Перетворення
III
Hewasamazedatthegreatdistancethatseparatedhimfromhisroom,andcouldnotunderstandhowhehadcoveredthatdistanceinhisweakstatealittlewhilebeforeandalmostwithoutnoticingit.Heconcentratedoncrawlingasfastashecouldandhardlynoticedthattherewasnotaword,notanycry,fromhisfamilytodistracthim.Hedidnotturnhisheaduntilhehadreachedthedoorway.Hedidnotturnitallthewayroundashefelthisneckbecomingstiff,butitwasnonethelessenoughtoseethatnothingbehindhimhadchanged,onlyhissisterhadstoodup.Withhislastglancehesawthathismotherhadnowfallencompletelyasleep.
Hewashardlyinsidehisroombeforethedoorwashurriedlyshut,boltedandlocked.ThesuddennoisebehindGregorsostartledhimthathislittlelegscollapsedunderhim.Itwashissisterwhohadbeeninsomuchofarush.Shehadbeenstandingtherewaitingandsprungforwardlightly,Gregorhadnotheardhercomingatall,andassheturnedthekeyinthelockshesaidloudlytoherparents“Atlast!”.
“Whatnow,then?”,Gregoraskedhimselfashelookedroundinthedarkness.Hesoonmadethediscoverythathecouldnolongermoveatall.Thiswasnosurprisetohim,itseemedratherthatbeingabletoactuallymovearoundonthosespindlylittlelegsuntilthenwasunnatural.Healsofeltrelativelycomfortable.Itistruethathisentirebodywasaching,butthepainseemedtobeslowlygettingweakerandweakerandwouldfinallydisappearaltogether.
