The morning call., 1891-03-29
OUR SOUVENIRS
ARE WORTH WHILE
COMING FOR.

that knew would never release me. Other
feelers were thrown out. They twined
around me. | was held bound with living
bands. | shrieked madly in an agony OF
terror l struggled
INA FRENZY
Of horror. Frantically l grasped the Shiny
feelers, only to hastily let go at the touch OF
the horrid, shrinking. living feeling of it, to
shrink from it as one Shrinks from a creep
ing insect. Useless; was entwined in IL.
1t sucked my blood. The bloOdthirsty mon
Ster began to pull. How unnecessary had
my efforts to loosen my foot been. II would
be loosened for me now.
The cartilages broke and was dragged
into the water. 1t is impossible to describe
the state of my mind at this moment. Ter
ror, disgust, loathing of the inconceivably
h0r lOle deVOurer, who was emptying nv
veins and who was drawing me nearer TO
him, and the awful pain, both of my foot
and the feelers, combined to bring
me almost to state of maniaeaI
frenzy. The beastly eyes were near
me. l could see them indistinetly through
the water. Horrible thought! If l could
read their language. If | could see the ex-
preston they showed, it would be one of
joy. The agony to me was pleasure to it.
a satisfaction of its beastly appetite. Pain!
Painl Painl l tried to cry out. The
water chOked me.
My eyes turned upward. A happy bird
SKINNED the surface of the water and re-
minded me of the blue depths of sky. My
thoughts reverted to past days for a
moment. For second-in spite of the pain
of the blood suction of the antenna, 1
almost forgot the horrible creature. Then
my senses returned. | looked downward
again-a shapeless horror was fixed on my
chest.
SAW IT BUT INDIsTINCTLY.
My strength was going. The pain seemed
less intense. Through half-closed eyes,
that hardly saw, | looked upward at
the heavens. | was almost unconscious.
Then again the scene became vivid. A last
return OF strength. Then dying. The scene
faded-I could not see-I was cold-cold
seemed to go through me-horrible eyes
dying. dying, dying.
was under water. l 10 not remember
feeling any difficulty i'll being able to
breathe. | seemed able to walk, to rise or
sink as wished. looked at the bed of the
ocean. A long, white something at my feet
was heaving and rolling with the motion of
the waves. | went closer and looked at
Horrorsi 1t was me! /. CHASTITY white,
cold and dead, lay buOyantly rocking on the
ocean bed. l shall never forget the thrill Of
horror which ran through me as l saw that
There is no use describing the CHASTITY mutt
lation of the body, its swollen, horrible APP
pearance-the expression of fear and agony
on the face. the open mouth, the staring
eyes that never moved, but seemed doomed
to stare sghtlessly till their sockets rOtted
or some devOuring demon of the deep en-
quilted them in his hideous jaws. looked
fxedly at it, unable TO see anything else.
SUDDENLY, IRRESIsTIBLY
l felt myself being drawn toward it.
Nearer and nearer, alive, horror-stricken
and trembling l approached my own corpse.
Soon stood by it. Stood is not the word.
| did not stand, l seemed to be weighted
Then, still impelled by the irresistible i'm
pulse, l stopped over it, looked shuddering
at the CHASTITY eyes tat stared back ex-
pressionlessly at me. A strange feeling
came over me- l became suddenly conscious
of the cold. My limbs seemed to have re-
gained weight. / no longer saw those hor-
rid eyes or that hideous face.
l lay on my back on the ocean bed.
moved and now the body moved with me.
1t was me again. L had united with it. 1
remember being overpoweringly astonished
at what had happened. remember ATTEMPT
ing to rise, and then fell back unconscious.
died again, ana when | next regained
consciousness l lay in bed. TWAS dream
woke. The suffering. the terror was as
real and acute as though l were awake. Let
my agony be warning to any who are
tempted. 1t is with the hope that 1t may
save some that / send it to The CALL.
G. H