
“没有，”马拉说着，再次哭泣起来。她翻身扑到母亲怀里，而法妈扶起她的背，脸色一丝不动， “我看到的是一个影子，”玛拉说。 “甚至看上去不像人。”
这时，亨特夫人和其他人也靠近了井边。他们站在10尺开外，仿佛不敢走近。闪闪发光的泪滴流在亨特夫人涨红的脸上。 “我的儿子！”她说。 “你杀了他。”
人群在叫嚣。在恐怖的外表下是扭曲了的兴奋的笑容。安玫瑰镇的人们还从未目睹过一场公众场合的谋杀。
米娜向前跑去。“不是她！”她冲口而出。“她只是找到了这件外套。她看到是别人干的！“
仿佛像一个气泡无声的破灭。亨特夫人把米娜和其他姐妹推开——她们在她们的姐姐前排成一列以免她受到众人的诬蔑－－一把抓住玛拉的肩膀。
“骗子！”她说。她摇晃了玛拉一会儿，然后法妈用手臂把她向后推开。亨特夫人尖叫道。 “骗子！杀人犯！我应该知道，不应该让我的儿子与你们这一类人混在一起！我应该知道。格雷厄姆......“她把她的脸埋在手中，倒向一群聚集在她身后的妇女中。她向上看了看，用双手撑在她们的肩膀上。
“骗子！”她又说了一遍，养精蓄锐后的她再次爆发出新的能量，她用手指向法妈和司家姐妹。 “杀人犯！骗子！巫婆！”
喧闹声混乱一片，叫喊声在空中爆炸。整个婚宴的客人已聚集在亨特夫人背后，矮小的人踮起脚尖想一睹现场。人们的面孔从好奇转向害怕再变成愤怒，很快就不只是亨特夫人一个人在喊。“杀人犯，骗子，巫婆，”人们也向她们吐唾沫。玛拉又瘫倒在地上。米娜坐到她旁边，握着她的手。摩根和玛丽站在前面，俯视着人群，摩根的脸上燃烧着抗争，而玛丽的脸上却散发出冷静的自信。
警长挤到了人群的前面。法妈也向前迈了一步，她的双眼充满着寒意，让最强壮的人的脊椎都感到凉飕飕的。它们像在说：“谁敢动我的女儿，看我会做什么。”但玛拉站起来慢慢地向前走去，带着几乎听不见的声音说，“带我走。”她的姐妹们把她拉回来。她却拨开她们。她的脸耷拉着，她投降了。
尽管亨特夫人的反对，警长还是组织了一个搜索队去寻找格雷厄姆，或他的尸体。“你们永远也找不到他，” 亨特夫人尖叫着，挥舞着她的手臂，扯撕着她的头发。“这女巫可能早已让他的身体消失了。她毁了他，她吃了他的灵魂！我可怜的孩子......” 为以防万一，由十人组成的搜索队还是出发了，尽管整个花园被清查了一边，除了他的血迹斑斑的外套，没有找到格雷厄姆的任何痕迹。玛拉被戴上手铐带走。当她背着她的手，与警长一起走向警车时，人群变得沉默，他们悄悄地让开一条路，让他们通过。她踏进车，勉强地望了她的母亲和姐妹一眼，被带到了当地的拘留所。
在大家各自走回家时，满街都是大声的交头接耳的声音。各家各户都灯火通明，彻夜难眠，直到深夜，大家都在讨论和争执着整个事件的来龙去脉。这个婚礼带来比期望太多的东西。人们讲述着新娘在上午看到时是多么的美妙绝伦，而在晚上，她是如何变得苍老，脸上充满了卑贱的皱纹。他们在谈论她的白色的婚纱，血迹斑斑，看起来就像是她被杀害。孩子们被早早安置在床上，却异常清醒，低声彼此交谈着荒诞的故事，说谁见到她是如何从嘴里吐出一把刀，刺到市长儿子的胸部，谁见到她是如何吸吮格雷厄姆－亨特脖子上的血的。到了深夜，安玫瑰镇仍然是清醒，警觉，惊恐和激动的。似乎全镇唯一沉默的房子是在塔玛尼巷中那栋摇摇晃晃的司家老房子。
Chapter 5 – Shadows Lurking
“Mara!”
Marie saw her first. There was a stone well next to the rose patch, and what looked like a pile of white linens was crumpled at its base. It was Mara, her head down and her arms clutching a black jacket. Around her feet, pools of dark liquid gleamed red in the moonlight.
Mrs. Hunter ran across the garden. She turned around to face the guests, stumbling backwards. She pointed behind her at Mara.
“Murderer!” she said again, this time not in a scream but a sobbing whisper, her pointer finger stabbing the air towards Mara’s body collapsed on the ground.
