Chapter 20

chapter twenty I wake, but I don't open my eyes. I'm not ready for today. I don't want to take Neon to the nest. So I keep my eyes shut. Like maybe if I don't open them, the day will never actually begin. But then I hear Neon panting. And I feel him nibbling at my foot, trying to shake me awake. "Morning, Neon," I say, finally opening my eyes. He's staring at me, waiting, giving me a look like he knows things but can't express them. I sigh. I tell myself this is one of those things you just have to do, no putting it off, because that will just make it harder.

第二十章我醒了，但我没有睁开眼睛。 我今天还没准备好。我不想带霓虹去巢穴。 所以我闭上眼睛。也许如果我不打开它们，新的一天就永远不会真正开始。 但我听到霓虹在喘气。 我感觉到他在咬我的脚，想把我摇醒。 “早上好，霓虹。”我说，终于睁开了眼睛。 他盯着我，等着，看着我，好像他知道什么，但不能表达出来。 我叹了口气。我告诉自己这是你必须要做的事情之一，不要拖延，因为那样只会让事情变得更难。

Today's going to be lousy. It just is WELL. I'm going to miss Neon. I'm going to miss a Wretch! It's the first time I'm genuinely, 100 percent glad that my friends aren't here. They wouldn't understand this. But that's only because they've never met Neon. And now, they never will.... Soon, Globlet is awake—stomping around, all grumpy because she hasn't had her morning coffee. Johnny Steve does 196 jumping jacks. "As all humans do each morning," he explains.

今天会很糟糕。 它就是很好。我会想念氖的。 我要错过一个坏蛋了！这是我第一次真正地，百分之百地庆幸我的朋友不在这里。 他们不会理解的。 但那只是因为他们从未见过霓虹。 现在，他们永远不会.... 很快，Globlet就醒了，跺脚走来走去，因为她早上没有喝咖啡而脾气暴躁。 约翰尼·史蒂夫做196个开合跳。 “就像所有人每天早上一样，”他解释说。

Then we get to it. Packed up, headed out. Cresting the hill, we see the Wretches' nest in daylight in all its terrifying glory... "Home sweet home, eh, Neon?" I say, trying to ignore the fact that I'm staring at one of the more horrifying sights I've ever seen. "Oh, neat," Globlet says. "They have a corner just for carcasses." I shoot Globlet a quick glare. We need Neon to be happy. It might be horrible-looking to

然后我们开始。收拾好行李，出发了。 在山顶上，我们在白天看到了可怜虫的巢穴，在它所有可怕的荣耀中…… “甜蜜的家，是吗，霓虹？”我说，试图忽略我正盯着我所见过的最可怕的景象之一的事实。 “哦，很好，”Globlet说。“他们有一个角落专门放尸体。” 我飞快地瞪了Globlet一眼。 我们需要让Neon开心。它可能看起来很可怕

us, but it's the only safe place to leave him. Near the top of the nest, two Wretches are fighting over a hunk of meat. I wonder, Will Neon be like that soon? Will he be a ferocious, monster-flesh-devouring servant of .e...c.? Or will he remember that once, when he was very young, he met a girl who told him not to attack strange creatures, not to be evil, and to never, ever, ever eat walkie-talkies without permission? I can't think about it any longer—I have to just do it. "Okay, Neon, it's time." I say it quickly, because I feel my lower lip starting to tremble. I walk halfway to the nest with Neon. Any further, and I'm just about guaranteed to get torn to bits. Looking into Neon's eyes, I suddenly understand why my parents cried when they dropped me off at summer camp.

我们，但这是唯一安全的地方了。 在巢顶附近，两只可怜虫正在争夺一大块肉。 我想知道，霓虹很快也会变成那样吗？ 他会是一个凶猛的，吃怪物肉的仆人吗？ 或者他会记得，有一次，在他很小的时候，他遇到了一个女孩，她告诉他不要攻击奇怪的生物，不要做坏事，永远不要，永远不要未经允许吃对讲机？ 我不能再想了，我必须去做。 “好了，霓虹，时间到了。”我说得很快，因为我觉得我的下唇开始颤抖。 我和霓虹走到巢穴的一半。 再往前走，我就快被撕成碎片了。 看着霓虹的眼睛，我突然明白了为什么父母把我送到夏令营时哭了。

Neon. This is where I leave. You be good. Okay, and try not to change too much I turn to go—but Neon follows. "No, Neon. I go this way. You go that way," I say, pointing to the nest. Neon's head cocks, then he makes a noise that sounds like Wretch laughter. Like he thinks all of this is a game. And that makes this worse. "GO!" I say. "You have to GO!"

霓虹灯。这就是我要离开的地方。 你要乖。好吧，尽量不要改变太多，我转身走了，但霓虹灯跟着。 “不,霓虹灯。我走这边。你往那边走。”我指着鸟巢说。 霓虹的头翘了起来，然后他发出一种声音，听起来像是可怜虫的笑声。 好像他觉得这一切都是场游戏。 这让事情变得更糟。 “走吧!”我说。“你必须去！”

Neon's shoulders draw up. He doesn't understand. He can't. He takes a slow, apologetic step toward me, like he needs me—and it breaks my heart. I can't do this any longer. I have to end this. "Fine!" I say. "If you won't go to them—I'll make them come to you." I step past him, then— CRACK! I bang a broken piece of my spear against the Thing-A-Ma-Blasty Gadget Blaster. "WRETCHES!" I shout, using my best J. Jonah Jameson commanding newsroom voice. "COME TAKE THIS ONE! HE NEEDS YOU!" A single Wretch swings its long neck toward me. Its cold, silver eyes lock on to mine—and I bang the spear harder and louder— CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

霓虹耸了耸肩膀。他不明白。 他不能。他缓慢地向我道歉，好像他需要我——这让我心碎。 我不能再这样下去了。 我必须结束这一切。“很好!”我说。 “如果你不去找他们，我就让他们来找你。” 我从他身边走过，然后——啪！我把矛的一截碎片砸向了爆炸装置。 “可怜人!”我喊着，用我最好的J。 乔纳·詹姆森指挥新闻编辑室的声音。 “来拿这个！”他需要你！”一个可怜的家伙向我摇着它的长脖子。 它那冰冷的银色眼睛紧紧地盯着我——于是我更用力、更大声地把矛敲开——啪！裂缝!裂缝!