Цвет из иных миров

           Therewasahorriblebrittleness,anddryfragmentswerescalingoff.Ammicouldnottouchit,butlookedhorrifiedlyintothedistortedparodythathadbeenaface.“Whatwasit,Nahum—whatwasit?”hewhispered,andthecleft,bulginglipswerejustabletocrackleoutafinalanswer.

           “Nothin’...nothin’...thecolour...itburns...coldan’wet...butitburns...itlivedinthewell...Iseenit...akindo’smoke...jestliketheflowerslastspring...thewellshoneatnight...Thadan’Merniean’Zenas...everythingalive...suckin’thelifeoutofeverything...inthatstone...itmusta’comeinthatstone...pizenedthewholeplace...dun’tknowwhatitwants...thatroundthingthemmenfromthecollegedugoutenthestone...theysmashedit...itwasthatsamecolour...jestthesame,liketheflowersan’plants...musta’benmoreof’em...seeds...seeds...theygrowed...Iseenitthefusttimethisweek...musta’gotstrongonZenas...hewasabigboy,fullo’life...itbeatsdownyourmindan’thengitsye...burnsyeup...inthewellwater...youwasrightaboutthat...evilwater...Zenasnevercomebackfromthewell...can’tgitaway...drawsye...yeknowsumm’at’scomin’,but’tain’tnouse...Iseenittimean’aginsenctZenaswastook...whar’sNabby,Ammi?...myhead’snogood...dun’tknowhowlongsenctIfedher...it’llgitherefweain’tkeerful...jestacolour...herfaceisgettin’tohevthatcoloursometimestowardsnight...an’itburnsan’sucks...itcomefromsomeplacewharthingsain’tastheyishere...