Carnacki, The Ghost Finder | Page 7

I was investigating a dangerous and ugly case.
"By this time, the night had come; though the room was very light with
the burning candles; and I found myself glancing behind me, constantly,
and then all 'round the room. It was nervy work waiting for that thing to
come. Then, suddenly, I was aware of a little, cold wind sweeping over
me, coming from behind. I gave one great nerve-thrill, and a prickly
feeling went all over the back of my head. Then I hove myself 'round
with a sort of stiff jerk, and stared straight against that queer wind. It
seemed to come from the corner of the room to the left of the bed--the
place where both times I had found the heap of tossed bedclothes. Yet,
I could see nothing unusual; no opening--nothing!...
"Abruptly, I was aware that the candles were all a-flicker in that
unnatural wind.... I believe I just squatted there and stared in a horribly
frightened, wooden way for some minutes. I shall never be able to let
you know how disgustingly horrible it was sitting in that vile, cold
wind! And then, flick! flick! flick! all the candles 'round the outer
barrier went out; and there was I, locked and sealed in that room, and
with no light beyond the weakish blue glare of the Electric Pentacle.
"A time of abominable tenseness passed, and still that wind blew upon
me; and then, suddenly, I knew that something stirred in the corner to
the left of the bed. I was made conscious of it, rather by some inward,
unused sense than by either sight or sound; for the pale, short-radius
glare of the Pentacle gave but a very poor light for seeing by. Yet, as I

stared, something began slowly to grow upon my sight--a moving
shadow, a little darker than the surrounding shadows. I lost the thing
amid the vagueness, and for a moment or two I glanced swiftly from
side to side, with a fresh, new sense of impending danger. Then my
attention was directed to the bed. All the covering's were being drawn
steadily off, with a hateful, stealthy sort of motion. I heard the slow,
dragging slither of the clothes; but I could see nothing of the thing that
pulled. I was aware in a funny, subconscious, introspective fashion that
the 'creep' had come upon me; yet that I was cooler mentally than I had
been for some minutes; sufficiently so to feel that my hands were
sweating coldly, and to shift my revolver, half-consciously, whilst I
rubbed my right hand dry upon my knee; though never, for an instant,
taking my gaze or my attention from those moving clothes.
"The faint noises from the bed ceased once, and there was a most
intense silence, with only the sound of the blood beating in my head.
Yet, immediately afterward, I heard again the slurring of the bedclothes
being dragged off the bed. In the midst of my nervous tension I
remembered the camera, and reached 'round for it; but without looking
away from the bed. And then, you know, all in a moment, the whole of
the bed coverings were torn off with extraordinary violence, and I
heard the flump they made as they were hurled into the corner.
"There was a time of absolute quietness then for perhaps a couple of
minutes; and you can imagine how horrible I felt. The bedclothes had
been thrown with such savageness! And, then again, the brutal
unnaturalness of the thing that had just been done before me!
"Abruptly, over by the door, I heard a faint noise--a sort of crickling
sound, and then a pitter or two upon the floor. A great nervous thrill
swept over me, seeming to run up my spine and over the back of my
head; for the seal that secured the door had just been broken.
Something was there. I could not see the door; at least, I mean to say
that it was impossible to say how much I actually saw, and how much
my imagination supplied. I made it out, only as a continuation of the
grey walls.... And then it seemed to me that something dark and
indistinct moved and wavered there among the shadows.

"Abruptly, I was aware that the door was opening, and with an effort I
reached again for my camera; but before I could aim it the door was
slammed with a terrific crash that filled the whole room with a sort of
hollow thunder. I jumped, like a frightened child. There seemed such a
power behind the noise; as though a vast, wanton Force were 'out.' Can
you understand?
"The door was not touched again; but, directly afterward, I heard the
basket, in which the cat lay, creak. I tell you,