Paranoia
ByShirley Jackson – edited version
1. Mr. Beresford stepped out of the candy shop with a great box underhis arm and started briskly for thecorner. Mr. Beresford was going to take his wife out to dinner for her birthday,he decided, and was going to see if he could get last-minute tickets to a show,taking his wife candy. It had been an exceptionally good day and Mr. Beresfordwalked along swiftly, humming tohimself.
2. He stopped on the corner, and waved for a taxi. A man in a light hatstopped next to Mr. Beresford on the sidewalk and for a minute, in the middleof the crowd, he stared at Mr. Beresford and Mr. Beresford stared at him aspeople sometimes do without caring particularly what they see. What Mr.Beresford saw was a thin face under the light hat, and a small moustache.Funny-looking guy, Mr. Beresford thought. Perhaps the man thought Mr. Beresford’sstaring was offensive; he frowned and turned away. His candy boxunder his arm, Mr. Beresford decided to swallow his annoyance about the guy and,because there was no taxi in sight, take a bus home.
3. He watched the people as he walked to the bus stop. In the crowds,he suddenly saw the funny-looking guy in the light hat coming towards himquickly, as though he hated someone . . . Mr. Beresford shrugged and walked on but halfway, Mr. Beresford realized with asort of sick shock that the man inthe light hat was at his elbow, walking steadily along next to him. Mr.Beresford turned his head the other way and slowed his step. Best, Mr. Beresford decided, to avoid this man. Thinkingthis, Mr. Beresford turned around and walked steadily to the bus stop to catchhis bus home.
4. The man in the light hat was on the corner ahead, waiting. Mr.Beresford hesitated, but then walked boldly down the street; the man in the light hat was not even watching him, but wasleaning calmly against a building lighting a cigarette. Anxious, Mr. Beresfordyelled “Taxi!” and a taxi stopped. Mr. Beresford moved gratefully toward it.His hand was on the door handle whenanother hand closed over his and Mr. Beresford was aware of the light hat brushing his cheek. “Come on if you’recoming,” the taxi driver said; the door was open and Mr. Beresford, resistingthe push that urged him into thetaxi, slipped his hand out from under the other hand and ran back to thesidewalk.
5. A bus had stopped on the corner and Mr. Beresford, no longerthinking, hurried into it. The man in the light hat sat a little ahead, betweenMr. Beresford and the door. He looked around. In the bus he was riding on nowthere were only five people. One was the driver, one Mr. Beresford, one the manin the light hat, sitting slightly aheadof Mr. Beresford. The two others were an old lady with a shopping bag and aman who looked as though he might bea foreigner. The man in the light hat was sitting comfortably. “Getting off,” Mr. Beresford said to thedriver when they approached the next stop.
6. “Can’t stop in the middle of the block,” the driver said, notturning his head. “The next stop, then,” Mr. Beresford said. The bus movedrapidly on. Mr. Beresford saw a sign saying “Bus Stop.” “Here,” he said. “What?”the driver said, going past. “Listen,” Mr. Beresford said. “I want to get off.”“It’s O.K. with me,” the driver said. “Next stop.” “You just passed one,” Mr.Beresford said.
7. “No one waiting there,” the driver said. “Anyway, you didn’t tell mein time.” “If you don’t stop at the next stop,” Mr. Beresford said, “I shall smash the glass in the door and shoutfor help.” “What with?” the driver said. “The box of candy?” “How do you knowit’s—” Mr. Beresford said before he realized that if he got into a conversationhe would miss the next bus stop.
8. The bus pulled to a stop in front of a bus sign; there was a groupof stores. “O.K.,” the bus driver said to Mr. Beresford, “you were so anxiousto get off.” The man in the light hat got off at the rear door. Mr. Beresford,standing by the open front door, hesitated and said, “I guess I’ll stay on fora while.” “Last stop,” the bus driver said. “Everybody off.” Mr. Beresford got off and went directly up tothe man in the light hat, standing on the sidewalk. “This is perfectlyridiculous,” he said emphatically.“I don’t understand any of it and I want you to know that the first policeman Isee—”
9. He stopped when he realized that the man in the light hat waslooking not at him but, bored and fixedly,over his shoulder. Mr. Beresford turned and saw a policeman standing on thecorner. “Just you wait,” he said to the man in the light hat, and started forthe policeman. Halfway to the policeman he began to wonder again: what did hehave to report? A bus that would notstop when directed to, a mysterious man in a light hat—and why? Mr. Beresfordrealized suddenly that there was nothing he could tell the policeman: he lookedover his shoulder and saw the man in the light hat watching him, and then Mr.Beresford bolted down the street.
10. He finally reached his apartment building without mishap. There was no light hat, no oddperson watching for Mr. Beresford in the lobby.In the elevator, alone, with no one to see which floor button he pressed, Mr.Beresford took a long breath and began to wonder if he had dreamed his wildtrip home.
11. “You’re terribly late, darling,” his wife said affectionately when he entered his apartment. “But what’s thematter?” He looked at her; she was wearing her blue dress and that meant sheknew it was her birthday and expected him to take her out; he handed her thebox of candy limply and she took it,hardly noticing in her anxiety over him. “What on earth has happened?” she asked.“Darling, come in here and sit down. You look terrible.”
12. He let her lead him into the living room, into his own chair, and layback. “Are you sick? Were you in anaccident? What has happened?” He sigheddeeply and said, “Nothing. Nothing wrong. Tell you in a minute.” “Wait,” shesaid. “I’ll get you a drink.” He put his head back against the soft chair asshe went out. Unconsciously, he focused to hear his wife dial a number on thetelephone in the hall. She dialled andwaited. Then: “Listen,” she said, “listen, he came here after all. I’ve gothim.”
向小丫子
好恐怖丫