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hand at his throat began to peel the flesh away； exposing veins and cords。 The shadows moved closer as the odor and warmth of the blood wafted up to them。 Another moved in； bent forward； the eyes whirlpools of red； its claw flashed out； ripping away a cheek that dangled on slivers of skin。 A three…fingered hand； bare bone showing on the knuckles； probed at an eye； in the next instant digging in and tearing it away like a quivering grape from a vine。
The man opened his mouth and moaned； then shuddered involuntarily。 His head fell back； exposing the torn throat to the silver light。 The punctured artery in his neck continued to pump blood in widening puddles。
And then the crimson…eyed shadows fell upon him； lips and tongues voraciously consuming the face and throat。 Teeth bit at flesh； tearing through and gnawing hungrily on bone； the weight of the things covered him over。 He lifted one hand； but it hung useless； in the air； the fingers slowly curling； and then fell back。 The room was filled with the noises of their feeding； the grinding of teeth on bone； the sucking at gaping wounds and the tearing away of chunks of flesh。 Blood covered the floor； and some of the things bent down to lap at the puddles； maddened and starved for its sweet； strong taste。 They began to tear the body to pieces； biting through bone for the marrow and the fluids。 They worked faster and faster； more frantically； the sounds of their breathing echoing in the room。 The woman whimpered where she lay。 They pushed at each other to reach the wounds and when one wound was dry they groped for others； hissing in fury as another pushed them aside。 They broke open new rivulets of fluids； like dark wine from fleshy casks。 They were impatient and greedy as they feasted； ripping strips of flesh and hoarding them； squeezing out the final drops。 And when they were finished with the man； when they had scattered him in grisly pieces and sucked him dry and found they had still not had enough to fill their collapsed veins and arteries； not enough to stop the terrible pain； not to quench the raging fire； they turned with a vengeance upon the woman。
She watched them e； some of them walking； some of them dragging themselves across the floor toward her； and she was powerless to move。 They were enraged because they were still not filled； not relieved of their inhuman pain； and their teeth were merciless。
As they fed on her motionless body； one of the things disentangled itself and rose to its feet。 Blood smeared its lips and hands； and as it backed away from the mass of bodies it lifted a palm and licked at the human liquids。 It stood in a corner； watching as the others tried to satisfy their hungers。 The agony still remained； deep within dried and twisted tissues； within muscles drawn hard as stone； within flesh shrunken and wrinkled around the bones。 With each breath the agony welled up； fanning the blaze ever higher。 The thing in the corner put a hand to its throat in a vain attempt to still the searing pain。 No pulse beat there； the heart had bee a lump of decayed matter； and the veins had collapsed like the walls of empty houses。 The thing shivered suddenly； in agony and rage and madness and hate。
On the wall beside it there was an oval mirror。 It turned its head very slowly and peered into the moonlit reflection。
The only thing living in that face were the eyes； and those were sunken and terrible； slits of evil in the shriveled head。 At one time； an age ago； those eyes might have been cunning and wolflike； full of glory and the blaze of battle。 The once aquiline nose was flattened and almost rotted away； now just a pit into which the face was slowly collapsing。 Patches of yellow hair clung to the misshapen scalp； and when the thing opened its mouth to scream against its own image； the broken； ragged…edged teeth glittered in the light。
The thing lifted up its arms and struck the glass。 A crack zigzagged across the mirror； slicing the vision of the corpse's face into two disjointed parts。 It struck again and again； the breath ing harshly through twisted lips； and the mirror began to fall to pieces。 When all the glass had broken and the frame was empty； the thing let out a hoarse roar of torment and rage； the scream rising up and up and ending in an empty； choked sob。
The others； feeding on the woman's naked body； heard but did not pause in their feast。 Currents of blood shifted around them like ebbing tides； staining the tattered remnants of their brown uniforms。
On the front porch of the Indigo Inn； David Moore sat sipping a drink and watched a light far out at sea。 A cigarette burned in an ashtray beside his chair； there was a half…empty bottle of rum at his feet。 The light came off a freighter； traveling toward the port of a larger island。 The sight of it stirred his wanderlust； made him think of distant shores； of people he had known and left behind。
His time in Baltimore seemed like someone else's life now。 He had been a different David Moore then； a man naive and unaware in so many； many ways。 If there was such a thing as fate； it had moved swiftly in his case； sweeping him along on a path from which he could never hope to find his way back。 Nothing could ever alter his own personal tragedy； the scar would always remain； deep and ragged； on his soul。 Since the deaths of his wife and son he had determined not to fall in love again； and though he had fallen in love with places and experiences he could never really get close to people again。 It was too dangerous。 He had been attracted to other women； yes； he had sought sexual encounters just as the women he spent nights with did； but he found it difficult to express his emotions anymore。 He knew he drank too much because he was afraid of both life and death； rather； he was suspended between them； his senses still indulging in the multitudinous experiences his travels had offered him； while his deep…seated emotions were numbed and frozen。 He was now just the shell of a man who had once run his hands through Beth's hair and felt the power spark between them like currents of electricity。 And yet； in all this time he had only felt himself grow closer to her。 Sometimes； locked in a dream； he knew he only had to reach out a few inches and touch her supple naked body； draw her closer to him and hold her so tightly she would never be taken from him again。
And thinking of Brian； his son； was just as difficult： What sort of man would he have bee？ What would it have been like to watch the boy grow up； go to college？ God forbid that he would have taken a position at his grandfather's bank and been stifled just as David had been。 No； that was too easy。 Perhaps the boy would have been intrigued by the ocean； and would have chosen a life that would have fulfilled him…in ocean engineering； or oceanography； say。 Those were fields David might have picked； had not the family decided on his direction in life。 He would have made certain that Brian knew there was an entire world of choices； he would have made certain the boy knew his life was his own。
Now； when the rum had him and the sea was crashing across the reef； when he sat alone with the night； he couldn't keep the images at