The House on the Borderland

in this ancient house, surrou

e with my old sister, who is also my housekeeper. We keep no servants-I hate them. I have one friend, a dog; yes, I would sooner have old

ngs that I cannot express to anyone; but, beyond this, I am anxious to make some record of the str

, and, until I bought it, for more than eighty years no one had lived

therefore, I must needs ease my mind, by writing down an account of them, to the best of my ability; though, should this

cture, which is curious and fantastic to the last degree. Little curved towers and pinnacles, with outli

e effect that the devil built the place. However, that is as may be. True or no

a dozen occasions, seen, vaguely, things that puzzled me, and, perhaps, had felt more than I had seen. Then, as the years passed, bringing age upon me, I became often aware of som

is a true record of my own experiences, and I would not put pen to paper to amuse anyone. No. It was after midnight on the morning

I saw the lights sink into a dull, ruddy tint; so that the room glowed with a strange, heavy, crimson twilight that gave the shadows behind the

thing pressed itself in between my two feet. It was Pepper, cowe

hen red; but had been momentarily under the impression that the change was due to some influx of noxious gas into the room. Now, however, I saw that it was not

usly. Then I noticed that the lights had commenced to sink, very slowly; until presently they showed minute specks of red fire, like the gleamings of rubies

ling the room with gleams of quivering green light; then they sank quickly, and changed-even as the candle fl

e been a few seconds before I was able to open them. The first thing I noticed was that the light had decreased, greatly; so that it no longer tried my eye

ensity of this plain scarcely can be conceived. In no part could I perceive its confines. It seemed to broaden and spread out, so that the eye failed to perceive any limit

down at a dim something, huddled and silent. In a little while, a cold blast struck me, and I was outside in the night,

eams of fire. Onward, outward, I drove. Once, I glanced behind, and saw the earth, a small crescent of blue li

f radiant blue, swimming in an eternity of ether. And there I, a fragile flake of soul dust

of lightness and cold discomfort. Now however the atrocious darkness seemed to creep into my soul, and I became filled with fear and despair. What was going to become of me? Where was I going? Even as the thoughts were f

-dull and tremendous. Still, I fled onward, and, presently, I had come so close, that it seemed to stretch beneath me, l

sullen, red-hued clouds. Slowly, I emerged from these, and there, below me, I saw the stupendou

ste of loneliness. The place was lit with a gloomy twili

ojected huge, writhing flames, darted and jagged. The interior of this ring was black, black as the gloom of the out

ere I looked, I saw nothing but the same flat weariness of interminable plain. Nowh

f any great sense of impatience; though some curiosity and a vast wonder were with me continually. Always, I saw around me the breadth of that

surface. Still, when I looked more intently, I was unable to say that it was really mist; for it appeared to b

hing. Yet, it was a great time before I perceived any

er, I perceived that I had been mistaken; for, instead of a low hill, I made out, now, a chain of gre