(i)<br >Total blackness. A tomb within a tomb. She tried<br >desperately to call out， but no sound came. A suffocat-<br >ing weight bore down on her， stifling her voice. She<br >could not see what it was that bestrode her， aware only<br >that it was evil and terrifying， hanging over her like a<br >dark pall. She struggled to escape its embrace but her<br >arms were pinioned and her legs felt leaden and would<br >not move.<br > The blackness slid away， like a curtain being drawn<br >to one side， and a white mistiness filled her vision and<br >instead of darkness there was light: a clammy lumi-<br >nosity， claustrophobic gs a winding sheet.<br > And all the while a~ slow， rhythmic crunching of<br >gravel， like ponderous fbotsteps closing in on her， in-<br >spired a fearful urgency to her petrified struggles and<br >her soundless cries.<br > With a final， frenzied effort she burst through the<br >nightmare shroud of sleep and sat up， her heart<br >pounding. A trickle of sweat ran from her neck and<br >across her breast and she felt the clinging wetness of<br >her nightdress against her back. She pushed away the<br >heavy eiderdown and swung her legs over the side of<br >the bed and sat for a time with her hands resting<br >against her legs until her breathing became more con-<br >trolled. The house was silent， the night air completely<br >still， only the pounding pulse of blood beating in her<br >ear drums. She stood up， and to dispel the oppressive<br >stillness with the commotion of her own movement，<br >walked quickly across to the open window.<br > A nearly full moon， newly escaped from a billowing<br >bank of cloud， rode high above a big oak tree， filling<br >the room with its dead， white glow. From beyond the<br >cliff she heard the rasping noise of a gentle sea swell<br >7<br >l，t~plno:~<br >l~.dsoq tq.<br > ~..~<br > lu~p~.s~d<br >j.o~Otl.19 U~<br ><br >