"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, I fairly pringled all
along my back. I knew that I was going to learn definitely whether
whatever was abroad was dangerous to Life. From the cat there rose
suddenly a hideous caterwaul, that ceased abruptly; and then--too late--I
snapped off the flashlight. In the great glare, I saw that the basket had
been overturned, and the lid was wrenched open, with the cat lying half
in, and half out upon the floor. I saw nothing else, but I was full of
the knowledge that I was in the presence of some Being or Thing that had
power to destroy. "During the next two or three minutes, there was an odd, noticeable
quietness in the room, and you much remember I was half-blinded, for the
time, because of the flashlight; so that the whole place seemed to be
pitchy dark just beyond the shine of the Pentacle. I tell you it was most
horrible. I just knelt there in the star, and whirled 'round, trying to
see whether anything was coming at me. "My power of sight came gradually, and I got a little hold of myself; and
abruptly I saw the thing I was looking for, close to the 'water circle.' It was big and indistinct, and wavered curiously, as though the shadow of
a vast spider hung suspended in the air, just beyond the barrier. It
passed swiftly 'round the circle, and seemed to probe ever toward me; but
only to draw back with extraordinary jerky movements, as might a living
person if they touched the hot bar of a grate. "'Round and 'round it moved, and 'round and 'round I turned. Then, just
opposite to one of the Vales' in the pentacles, it seemed to pause, as
though preliminary to a tremendous effort. It retired almost beyond the
glow of the vacuum light, and then came straight toward me, appearing to
gather form and solidity as it came. There seemed a vast, malign
determination behind the movement, that must succeed. I was on my knees,
and I jerked back, falling on to my left hand, and hip, in a wild
endeavor to get back from the advancing thing. With my right hand I was
grabbing madly for my revolver, which I had let slip. The brutal thing
came with one great sweep straight over the garlic and the 'water
circle,' almost to the vale of the pentacle. I believe I yelled. Then,
just as suddenly as it had swept over, it seemed to be hurled back by
some mighty, invisible force. "It must have been some moments before I realized that I was safe; and
then I got myself together in the middle of the pentacles, feeling
horribly gone and shaken, and glancing 'round and 'round the barrier; but
the thing had vanished. Yet, I had learnt something, for I knew now that
the Grey Room was haunted by a monstrous hand. "Suddenly, as I crouched there, I saw what had so nearly given the
monster an opening through the barrier. In my movements within the
pentacle I must have touched one of the jars of water; for just where the
thing had made its attack the jar that guarded the 'deep' of the 'vale'
had been moved to one side, and this had left one of the 'five doorways'
unguarded. I put it back, quickly, and felt almost safe again, for I had
found the cause, and the 'defense' was still good. And I began to hope
again that I should see the morning come in. When I saw that thing so
nearly succeed, I had an awful, weak, overwhelming feeling that the
'barriers' could never bring me safe through the night against such a
Force. You can understand? "For a long time I could not see the hand; but, presently, I thought I
saw, once or twice, an odd wavering, over among the shadows near the
door. A little later, as though in a sudden fit of malignant rage, the
dead body of the cat was picked up, and beaten with dull, sickening blows
against the solid floor. That made me feel rather queer. "A minute afterward, the door was opened and slammed twice with
tremendous force. The next instant the thing made one swift, vicious dart
at me, from out of the shadows. Instinctively, I started sideways from
it, and so plucked my hand from upon the Electric Pentacle, where--for a
wickedly careless moment--I had placed it. The monster was hurled off
from the neighborhood of the pentacles; though--owing to my inconceivable
foolishness--it had been enabled for a second time to pass the outer
barriers. I can tell you, I shook for a time, with sheer funk. I moved
right to the center of the pentacles again, and knelt there, making
myself as small and compact as possible. "As I knelt, there came to me presently, a vague wonder at the two
'accidents' which had so nearly allowed the brute to get at me. Was I
being _influenced_ to unconscious voluntary actions that endangered me? The thought took hold of me, and I watched my every movement. Abruptly, I
stretched a tired leg, and knocked over one of the jars of water. Some
was spilled; but, because of my suspicious watchfulness, I had it upright
and back within the vale while yet some of the water remained. Even as I
did so, the vast, black, half-materialized hand beat up at me out of the
shadows, and seemed to leap almost into my face; so nearly did it
approach; but for the third time it was thrown back by some altogether
enormous, overmastering force. Yet, apart from the dazed fright in which
it left me, I had for a moment that feeling of spiritual sickness, as if
some delicate, beautiful, inward grace had suffered, which is felt only
upon the too near approach of the ab-human, and is more dreadful, in a
strange way, than any physical pain that can be suffered. I knew by this
more of the extent and closeness of the danger; and for a long time I was
simply cowed by the butt-headed brutality of that Force upon my spirit. I
can put it no other way.