During a particularly terrifying storm, the narrator is telling a story to Roderick when they begin to hear unusual sounds such as cracking and ripping sounds, a scream, and a mechanical clang. He pauses the story and tells Roderick that they should go outside because there is something wrong with the house. They rush out into the dark night where they see a light in the distance. As they walk towards it, they hear more strange noises such as creaking and groaning. When they reach the source of the light, they find Mrs. Dalloway standing in front of them illuminated by a firefly. She tells them not to be afraid and asks if they can help her. The two men look around for signs of anyone else being there but cannot find any so they decide to follow Mrs. Dalloway's instructions and help her. They guide her down the path until they reach a river where she tells them to leave her before jumping in himself. However, before doing so, he looks back at her one last time and sees her standing next to the river waving goodbye. After he jumps in, the narrator finds himself in a different place. He wakes up to discover it is morning and that everything that happened during the storm was just a dream.