Marie took Mina’s hand and dragged her over to the well before Mrs. Hunter could reach her. Fa and Morgan arrived soon after. They helped Mara to her feet. She was still clutching the jacket, and, with her white dress unfurled, it was clear that bright red blood was seeping from the jacket onto Mara. The morning’s radiant smile had fallen off her face; she was sobbing, her body convulsing uncontrolably.
“What happened?” Fa Switch said. She supported Mara with both arms, and though her voice carried a touch of concern it was still stern and disciplinarian. “Mara,” she said. “Tell us now.” The guests had been inching closer, some driven impetuously forward by curiosity, others lingering hesitantly for fear.
“Graham,” Mara said. Her voice was soft and shallow, and she gasped for air. “I couldn’t find him. I was looking for him, and then, I saw him standing next to the well with another figure. I could feel something wasn’t right. Then the lights went out, and when I got here, this was all I found.” She held up the jacket. It was clear now that it was the tuxedo jacket Graham had been wearing.
“Did you see who the other person was?” Fa said.
“No,” Mara said, breaking into a fresh sob. She doubled over onto her mother’s arms, and Fa, with a face unmoved, propped her back up. “All I saw was a shadow,” Mara said. “It didn’t even look human.”
Mrs. Hunter and the rest of the party reached the well. They stood ten feet back, as if afraid to come closer. Big gleaming droplets were running down Mrs. Hunter’s red face. “My son!” she said. “You killed him.”
The crowd clamored. Behind their expressions of horror were twisted grins of excitement. The town of Ambrose had never witnessed a public murder.
Mina ran forward. “It wasn’t her!” she blurted out. “She just found the jacket. She saw someone else do it!”
It was as if a bubble had popped. Ms. Hunter pushed Mina and the other sisters away—they had lined up in front of their sister to shield her from the jeers of the crowd—and grabbed Mara by the shoulders.
“Liar!” she said. She shook Mara for a moment and then Fa swept her backwards with a push of the arm. Mrs. Hunter shrieked. “Liars! Murderers! I should have known not to let my son associate with the likes of you! I should have known better. Graham…” She put her face in her hands and fell into a group of townswomen who had gathered behind her. She looked up, holding onto their shoulders for support.
“Liars!” she said again, a fresh burst of energy throwing her arm out again accusingly toward Fa and the Switch sisters. “Murderers! Tricksters! Witches!”
The clamor broke loose and shouts exploded in the air. The entire wedding party had gathered behind Mrs. Hunter by now, the shorter people standing on their tiptoes to glimpse the scene. Faces turned from curiosity to fear to anger, and soon it was not just Mrs. Hunter shouting the words. “Murderers, liars, witches,” the townspeople spat at the family. Mara sunk back into a heap on the ground. Mina sat down next to her and held her hand. Morgan and Marie stood in front, Morgan’s face blazing with defiance and Marie’s exuding cool confidence, staring down the crowd.
The sheriff pushed his way to the front of the crowd. At first Fa Switch stepped up, her eyes filled with a cold determination that would sent chills down the strongest man’s spine. They said: dare to touch my daughter and see what I will do to you. But Mara stood up slowly and walked forward, saying almost inaudibly, “Take me away.” Her sisters pulled her back. She brushed their efforts away. Her face was fallen and resigned.
A search party was organized to look for Graham, or his body, despite Mrs. Hunter’s objections. “You’ll never find him,” she screamed, her arms flailing and tearing into her hair. “The witch would have made his body disappear. She destroyed him, she ate his soul! My poor boy…” But the team of ten men were sent out just in case, even after the garden was scoured and no trace of Graham other than the bloody jacket could be found. Mara was hand-cuffed and taken away. As she walked towards the sheriff’s car with her hands behind her back and the sheriff at her shoulder, the crowd became silent and parted to let them through. She stepped into the car, with barely a glance at her mothers and sisters, and was taken away to the local holding house.
The streets were loud with gossip as the townsfolk headed back to their houses. Lights burned in windows until late in the night as families stayed awake to contemplate and discuss the turn of events. The wedding had brought all it promised and more. People recounted how beautiful the bride had looked in the morning, and how in the evening she had seemed to age, with mean wrinkles coming out of her face. They spoke of her white dress, spotted with blood so it almost looked like she was the one who had been killed. Children, tucked into bed but wide awake, whispered tall tales to each other about who had seen her pull out a knife from her mouth and plunge it into the mayor’s son’s chest, about how they had seen her sucking the blood from Graham Hunter’s neck. Deep into the night, the town of Ambrose lay awake, alert, terrified and exhilirated. The only house that seemed to be completely silent was the house on Tamany Lane, the rickety old house of the Switches.