英语灵异故事-The Cry 03 哭声 03

The top of the box was sealed with wide brown parcel tape, Jacob managed to get his fingernail under the end and peeled off the tape in one go. Pulling open the flaps he stared into the shadowy darkness, trying to make some sense of the shape within. It didn't look like a baby, in fact there seemed to be more than one set of eyes blinking back at him. "Kittens, I was right the first time" he thought, reaching in with both hands to pick one up. Taloned¹ hands grabbed both his wrists, sudden and vice² like, searing pain shot up his arms.

He yelled out and tried to pull away. The claws pulled back, hard and sharp, digging into his flesh and forcing him off balance. Jacob realized that there was no way he could stop himself falling head first into the cardboard box. As his head entered the box more small clawing hands grabbed at it, pulling at his hair and ears, he felt the sharp talons³ enter his nostrils⁴, dig into his neck and shoulders. Even as his chest passed into the box Jacob was aware of the wet and warm, strangely comforting feeling spreading through the front of his trousers.

Then as the claws pulled the rest of his body down into the darkness, he felt the hot and cold waves of panic running through his body. As he struggled for breath, the blood roaring in his ears, his shouts of terror began to subside⁵, turning first into a whimper, then into a long plaintive⁶ wail⁷.

箱子的顶端是用褐色的包裹胶带封起来的，雅各布用指甲把胶带的一头抠起来，一下子把胶带整个扯开。把箱子打开后，他盯着黑漆漆的箱子看，想看清里边装的究竟是什么。看起来不像是个婴儿，实际上，不止有一双眼睛在对着他眨动。“是小猫，我第一次猜对了。”他想，边把双手伸到箱子里想抱一只小猫出来。突然，有爪子似的东西抓住了他的手腕，抓得很紧，像钳子似的，一阵剧痛传到了他的胳膊。

他痛得喊了起来，努力想把手抽出来，但那爪子使劲向后扯，扎进他的肉里，迫使他失去平衡。雅各布意识到自己难以避免要被拉到箱子里了。当他的头先进到箱子里后，更多的小爪子开始抓他，揪他的头发和耳朵，他感觉到有锋利的爪子伸到自己的鼻孔里，插进脖子和肩膀里。当他的胸进入箱子时，他感到一阵湿热，裤腿前传来一阵奇怪的舒服的感觉。
当那些爪子把他整个人都拖到黑暗中去后，他又有了一阵阵的恐慌感，身体开始忽冷忽热。他努力喘息，血一下子都涌到了耳根，他恐惧的喊叫声也开始变弱，先是一阵呜咽，随后就变成了悠长的悲鸣。

1 taloned   

参考例句：

• Taloned hands grabbed both his wrists, sudden and vice like, searing pain shot up his arms. 突然，有爪子似的东西抓住了他的手腕，抓得很紧，像钳子似的，一阵剧痛传到了他的胳膊。 来自互联网

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 talons   

n.（尤指猛禽的）爪( talon的名词复数 )；（如爪般的）手指；爪状物；锁簧尖状突出部

参考例句：

• The fingers were curved like talons, but they closed on empty air. 他的指头弯得像鹰爪一样，可是抓了个空。 来自英汉文学 - 热爱生命
• The tiger has a pair of talons. 老虎有一对利爪。 来自辞典例句

4 nostrils   

鼻孔( nostril的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Her nostrils flared with anger. 她气得两个鼻孔都鼓了起来。
• The horse dilated its nostrils. 马张大鼻孔。

5 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

6 plaintive   

adj.可怜的，伤心的

参考例句：

• Her voice was small and plaintive.她的声音微弱而哀伤。
• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。

7 wail   

vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸

参考例句：

• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。
• One of the small children began to wail with terror.小孩中的一个吓得大哭起来。